The Gingerbread Man story is a classic tale, retold here in calm, simple words for children to enjoy with a grown-up. A gingerbread man runs away from everyone, learns to be careful with a tricky fox, and comes safely home again.
Before you start: Has a chase and a rhyme you can chant — keep it slow and soft if fast parts feel too much. The fox runs away; nobody is eaten.
Listen together Read aloud by Amy · 2 min 38 s
Read the Gingerbread Man story
Once there was a little old woman and a little old man. They lived in a little house.
One day, the little old woman baked a gingerbread man. He had raisin eyes. He had a cherry nose. He had three sugar buttons.
She put him in the oven. Soon the kitchen smelled sweet and warm.
She opened the oven door. Out jumped the gingerbread man! He ran across the kitchen and out of the door.
“Stop, stop!” called the little old woman. “Stop, stop!” called the little old man. But the gingerbread man did not stop.
He sang, “Run, run, as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!”
The gingerbread man ran past a cow. “Stop, stop!” said the cow. “Moo!” But the gingerbread man did not stop.
“Run, run, as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!”
The gingerbread man ran past a horse. “Stop, stop!” said the horse. “Neigh!” But the gingerbread man did not stop.
“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 stopped. The water was deep. “Oh no,” he said. “I cannot swim. If I get wet, I will go soggy.” He felt worried.
A fox was sitting by the river. The fox had a big bushy tail and a sly smile.
“I can carry you across the river,” said the fox. “Jump on my back.”
The gingerbread man was not sure. He felt a funny feeling in his tummy. “That fox looks hungry,” he thought.
“No, thank you,” said the gingerbread man. “I do not know you. I think I should not go with you.”
Just then, the little old woman and the little old man came puffing along the path. The cow and the horse came too.
The fox saw them all coming. “Oh dear,” said the fox, and he ran off into the trees.
The gingerbread man felt safe. “I am sorry I ran away,” he said. “I felt excited. But it was not safe to go so far.”
The little old woman picked him up gently. “We are glad you are safe,” she said.
They all walked home together. The little old woman put the gingerbread man on a plate by the window, where he could see the cow and the horse every day.
And he never ran away again. The end.
On this page
Picture cards to talk about
- Old woman bakes a gingerbread man
- Gingerbread man jumps out and runs
- Running past the cow and the horse
- Gingerbread man stops at the river
- The fox offers a ride
- Everyone walks home together
Talk about the Gingerbread Man story together
- Who did the gingerbread man run past?
- How did he feel at the river?
- Why did he say no to the fox?
- What should we do if we feel unsure about someone?
Feelings in the Gingerbread Man story
Excited, Worried, Unsure, Safe, Sorry.
What the Gingerbread Man story teaches: It is safer to stay close to your grown-ups and to say no to people you do not know.
This version is our own gentle retelling of a public-domain tale. You can read about the history of the original Gingerbread Man story on Wikipedia.
Find more calm stories on our Stories page, or play together in the Playground.