Mr. Joseph Jacobs publishes this story in his Collection of
“English Fairy Tales.” He gives as his source “_American Journal of
Folk-Lore_,” ii. 60. Another variant of this story is found in “The
Gingerbread Boy,” in _St. Nicholas_, May, 1875. Chambers gives two
versions of the same story, under the title “The Wee Bunnock,” the
first of which is one of the most dramatic and humorous of folk tales.
Unfortunately the Scotticisms are so frequent as to render the Droll
practically untranslatable. “The Fate of Mr. Jack Sparrow” in _Uncle
Remus_ is similar to that of Johnny Cake.
The version herewith is taken from the Aldine Fourth Reader, by Frank
E. Spaulding and Catherine T. Bryce, through the courtesy of the
publishers, Newson & Company, New York.
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 into the
oven to bake.
Then she said to the little boy: “You watch Johnny Cake while your
father and I go out to work in the garden. Don’t let it burn.”
The little boy soon got tired watching the oven, and went to look out
of the window. All of a sudden he heard a noise back of him. He looked
around quickly. The oven door popped open. Out jumped Johnny Cake. Away
he went rolling along, end over end, through the open door, down the
steps, and out into the road, long before the little boy could catch
him.
“Mother! Father! Johnny Cake’s running away!” cried the little boy, and
down the street he ran after Johnny Cake.
[Illustration:woman running]
His father and mother threw down their hoes and gave chase too. But
Johnny Cake outran all three a long way, and was soon out of sight. The
old man, the old woman, and the little boy, quite out of breath, sat
down by the roadside to rest.
On ran Johnny Cake. By and by he came to two well diggers, who looked
up from their work and called out, “Where are you going Johnny?”
“I’ve outrun an old man, an old woman, and a little boy, and I can
outrun you, too-o-o!”
“You can, can you? We’ll see about that!”
They threw down their spades and ran after him. But Johnny Cake
outstripped them also. Seeing they could never catch him, they gave up.
On ran Johnny Cake. By and by he came to a bear.
“Where are you going Johnny?” growled the bear.
“I’ve outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, and two well
diggers, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!”
“You can, can you?” growled the bear; “we’ll see about that!”
[Illustration: Boy running]
And he rushed thump, thump, after Johnny Cake, who never stopped to
look behind him. Before long the bear was left far behind, so at last,
breathless and panting, he stretched himself out by the roadside to
rest.
On ran Johnny Cake. By and by he came to a wolf. “Where are you going,
Johnny Cake?” yelped the wolf.
“I’ve outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well diggers,
and a bear, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!”
“You can, can you?” snarled the wolf; “we’ll see about that!”
And he set into a gallop after Johnny Cake, who went on so fast that
the wolf saw there was no hope of overtaking him, and he, too, lay down
to rest.
On ran Johnny Cake. By and by he came to a fox that lay quietly in a
corner of the fence.
“Where are you going, Johnny Cake?” called the fox, in a sharp voice,
but without getting up.
“I’ve outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well diggers,
a bear, and a wolf, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!”
“I can’t quite hear you, Johnny Cake; won’t you come a little closer?”
said the fox.
Johnny Cake went a little nearer to the fox and called out in a very
loud voice:
“I’ve outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well diggers,
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 put one paw behind his ear.
[Illustration: Satisfied fox]
Johnny Cake came up quite close, and leaning towards the fox, screamed
out, “I’ve outrun an old man, an old woman, a little boy, two well
diggers, a bear, and a wolf, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!”
“You can, can you?” yelped the fox, and he snapped up Johnny Cake in a
twinkling.
[Illustration:
The
Twelve
Months
An Oral Re-telling
_of a_
BOHEMIAN FAIRY STORY
_by_
R. T. WYCHE]
In the Bohemian land there lived a woman, who had one daughter named
Katinka, and a stepdaughter named Dobrunka. The woman, naturally,
loved her own daughter more than she did her stepdaughter, but her own
child was not as fair nor had she as pleasing a disposition as had the
stepdaughter Dobrunka.
This displeased the woman so that she made Dobrunka, the stepdaughter,
do all the housework, the cooking and the churning, whereas, her own
daughter, Katinka, she dressed in fine clothes and let her live in
idleness. And more than that—she frequently allowed Katinka to order
Dobrunka around the house as if she were a servant. Dobrunka was always
pleasing in countenance and in spirit, and the work she did made her
strong and wholesome, whereas the idleness in which Katinka lived made
her very disagreeable.
One day, Katinka came to Dobrunka, and said: “Dobrunka, I want some
violets; go out into the fields or the forest and find me some.”
Dobrunka said, “Why Katinka, that is a strange request. This is not the
time for violets; it is mid-winter.”
Whereupon Katinka grew very angry and said: “Go, do as I say and bring
me some violets, or I shall beat you to a jelly.” With that Katinka
pushed her out of the door and with the help of her mother barred the
door behind her.
Now, it was mid-winter and snow was upon the ground, and Dobrunka
started through the forest not knowing what to do. As she walked along
the forest, she saw on a hillside a fire burning. Soon she came to the
fire, and there sat twelve old men with long grey beards. Their names
were the Twelve Months.
It was mid-winter, and January, of course, was presiding. As Dobrunka
came near to the group, not knowing what to do nor where to go, she
stopped and began to cry.
January saw her, and said: “Child, why do you stand there shivering and
crying, what is the matter?”
Dobrunka said, “My mother and sister have driven me from the house, and
they said if I do not bring them some violets they will beat me to a
jelly.”
January felt sorry for the girl, and he said: “Violets do not belong to
me; perhaps March can help you.”
Near by sat March, and he turned and saw the girl was troubled and he
pitied her.
March stood up and waved his wand over the fire. The fire and the
circle of old men disappeared. March and the girl were standing in a
field and the air was fragrant with the breath of early Spring. March
said, “Daughter look down at your feet, and gather as many violets as
you wish!”
As Dobrunka looked, all about her the field was purple with violets.
She stooped down and gathered a great handful of them.
When she came back to the house and entered the door, Katinka saw her,
and said, “Yes, I knew you could bring them, you were just pretending
that you could not.” And, the perfume of the violets filled the whole
house.
Some days after Katinka came again to Dobrunka, and said:
“Dobrunka, I want some strawberries, red and fresh from the fields.”
[Illustration: “THERE SAT TWELVE OLD MEN”]
Dobrunka said, “Why sister, how strangely you talk. This is not the
time for strawberries; it is mid-winter. But Katinka said: “Obey me,
you said there were no violets the other day; you brought them,—go,
bring me some strawberries or I will beat you to a jelly.”
With that she pushed her out of the door and the stepmother helped her
bar the door.
Dobrunka then turned toward the forest again. Snow was still on the
ground. She walked along toward the mountain and saw again the fire
burning in the distance. Soon she was standing where sat the twelve old
men in a circle.
January heard her footfall on the snow. Dobrunka stopped and began
crying. January said to her, “Child, why did you come back, we gave you
violets and still you are back again?”
Dobrunka said, “My mother and sister have driven me from my home, and
they say if I do not bring some strawberries they will beat me to a
jelly.”
January said: “I am sorry, but I cannot help you. Strawberries do not
belong to me; perhaps May can help you.”
May was sitting across the circle. He looked at the girl standing there
in trouble and he felt sorry for her. He stood up and waved his wand
across the fire. The old men disappeared and the fire. Dobrunka found
herself standing in a field. It was a perfect day in May. Above her
head the sky was soft and blue; in every treetop sang the birds. May,
the old man, stood by her and said:
“Look child at the earth and see what you will find.”
Dobrunka looked, and all about in great bunches grew strawberries,
peeping like jewels from the green leaves.
May said to her, “Help yourself.” And stooping down she gathered her
hands full and then ran back to the house.
When she entered the door, her sister seized the berries and ate them
all up.
A few days after that, Katinka came again to Dobrunka and said:
“Dobrunka, I want some apples, fresh and ripe; go to the forest and
find me some.”
Dobrunka said, “Why sister how strangely you talk,—this is not the
time for apples; it is mid-winter.”
Katinka said, “Lazy girl, you said you could not find the violets, but
you did. You said there were no strawberries, but you brought them; go,
and get me some apples or I will beat you to a jelly.”
Whereupon she pushed her from the door and the stepmother helped her to
bar the door behind her.
Dobrunka turned again to the forest. She remembered where the old men
lived on the mountainside and was soon standing near the circle. She
crept along very quietly. She did not wish to ask the old men to help
her again because they already had been so kind to her, but January saw
her standing with bowed head and shivering in the cold.
He said, “Child, child, why did you come back here? We sent you away
the other day with your wants supplied.”
Then Dobrunka said: “My mother and sister have driven me from the
house, they say if I do not bring them some apples they will beat me to
a jelly.”
January said, “Apples do not belong to me; perhaps September can help
you.”
[Illustration: “ONE DAY THE HANDSOMEST YOUTH IN ALL THE WORLD CAME BY”]
On the opposite side of the circle sat September, and he saw the girl
standing there, helpless. He felt sorry for her and standing up, he
waved his wand over the fire. The circle and the old men disappeared.
They were standing in a gently rolling field. The air was soft; the
crickets were chirping in the grass and there was in the sky a haze.
All around here stood great apple trees, loaded with fruit, red and
yellow.
September said to the girl, “Help yourself.”
Dobrunka picked up two of the largest apples, and then fled back to the
house. When her sister saw her, she seized the apples, ate one and gave
the other to her mother. As soon as the apples were eaten,—she came to
Dobronka, and said, “Why did you not bring more apples?”
Then Dobrunka told her about the old men and how they had helped her
each time.
“Then,” said Katinka, “I know why you did not bring more, you ate them
up on the way. Go back, and bring me more or I will beat you.”
Dobrunka said, “Please do not send me again in the cold,” and she
begged that she might stay in the house.
Then Katinka said, “I will go myself; if you could get them I can get
them from the old men.”
She left the house and walked through the forest, and soon came in
sight of the fire where sat the twelve old men. When she came near to
them, she said, “Hello there, old grey beards, I want some apples and
want them quick!”
January was not accustomed to such words. He stood up and waved his
wand over the fire and the fire and the circle were gone.
Katinka found herself in a great forest. The wind was wailing through
the treetops, the snow was falling and it was bitter cold. Katinka did
not come back to the house. Her mother waited for her and by and by she
started out in search of her, but she, too, was lost in the storm that
raged, and never came back.
Dobrunka waited in the house. The night passed, and the next day and
many days. By and by the snow melted. The birds and flowers of Spring
came, but still the lost ones did not come back. Dobrunka had the house
all alone. One day, the handsomest youth in all the world came by and
met Dobrunka. They became friends, and afterwards they were married and
lived happily forever thereafter.
* * * * *
The Storytellers’ League, of the State Normal School, of Dillon,
Montana, have decided for the present year to devote their attention
to a line of work, which so far as we know, has not yet been
attempted by any other League. They will investigate the part that
the supernatural, especially witchcraft, plays in literature, and
will follow it not only through folk literature, but the following
units: Goethe’s Faust, Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth,
Konigs-kinder and Hansel and Gretel. The general theme will be broken
from time to time by the introduction of stories suitable for a
special session. At the last meeting in December the program will be
given over to Christmas stories, tales and legends. Miss Florence
Mayer is President of the League.