Run, Run

Once Upon a Western #3.5

by Rachel Kovaciny

"The Gingerbread Man" reimagined...

Levi Dalton, his siblings, and his cousins want to give a nice Christmas present to the uncle who is raising all seven of them. But their plans go awry when someone runs off with their basket of gingerbread! A wild chase through a small town leads to disaster, but an old friend suggests a plan that just might save the day in this short story sequel to One Bad Apple.

Genres: Short Stories, Retellings

23 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 7, 2021

About the author

Born only a few miles from where Jesse James robbed his first train, Rachel Kovaciny has loved the Old West all her life. She spends her days telling stories to her husband and their three homeschooled children. In her free time, Rachel writes a column on Old West history for the Prairie Times, reads, blogs, watches movies, and daydreams.

Visit www.rachelkovaciny.com to sign up for Rachel Kovaciny’s newsletter and receive a FREE copy of her Sleeping Beauty retelling, the novella The Man on the Buckskin Horse.

Reviews

[Angie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaaaahhhh, this was incredible!!!!! I loved getting to see the Dalton kids again, and the runaway gingerbread was perfectly done! XD Also, I might have squealed out loud at the surprise appearance...and the *ahem* other surprise... (No, I won't tell; it's much too good to spoil!) Just a note that you can read this as a stand-alone, but it'll mean a lot more if you've read One Bad Apple first. ;)

5 delicious stars!

[Eva-Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another quality short story that makes a fine, sweet (get it?? :D) addition to the Once Upon A Western Literary Universe. =)

[Katie Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong "On the Banks of Plum Creek" vibes. Lots of fun and cuteness.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love Rachel's writing, and this short story is no exception. Her ability to weave fairytales into old west settings without magic is incredible.

[Marquise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little story that retells the "Gingerbread Man" tale, in which we see again the characters from the Snow White-inspired novella. Sweet and charming, though a bit too short and episodic.

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I'm reading these books backwards, but I don't care. The characters are just so cute, and this story was just delightful! I made me smile several times.

[Nadine Keels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Levi Dalton and his young siblings and cousins have a special Christmas present in mind for the uncle who's taking care of them all. But a little thief taking off with their basket of gingerbread could ruin Levi's plans in Run, Run by author Rachel Kovaciny.

So, is it okay that I heard Chuck Berry singing "run, run, Rudolph!" in the back of my head during most of this reimagining of "The Gingerbread Man"? Heeheehee...

This short story is a sequel to One Bad Apple in the Once Upon a Western series of fairy tale retellings. It includes some details that come together in the preceding book, but I wouldn't say those details really spoil anything if you're new to the series, especially if you know the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

In all, I found this quick holiday read as delightful as its charming and comfy-kind-of-delicious cover. A satisfying snack with an uplifting message.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Rachel’s Old West fairy tale retellings! She writes such satisfying short stories, and I enjoyed the light-hearted nature of this one.

[Abigail Kopp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn’t read the last two novels of the series, but I found this story short and sweet and was interesting to read from a young boy’s point of view. I liked the heart behind the motives of the young children a lot and was touched by it.

[Ammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this was so sweet. Really short, but one I could read to J over a cup of tea. I am off to read One Bad Apple now. 😍

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.7 stars (5/10 hearts). Well, this was SUCH a fun little story. I loved getting to see a sequel to One Bad Apple and a glimpse at the kids’ lives with Uncle Matthew, plus of course Hopeful and Ness. However, I particularly enjoyed the retelling of “The Gingerbread Man.” It was so clever and so amusing!

A Favourite Quote: Hopeful was right: broken things could still be good for something after all.

A Favourite Humorous Quote: And anyhow, what else would our bachelor uncle want? Besides a moment of peace and quiet, maybe, but we weren’t aiming to give him a miracle, just a present.

*I received a complimentary copy of  Prairie Tales: Volume One  for promotional purposes, in which collection this story is found. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute retelling of an awkward tale.

This is a reimagined version of the gingerbread man children's rhyme. Set in the old west, instead of a living piece of gingerbread, this sounds ory is about a boy who steals a basket of gingerbread from the seven Dalton children. Hilarious antics ensue.

This story also serves as a sequel to the he novel One Bad Apple. It is nice getting to see these characters settled into a comfortable life after the hardships they went through.

I never liked the gingerbread man story. All those people and animals trying to eat a living, talking gingerbread man. It was all a little morbid for me. But this version is both fun and makes sense, apparently all fairytales and rhymes need to be set in the old west.

[Mary Moerbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun, good-natured short story that I enjoyed as a stand alone episode from the Wild West times. Having said that, having loved One Bad Apple (reviewed here), I liked it even better. I loved the story and how it acts as something of a coda and sequel. The ending was PERFECT! Heart-warming & clever, just as I like it. The author clearly has a good head on her shoulders and a knack for retellings!

[Elevetha · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

It's the end of the year, I'm behind on my challenge, and I happen to have several short stories on Kindle that I've "been meaning to get to" for years now. So here we go.

Perhaps I would have enjoyed this more after having read the longer length retelling this is a sequel to, but even I had, I'm not sure I could see this as being any higher rated than 3 stars. It's awfully short, and only had any real merit in the last couple of pages when Levi is talking to Hopeful.

[Chloe the MovieCritic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute and fun! It'll add some spice to your life in a bleak winter just like one of the main ingredients of these cookies. Be sure to gobble this up!