The Story of the Gingerbread Man for Kids

Countless fables exist of the Gingerbread Man, and there are different variations of the ancient story. It starts with an old woman and man living together in a cabin deep in the woods, deep in the wilderness. One day when they get hungry, the woman decides to bake a gingerbread man and eat it.

The motivation for baking the dough is to have a son, and since the couple couldn’t bear children, they resorted to baking one instead. Little the old woman know what would await her. As the old woman gets sweeping and cleans up the house, she waited for the clock to strike 12. She was patiently letting the dough bake and let the gingerbread man get ready. But things take a wild turn when her creation is finally done.

Gingerbread man story for toddlers has been mentioned in various famous children’s books. Some storybooks have gorgeous illustrations, and other variations tell it in the form of comics. Picture books are the best way to read out to your kids since they’re easy to follow and don’t require a lot of reading.

Short Story of Gingerbread Man Story for Children

The gingerbread man bedtime story is famous for a reason. It’s a timeless classic and never gets old. You can read it for free online or download eBooks about it. The best way to read it to your kids is bed reading out the story and showing them gingerbread man illustrations. The colourful art and scenery make the experience a lot more fun. Here is how the story goes:

A long, long time ago, a woman decided to bake a Gingerbread man. She lived in a house with her husband alone, and they were feeling hungry. The woman poured flour, eggs, and butter into a bowl and mixed them. She added a bit of water to make the dough thin and stirred in more flour later. Once the dough was done, she took her square and circle tins to cut out the shapes from it. She made a smaller lump for the head and shaped the dough into a gingerbread body.

Using chocolate chips, she designed the buttons. The woman added a cinnamon piece for the mouth and raisins for the eyes. She put the gingerbread man in the oven and set him to bake. When the old woman was done and opened the oven, just as she was about to remove the tray, out leapt the Gingerbread man. She chased after him, but he yelled: “Don’t eat me, I’m the Gingerbread man!”

She ran after him and screamed stop, but he ran faster, replying quickly: “Run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me; I’m the Gingerbread man!”

The gingerbread man ran fast, out into the streets from the wild. She continued to run towards him, failing to catch up. “Hey, hey, wait!” she yelled.

“Run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me; I’m the Gingerbread Man!” he repeated. The little old man joined the pursuit and went ahead of the women. But both of them couldn’t catch up, no matter how hard they tried. The Gingerbread man ran too fast, at the speed of light!

Out he ran through a field where he met a big fat pig. The pig said: “Stop, I want to eat you!”

Gingerbread man replied: “No, I won’t be eaten! Run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!” and he darted.

The pig chased the Gingerbread man, and he was followed by the old man and woman still.

“I ran away from the old man and woman. If I can outrun them both, I can outrun you too! Because I can run very fast, as the Gingerbread man!”

The pig tried hard but couldn’t catch up. The Gingerbread Man passed a barn this time, and he ran into a cow. He mooed: “Please come closer. I want to eat you. You look tasty!”

The gingerbread man looked horrified and ran even faster. “Everybody wants to eat me. If I can run away from the pig and the old man and woman, I can run away from you too! Try and catch me; I’m the Gingerbread man!”

The cow started running after him and was desperate. But the Gingerbread man kept chanting: “Run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me; I’m the Gingerbread man!”

He ran into the fields, and there was a towering horse. The horse said: “You’re delicious. Please let me eat you,” as he smacked his lips.

The Gingerbread man picked up the pace and chanted again: “I’ve run from the pig, cow, old man, and the old woman. I can outrun you too. I’ll run as fast as I can because I’m the Gingerbread man!”

And there he ran. The horse was fast and was being followed by the pig. The old woman and old man were behind them too. But they couldn’t catch up despite their efforts.

The gingerbread man passed the fields and soon ran into a river. He knew he couldn’t swim and needed help. His pursuers were catching up, and he didn’t know what to do. A sly and hungry fox who hid in the bush appeared and said: “Jump on my tail, I’ll carry you across the river!”

And the gingerbread man happily obliged. He got on his back, and the fox helped him cross the stream.

“I’ll take you a bit farther away on land, but please get on my back. You’re too heavy!”

The gingerbread man thanked him and got on his back.

As the fox took him farther away, he said: “Get on my head, I’m getting tired carrying you on my back. I promise I’ll get you until the town!”

The gingerbread man agreed and climbed on his head.

“Come closer so you can see the view. Hop on my nose!”

Gingerbread trusted Mr Fox and hopped on his nose. As soon as he did that, the fox flicked him through the air and ate him. The gingerbread man crumbled, and that was how he got outwitted. He finally met his end and was chewed up by the fox.

The Gingerbread man is an interesting tale that teaches children the value of trusting others. It shows how even strangers who are willing to help can suddenly have a change of heart and end up doing something else. For kids who are just entering pre-K or don’t have experience in reading, it’s a gentle way to introduce them to the concept of stories.

Stories like the gingerbread man help toddlers understand the world around them and build their vocabulary. If you’re reading them a picture book, they get the added benefit of seeing the visuals and interpreting them. Either way, it’s fun, and a great bedtime read for beginners!

Also Read:

Fox and the Grapes Story for Kids
Boy Who Cried Wolf Story for Kids
Town Mouse and Country Mouse Story for Kids