September 19. Story of the Day: Johnny-Cake

This story comes from Joseph Jacobs' English Fairy Tales.

It's an example of ATU 2025. The Fleeing Pancake.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

Johnny-Cake

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 in the oven to bake. 'You watch the Johnny-cake while your father and I go out to work in the garden.' So the old man and the old woman went out and began to hoe potatoes, and left the little boy to tend the oven. But he didn't watch it all the time, and all of a sudden he heard a noise, and he looked up and the oven door popped open, and out of the oven jumped Johnny-cake, and went rolling along end over end, towards the open door of the house.

The little boy ran to shut the door, but Johnny-cake was too quick for him and rolled through the door, down the steps, and out into the road long before the little boy could catch him. The little boy ran after him as fast as he could clip it, crying out to his father and mother, who heard the uproar, and threw down their hoes and gave chase too. But Johnny-cake outran all three a long way, and was soon out of sight, while they had to sit down, all out of breath, on a bank to rest.

On went Johnny-cake, and by and by he came to two well-diggers who looked up from their work and called out: 'Where ye going, Johnny-cake?'

He said: 'I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!'

'Ye can, can ye? We'll see about that?' said they; and they threw down their picks and ran after him, but couldn't catch up with him, and soon they had to sit down by the roadside to rest.

On ran Johnny-cake, and by and by he came to two ditch-diggers who were digging a ditch. 'Where ye going, Johnnycake?' said they. He said: 'I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!'

'Ye can, can ye? We'll see about that!' said they; and they threw down their spades, and ran after him, too. But Johnnycake soon outstripped them also, and seeing they could never catch him, they gave up the chase and sat down to rest.

On went Johnny-cake, and by and by he came to a bear.

The bear said: 'Where are ye going, Johnny-cake?'

He said: 'I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!'

'Ye can, can ye?' growled the bear. 'We'll see about that!' and trotted as fast as his legs could carry him after Johnny-cake, who never stopped to look behind him. Before long the bear was left so far behind that he saw he might as well give up the hunt first as last, so he stretched himself out by the roadside to rest.

On went Johnny-cake, and by and by he came to a wolf. The wolf said: 'Where ye going, Johnny-cake?'

He said: 'I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers, and a bear, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!'

'Ye can, can ye?' snarled the wolf'. 'We'll see about that!'

And he set into a gallop after Johnny-cake, who went on and on so fast that the wolf, too, saw there was no hope of overtaking him, and he, too, lay down to rest.

On went Johnny-cake, and by and by he came to a fox that lay quietly in a corner of the fence. The fox called out in a sharp voice, but without getting up: 'Where ye going, Johnnycake?'

He said: 'I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers, a bear, and a wolf, and I can outrun you, too-o-o!'

The fox said: 'I can't quite hear you, Johnny-cake; won't you come a little closer?' turning his head a little to one side.

Johnny-cake stopped his race for the first time, and went a little closer, and called out in a very loud voice: 'I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers, and 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 stretched out his neck towards Johnny-cake, and put one paw behind his ear.

Johnny-cake came up close, and leaning towards the fox screamed out: 'I'VE OUTRUN AN OLD MAN, AND AN OLD WOMAN, AND A LITTLE BOY, AND TWO WELL-DIGGERS, AND TWO DITCH-DIGGERS, AND A BEAR, AND A WOLF, AND I CAN OUTRUN YOU, TOO-O-O!'

'You can, can you?' yelped the fox, and he snapped up the Johnny-cake in his sharp teeth in the twinkling of an eye.


NOTES

SOURCE American Journal of Folk-Lore, ii, 60 (cf. No. for July 1891).


PARALLELS Another variant is given in the same Journal, p. 277, where reference is also made to a version, '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. I have, however, made an attempt in More English Fairy Tales, 57. Also in Ireland as 'The Wonderful Cake' (Kennedy, Fireside Stories, p. 19). 'The Fate of Mr Jack Sparrow' in Uncle Remus is similar to that of Johnny-Cake.

August 31. Story of the Day: Wee Bannock

This story comes from More English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, illustrated by John Batten. Jacobs' source in turn is Chambers's Popular Rhymes of Scotland.

It is a version of the ATU 2025. The Fleeing Pancake. Or, in this case: a bannock. You can read about bannocks at Wikipedia.

Looking for more stories? Click here for previous Stories-of-the-Day.

THE WEE BANNOCK

GRANNIE, grannie, come tell us the story of the wee bannock.'

'Hout, childer, ye've heard it a hundred times afore. I needn't tell it over again.'

'Ah! but, grannie, it's such a fine one. You must tell it. Just once.'

'Well, well, if ye'll all promise to be good, I'll tell it ye again.'

 ~ ~ ~

There lived an old man and an old woman at the side of a burn. They had two cows, five hens, and a cock, a cat and two kittens. The old man looked after the cows, and the old wife span on the distaff. The kittens oft gripped at the old wife's spindle, as it tussled over the hearthstone. 'Sho, sho,' she would say, 'go away'; and so it tussled about.

One day, after breakfast, she thought she would have a bannock. So she baked two oatmeal bannocks, and set them on to the fire to harden. After a while, the old man came in, and sat down beside the fire, and takes one of the bannocks, and snaps it through the middle. When the other one sees this, it runs off as fast as it could, and the old wife after it, with the spindle in the one hand, and the distaff in the other.

But the wee bannock ran away and out of sight, and ran till it came to a pretty large thatched house, and it ran boldly up inside to the fireside; and there were three tailors sitting on a big bench.

When they saw the wee bannock come in, they jumped up, and got behind the goodwife, that was carding tow by the fire.  'Hout,' quoth she, 'be no afeard; it's but a wee bannock. Grip it, and I'll give ye a sup of milk with it.'

Up she gets with the tow-cards and the tailor with the goose, and the two 'prentices, the one with the big shears, and the other with the lawbrod; but it dodged them, and ran round about the fire; and one of the 'prentices, thinking to snap it with the shears, fell into the ashes. The tailor cast the goose, and the goodwife the tow-cards; but it wouldn't do.

The bannock ran away, and ran till it came to a wee house at the roadside; and in it runs, and there was a weaver sitting at the loom, and the wife winding a clue of yarn. 'Tibby,' quoth he, 'what's that?'

'Oh,' quoth she, 'it's a wee bannock.'

'It's well come,' quoth he, 'for our porrage were but thin today. Grip it, my woman; grip it.'

'Ay,' quoth she; 'what recks! That's a clever bannock. Catch it, Willie; catch it, man.'

'Hout,' quoth Willie, 'cast the clue at it.'

But the bannock dodged round about, and off it went, and over the hill, like a new-tarred sheep or a mad cow. And forward it runs to the neat-house, to the fireside; and there was the goodwife churning. 'Come away, wee bannock,' quoth she; 'I'll have cream and bread today.'

But the wee bannock dodged round about the churn, and the wife after it, and in the hurry she had near-hand overturned the churn. And before she got it set right again, the wee bannock was off and down the brae to the mill; and in it ran.

The miller was sifting meal in the trough; but, looking up: 'Aye,' quoth he, 'it's a sign of plenty when ye're running about, and nobody to look after ye. But I like a bannock and cheese. Come your way hither, and I'll give ye a night's quarters.'

But the bannock wouldn't trust itself with the miller and his cheese. So it turned and ran its way out; but the miller didn't fash his head with it.

So it toddled away and ran till it came to the smithy; and in it runs, and up to the anvil. The smith was making horse-nails. Quoth he: 'I like a glass of good ale and a well-toasted bannock. Come your way in by here.'

But the bannock was frightened when it heard about the ale, and turned and was off as hard as it could, and the smith after it, and cast the hammer. But it missed, and the bannock was out of sight in a crack, and ran till it came to a farmhouse with a good peat-stack at the end of it. Inside it runs to the fireside. The goodman was cloving lint, and the goodwife heckling. 'O Janet,' quoth he, 'there's a wee bannock; I'll have the half of it.'

'Well, John, I'll have the other half. Hit it over the back with the clove.'

But the bannock played dodgings. 'Hout, tout,' quoth the wife, and made the heckle flee at it.

But it was too clever for her. And off and up the burn it ran to the next house, and rolled its way to the fireside. The goodwife was stirring the soup, and the goodman plaiting sprit-binnings for the cows. 'Ho, Jock,' quoth the goodwife, 'here come. You're always crying about a wee bannock. Here's one. Come in, haste ye, and I'll help ye to grip it.'

'Ay, mother, where is it?'

'See there. Run over on that side.'

But the bannock ran in behind the goodman's chair. Jock fell among the sprits. The goodman cast a binning, and the goodwife the spurtle. But it was too clever for Jock and her both. It was off and out of sight in a crack, and through among the whins, and down the road to the next house, and in and snug by the fireside. The folk were just sitting down to their soup, and the goodwife scraping the pot. 'Look,' quoth she, 'there's a wee bannock come in to warm itself at our fireside.'

'Shut the door,' quoth the goodman, 'and we'll try to get a grip of it.'

When the bannock heard that, it ran out of the house and they after it with their spoons, and the goodman shied his hat. But it rolled away and ran, and ran, till it came to another house; and when it went in the folk were just going to their beds. The goodman was taking off his breeches, and the goodwife raking the fire.

'What's that?' quoth he.

'Oh,' quoth she, 'it's a wee bannock.'

Quoth he, 'I could eat the half of it.'

'Grip it,' quoth the wife, 'and I'll have a bit, too. Cast your breeches at it!' The goodman shied his breeches, and had nearly smothered it. But it wriggled out and ran, and the goodman after it without his breeches; and there was a clean chase over the craft park, and in among the whins; and the goodman lost it, and had to come away, trotting home half naked.

But now it was grown dark, and the wee bannock couldn't see; but it went into the side of a big whin bush, and into a fox's hole. The fox had had no meat for two days. 'O welcome, welcome,' quoth the fox, and snapped it in two in the middle. And that was the end of the wee bannock.

NOTES

SOURCE Chambers's Popular Rhymes of Scotland. I have attempted an impossibility, I fear, in trying to anglicise, but the fun of the original tempted me. There still remain several technical trade terms requiring elucidation. I owe the following to the kindness of the Rev. Mr Todd Martin, of Belfast. Lawtrod = lap board on which the tailor irons; tow cards, the comb with which tow is carded; the clove, a heavy wooden knife for breaking up the flax. Heckling is combing it with a heckle or wooden comb; binnings are halters for cattle made of spit or rushes. Spurtle = spoon; whins = gorse.
PARALLELS This is clearly a variant of Johnny-cake = journey-cake, No. 28, where see Notes.

REMARKS But here the interest is with the pursuers rather than with the pursued. The subtle characterisation of the various occupations reaches a high level of artistic merit. Mr Barrie himself could scarcely have succeeded better in a very difficult task.

Kennedy. The Wonderful Cake.

From The Fireside Stories of Ireland by Patrick Kennedy.

This is TMI Z33.1 The fleeing pancake = ATU 2025.

The actual meetings with the cow and the sow were left out of the full chain, so I spelled them out using the formula of the preceding item.

THE WONDERFUL CAKE

(Little Red Hen by Ethel Hays)

A mouse, a rat, and a little red hen once lived together in the same cabin, and one day the little red hen said, "Let us bake a cake and have a feast."

"Let us," says the mouse; and "let us," says the rat.

"Who'll go get the wheat ground?" says the hen.

"I won't," says the mouse; "I won't," says the rat.

"I'll go myself," says the little red hen. "Who'll make the cake?"

"I won't," says the mouse; "I won't says," says the rat.

"I will myself," says the little red hen. "Who'll eat the cake?"

"I will," says the mouse; "I will," says the rat.

"Dickens a bit you shall," says the little red hen.

Well, while the hen was putting over her hand to it, magh go brath with it out of the door, and after it with the three housekeepers.

When it was running away, it went by a barn full of thrasthers, and they asked it where it was running.

"Oh," says it, "I'm running away from the mouse, the rat, and the little red hen, and from you too if I can."

So they piked away after it with their flails, and it run and it run till it came to a ditch full of ditchers, and they asked it where it was running.

"Oh, I'm running away from the mouse, the rat, and the little red hen, and from a barn full of thrashers, and from you too if I can."

Well, they all ran after it along with the rest till it came to a well full of washers, and they asked the same question, and it returned the same answer: "Oh, I'm running away from the mouse, the rat, and the little red hen, and from a barn full of thrashers, and a ditch full of ditchers, and from you too if I can."

And after it they went.

Next it came to a crumply-horned cow who asked the same question, and it returned the same answer: "Oh, I'm running away from the mouse, the rat, and the little red hen, and from a barn full of thrashers, a ditch full of ditchers, a well full of washers, and from you too if I can."

And after it went the cow.

Next it came to a saddle-backed sow who asked the same question, and it returned the same answer: "Oh, I'm running away from the mouse, the rat, and the little red hen, and from a barn full of thrashers, a ditch full of ditchers, a well full of washers, a crumply-horned cow, and from you too if I can."

And after it went the sow.

At last it came to a ford where it met with a fox, who asked where it was running.

"Oh, I'm running away from the mouse, the rat, and the little red hen, from a barn full of thrashers, a ditch full of ditchers, a well full of washers, a crumply-horned cow, a saddle-backed sow, and from you too if I can. "

"But you can't cross the ford," says the fox.

"And can't you carry me over/" says the cake.

"What you'll give me?" says the fox.

"A kiss at Christmas, and an egg at Easter," says the cake.

"Very well," says the fox, "up  with you."

So he sat on his currabingo with his nose in the air, and the cake got up by his tail till it sat on his crupper.

"Now over with you," says the cake.

"You're not high enough."

Then it scrambled up on his shoulder.

"Up higher still," says he, "you won't be safe there."

"Am I right now?" says the cake, when it was on his head.

"Not quite," says he; "you'll be safer on the ridge pole of my nose."

"Well," says the cake, "I think I can go no further."

"Oh, yes," says he, and he shot it up in the air, caught it in his mouth, and sent it down the red lane.

ATU 2025. The Fleeing Pancake

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At this site:
Jacobs. Johnny-Cake
Kennedy. The Wonderful Cake.
Jacobs. Wee Bannock
(more to come!)

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Z33.1 [ATU 2025] The fleeing pancake. A woman makes a pancake, which flees. Various animals try in vain to stop it. Finally the fox eats it up.

ATU 2025. A pancake (pudding, cake, cookie, cabbage strudel, round bread) jumps out of the pan (plate) and runs away from the cook (mother) who wants to eat it. The pancake runs outside and meets a series of animals (hen, rooster, duck, goose, fox, pig) or people who also want to eat it. The pancake runs away from all of them, bargging about all the others it has already escaped from. The fox (pig) induces the pancake to come close by pretending to be deaf, and gobbles it up.
The pig drops part of the pancake, so now all pigs root around in the mud looking for it.

additional information:

Wikipedia: The Gingerbread Man

Baughman 2025.
ABERDEEN: Gregor and Moir FL Journal 2:71 1894. [online at Hathi]
BORDER: Petrie Borders 140, 1950
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Kittredge JAF 3:291-92, 1890 [online at Hathi]
MASSACHUSETTS: Whiting JAF 2:217-218, 1889 [online at Hathi]
TEXAS Dobie PTFS 6:30-33, 1927

Darnhardt Zeitschrift des Vereins fur Volkskunde XVII (1907) 133-41 No. 2, Vom fliehenden Pfannkuchen and, in better form, Natursagen III 272-284

Zuidema Zeitschrift des Vereins fur Volkskunde XVIII (1908) 195

Dan: MS DFS, Kristensen Danske Dyrefable 58f. Nos. 113-118

Fb "pandekage" II 782b

Norwegian: Christiansen Norske Eventyr 149

Lithuanian: Balys Index No. 2025

Russian Andrejev No. 295, 296 - The Bun - Afanasyev
Gingerbread Boy - Clarkson and Cross - World
Wee Bannock - Jacobs

ASHLIMAN: The Runaway Pancake 2025
The Pancake (Norway).
The Runaway Pancake (Germany).
The Thick, Fat Pancake (Germany).
Dathera Dad (England).
The Wonderful Cake (Ireland).
The Wee Bunnock (Scotland [Ayrshire]).
The Wee Bannock (Scotland [Dumfriesshire]).
The Wee Bannock (Scotland [Selkirkshire]).
The Fox and the Little Bonnach (Scotland).
The Gingerbread Boy (USA).
The Johnny-Cake (USA).
The Little Cakeen (USA).