English Fairy Tales
JOHNNY-CAKEOnce
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. "You watch the Johnny-cake while your father and I go out to work
in the garden." So the old man and the old woman went out and began to
hoe potatoes, and left the little boy to tend the oven. But he didn't
watch it all the time, and all of a sudden he heard a noise, and he
looked up and the oven door popped open, and out of the oven jumped
Johnny-cake, and went rolling along end over end, towards the open door
of the house. The little boy ran to shut the door, but Johnny-cake was
too quick for him and rolled through the door, down the steps, and out
into the road long before the little boy could catch him. The little
boy ran after him as fast as he could clip it, crying out to his father
and mother, who heard the uproar, and threw down their hoes and gave
chase too. But Johnny-cake outran all three a long way, and was soon
out of sight, while they had to sit down, all out of breath, on a bank
to rest. On
went Johnny-cake, and by-and-by he came to two well-diggers who looked
up from their work and called out: "Where ye going, Johnny- cake?" He said: "I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and I can outrun you too-o-o!" "Ye
can, can ye? we'll see about that?" said they; and they threw down
their picks and ran after him, but couldn't catch up with him, and soon
they had to sit down by the roadside to rest. On
ran Johnny-cake, and by-and-by he came to two ditch-diggers who were
digging a ditch. "Where ye going, Johnny-cake?" said they. He said:
"I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two
well-diggers, and I can outrun you too-o-o!" "Ye
can, can ye? we'll see about that!" said they; and they threw down
their spades, and ran after him too. But Johnny-cake soon outstripped
them also, and seeing they could never catch him, they gave up the
chase and sat down to rest. On went Johnny-cake, and by-and-by he came to a bear. The bear said: "Where are ye going, Johnny-cake?"
He
said: "I've outrun an old man, and an old woman and a little boy, and
two well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers, and I can outrun you too- o-o!" "Ye
can, can ye?" growled the bear, "we'll see about that!" and trotted as
fast as his legs could carry him after Johnny-cake, who never stopped
to look behind him. Before long the bear was left so far behind that he
saw he might as well give up the hunt first as last, so he stretched
himself out by the roadside to rest. On
went Johnny-cake, and by-and-by he came to a wolf. The wolf said:—
"Where ye going, Johnny-cake?" He said: "I've outrun an old man, and an
old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and two ditch-
diggers and a bear, and I can outrun you too-o-o!" "Ye
can, can ye?" snarled the wolf, "we'll see about that!" And he set into
a gallop after Johnny-cake, who went on and on so fast that the wolf
too saw there was no hope of overtaking him, and he too lay down to
rest. On
went Johnny-cake, and by-and-by he came to a fox that lay quietly in a
corner of the fence. The fox called out in a sharp voice, but without
getting up: "Where ye going Johnny-cake?" He
said: "I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and
two well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers, a bear, and a wolf, and I can
outrun you too-o-o!" The fox said: "I can't quite hear you, Johnny-cake, won't you come a little closer?" turning his head a little to one side. Johnny-cake stopped his race for the first time, and went a little closer, and called out in a very loud voice "I've
outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two
well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers, and 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 stretched out his neck towards Johnny-cake, and put one paw behind his ear. Johnny-cake came up close, and leaning towards the fox screamed out: I'VE OUTRUN AN OLD MAN, AND AN OLD WOMAN, AND A LITTLE BOY, AND TWO WELL-DIGGERS, AND TWO DITCH-DIGGERS, AND A BEAR, AND A WOLF, AND I CAN OUTRUN YOU TOO-O-O!"
"You can, can you?" yelped the fox, and he snapped up the Johnny-cake in his sharp teeth in the twinkling of an eye.
|