The Pancake
by Unknown · from Tales of Laughter: A third fairy book
Adapted Version
Once upon a time, Mama made food. She made a big, round Pancake. It was for her seven hungry children. Papa sat and watched. The Pancake looked so good. It was sweet. It was warm.
"Mama, I want Pancake!" said a child. All seven children wanted Pancake now. "Wait, wait," said Mama. "It must cook more. Then you can all eat some."
Pancake heard Mama speak. It was scared. It did not want to be eaten. Pancake jumped from the hot pan. It rolled fast on the floor. It rolled out the door. It rolled down the hill.
"Stop, Pancake!" Mama cried. Papa ran too. The children ran after it. But Pancake was very fast. It rolled far away. They could not catch it.
Pancake met a man. "Hello, Pancake," said the man. "I want to eat you." Pancake said, "I ran from Mama, Papa. You can't catch me!" Pancake rolled away.
Pancake rolled on. It met a hen. "I want to eat you," said Hen. Pancake said, "I ran from Mama. I ran from Papa. I ran from Man. You cannot catch me!" It rolled away. It met a cock. It met a duck. They all wanted to eat it. Pancake ran from them all. It was very fast.
Pancake rolled and rolled. It met a big Pig. "Hello, Pancake," said Pig. Pig was very friendly. "Come with me," said Pig. "The woods are not safe. I can help you. We can go together." Pig sounded kind.
They came to a small river. Pig swam across easily. Pancake could not swim. It was too small. Pancake was stuck. It could not cross.
"Oh dear," said Pig. "I can help you." Pig smiled kindly. "Hop on my nose," said Pig. "I will carry you over."
Pancake thought Pig was kind. It felt safe with Pig. Pancake hopped onto Pig's nose. Pig started to cross the river. Pancake was happy.
Pig gave Pancake a big, big hug. And poof! The Pancake was gone. The Pig smiled a big smile. It was a clever Pig.
Original Story
The Pancake
Once on a time there was a goody who had seven hungry bairns, and she was frying a Pancake for them. It was a sweet-milk Pancake, and there it lay in the pan bubbling and frizzling so thick and good, it was a sight for sore eyes to look at. And the bairns stood round about, and the goodman sat by and looked on.
“Oh, give me a bit of Pancake, mother, dear; I am so hungry,” said one bairn.
“Oh, darling mother,” said the second.
“Oh, darling, good mother,” said the third.
“Oh, darling, good, nice mother,” said the fourth.
“Oh, darling, pretty, good, nice mother,” said the fifth.
“Oh, darling, pretty, good, nice, clever mother,” said the sixth.
“Oh, darling, pretty, good, nice, clever, sweet mother,” said the seventh.
So they begged for the Pancake all round, the one more prettily than the other; for they were so hungry and so good.
“Yes, yes, bairns, only bide a bit till it turns itself”—she ought to have said, “till I can get it turned”—“and then you shall all have some—a lovely sweet-milk Pancake; only look how fat and happy it lies there.”
When the Pancake heard that it got afraid, and in a trice it turned itself all of itself, and tried to jump out of the pan; but it fell back into it again t’other side up, and so when it had been fried a little on the other side, too, till it got firmer in its flesh, it sprang out on the floor, and rolled off like a wheel through the door and down the hill.
“Holloa! Stop, Pancake!” and away went the goody after it, with the frying-pan in one hand and the ladle in the other, 302as fast as she could, and her bairns behind her, while the goodman limped after them last of all.
“Hi! won’t you stop? Seize it. Stop, Pancake,” they all screamed out, one after the other, and tried to catch it on the run and hold it; but the Pancake rolled on and on, and in the twinkling of an eye it was so far ahead that they couldn’t see it, for the Pancake was faster on its feet than any of them.
So when it had rolled a while it met a man.
“Good day, Pancake,” said the man.
“God bless you, Manny-panny!” said the Pancake.
“Dear Pancake,” said the man, “don’t roll so fast; stop a little and let me eat you.”
“When I have given the slip to Goody-poody, and the goodman, and seven squalling children, I may well slip through your fingers, Manny-panny,” said the Pancake, and rolled on and on till it met a hen.
“Good day, Pancake,” said the hen.
“The same to you, Henny-penny,” said the Pancake.
“Pancake, dear, don’t roll so fast; bide a bit and let me eat you up,” said the hen.
“When I have given the slip to Goody-poody, and the goodman, and seven squalling children, and Manny-panny, I may well slip through your claws, Henny-penny,” said the Pancake, and so it rolled on like a wheel down the road.
Just then it met a cock.
“Good day, Pancake,” said the cock.
“The same to you, Cocky-locky,” said the Pancake.
“Pancake, dear, don’t roll so fast, but bide a bit and let me eat you up.”
“When I have given the slip to Goody-poody, and the goodman, and seven squalling children, and to Manny-panny, and Henny-penny, I may well slip through your claws, Cocky-locky,” said the Pancake, and off it set rolling away as fast as it could; and when it had rolled a long way it met a duck.
“Good day, Pancake,” said the duck.
“The same to you, Ducky-lucky.”
303“Pancake, dear, don’t roll away so fast; bide a bit and let me eat you up.”
“When I have given the slip to Goody-poody, and the goodman, and seven squalling children, and Manny-panny, and Henny-penny, and Cocky-locky, I may well slip through your fingers, Ducky-lucky,” said the Pancake, and with that it took to rolling and rolling faster than ever; and when it had rolled a long, long while, it met a goose.
“Good day, Pancake,” said the goose.
“The same to you, Goosey-poosey.”
“Pancake, dear, don’t roll so fast; bide a bit and let me eat you up.”
“When I have given the slip to Goody-poody, and the goodman, and seven squalling children, and Manny-panny, and Henny-penny, and Cocky-locky, and Ducky-lucky, I can well slip through your feet, Goosey-poosey,” said the Pancake, and off it rolled.
So when it had rolled a long, long way farther, it met a gander.
“Good day, Pancake,” said the gander.
“The same to you, Gander-pander,” said the Pancake.
“Pancake, dear, don’t roll so fast; bide a bit and let me eat you up.”
“When I have given the slip to Goody-poody, and the goodman, and seven squalling children, and Manny-panny, and Henny-penny, and Cocky-locky, and Ducky-lucky, and Goosey-poosey, I may well slip through your feet, Gander-pander,” said the Pancake, and it rolled off as fast as ever.
So when it had rolled a long, long time, it met a pig.
“Good day, Pancake,” said the pig.
“The same to you, Piggy-wiggy,” said the Pancake, which, without a word more, began to roll and roll like mad.
“Nay, nay,” said the pig, “you needn’t be in such a hurry; we two can then go side by side and see each other over the wood; they say it is not too safe in there.”
The Pancake thought there might be something in that, and so they kept company. But when they had gone awhile, they 304came to a brook. As for Piggy, he was so fat he swam safely across, it was nothing to him; but the poor Pancake couldn’t get over.
“Seat yourself on my snout,” said the pig, “and I’ll carry you over.”
So the Pancake did that.
“Ouf, ouf,” said the pig, and swallowed the Pancake at one gulp; and then, as the poor Pancake could go no farther, why—this story can go no farther either.
Story DNA
Moral
Overconfidence and a desire for freedom can lead one into a dangerous trap.
Plot Summary
A goody fries a sweet-milk Pancake for her seven hungry children, but the Pancake, overhearing their desire to eat it, springs from the pan and rolls away. It outruns the entire family and then a succession of animals (a man, a hen, a cock, a duck, a goose, and a gander), each time boasting of its previous escapes. Finally, it meets a cunning pig who offers to carry it across a brook. The overconfident Pancake agrees, sits on the pig's snout, and is promptly swallowed, ending its escape and the story.
Themes
Emotional Arc
escape to capture
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This story is a variant of 'The Gingerbread Man' and 'The Little Red Hen', common in European folklore, often used to teach about consequences of pride or trusting strangers.
Plot Beats (11)
- A goody is frying a sweet-milk Pancake for her seven hungry children and husband.
- The children beg for the Pancake, and the goody tells them to wait until it's turned.
- The Pancake, hearing it's about to be eaten, turns itself and then jumps out of the pan and rolls away.
- The entire family chases the Pancake, but it is too fast and escapes them.
- The Pancake meets a man who tries to eat it, but the Pancake boasts of its escape from the family and rolls away.
- The Pancake successively meets a hen, a cock, a duck, a goose, and a gander, each time boasting of its previous escapes and rolling away from them.
- The Pancake meets a pig, who cunningly suggests they travel together for safety through a wood.
- They arrive at a brook, which the fat pig easily crosses, but the Pancake cannot.
- The pig offers to carry the Pancake across on its snout.
- The Pancake trusts the pig and sits on its snout.
- The pig swallows the Pancake in one gulp, ending its journey.
Characters
The Pancake
A thick, round, golden-brown sweet-milk pancake, bubbling and frizzling, with a firm, slightly crisp exterior from being fried on both sides. It is substantial and appears 'fat and happy' in the pan, later becoming mobile and rolling like a wheel.
Attire: N/A (food item)
Wants: To escape being eaten and to maintain its freedom.
Flaw: Naivety and overconfidence, leading it to trust the Pig.
Begins as a passive food item, gains sentience and freedom, experiences a period of triumphant escape, and ultimately meets its demise due to misplaced trust.
Fearful, boastful, naive, quick-witted (in escaping), overconfident.
The Goody
A woman of a peasant or working-class background, likely of average height and build, possibly a bit harried from raising seven children. Her hands might show signs of work. Given the story's likely Scandinavian origin, she would have fair skin.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing typical of 19th-century Scandinavia. A long, modest linen or wool dress in muted colors (e.g., grey, brown, natural linen), possibly with an apron over it. Sturdy, comfortable shoes.
Wants: To feed her hungry children and retrieve the runaway Pancake.
Flaw: Underestimates the Pancake's ability to escape; not fast enough to catch it.
Remains largely static, her primary role is to initiate the Pancake's escape.
Caring (for her children), hardworking, a bit flustered, determined (in pursuit).
The Goodman
A man of a peasant or working-class background, likely of average height and build, possibly a bit older or less agile than his wife, as he 'limped after them last of all'. Given the story's likely Scandinavian origin, he would have fair skin.
Attire: Simple, sturdy peasant clothing typical of 19th-century Scandinavia. A coarse wool or linen tunic or shirt, practical trousers, and sturdy boots. Muted, earthy colors.
Wants: To support his family and retrieve the Pancake, though less actively than the Goody.
Flaw: His limp prevents him from keeping up with the chase.
Remains static, his role is to be part of the initial family unit.
Supportive (of his family), less active in the chase, somewhat resigned.
The Pig
A large, very fat domestic pig, with pinkish-grey skin and coarse bristles. It is described as 'so fat he swam safely across' a brook, indicating a substantial build. It has a prominent snout.
Attire: N/A (animal)
Wants: To eat the Pancake.
Flaw: N/A (it succeeds in its goal)
Introduced as a seemingly helpful character, then reveals its true predatory nature.
Cunning, deceptive, patient, opportunistic.
Locations
Goody's Kitchen
A simple, cozy kitchen in a traditional Norwegian 'stue' (living room/kitchen) of a small farm cottage. The room is likely warmed by a stone hearth or iron stove, with a wooden table and benches. The frying pan sits on the heat source, bubbling with the pancake. Seven children are gathered around, eager and hungry.
Mood: Warm, bustling, hungry, initially hopeful, then chaotic and frantic.
The Pancake is cooked, hears the children's hunger, and makes its first escape attempt, rolling out of the pan and through the door.
Rolling Countryside Road
A winding, unpaved dirt road or path through a gently rolling, green Norwegian countryside. The path is flanked by low hills, perhaps with scattered birch trees and patches of heather. The Pancake rolls swiftly along this path, encountering various farm animals and people.
Mood: Open, adventurous, slightly whimsical, with a sense of continuous motion.
The Pancake outruns the family and then successively outwits a man, a hen, a cock, a duck, a goose, and a gander, demonstrating its speed and cleverness.
Wood's Edge and Brook
The edge of a dense, dark Norwegian pine forest, where the rolling path meets a small, gurgling brook. The brook is too wide for the Pancake to cross on its own, with smooth, wet stones visible at its bottom. The forest looms, suggesting a less safe, more mysterious environment.
Mood: Initially companionable, then tense, foreboding, and ultimately tragic.
The Pancake meets the cunning Pig, is convinced to travel with it, and is ultimately tricked and eaten at the brook, marking the story's end.