Once upon a time there lived an old woman, and old man and a little boy and one day the old woman decided to bake a Johnny-cake. She instructed the boy to watch the cake, baking in the oven while she, and the old man went out to work in the garden.
But, the little boy was easily distracted and did not watch the cake as he had been told. Suddenly he heard a noise and looking back at the oven he saw the door pop open, the Johnny-cake jump out and the cake rolling, end over end towards the open door of the house.
The boy tried to shut the door, but he was too slow, and the cake rolled out, down the steps and out into the road with the little boy giving chase. The boy cried out to his parents who put down their gardening tools and also run after the Johnny-cake. But the cake was too quick and was soon out of sight, and the old woman, old man and the little boy had to sit down by the side of the road and rest.
On went the Johnny-cake and by and by he came across two men digging a well, who looked up as the cake rolled by, and they called out, ‘where are you going, Johnny-cake?’
The cake said, "I have 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!" the well-diggers said, and throwing down their tools they ran after the cake. But, the men couldn’t catch it either and soon they had to sit down and rest by the side of the road.
Johnny-cake went on and presently passed two more men, this time digging a ditch.
"Where ye going, Johnny-Cake? " they asked.
"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!", the cake replied.
"Ye can, can ye? We'll see about that!" they said, and they threw down their spades and ran after him too.
But Johnny-Cake soon outran them also, and seeing they could never catch him, they gave up the chase and sat down to rest.
On went the cake and he came to a bear who said, "Where are ye going, Johnny-Cake? "
He answered, "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 as well, so he stretched himself out by the roadside to rest.
Next the cake came to a wolf resting by the side of the road, and he called out to the Johnny-cake, "Where ye going, Johnny-Cake? "
The cake 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 saw there was no hope of overtaking him, and he soon lay down to rest.
On and on went Johnny-cake and by and by he came across a fox who was leisurely surveying the road. The fox called out, without getting up, "Where ye going, Johnny-Cake? "
"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 cake told the fox.
"I can't quite hear you, Johnny-Cake. Won't you come a little closer?" the fox said, 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!"
"Sorry, can't quite hear you. Won't you come a little closer?" the fox said again.
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 suddenly snapped up Johnny-Cake in his sharp teeth in the twinkling of an eye.
But, the little boy was easily distracted and did not watch the cake as he had been told. Suddenly he heard a noise and looking back at the oven he saw the door pop open, the Johnny-cake jump out and the cake rolling, end over end towards the open door of the house.
The boy tried to shut the door, but he was too slow, and the cake rolled out, down the steps and out into the road with the little boy giving chase. The boy cried out to his parents who put down their gardening tools and also run after the Johnny-cake. But the cake was too quick and was soon out of sight, and the old woman, old man and the little boy had to sit down by the side of the road and rest.
On went the Johnny-cake and by and by he came across two men digging a well, who looked up as the cake rolled by, and they called out, ‘where are you going, Johnny-cake?’
The cake said, "I have 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!" the well-diggers said, and throwing down their tools they ran after the cake. But, the men couldn’t catch it either and soon they had to sit down and rest by the side of the road.
Johnny-cake went on and presently passed two more men, this time digging a ditch.
"Where ye going, Johnny-Cake? " they asked.
"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!", the cake replied.
"Ye can, can ye? We'll see about that!" they said, and they threw down their spades and ran after him too.
But Johnny-Cake soon outran them also, and seeing they could never catch him, they gave up the chase and sat down to rest.
On went the cake and he came to a bear who said, "Where are ye going, Johnny-Cake? "
He answered, "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 as well, so he stretched himself out by the roadside to rest.
Next the cake came to a wolf resting by the side of the road, and he called out to the Johnny-cake, "Where ye going, Johnny-Cake? "
The cake 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 saw there was no hope of overtaking him, and he soon lay down to rest.
On and on went Johnny-cake and by and by he came across a fox who was leisurely surveying the road. The fox called out, without getting up, "Where ye going, Johnny-Cake? "
"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 cake told the fox.
"I can't quite hear you, Johnny-Cake. Won't you come a little closer?" the fox said, 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!"
"Sorry, can't quite hear you. Won't you come a little closer?" the fox said again.
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 suddenly snapped up Johnny-Cake in his sharp teeth in the twinkling of an eye.
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