Summary
Run run as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!
This book has 8 different versions, depending on user choices at each decision point.
Below is a preview of one of those versions.
Preview
Once upon a time, in a quiet little cottage nestled at the edge of a deep green forest, there lived an old woman and an old man.
Their days were simple and peaceful, filled with warm tea, humming kettles, and the scent of fresh herbs from the garden.
One sunny morning, as a gentle breeze fluttered through the curtains, the old woman clapped her hands and said with a twinkle in her eye,
“Today feels like a baking day. I think I’ll make a gingerbread man!”
She set to work, mixing flour and sugar, cinnamon and spice, stirring until the dough was just right.
She rolled it out smooth, shaped it into a little man, and gave him raisin eyes, a wide sugar smile, and three shiny candy buttons down his chest.
With a proud nod, she placed him on a tray and slid him into the warm oven.
But as the sweet smell filled the kitchen and the timer ticked away, something magical happened.
The moment she opened the oven door — whoosh! — the Gingerbread Man sprang to life, leapt off the tray, and dashed across the floor.
“Run, run, as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”
he shouted, his voice cheeky and full of glee.
Before the old woman could blink, he was out the door.
The old man looked up from his chair in surprise.
“He’s getting away!” the old woman cried.
And the chase began. The old man and the old woman ran after him as fast as their legs would carry them — but the Gingerbread Man was just too quick, his feet pattering over the path like tiny drumbeats.
And so, the runaway cookie adventure had begun.
Question: Now my dear listener, Who did the Gingerbread Man meet first? Chickens or a cows?
Answer: Chicken
As the Gingerbread Man darted into the garden, a chicken and her downy chicks craned their necks from the dust they’d been scratching.
One chicken clucked in alarm:
“Well, well! You smell good enough to eat!”
But the Gingerbread Man didn’t slow down one bit. He grinned over his shoulder and called out boldly:
“I ran from an old woman and an old man —
I can run away from you, I can!
“Run, run, as fast as you can!
You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”
With that, he sped up, his little feet tapping the dusty path like drumbeats.
The chicken gave a furious squawk and flapped her wings, her chicks pattering after her —
But he was already far ahead, laughing as he ran.
Question: Now my dear listener, Who did the Gingerbread Man meet next? Pigs or Horses
Answer: Pigs
Gingerbread man ran pass the wallow where a herd of pigs lay snoozing.
A great pig lifted his muddy snout from the puddle and gave a greedy snort.
“Mmm… come closer, little cookie,” he oinked. “Just one bite!”
But the Gingerbread Man skidded to a stop, just out of reach, and wagged his sugar - frosted finger.
“I ran from a woman, a man,
I ran from a chicken as fast as I can —
And I’ll run away from you, I can!”
“Run, run, as fast as you can!
You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”
With a cheeky laugh, he darted past the boar, his candy buttons gleaming in the sun.
The pig grunted and lunged after him, piglets skittering after their father,
but the Gingerbread Man was already halfway down the road —
quick as a whisk, light as a crumb, and gone in a flash.
His adventure continued.
He had run from a woman,
He had run from a man —
Outsped a flock of chickens,
Herds of pigs, cows, and horses,
A gaggle of geese,
And even a group of children shouting,
“Catch him, of course!”
But no one could seize him — not even a small bite, not a single crumb.
He laughed as he ran, his candy feet drumming down the road like a little parade.
At last, he reached a wide, rushing river.
The water bubbled and swirled.
He stopped short.
His smile faded.
“Oh no…” he whispered. “I can’t swim!”
Just then, from behind a tree, a sleek red fox stepped into view.
His eyes sparkled like firelight, and his voice was smooth as syrup.
“Well, well,” said the fox with a sly little grin.
“Need a lift, sweet thing? Hop on my tail, and I’ll carry you across nice and safe.”
The Gingerbread Man narrowed his raisin eyes.
He hesitated.
The river roared beside him.
The chase behind him.
And the fox just smiled, waiting patiently.
Question: Now my dear listener, what should the Gingerbread man do? Should he hop on the fox? or Should he turn back and face the chaser?
Answer: He hopped on the fox
“Why should I trust you?” the Gingerbread Man said, eyeing the fox warily.
The fox sat down calmly by the riverbank, his tail curling neatly around his paws.
“I don’t want to eat you,” he said smoothly. “I just want to help. Perhaps, when you’re safe, you can help someone else in return.”
The Gingerbread Man looked around.
The river roared behind him, the forest was still, and no one else was in sight.
He thought for a moment — then stepped forward and climbed onto the fox’s tail.
They slipped into the water.
At first, all was calm.
But soon the current grew stronger.
“It’s getting deep,” said the fox. “Jump onto my back.”
The Gingerbread Man obeyed.
A moment later: “Too deep now — climb up to my head.”
The river swirled faster. The Gingerbread Man clung tighter.
Then came the final warning:
“Quick — onto my nose!”
Just as they reached the middle of the river, the fox gave a sudden jerk of his head — snap!
He flipped the Gingerbread Man high into the air, opened his mouth wide, and caught him in one swift bite.
And that was the end of the Gingerbread Man.
No crumbs left behind.
The end