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.
从前有一个老爷爷，一个老奶奶，还有一个小男孩。一天早上，老奶奶做了一个玉米饼，把它放进烤炉里烤。“你爹和我要出去园子里干活，你看着点玉米饼。”于是老爷爷和老奶奶便出去锄土豆了，留下小男孩看着烤炉。
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.
可他并没有一直盯着，忽然他听见一阵响声，抬头一看，炉门“啪”地一下弹开了，玉米饼从炉子里跳了出来，一路翻着跟头滚向敞开着的房门。小男孩跑去关门，可玉米饼比他快得多，一下子滚出了门，滚下了台阶，滚到了大路上，小男孩根本还没来得及抓住它。
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.
小男孩拼命地在后面追，一边追一边大声喊爹娘。老爷爷和老奶奶听见了这阵喧闹，扔下锄头也追了上来。可玉米饼把他们三个都远远甩在了后面，很快就没了踪影，他们几个只好坐在路旁的土坡上喘口气歇歇。
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?”
玉米饼继续往前滚，不一会儿碰到了两个挖井的人，他们从活计上抬起头来喊道：“你要去哪儿呀，玉米饼？”
He said: “I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and I can outrun you too-o-o!”
它说：“我已经甩掉了一个老爷爷、一个老奶奶和一个小男孩，我也能甩掉你们哟——！”
“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.
“你能，是吧？咱们走着瞧！”他们说着，扔下手里的镐头就追了上去，可怎么也追不上，很快也只好坐在路边歇息了。
On ran Johnny-cake, and by-and-by he came to two ditch-diggers who were digging a ditch. “Where ye going, Johnny-cake?” 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!”
玉米饼继续往前滚，不一会儿碰到两个正在挖沟的人。“你要去哪儿呀，玉米饼？”他们问道。它说：“我已经甩掉了一个老爷爷、一个老奶奶、一个小男孩，还有两个挖井的人，我也能甩掉你们哟——！”
“Ye can, can ye? we'll see about that!” said they; and they threw down their spades, and ran after him too. But Johnny-cake soon outstripped them also, and seeing they could never catch him, they gave up the chase and sat down to rest.
“你能，是吧？咱们走着瞧！”他们说着，扔下铁锹也追了上去。可玉米饼很快也把他们甩在了后头，他们眼看永远也追不上，便放弃了追赶，坐下来歇息。
On went Johnny-cake, and by-and-by he came to a bear. The bear said: “Where are ye going, Johnny-cake?”
玉米饼继续往前滚，不一会儿碰到了一只熊。熊问道：“你要去哪儿呀，玉米饼？”
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!”
它说：“我已经甩掉了一个老爷爷、一个老奶奶、一个小男孩，还有两个挖井的人、两个挖沟的人，我也能甩掉你哟——！”
“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.
“你能，是吧？”熊咆哮着说，“咱们走着瞧！”说着便撒开腿使出全力去追玉米饼，玉米饼却头也不回地一路狂奔。没过多久，熊就被甩得老远，眼看再追下去也是白费力气，索性早早死了心，便在路边伸展开身子歇息去了。
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!”
玉米饼继续往前滚，不一会儿碰到了一只狼。狼说：“你要去哪儿呀，玉米饼？”它说：“我已经甩掉了一个老爷爷、一个老奶奶、一个小男孩，还有两个挖井的人、两个挖沟的人和一只熊，我也能甩掉你哟——！”
“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.
“你能，是吧？”狼咆哮着说，“咱们走着瞧！”说完便撒腿飞奔着追赶玉米饼，玉米饼却一路飞快地往前跑，狼也看出根本没有希望追上它，只好也躺下来歇息了。
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 Johnny-cake?”
玉米饼继续往前滚，不一会儿碰到了一只静静趴在篱笆角落里的狐狸。狐狸尖着嗓子喊道，却并没有起身：“你要去哪儿呀，玉米饼？”
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!”
它说：“我已经甩掉了一个老爷爷、一个老奶奶、一个小男孩，还有两个挖井的人、两个挖沟的人、一只熊和一只狼，我也能甩掉你哟——！”
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.
狐狸说：“我实在听不太清楚，玉米饼，你能不能靠近一点？”说着把脑袋微微侧向一边。
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.”_
玉米饼头一回停下了脚步，稍稍靠近了一些，扯着嗓子大声喊道：“我已经甩掉了一个老爷爷、一个老奶奶、一个小男孩，还有两个挖井的人、两个挖沟的人、一只熊和一只狼，我也能甩掉你哟——！”
“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.
“还是听不太清楚，你能不能再靠近一点？”狐狸有气无力地说着，一边把脖子朝玉米饼那边伸去，一边把一只爪子搭在耳朵后面。
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!”
玉米饼凑得很近了，朝着狐狸探过身子，扯着嗓子尖叫道：“我已经甩掉了一个老爷爷、一个老奶奶、一个小男孩，还有两个挖井的人、两个挖沟的人、一只熊和一只狼，我也能甩掉你哟——！”
“You can, can you?” yelped the fox, and he snapped up the Johnny-cake in his sharp teeth in the twinkling of an eye.
“你能，是吧？”狐狸尖叫一声，眨眼间便用他那锋利的牙齿把玉米饼一口咬住了。
