Usborne Young Reading: The Gingerbread Man

This story is about a little old woman, a little old man, a gingerbread man, a horse, a cow, a farmer, some children and a fox. Once upon a time, a little old woman and a little old man lived on a farm. Most of the time, they were happy. But one thing made them sad. They had no children. So the little old woman decided to make a boy out of gingerbread. She mixed the dough and cut out a shape. She gave him eyes a mouth and buttons and put him in the oven to bake. Soon she could smell hot gingerbread. She opened the oven door and looked in. And a gingerbread man jumped out and ran away. "Stop!" shouted the little old woman."Stop!Stop!"shouted the little old man. But the gingerbread man ran out of the house, singing."Run, run,as fast as you can. You can't catch me. I' m the gingerbread man!" The gingerbread man ran past a horse and a cow. "Mm, you look good! Stop! Come here!"said the cow."We want to eat you." But the gingerbread man ran on down the road, singing."I have run away from a little old woman and a little old man, 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!" The gingerbread man ran past a farmer in a field. "Mmm, you look good! Stop! Come here!"said the farmer." I want to eat you." But the gingerbread man ran on down the road, singing."I have run away from a horse, a cow, a little old woman and a little old man, 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!" The gingerbread man ran past a school full of children. "Mmm, you look good! Stop! Come here!" said the children."We want to eat you." But the gingerbread man ran on down the road, singing."I have run away from a farmer, a horse, a cow, a little old woman and a little old man, 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!" Then the gingerbread man came to a river. He wanted to cross it, but he couldn't swim. A fox saw him. "Mmm, you look good! I'll take you across,"said the fox. The gingerbread man jumped on his tail. The fox started swimming but his tail was in the water. "I'm sorry,"said the fox."My tail is getting wet. Climb on to my back." The gingerbread man climbed up the fox. Water started creeping up the fox's back. "I'm sorry,"said the fox."My back is getting wet. Climb on to my nose." The gingerbread man climbed up the fox. SNAP! went the fox and the gingerbread man was a quarter gone. SMAP! went the fox and the gingerbread man was half gone. SNAP! went the fox and the gingerbread man was three quarters gone. SNAP! GULP! And that was the end of the gingerbread man.