The Gingerbread Man

Remember, they're only tasty if they're not alive.

 Hello readers! This week, we're looking at The Gingerbread Man, which seems to have been published first in America. If you're not familiar with the story, click on the link and check it out first. If you are, continue reading with me below.

It's always bothered me that the Gingerbread Man came to life. How did that happen? The old woman baked him in the same oven as her bread and that didn't come to life. Is it because he was person-shaped? Or because they gave him eyes and a mouth and such? It also bothers me that at the end of the story, they plan to make another Gingerbread Man and eat him. Hopefully that one doesn't come alive.

This is a pretty cruel story, actually, although it's usually presented as harmless fun. However he came to be, the Gingerbread Man is alive and does not want to be eaten. But when anyone sees him, human or animal, all they want is to eat him. That's pretty tragic for him.

Can we also talk about how the crowd of people and animals following the Gingerbread Man understand that the old woman made him? When she talks about making another one, they all wait around to see if they can catch him this time. They could ask if she'd make one for them, but I guess they prefer to steal one instead. We'll be generous and say that maybe it doesn't occur to them that they can ask her.

I have to wonder about the Gingerbread Man's lifespan if everyone didn't want to eat him. He seemed to be able to run for a long time without having any problems. Maybe he's sturdy enough to live for a long time if he's not eaten or dissolved in water. I suppose the first rainstorm would be a huge problem for him. There's just a lot to his existence and I'm curious about it. Are there other living Gingerbread Men or was he the only one? Sadly, I don't have anything approaching answers for any of these questions. But I suppose the great thing about fairy tales is that you can build on them and change them for your audience. Maybe someone told a version of this story where he got away and found others like him. I like to think so, anyway.

The moral of this story is if you're going to bake something person-shaped, be prepared for it to be alive. Alternatively, if you plan on baking any gingerbread men this holiday season, make sure they're not alive when you take them out of the oven.

Have a different moral? Still confused about how the Gingerbread Man learned to run and walk as soon as he gained life? Have a different story you want me to talk about? Comment below! And don't forget to subscribe to my email list.