Christmas Eve was spent with Ginger, my eight-year-old Irish Setter. I thought it would be nice to read the story of the Gingerbread Man to Ginger. So, my 70-pound Irish Setter sprawled on my lap as I read an abbreviated story.

Ginger wasn’t particularly interested in the story about an old woman who made a Gingerbread Man and popped it into the oven to bake it. When she opened the oven door, the Gingerbread Man bolted out of the oven and out the cottage's front door of the old woman and her husband, an equally older person. The Gingerbread Man ran past a pig, a cow, and a horse to avoid being eaten by them. However, it came to a river where a fox noticed the Gingerbread Man.

The fox offered to transport the Gingerbread Man across the river to safety from its pursuers. So, the Gingerbread Man jumped on the back of the fox as the fox started to transverse the river. However, the fox claims to be tired of swimming and tells the Gingerbread Man to jump up to its head. They safely reach the other side, where the fox devours the Gingerbread Man.

After I read the story of the Gingerbread Man, I gave Ginger her Gingerbread toy for Christmas. She devoured the wrapping on the way to the toy. Then we played the game, which I call, It’s My Toy. Ginger likes our wrestling over her toys.

Before getting my beauty rest, I researched the Gingerbread Man. It turns out that Queen Elizabeth I had the royal cookie maker to make gingerbread cookies for her guests at some royal gala. What was unique was that the cookies were made to resemble each guest.

Before going to sleep, I mentioned to Ginger about Queen Elizabeth I having her royal cookie maker make cookies that looked like each of the guests. Ginger wasn’t impressed by my history lesson. So, I asked her what she thought. Ginger pondered for a moment and said, “I wouldn’t trust the fox. You know, some people are like foxes. Be careful around Trump; he seems like a fox to me.”