Gingerbread man

A grandfather and grandmother lived in a small hut on the edge of the village. They lived poorly, but happily, and one day the grandfather felt like eating something delicious. «Grandmother, my dear,» he said, «would you bake me a bun?» And the grandmother replied, “But what can I bake for you, grandfather, if there is no flour?”

And the grandfather replied: «And you, grandmother, sweep the bins, scrape the crumbs - that's where you'll get some.» The grandmother listened to her grandfather, took a broom, swept the bins, scraped the crumbs - and finally got a handful of flour. She kneaded the dough with sour cream, rolled out a round bun, baked it in the oven and put it on the window to cool.

Kolobok lies on the window sill, he lies and lies, and then he gets tired of lying. He jumps from the window onto the ledge, from the ledge onto the path, and rolls across the yard, through the gate, all the way out of the village, into the wide world. He rolls, rolls, and the sun shines, the grass is green, the birds sing - Kolobok is happy, oh happy!

He rolls along the forest path, until he meets the running Bunny. «Kolobok, Kolobok, I’ll eat you!» says the Bunny, pricking up his ears. And Kolobok says to him in a thin, loud voice: «Don’t eat me, Bunny, I’ll sing you a song.» And he sings: «I am Kolobok-Kolobok, swept through the bins, scraped from the slush, mixed with sour cream, baked in the oven, chilled on the window. I ran away from my grandfather, I ran away from my grandmother, and I’ll run away from you, Bunny, even more!» And he rolls on.

Kolobok is rolling through the forest, and Wolf, a little gray barrel, is coming towards him. «Kolobok, Kolobok, I’ll eat you!» the wolf growls. And Kolobok sings a song to him: «I ran away from my grandfather, I ran away from my grandmother, I ran away from the Bunny, and I’ll run away from you, Gray Wolf, and I’ll run away from you!» And he rolled on as if nothing had happened.

The gingerbread man rolls on, and then a Bear comes out of the thicket - shaggy, club-legged. "Gingerbread man, gingerbread man, I'll eat you!" - the bear roars. And the gingerbread man is also happy: "Why are you, club-legged, eating me! I ran away from my grandfather, I ran away from my grandmother, I ran away from the Bunny, I ran away from the Wolf, and from you, Bear, I'll even run away!" He sang, sang - and rolled on.

Kolobok rejoices: he has deceived everyone, deceived everyone. He rolls along the path, until he sees - the little fox-sister is sitting on the edge of the road, sweeping with her tail. "Be healthy, rosy Kolobok," she says gently, "how pretty you are, how rosy! Sing me a song, I have never heard your songs before.".

Kolobok was happy that he was praised, and he sang at the top of his voice: "I am Kolobok-Kolobok, swept through the bins, scraped through the rusks, mixed with sour cream, baked in the oven, chilled on the window. I ran away from my grandfather, I ran away from my grandmother, I ran away from the Bunny, I ran away from the Wolf, I ran away from the Bear, and I will run away from you, Fox, and I will run away from you!"«

And the little fox-sister did not listen, but only said gently: "Beautiful, beautiful song, my little dove, but I am already old, I can't hear well. Sit on my nose and sing it again - louder." The gingerbread man was delighted and sat on the very tip of the fox's nose.

He had just sung again, and the Fox—a noise!—and there was no Kolobok. And so the rosy Kolobok ended his journey. And the grandfather and grandmother waited for him at the window for a long time, and even went to dinner without a Kolobok. That's what happens to those who brag too much about their tricks.