Fairy Tale Junction

A Compendium of Fairy Tales I remember
...for my children

Johnny Cake

 

This old time story was taken from The Aldine Third Readers ~
Copyright 1908 Spaulding & Bryce.
Illustrated by Margaret Ely Webb

nce upon a time there was an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy. One morning the old woman made a Johnny Cake, and put it in the oven to bake.

Then she said to the little boy: "You watch Johnny Cake while your father and I go out to work in the garden. Don't let it burn."

The little boy soon got tired of watching the oven, and went to look out of the window. All of a sudden he heard a noise back of him. He looked around quickly. The oven door popped open. Out jumped Johnny Cake. Away he went rolling along, end over end, through the open door, down the steps, and out into the road, long before the little boy could catch him.

"Mother! Father! Johnny Cake's running away!" cried the little boy, and down the street he ran after Johnny Cake.

His father and mother threw down their hoes and gave chase, too. But Johnny Cake outran all three a long way, and was soon out of sight. The old man, the old woman, and the little boy, quite out of breath, sat down by the roadside to rest.

On ran Johnny Cake. By and by he came to two well diggers, who looked up from their work and called out, "Where are you going, Johnny?"

"I've outrun an old man, an old woman, and a little boy, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!"

"You can, can you? We'll see about that!"

They threw down their spades and ran after him. But Johnny Cake outstripped them, also. Seeing they could never catch him, they gave up.

On ran Johnny Cake. By and by he came to a bear.

"Where are you going, Johnny?" growled the bear.

"I've outrun an old man, an old woman, and a little boy, and two well diggers, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!"

"You can, can you?" growled the bear; "We'll see about that!"

And he rushed thump, thump, after Johnny Cake, who never stopped to look behind him. Before long the bear was left far behind, so at last, breathless and panting, he stretched himself out by the roadside to rest.

On ran Johnny Cake. By and by he came to a wolf. "Where are you going, Johnny?" yelped the wolf.

"I've outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well diggers, and a bear, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!"

"You can, can you?" snarled the wolf; "We'll see about that!" And he set into a gallop after Johnny Cake, who went on so fast that the wolf saw there was no hope of overtaking him, and he, too, lay down to rest.

On ran Johnny Cake. By and by he came to a fox that lay quietly in a corner of the fence.

"Where are you going, Johnny?" called the fox, in a sharp voice, but without getting up.

"I've outrun an old man, an old woman, and a little boy, two well diggers, a bear and a wolf, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!"

"I can't quite hear you, Johnny Cake; won't you come a little closer?" said the fox.

Johnny Cake went a little nearer to the fox, and called out in a loud voice; "I've outrun an old man, an old woman, and a little boy, two well diggers, a bear and a wolf, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!" "Can't quite hear you; won't you come a little closer?" said the fox, in a feeble voice, as he put one paw behind his ear. Johnny Cake came up quite close, and leaning towards the fox, screamed out, "I've outrun an old man, an old woman, and a little boy, two well diggers, a bear and a wolf, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!" "You can, can you?" yelped the fox, and he snapped up Johnny Cake in a twinkling.

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