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.