ONCE upon a time there was a little old man and a little old woman,

ONCE upon a time there was a little old man and a little old woman, and they lived in a little old house. They hadn't any children, so one day the little old woman made herself a little boy out of gingerbread. She gave him a chocolate jacket and raisins for buttons, and he had currants for eyes and a cherry for a mouth. 2 When he was finished, she put him in a tin in the oven to bake.

"Now I have a little boy of my own," she thought.

When it was time to take the Gingerbread Boy out of the oven, she opened the oven door, and took out the tin. But in a moment the Gingerbread Boy jumped on to the floor, and ran out of the back door and down the road.

The little old man and the little old woman ran after him, but he ran faster than they, and shouted:

"Run! Run! as fast as you can,

You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

And they couldn't catch him.

The little Gingerbread Boy ran on till he came to a cow. The cow was eating grass by the roadside.

"Stop, little Gingerbread Boy," said the cow. "I want to eat you."

The little Gingerbread Boy laughed and said:

"I have run away from a little old woman,

And a little old man,

And I can run away from you, I can!"

As the cow ran after him, he looked back and cried:

"Run! Run! as fast as you can,

You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

And the cow couldn't catch him. The little Gingerbread Boy ran on till he came to a horse in a meadow.

"Stop, little Gingerbread Boy," said the horse. "I want to eat you." The little Gingerbread Boy laughed and said:

"I have run from a little old woman,

And a little old man,

cow,

And I can run away from you, I can!"

As the horse ran after him, he looked back and cried:

"Run! Run! as fast as you can,

You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

And the horse couldn't catch him.

The little Gingerbread Boy ran on till he came to a barn full of threshers. 3

"Stop, little Gingerbread Boy," said the threshers. "We want to eat you up."

The little Gingerbread Boy laughed and said:

"I have run away from a little old woman,

And a little old man,

cow,

horse,

And I can run away from you, I can!"

As the threshers ran after him, he looked back and cried:

"Run! Run! as fast as you can,

You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

And the threshers couldn't catch him.

The little Gingerbread Boy ran on till he came to a field full of mowers. 4

"Stop, little Gingerbread Boy," said the mowers. "We want to eat you up."

The little Gingerbread Boy laughed and said:

"I have run away from a little old woman,

And a little old man,

cow,

horse,

barn full of threshers,

And I can run away from you, I can!"

As the mowers ran after him, he looked back and cried:

"Run! Run! as fast as you can,

You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

And the mowers could not catch him.

By now, the little Gingerbread Boy was so pleased with himself that he was quite sure that nobody could ever catch him. So when he met a fox, he called out to him:

"I have run away from a little old woman,

And a little old man,

cow,

horse,

barn full of threshers,

field full of mowers,

And I can run away from you, I can!"

"I don't want to catch you," said the fox.

Just then, the little Gingerbread Boy reached a wide river. He could not swim, but he wanted to get across the river.

"I'll take you across," said the fox. "Jump on my tail."

So the little Gingerbread Boy sat on the fox's tail and the fox began to swim. When the fox had gone a little way, he said:

"You are too heavy for my tail, and you may get wet. Jump on to my back."

The little Gingerbread Boy jumped on to the fox's back.

When he had gone a little farther, the fox said:

"You may get wet where you are. Jump on to my shoulder."

So the little Gingerbread Boy jumped on to the fox's shoulder.

When the fox had gone still farther, he said:

"My shoulder is getting wet. Jump on to my nose. You will keep dry there." 5

So the little Gingerbread Boy jumped on to the fox's nose.

As soon as the fox reached the bank of the river, his teeth snapped at the Gingerbread Boy!

"Oh, I'm a quarter gone!" 6 said the little Gingerbread Boy.

"Oh, I'm half gone!" he said a minute later.

"Oh, I'm three quarters gone!" he said the next minute.

And he never said anything else because he was all gone.

1 The Gingerbread Man — Пряничный человечек

2 She gave him a chocolate jacket and raisins for buttons, and he had currants for eyes and a cherry for a mouth. — Она сделала ему курточку из шоколада, вместо пуговиц на курточке были изюминки, вместо глаз у него были ягоды черной смородины, а вместо рта — вишенка.

3 to a barn full of threshers — к сараю, в котором работали молотильщики

4 to a field full of mowers — к полю, на котором работали косцы

5 You will keep dry there.— Там ты останешься сухим,

6 Oh, I'm a quarter gone! — Ой, я стал на четверть меньше!