The Gingerbread Man Story
Once upon a time, In a small, cozy kitchen, an old woman stood by the table. In her hands, she had a bowl full of sweet cookie dough. She loved baking, and today, she was baking something special.
“Let’s make a gingerbread man,” she said, smiling at her old husband.
She shaped the dough into a small, cute gingerbread man. She used raisins for his eyes, a cherry for his nose, and icing to draw a wide smile on his face. It was perfect. She placed him in the oven to bake.
After a little while, they heard a tiny voice from inside the oven: “Let me out! Let me out!” To their surprise and joy, when they opened the oven, out jumped the gingerbread man!
“Run, run, as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!” he shouted, and he ran out of the house as fast as his little gingerbread legs could carry him.
The old woman and the old man ran after him, but the Gingerbread Man was too fast. He sang out loud:
“Run, run, as fast as you can!
You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”
On his way, he passed a cow. “Stop, little Gingerbread Man! I want to eat you!” the cow said. But the Gingerbread Man laughed and said:
“Run, run, as fast as you can!
You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!
I’ve run away from an old woman,
And I can run away from you, I can!”
And so, he kept running, with the cow chasing him too.
Then he passed a horse. “Stop! I’d like to eat you,” neighed the horse. But the Gingerbread Man just sang louder:
“Run, run, as fast as you can!
You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!
I’ve run away from an old woman and a cow,
And I can run away from you, I vow!”
The Gingerbread Man was having so much fun running and singing. But soon, he came to a river. “Oh no!” he cried, “I can’t swim!”
Just then, a cunning fox appeared and offered to help the Gingerbread Man cross the river.
The Gingerbread Man was unsure at first but eventually, he climbed onto the fox’s tail.
As they reached the middle of the river, the fox said, “You’re too heavy on my tail, jump onto my back.” So, the Gingerbread Man did. But as the water rose, the fox said, “Jump onto my nose, or you’ll get wet!” The Gingerbread Man, not wanting to get soggy, leaped onto the fox’s nose.
But as soon as they reached the other side, the fox tossed the Gingerbread Man up in the air, caught him in his mouth, and gobbled him up!
And so, the chase ended, not with a victory, but with a valuable lesson for all. Always be careful of those who you decide to trust.
The End.
Moral Lessons of the Story:
- The story of “The Gingerbread Man” teaches us the importance of being careful about who we trust. Not everyone we meet has our best interests at heart, so it’s important to make wise decisions.
- It also illustrates the consequences of being overconfident. The Gingerbread Man was so sure nobody could catch him that he didn’t recognize danger when it was right in front of him.
Discussion Points:
Trust: Talk to your child about the importance of trust and the importance of discerning who to trust.
- Why do you think the Gingerbread Man trusted the fox? Should he have trusted the fox?
- Who are some people in your life that you trust, and why do you trust them?
Overconfidence: Discuss with your child about the Gingerbread Man’s belief that he could outrun anyone.
- Was it wise for him to be so confident?
- What could he have done differently?
- Why is it important to know what we can and cannot do?
- Have you ever tried something that was too hard, and what did you do?