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Once there were a little old man, a little old woman, and a little boy.
One day the old woman made a round Johnny-cake.
She put it into the stove to bake.
She said to the little boy, “You must bake the Johnny-cake for us. We will eat it for supper.”
Then the little old man took a spade, and the little old woman took a hoe. They went to work in the garden.
The little boy was all alone in the house.
He forgot about the Johnny-cake.
All at once he heard a great noise.
The stove door flew open, and Johnny-cake rolled out.
Out of the house he rolled.
The little boy ran to the garden.
“Father! Mother!” he called.
“Johnny-cake is rolling away.”
The little old man threw down his spade, and the little old woman threw down her hoe.
Then they all ran as fast as they could after Johnny-cake. But they could not catch him.
Johnny-cake laughed and said,
“I am having some fun;
I roll and they run;
I can beat everyone.”
He rolled on and on. Soon he came to a hen.
“Johnny-cake, where are you going?” asked the hen.
“Oh, I am out rolling,” he said.
“I have rolled away from a little old man,
A little old woman,
A little boy. And I can roll away from you, too-o-o-o!”
“You can, can you?” said the hen.
“We will see about that! I think I will just eat you up!” So the hen ran as fast as she could. But she could not catch Johnnycake.
Johnny-cake laughed and said,
“I am having some fun;
I roll and they run;
I can beat every one.”
He rolled on and on. By and by he came to a cow.
“Johnny-cake, where are you going?” asked the cow.
“Oh, I am out rolling,” he said.
“I have rolled away from a little old man,
A little old woman,
A little boy, and a hen.
I can roll away from you, too-o-o-o!”
“You can, can you?” said the cow.
“I think I will just eat you up.”
The cow ran as fast as she could.
But she could not catch him.
Johnny-cake laughed and said,
“I am having some fun;
I roll and they run;
I can beat everyone.”
He rolled on until he came to a pig.
The pig was lying down.
“Where are you going?” asked the pig.
“Oh, I am out rolling.” said Johnny-cake.
“I have rolled away from a little old man,
A little old woman,
A little boy,
A hen, and a cow.
I can roll away from you, too-o-o-o!”
“Woof, woof! I am sleepy.” said the pig.
Johnny-cake went near to him.
“I will make you hear me!” he said.
“I have rolled away from a little old man,
A little old woman,
A little boy,
A hen, and a cow.
I can roll away from you, too-o-o-o!”
“Woof, woof!” said the pig.
“I am sleepy. Go away!”
He shut his eyes.
Johnny-cake got as near to the pig as he could.
He shouted at him.
“Do you hear me!” he called.
“I have rolled away from a little old man,
A little old woman,
A little boy,
A hen, and a cow.
I can roll away from you, too-o-o-o!”
The pig opened his eyes. He opened his mouth, too.
He caught Johnny-cake and ate him up.
( English Folk Tale )
spade : a shovel
hoe : a tool for working in the garden
A) Answer the following questions.
1) What were the little old man, little old woman, and little boy going
to do with the Johnny-cake?
2) What are a spade and a hoe used for?
3) Why did the boy forget about the Johnny-cake?
4) Who was the first animal Johnny-cake met
5) Why do the hen and the cow chase Johnny-cake?
6) How does the pig trick Johnny-cake?
B) Characters—Tell what the different characters did to Johnnycake.
1) the little old man, little old woman, and little boy: ________________.
2) the hen: ____________________________________________________.
3) the cow: ____________________________________________________.
4) the pig: _____________________________________________________.
C) True or false? Read these sentences carefully. Write true or false for each one.
1) _____ The little boy ate Johnny-cake.
2) _____ The pig tricked Johnny-cake.
3) _____ Johnny-cake could run fast.
4) _____ The little old woman ate the pig.
5) _____ The pig chased Johnny-cake.
