Kabanata Kabanata 28 · Johnny-Cake

Once 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.