Introduction

You’ve heard the other stories, I bet. Somebody makes a gingerbread man, he runs away, and eventually gets eaten. Well, my story isn’t like that. Maybe it’s the dough I’m made of, or maybe it’s my raisin brain, but I survived.

Chapter One

I was walking along the streets of New York, minding my own business, when I heard the clacking of teeth. The fox! I started running and heard the patter of paws behind me. Up ahead, I saw other running people. Maybe if I ran into that crowd, the fox would lose me. I ran faster into the crowd of running feet. I didn’t realize it then, but I had accidentally entered the New York City Marathon!

I felt the fox’s hot breath on the back of my neck, so I picked up the pace. I burst out of the crowd. Looking behind me, I noticed that the runners had numbers on their chests. Then I saw the fox’s gaping maw coming towards me. I turned my head forward and ran like crazy!

Chapter Two

We had been running for a long time. Ahead I saw a stand with water cups on it. I hurried past so none of it spilled on me, because water is my weakness. Then I looked behind me. The fox had a water cup in his mouth and an evil glint in his eye. To be fair, he always had an evil glint in his eye. I started zig-zagging because puddles of water had started to appear on my left and right. I knew eventually he would run out of water.

Up ahead I saw a black-and-white checkered stripe on the ground. I ran across and suddenly everything started getting really loud. I realized it was people cheering. I had won the New York City Marathon! But the fox was still coming.

Chapter Three

I jumped into the golden cup that was being held out to me and yelled, “Hoist me up!” in my squeaky little voice. The man looked surprised, but did as told.

Then he said, “Why are you a gingerbread man?’

So I said, “I was baked this way, mister.”

Of course he replied, “Mmm. You smell delicious.”

“Don’t you dare!!” 

“Don’t I dare what?”

“Don’t eat me, duh.”

“Don’t worry, I’m gluten free. What are you doing in the cup?”

“That fox is trying to eat me!”

The fox interrupted, saying, “Nyang nyang nyang!” Then he bit the man’s leg.      

Then the man yelled, “owww!!!”

“That’s gotta hurt,” I remarked.

“Get off my leg, you damn vermin!”

“Nyang nyang nyang!” the fox protested, not taking his teeth off the man’s leg. Then something went snap! There was a bright flash, and the fox was startled and let go.

“What was that?”

I didn’t know either, so I chimed in, “I don’t mean to agree, but yeah, what was that?” 

“It must’ve been camera,” the man replied.

“A cam-watzit?”

“Never mind. My name is Octavius, by the way.”

The fox interrupted, “What kind of name is that?”     

Octavius said, “I dunno.”

The fox said fancily, “My name is Cornelius Von Sigment.”

I said, “Wait, what?!” l never knew that!

Octavius said, “Ooh, fancy.”

While the fox and Octavius were talking, l slipped away. I needed to get away from the fox. I figured that the best place to go to get far away from him is the airport. I looked at the maps and decided to take the subway. The turnstiles were no problem for me — that’s one of the advantages of being short.

When l got to the airport, l hopped on the very first plane. I thought it was going to Vermont? I’d always wondered what that place was like. Anyway, l bet the two fancy-pants names (a.k.a. the fox and the man) were still talking. Haha!