Gingerbread Man, The

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The End Once upon a time, there was a little old woman, and a little old man, and they lived in a little old cottage by a roadside.

Each day they tended their garden and worked in their house, and each evening they sat down together for a delicious supper.

Then one morning the little old woman had an idea.

I'd like to make a special dessert for our supper tonight.

I'll bake a tasty gingerbread man.

And so she set to work.

First she rolled the dough out flat and cut it into the shape of a funny little man.

She put a nice little jacket of chocolate on him, and a row of cherries down the front for buttons.

Then she made eyes of fat raisins, a mouth and cap of pink sugar frosting, and used a bright red candy for his nose and for the top of his little cap.

At last, very pleased with herself, she slid the gingerbread man into the oven.

When it was time for the gingerbread man to be done, the little old woman and the little old man opened the oven door, and there they found the gingerbread man looking all brown and good to eat.

But just as they reached in and pulled out the pan, up popped the gingerbread man, and away he ran.

Out the door! The little old woman and the little old man called after him.

Come back, come back, we want to eat you! But as the little old woman and the little old man ran after him down the road and over the hill as fast as they could, the gingerbread man just laughed and shouted.

Run, run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man! And they couldn't catch him.

So the gingerbread man ran on until he saw a cow grazing by the roadside.

Moo! Sniffed the cow.

Stop, little gingerbread man, I want to eat you! But the little gingerbread man just laughed and said, I run away from you! I run away from the little old woman and I run away from the little old man.

And 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! And the cow couldn't catch him.

And he ran on and on and on until he came to a horse in the pasture.

Whoa! Please stop, little gingerbread man, said the horse.

You look very good to eat! But the little gingerbread man laughed out loud.

Oh ho, oh ho, he said.

I have run away from the little old woman and I have run away from the little old man.

I've run away from a cow and I can run away from you, I can! And as he ran away from the horse, he cried.

Run, run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man! And the horse couldn't catch him.

By and by, the little gingerbread man came upon a pig sitting in the mud.

Oh, please stop, little gingerbread man.

You look very good to eat, said the pig.

But the gingerbread man called out.

I have run away from the little old woman and I have run away from the little old man.

A cow, a horse, and I can run away from you, I can! And away he ran as fast as his little gingerbread legs could carry him.

And as he ran, he shouted back.

Run, run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man! And the pig couldn't catch him.

By now, the little gingerbread man had come to the village.

It was there that the shopkeeper saw him and called out.

Wait! Stop there, little gingerbread man.

I want to eat you! But the little gingerbread man just laughed and called.

I have run away from the little old woman.

I have run away from the little old man.

A cow, a horse, a pig, and 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! And the shopkeeper couldn't catch him.

At the very edge of the town, he came upon the baker.

Wait there, little gingerbread man.

You will taste you than any gingerbread man I've ever made.

I want to eat you! But the gingerbread man quickly ran off.

I have run away from the little old woman.

I have run away from the little old man.

A cow, a horse, a pig, a shopkeeper, and 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! And the baker couldn't catch him.

Ha! By this time, the little gingerbread man felt so proud that he didn't think anybody could ever catch him.

Soon the gingerbread man came to the edge of the river.

He dared not jump into the water, for he knew he would melt away.

Still, the little old woman, the little old man, the cow, the horse, the pig, the shopkeeper, and the baker were chasing him.

I have to get across the river, he cried.

Just then, he saw a fox sitting on the river bank sunning himself.

Hello, gingerbread man, said the fox.

The little gingerbread man was startled.

Run, run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man! I wouldn't dream of trying to catch you, said the fox.

I'm sure you could outrun me.

But if you like, I'll help you to escape the others.

Jump on my tail, and I will take you across the river.

So the little gingerbread man jumped on the fox's tail.

And the fox swam out into the water.

When he was a little way from the shore, he turned his head and said, You are too heavy on my tail, little gingerbread man.

I fear you'll get wet.

Jump on my back.

So the little gingerbread man jumped on the fox's back.

A moment later, the fox said, I'm afraid the water may cover you there.

Jump on my shoulder.

So the little gingerbread man jumped on the fox's shoulder.

When they were near the other side of the river, the fox cried out suddenly, Oh dear, little gingerbread man, my shoulder is about to sink.

Jump on my nose, so I can hold you out of the water.

Quickly the little gingerbread man jumped on the fox's nose.

Then that sly old fox sprang ashore, threw back his head and snapped.

And at last and at last, that little gingerbread man was eaten, just like every little gingerbread man ever to come out of an oven.

Identifier

F.2016-01-0006

Date Of Production

1979

Abstract

This additive animation transforms into a celluloid animation as the classic children's tale unfolds. The Gingerbread Man is Somersaulter-Moats and Somersaulter's take on the folktale about a gingerbread man who escapes from the couple that baked him for dessert. Drawn by hand, washed in watercolors and complete with sound effects, the film follows the gingerbread man on his (mis)adventures.

Run Time

0:10:06

Format

16mm

Extent

400 feet

Color

Color

Sound

Optical

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Has Been Digitized?

Yes

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Print

Genre

Children's

Form

Animations

Subject

Fairy tales
Children's Films
Folk tales

Related Collections

Somersaulter-Moats and Somersaulter Collection

Distributor

Pajon Arts

Main Credits

Somersaulter, JP (is director)

Somersaulter, JP (is producer)

Somersaulter Moats, Lillian (is director)

Somersaulter Moats, Lillian (is producer)

Pajon Arts (is production company)

Somersaulter-Moats and Somersaulter (is production company)

Additional Credits

Somersaulter, JP (is animator)

Somersaulter Moats, Lillian (is animator)

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