About the The gingerbread man story
Get ready to pounce into a sweet, thrilling adventure! “The gingerbread man” is the story of a little gingerbread cookie who magically comes to life and runs away, escaping from everyone who tries to catch him. But can he outsmart everyone, or will someone cleverer come along?
The story of “The gingerbread man” was first published in the late 19th century and has become a beloved classic, teaching the lesson that cleverness doesn’t always mean you can outrun your fate. In this article, you’ll find two versions of the story: the full tale and a simplified graded reader for young English learners. Fun questions at the end will help your child build vocabulary and comprehension skills.
For more fun stories, games, and learning adventures, check out the Studycat Learn English app!
Let’s leap into the chase with “The gingerbread man” and see who catches him first!
The story of “The gingerbread man”
Once upon a time, an old woman and an old man lived in a cozy little cottage. One day, the woman decided to bake a special treat—a gingerbread man. She mixed the dough, rolled it out, and carefully shaped it into a little man. She added raisins for eyes, a smile made of icing, and buttons made of candy.
After baking him in the oven, the woman opened the door to check if he was ready. But to her surprise, the gingerbread man leaped out of the oven and ran straight out the door!
“Stop! Come back!” the woman cried, but the Gingerbread Man just laughed and shouted, “Run, run, as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”
And off he ran, faster than anyone could catch him.
The gingerbread man’s wild run
As the Gingerbread Man ran down the road, he soon passed a cow grazing in the field. The cow, hungry for a tasty snack, mooed, “Stop, Gingerbread Man! I want to eat you!”
But the Gingerbread Man only laughed and said, “I’ve run away from an old woman, and I’ve run away from an old man, and I can run away from you, I can!”
“Run, run, as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”
And off he ran, with the cow chasing after him.
A little farther down the road, the Gingerbread Man met a horse. The horse neighed, “Stop, Gingerbread Man! You look delicious, and I want to eat you!”
But the Gingerbread Man just laughed again and said, “I’ve run away from an old woman, an old man, and a cow, and I can run away from you, too!”
“Run, run, as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”
And off he ran, faster and faster, with the horse and the cow chasing after him.
Next, the Gingerbread Man passed a farmer working in the field. The farmer called out, “Stop, Gingerbread Man! I want to have you for my supper!”
But the Gingerbread Man just laughed even harder. “I’ve run away from an old woman, an old man, a cow, and a horse, and I can run away from you, too!”
“Run, run, as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”
And off he ran, faster than ever, with the old woman, old man, cow, horse, and farmer all chasing after him.
The fox’s clever trick
The Gingerbread Man was feeling pretty proud of himself by now. He had outrun so many people and animals that he thought no one could catch him. But as he ran, he reached a wide river. He stopped, unsure of how to get across without getting soggy and falling apart.
Just then, a fox appeared on the riverbank. “Hello, little Gingerbread Man,” the fox said with a sly smile. “You look like you need some help crossing the river.”
The Gingerbread Man eyed the fox carefully. “How do I know you won’t eat me?” he asked.
“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it!” the fox replied. “I just want to help. If you hop onto my tail, I can swim across the river, and you’ll stay dry.”
The Gingerbread Man, feeling confident, agreed and jumped onto the fox’s tail. The fox began swimming across the river, but as the water got deeper, the fox said, “You’re getting too heavy for my tail. Why don’t you hop onto my back instead?”
The Gingerbread Man moved onto the fox’s back, and they continued across the river. But soon, the water got even deeper, and the fox said, “Oh dear, the water is rising. Why don’t you hop onto my nose so you don’t get wet?”
The Gingerbread Man, not thinking twice, jumped onto the fox’s nose. But as soon as they reached the middle of the river, the fox tossed his head back, snapped up the Gingerbread Man, and gobbled him up in one big bite!
And just like that, the Gingerbread Man’s running days were over.
The moral of “The gingerbread man”
Don’t be overconfident, and be careful whom you trust.
The Gingerbread Man thought he could outrun everyone and didn’t consider the dangers of trusting a stranger, especially one as clever as the fox. This story teaches us that while confidence is good, being too proud and too trusting can sometimes lead to trouble.
Questions about “The gingerbread man”
- What did the old woman bake in the oven?
- Why did the Gingerbread Man run away from everyone he met?
- Who helped the Gingerbread Man cross the river?
- How did the fox trick the Gingerbread Man?
- What lesson does the story of The Gingerbread Man teach us?
Answers
- The old woman baked a gingerbread man in the oven.
- The Gingerbread Man ran away because he didn’t want to be eaten.
- The fox helped the Gingerbread Man cross the river.
- The fox tricked the Gingerbread Man by asking him to hop onto his nose, then snapping him up and eating him.
- The story teaches us that overconfidence and trusting strangers can lead to trouble.
Words to learn
- Gingerbread Man: A cookie shaped like a little man, made of gingerbread dough.
- Run: To move quickly on foot. The Gingerbread Man loved to run away from everyone.
- River: A large, flowing body of water. The Gingerbread Man needed help crossing the river.
- Fox: A clever animal known for being sly. In this story, the fox tricks the Gingerbread Man.
- Chase: To run after someone or something. The old woman, old man, cow, horse, and farmer all chased the Gingerbread Man.
What type of story is “The gingerbread man”?
The Gingerbread Man is a folk tale, a traditional story passed down from generation to generation, often teaching important lessons.
Who wrote “The gingerbread man”?
The Gingerbread Man is a traditional folk tale, so there isn’t one specific author. It’s a story that has been retold for generations.
When was “The gingerbread man” first told?
The Gingerbread Man has been told for many years, dating back to the late 19th century, when it was first published in English storybooks.
Who are the main characters in “The gingerbread man”?
The main characters are the Gingerbread Man, the old woman and old man, the cow, the horse, the farmer, and the fox.
What lesson can we learn from “The gingerbread man”?
We learn that overconfidence can lead to trouble, and we should be careful about whom we trust, especially when dealing with tricky situations.
”The gingerbread man” story for young English learners (ages 2-5, Pre-A1 graded reader)
Once upon a time, an old woman decided to bake a gingerbread man. She mixed the dough, shaped it into a little man, and put it in the oven to bake.
When the gingerbread man was ready, he jumped out of the oven and ran out of the house!
The old woman shouted, “Stop, stop, gingerbread man!” but the gingerbread man laughed and ran faster.
“I’m the gingerbread man! Run, run as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!” he shouted.
The gingerbread man ran through the field and passed a cow.
The cow said, “Stop, gingerbread man! I want to eat you!”
But the gingerbread man just laughed and ran faster.
“I’m the gingerbread man! Run, run as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!”
Next, the gingerbread man passed a horse.
The horse said, “Stop, gingerbread man! I want to eat you!”
But the gingerbread man ran even faster.
“I’m the gingerbread man! Run, run as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!”
The gingerbread man kept running until he came to a river.
He wanted to cross, but he didn’t know how to swim.
Just then, a sly fox came by.
“I can help you cross the river,” the fox said.
“Jump on my tail, and I will take you across.”
The gingerbread man wasn’t sure, but he needed to get across the river.
So, he jumped on the fox’s tail.
As they started to cross the river, the fox said, “I’m getting tired. Jump on my back.”
The gingerbread man jumped on the fox’s back.
A little farther, the fox said, “The water is getting deeper. Jump on my nose.”
The gingerbread man jumped on the fox’s nose.
Suddenly, the fox tossed him into the air and snapped him up in one bite!
And that was the end of the gingerbread man.
Fun fact!
Did you know? In some versions of “The gingerbread man”, the ending is a bit different, with the fox outsmarting the Gingerbread Man in even more clever ways. But in every version, the message about being careful of who you trust remains the same.
