The Borneo Post - Good English

The runaway gingerbrea­d man

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THERE was once a little old man and a little old woman, who lived in a little old house. They would have been a very happy old couple but they were a bit at sea because they had no little child. One day the old woman got a funny look on her face. Her husband said that he would give a penny for her thoughts. The old woman said that she had a great idea. The husband said he was all ears. The little old woman was baking gingerbrea­d, and she cut it one in the shape of a little boy, and put it into the oven. She said to her husband that she would pray that the gingerbrea­d turns out to be a real boy but she didn’t want to try such a thing behind his back.

When she went to the oven to see if it was baked and as soon as the oven door was opened, a little gingerbrea­d boy hopped up, and began to run away as fast as he could go.

The little old woman called her husband, and they both ran after him. But they could not catch him. And soon the gingerbrea­d boy came to a barn full of farm hands.

He called out to them as he went by, saying: I’ve run away from a little old woman,

A little old man,

And I need to catch a train and run away from you — I can! He was chasing rainbows!

The old man and woman asked the farm hands to lend them a free hand and the barn full of farm hands set out to run after him. But, though they ran fast, they could not catch him. And he ran on till he came to a field full of mowers. He called out to them:

I’ve run away from a little old woman,

A little old man,

A barn full of farm hands,

And I can dust you, I can!

Run, run as fast as you can!

You can’t catch me. I’m the Gingerbrea­d Man! The gingerbrea­d boy thought that he was a real wordsmith.

Then the mowers decided to lend them a free hand, but they couldn’t catch him either. And he ran until he came to a cow. He called out to her:

I’ve run away from a little old woman,

A little old man,

A barn full of farm hands,

A field full of mowers,

Run, run as fast as you can!

You can’t catch me. I’m the Gingerbrea­d Man!

The cow who was not tied up or doing anything in particular joined the chase but she couldn’t catch him. And soon he came to a pig. He called out to the pig:

I’ve run away from a little old woman,

A little old man,

A barn full of farm hands,

A field full of mowers, wait up from a silly old cow!

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! Hold up, you thought the gingerbrea­d boy was going to escape. You are wrong. He came upon a fox!

Now foxes can run very fast, and so the fox soon caught the gingerbrea­d boy and began to eat him up.

Soon the gingerbrea­d boy said, “Oh dear! I’m quarter gone!” He caught on that he was in trouble. And then, “Oh, I’m half gone!” No doubt he was getting really worried. And soon, “I’m three-quarters gone!” And at last, “ten four!” and never spoke again. It turned out that the gingerbrea­d boy was just a flash in the pan. I’ve also run

Moral of the Story :

Just because you feel that you can do whatever you want, it doesn’t mean that it is a good thing to do.

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