The Johnny Cake
Linda Krafft Title: The Johnny Cake Storyteller: Linda Krafft Language: English Date of Telling: 2016-04-29 Location of Telling: Casper, Wyoming Duration of Story: 06:21 Source of Story: Gingerbread Man Location of Story: The Woods Subject Headings: Tragicomedy; Animals Notes: |
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Once upon a time, there was an old man, and an old woman and a little boy. They lived in a little house in the woods. One day the old woman thought, “I am going to make a Johnny Cake today.” So she mixed the batter and poured the Johnny Cake into the pan and she put it into the oven to bake. She told the little boy, “You watch the Johnny Cake and when it is finished cooking you let me know. I will go out and work in the garden.” The little boy stood by the oven and he watched and he watched.
The little old woman and the little old man went out and started working in the garden, getting ready for spring planting. The little boy was in the house watching the Johnny Cake. You know what happened? Sometimes when you have an important job like watching something you get distracted. The little boy got distracted from watching the Johnny Cake and kind of wandered away from the oven, and was looking out the window at what was going on outside. BAM! The oven door opened, that Johnny Cake popped out and rolled toward the open door. The little boy tried to get to the open door as fast as he could, so he could slam it closed and keep that Johnny Cake in there. That Johnny Cake ran as fast as he could and on out the door, down the porch, down the steps and onto the road. The little boy was yelling, “Mom, Dad! The Johnny Cake!” They heard the ruckus, they threw down their shovels, they started chasing after the Johnny Cake. The little boy, the old man, the old woman they started chasing after the Johnny Cake, but he just rolled on and on. By and by the old woman, the old man, the little boy conceded they were no match for the Johnny Cake. They sat down by the road to rest.
On rolled the Johnny Cake till he passed two well diggers digging a well. One of the men yelled, “Hey Johnny Cake! Where are you going?” He said, “I outran an old man, an old woman and a little boy. I can outrun you, too.” The man, the well digger said, “Oh you can, can you? Well we will see about that.” The well diggers through down their spades (that is their shovels) and ran after the Johnny Cake. They ran and they ran and they ran just as fast as they could go. By and by they could see they were no match for the Johnny Cake and they sat down by the side of the road to rest.
On ran the Johnny Cake, he went on and on until he passed two ditch diggers digging a ditch. “Where are you going Johnny Cake?” yelled one of the ditch diggers. Johnny Cake said, “I have outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well diggers. I can outrun you, too!” The ditch digger said, “You can, can you? We will see about that. They put down their picks and they ran after Johnny Cake. They ran and they ran and they ran just as fast as they could go. By and by they could see they were no match for Johnny Cake and they sat down by the side of the road to rest.
On ran Johnny Cake, till he passed a bear. The bear snarled, “Where you going Johnny Cake?” I have outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well diggers, two ditch diggers and I can outrun you, too!” “Oh you can, can ya? Well we will see about that Johnny Cake.” He got down on all four paws and started galloping after Johnny Cake. He ran and ran, snarling with his big bear teeth after that Johnny Cake just as fast as he could go. By and by he could see he was no match for Johnny Cake so he stretched out in the warm sun by the road and took a rest.
On ran Johnny Cake till he passed a wolf. “Where are you going Johnny Cake?” howled the wolf. Johnny Cake said, “I have outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well diggers, two ditch diggers, and a bear. I can outrun you, too!” The wolf growled at him, “Oh you can, can you? We will see about that!” He loped forward on his big old wolf paws just as fast as he could go. He ran and he ran and ran. By and by he could see he was no match for Johnny Cake and he sat down by the side of the road.
On ran Johnny Cake just as fast as he could go till he passed a fox, sunning himself by a fence. He said, in his sharp fox voice, “Hey Johnny Cake, where are you going?” Johnny Cake said, “I have outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well diggers, two ditch diggers, a bear, and a wolf. I can outrun you, too.” Fox said, “What’s that you said, Johnny Cake? Can’t quite hear you. Would you come just a little closer?” For the first time Johnny Cake stopped running. He said to the fox, “I have outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well diggers, two ditch diggers, a bear and a wolf. I can outrun you, too.” Well that fox didn’t even get up. He just stretched out his neck a little bit toward that Johnny Cake and put one paw slightly behind an ear and said in his most feeble voice, “What’s that you say Johnny Cake? I can’t quite hear you. Won’t you come just a little bit closer?” Then Johnny Cake stepped right on up next to that fox, he stretched his neck out and he screamed at the fox. He said, “I have outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well diggers, two ditch diggers, a bear and a wolf. I can outrun you, too.” SNAP! That old fox grabbed him with his sharp teeth and a twinkle in his eye and gulped him down.
The little old woman and the little old man went out and started working in the garden, getting ready for spring planting. The little boy was in the house watching the Johnny Cake. You know what happened? Sometimes when you have an important job like watching something you get distracted. The little boy got distracted from watching the Johnny Cake and kind of wandered away from the oven, and was looking out the window at what was going on outside. BAM! The oven door opened, that Johnny Cake popped out and rolled toward the open door. The little boy tried to get to the open door as fast as he could, so he could slam it closed and keep that Johnny Cake in there. That Johnny Cake ran as fast as he could and on out the door, down the porch, down the steps and onto the road. The little boy was yelling, “Mom, Dad! The Johnny Cake!” They heard the ruckus, they threw down their shovels, they started chasing after the Johnny Cake. The little boy, the old man, the old woman they started chasing after the Johnny Cake, but he just rolled on and on. By and by the old woman, the old man, the little boy conceded they were no match for the Johnny Cake. They sat down by the road to rest.
On rolled the Johnny Cake till he passed two well diggers digging a well. One of the men yelled, “Hey Johnny Cake! Where are you going?” He said, “I outran an old man, an old woman and a little boy. I can outrun you, too.” The man, the well digger said, “Oh you can, can you? Well we will see about that.” The well diggers through down their spades (that is their shovels) and ran after the Johnny Cake. They ran and they ran and they ran just as fast as they could go. By and by they could see they were no match for the Johnny Cake and they sat down by the side of the road to rest.
On ran the Johnny Cake, he went on and on until he passed two ditch diggers digging a ditch. “Where are you going Johnny Cake?” yelled one of the ditch diggers. Johnny Cake said, “I have outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well diggers. I can outrun you, too!” The ditch digger said, “You can, can you? We will see about that. They put down their picks and they ran after Johnny Cake. They ran and they ran and they ran just as fast as they could go. By and by they could see they were no match for Johnny Cake and they sat down by the side of the road to rest.
On ran Johnny Cake, till he passed a bear. The bear snarled, “Where you going Johnny Cake?” I have outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well diggers, two ditch diggers and I can outrun you, too!” “Oh you can, can ya? Well we will see about that Johnny Cake.” He got down on all four paws and started galloping after Johnny Cake. He ran and ran, snarling with his big bear teeth after that Johnny Cake just as fast as he could go. By and by he could see he was no match for Johnny Cake so he stretched out in the warm sun by the road and took a rest.
On ran Johnny Cake till he passed a wolf. “Where are you going Johnny Cake?” howled the wolf. Johnny Cake said, “I have outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well diggers, two ditch diggers, and a bear. I can outrun you, too!” The wolf growled at him, “Oh you can, can you? We will see about that!” He loped forward on his big old wolf paws just as fast as he could go. He ran and he ran and ran. By and by he could see he was no match for Johnny Cake and he sat down by the side of the road.
On ran Johnny Cake just as fast as he could go till he passed a fox, sunning himself by a fence. He said, in his sharp fox voice, “Hey Johnny Cake, where are you going?” Johnny Cake said, “I have outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well diggers, two ditch diggers, a bear, and a wolf. I can outrun you, too.” Fox said, “What’s that you said, Johnny Cake? Can’t quite hear you. Would you come just a little closer?” For the first time Johnny Cake stopped running. He said to the fox, “I have outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well diggers, two ditch diggers, a bear and a wolf. I can outrun you, too.” Well that fox didn’t even get up. He just stretched out his neck a little bit toward that Johnny Cake and put one paw slightly behind an ear and said in his most feeble voice, “What’s that you say Johnny Cake? I can’t quite hear you. Won’t you come just a little bit closer?” Then Johnny Cake stepped right on up next to that fox, he stretched his neck out and he screamed at the fox. He said, “I have outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well diggers, two ditch diggers, a bear and a wolf. I can outrun you, too.” SNAP! That old fox grabbed him with his sharp teeth and a twinkle in his eye and gulped him down.