Johnny-cake
by Joseph Jacobs
The Boastful Johnny-Cake
Once, an old woman baked a golden Johnny-cake. She put it in the hot oven. "Watch the cake," she said to the boy. They went to the garden. The boy watched for a little time. Then he looked away.
Pop! The oven door opened. Out jumped the Johnny-cake! It rolled fast across the floor. "No!" cried the little boy. He ran to the door. But the cake was too fast. It rolled out the door. It rolled down the road. The boy ran after it. "Stop!" he cried. The old man and old woman heard him. They ran too. But the cake was faster. Soon, they could not see it. They sat down to rest.
The Johnny-cake rolled on. It saw two men digging. "Where are you going?" asked a man. "I ran from the family," said the cake. "I am fast!" "We will see!" said the men. They ran after the cake. But the cake was faster. The men sat down to rest.
The Johnny-cake rolled on. It saw a big bear. "Where are you going?" growled the bear. "I ran from the others," said the cake. "I am fast!" "We will see!" said the bear. It ran after the cake. But the cake was faster. The bear sat down to rest.
The Johnny-cake rolled on. It saw a fox lying by a fence. "Where are you going?" asked the fox. "I ran from them all," said the cake. "I am fast!" "I can't hear you," said the fox. "Please come closer." The cake stopped. It rolled a little closer. "I ran from them all!" it shouted. "I still can't hear you," said the fox. "Come closer, please." The cake rolled right up to the fox. "I RAN FROM THEM ALL!" it shouted. "I AM VERY FAST!" "You are?" yelped the fox. And the fox snapped up the cake. He ate it all up.
The cake learned clever is better than fast.
Original Story
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.
Moral of the Story
Overconfidence and boastfulness can lead to one's downfall, especially when encountering a cleverer adversary.
Characters
Johnny-cake ★ protagonist
A freshly baked, round, golden-brown cornmeal cake, about the size of a small dinner plate, with a slightly crispy crust and a soft interior. It has no discernible features like eyes or a mouth, but it moves by rolling end over end.
Attire: N/A (food item)
Wants: To escape and prove its superior speed to everyone it encounters.
Flaw: Overconfidence and gullibility, leading it to get close to the cunning fox.
Starts as an escaping, boastful entity, and ends by being outsmarted and eaten, demonstrating that speed isn't the only factor for survival.
Boastful, overconfident, naive, energetic, proud of its speed.
The Old Man ◆ supporting
A lean, weathered elderly man, likely of average height, with hands calloused from years of manual labor. His face shows the lines of age and sun exposure from working outdoors.
Attire: Simple, practical 19th-century American rural attire: a faded, loose-fitting homespun linen or cotton shirt, sturdy dark trousers held up by suspenders, and worn leather boots. Perhaps a straw hat for sun protection, currently discarded.
Wants: To retrieve the Johnny-cake, likely for food or out of surprise/frustration at its escape.
Flaw: Physical limitations due to age and exertion.
Remains static, unable to catch the Johnny-cake.
Hardworking, responsible (goes to work), easily exhausted, concerned (joins the chase).
The Old Woman ◆ supporting
A sturdy, elderly woman, perhaps a bit stout, with a practical build from years of household and garden work. Her hands are likely strong and capable.
Attire: Practical 19th-century American rural attire: a long, modest homespun cotton or linen dress in a muted color (e.g., faded blue or brown), a clean white apron tied over it, and sturdy, comfortable shoes. A simple head covering, like a white cotton cap or kerchief.
Wants: To retrieve the Johnny-cake, which she made, and out of concern for the commotion.
Flaw: Physical limitations due to age and exertion.
Remains static, unable to catch the Johnny-cake.
Nurturing (makes the Johnny-cake), hardworking, responsible, easily flustered when things go awry.
The Little Boy ◆ supporting
A small, active boy, likely between 6-10 years old, with the typical build of a child. Energetic but perhaps a bit clumsy or easily distracted.
Attire: Simple, durable 19th-century American rural child's clothing: a plain homespun shirt (e.g., light blue or white), knee-length breeches or short trousers in a darker color (e.g., brown or grey), and sturdy, worn shoes or bare feet. Perhaps suspenders holding up his trousers.
Wants: To catch the runaway Johnny-cake, initially out of surprise and then perhaps a sense of responsibility or playfulness.
Flaw: Easily distracted, not fast enough to catch the Johnny-cake.
Remains static, unable to catch the Johnny-cake.
Distractible, energetic, eager, easily alarmed, persistent (tries to catch the Johnny-cake).
The Fox ⚔ antagonist
A sleek, cunning adult red fox, with a slender build and a bushy tail. Its fur is a vibrant reddish-orange, with white markings on its chest and belly, and dark 'stockings' on its legs. Its eyes are sharp and intelligent.
Attire: N/A (animal)
Wants: To trick and eat the Johnny-cake.
Flaw: None apparent in the story; it successfully achieves its goal.
Remains static in its cunning nature, successfully outsmarting the Johnny-cake.
Cunning, deceptive, patient, intelligent, predatory.
Locations
The Old Couple's Cottage Kitchen
A rustic, cozy kitchen within a simple, likely half-timbered or stone cottage, featuring a traditional wood-fired oven. The air would be warm and filled with the scent of baking.
Mood: cozy, domestic, initially peaceful, then chaotic
Johnny-cake is baked, comes to life, and escapes from the oven, initiating the chase.
Cottage Garden and Immediate Road
A small, well-tended vegetable garden adjacent to the cottage, leading to a dirt road. The garden has rows of hoed potatoes, and the road is unpaved, likely dusty.
Mood: busy, then frantic, open
The old man and woman are working, then join the chase as Johnny-cake rolls down the steps and onto the road.
Rural Countryside Road
A winding, unpaved country road stretching through a varied landscape, passing by different workers and natural features. It's a journey through a typical European rural setting.
Mood: open, adventurous, repetitive, increasingly wild
Johnny-cake encounters and outruns the well-diggers, ditch-diggers, a bear, and a wolf along this continuous path.
Fence Corner
A specific, secluded corner of a rustic wooden fence, likely where two fence lines meet, providing a natural hiding or resting spot. Overgrown with some vegetation.
Mood: deceptive, quiet, tense
The fox lies in wait here, cunningly luring Johnny-cake closer to his demise.
Story DNA
Moral
Overconfidence and boastfulness can lead to one's downfall, especially when encountering a cleverer adversary.
Plot Summary
A Johnny-cake, freshly baked, springs to life and escapes from the oven, eluding the old man, old woman, and little boy who made it. As it rolls down the road, it encounters and outruns various characters—first well-diggers, then ditch-diggers, a bear, and a wolf—each time boasting about its speed and the growing list of those it has outrun. Finally, it meets a cunning fox who feigns deafness, tricking the boastful Johnny-cake into coming closer and closer to repeat its long boast, until the fox is able to snap it up and eat it.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to demise
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This tale is a variant of 'The Gingerbread Man' or 'The Runaway Pancake' found in many cultures, reflecting common themes of food coming to life and escaping, often due to a child's negligence.
Plot Beats (9)
- An old woman bakes a Johnny-cake and instructs her son to watch it while she and her husband work in the garden.
- The Johnny-cake suddenly jumps from the oven and rolls out of the house, escaping the boy and his parents.
- The Johnny-cake encounters two well-diggers, boasts about outrunning the family, and then outruns the well-diggers.
- It then meets two ditch-diggers, repeats its boast (including the well-diggers), and outruns them too.
- Next, it encounters a bear, boasts again, and outruns the bear.
- Finally, it meets a wolf, boasts about all its previous escapes, and outruns the wolf.
- The Johnny-cake then comes across a fox, who, feigning poor hearing, asks the Johnny-cake to come closer and repeat its boast.
- The Johnny-cake, full of pride, approaches the fox and shouts its boast louder.
- The fox, seizing the opportunity, quickly snaps up and eats the Johnny-cake.
