by Youheng Zhong

There was once an old couple who wanted to eat a gingerbread man. Their previous one had decided to run off and ended up being eaten by the clever fox. So, this time, they made a huge batch of gingerbread men, thinking that not all of them would be able to run off. They took special care while shaping and decorating the little gingerbread men and set them in the oven to bake.

However, one on the edge of the baking pan was a little different from all the others: this gingerbread man was the reincarnated version of the one eaten by the cunning fox. This gingerbread man didn’t like the experience of being eaten and wanted revenge. He reasoned that it wasn’t exactly possible for him to eat the fox, so he decided his goal would be the next best thing: to kill the fox so he couldn’t eat any more gingerbread men.

So, right before the timer rang, the gingerbread man slipped out from the crack of the oven door and quietly crept out of the house. While sneaking out, he rubbed some mint on himself and hid under a leaf so no one would follow his scent or see him. He headed to the neighboring forest, where he would spend the night.

Night fell quickly in the forest, and the gingerbread man found himself lost. From his perspective on the ground, the trees blotted out the sky, so even the full moon wasn’t much help to light his way. He shivered as the cold wind blew past, and he carefully walking around a little puddle of condensation.

Being in the forest certainly wasn’t a comfortable way to spend the night, but he couldn’t think of any other place to hide from people or animals that might find him. He saw a dry cave a couple of yards away and decided to set off towards it for shelter.

The cave was dry and cozy, with no dripping water in sight. The gingerbread man found a soft pile of pine needles and pieces of tree bark. He took a few pieces of tree bark to form a chair, then sat down, resting his surprisingly tired legs.

“That’s better,” he muttered, gradually drifting off.

He awoke to a low growl. Opening his eyes, he saw a pair of yellow eyes staring at him from the darkness. He felt a hot breath panting on his face and a wet nose on his cheek. Realizing a wolf was about to eat him, he jumped up from his makeshift chair and screamed.

The wolf snapped his jaws and tried to bite the gingerbread man, but the gingerbread man was quick and agile. He jumped out of the chair and ran towards the cave entrance, hoping to escape. But he was too late. The wolf was faster and blocked his way, snarling and baring his teeth.

“Please, don’t eat me!” the gingerbread man begged. “I’m not tasty, I’m not even fully cooked!”

The wolf tilted his head and sniffed the gingerbread man. He detected a familiar scent from the old lady’s house on the edge of his territory. He always went there to get a free meal when it wasn’t his day, stealing the meat for the stray cats she left out.

“What are you?” the wolf asked. “You look like a cookie, smell like that old lady’s mint tree that I rub my scent on, but talk like a human.”

“I’m a gingerbread man,” the gingerbread man said. “I was made by an old couple, but I ran away from them. I want to kill the fox who ate my previous self.”

The wolf laughed. “You want to kill the fox? You are a brave little cookie. But you are also a foolish one. The fox is cunning and clever. He will outsmart you and eat you again.”

“Well, yes, maybe, but since you’re here, you can help me. You can distract the fox while I come in from the back and stab him with my knife.” 

“True,” said the wolf, “but why would I help you? Or what do I get in return?”

The gingerbread man shifted uncomfortably. Something didn’t feel right.

“Well, errr,” he stammered. “You see, i-if you kill the fox, then he won’t annoy you anymore.” the gingerbread man finished weakly.

The wolf shifted slowly, bringing his face closer.

“You see,” the wolf said in the same sly tone the fox used, “Killing the fox doesn’t really benefit me. It only benefits you. However, if I eat you, I will gain a delicious meal and a full stomach, and you get the best roller coaster ride of your life. So, because the second solution has a better outcome than the first, I will —“

The wolf suddenly stopped rambling and lunged for the gingerbread man, catching him off guard. The wolf bit off his head, then swallowed the rest of the dismembered gingerbread man whole. “eat you.” he finished, licking his lips. 

Not all people are meant to be your friend. Some are just there to stab your back. Also, just have some common sense, okay? You shouldn’t be going into the forest unless you’re a remote, cut off human. But then again, if you are, why are here reading this excerpt?