This is the earliest known version of the story in print, the story published in St. Nicholas Magazine, May 1875.
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NOW you shall hear a story that somebody’s great-great-grandmother told a little girl ever so many years ago:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was once a little old man and a little old woman,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
who lived in a little old house in the edge of a wood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They would have been a very happy old couple but for one thing — they had no little child, and they wished for one very much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One day, when the little old woman was baking gingerbread,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
she cut a cake in the shape of a little boy, and put it into the oven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Presently she went to the oven to see if it was baked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As soon as the oven door was opened, the little gingerbread boy jumped out,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and began to run away as fast as he could go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The little old woman called her husband, and they both ran after him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But they could not catch him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And soon the gingerbread boy came to a barn full of threshers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He called out to them as he went by, saying: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ve run away from a little old woman, <\/p>
A little old man, <\/p>
And I can run away from you, <\/p>
I can!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Then the barn full of threshers set out to run after him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, though they ran fast, they could not catch him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And he ran on till he came to a field full of mowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He called out to them: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ve run away from a little old woman, <\/p>
A little old man, <\/p>
A barn full of threshers, <\/p>
And I can run away from you, <\/p>
I can! <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Then the mowers began to run after him, but they couldn’t catch him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And he ran on till he came to a cow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He called out to her: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ve run away from a little old woman, <\/p>
A little old man, <\/p>
A barn full of threshers, <\/p>
A field full of mowers, <\/p>
And I can run away from you, <\/p>
I can! <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
But, though the cow started at once, she couldn’t catch him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And soon he came to a pig. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He called out to the pig: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ve run away from a little old woman, <\/p>
A little old man, <\/p>
A barn full of threshers, <\/p>
A field full of mowers, A cow, <\/p>
And I can run away from you, <\/p>
I can! <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
But the pig ran, and couldn’t catch him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And he ran till he came across a fox, and to him he called out: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ve run away from a little old woman, <\/p>
A little old man, <\/p>
A barn full of threshers,<\/p>
A field full of mowers, <\/p>
A cow and a pig,<\/p>
And I can run away from you, <\/p>
I can! <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Then the fox set out to run. Now foxes can run very fast, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
and so the fox soon caught the gingerbread boy and began to eat him up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Presently the gingerbread boy said, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Oh dear! I'm quarter gone!\" <\/pre>\n\n\n\nAnd then, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Oh, I'm half gone!\" <\/pre>\n\n\n\nAnd soon, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"I'm three-quarters gone!\" <\/pre>\n\n\n\nAnd at last, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"I'm all gone!\"<\/pre>\n\n\n\nand never spoke again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Credit & annotations: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
http:\/\/www.surlalunefairytales.com\/gingerbread\/notes.html#ONE<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n