When the Gingerbread Man Ran Away

Previously

…And then, the fox tilted his head back, just a little. The gingerbread man felt himself slide forward, his tiny gingerbread feet losing their grip on the slippery nose. He opened his mouth to cry out, but the words caught in his throat. With a swift, decisive snap, the fox’s jaws closed. The gingerbread man felt a sharp pressure, a sudden warmth, and then… nothing. The adventure was over. The gingerbread man, so full of life and spirit, had met his end, swallowed whole by the cunning fox. The river flowed on, carrying the fox and his meal towards the distant shore, the sun glinting on the water as if nothing at all had happened.