Pinocchio: The Tale of a Puppet - Public Domain

Le conte d'une marionnette.

Pinocchio

AUTHOR: CARLO COLLODI

The story begins with an old woodcarver Geppetto who carved a puppet and named it Pinocchio but the doll wasn’t well behaved. He would take of his wig, run around the house etc. The old Geppetto threatened him on the street and grabbed his nose that was growing uncontrollably and because of that Geppetto ended up in prison. He was accused of mistreating a child.

At home Pinocchio stumbled upon a talking cricket who tried to explain to him that he should treat Geppetto better. Pinocchio wouldn’t listen to him and he smashed him with a hammer. Pinocchio got very hungry and realized that the cricket was saying the truth. He had to eat something but without Geppetto he didn’t know what to do. He found an egg, but when he cracked it open a little chicken came out of it and ran out of the house. He was desperate and went to the street in search of food. Instead of food he got a splash of water.

He returned home and tried to get dry next to the fire place but his wooden legs caught fire and turned into ashes. In the morning Geppetto knocked on the door and Pinocchio tried to open the door but couldn’t since he had no legs. Geppetto got into the house through a window and gave the starved boy some pears. He ate them all and left non for Geppetto. He promised to be well-behaved from now on. Geppetto made new legs for him and sold some of his stuff to get Pinocchio into school. The boy realized then that Geppetto was like a father for him and that he was good.

Even though he didn’t have a good behavior Pinocchio had a good heart and his nobility finally got out on the open. On his way to school he was thinking how to earn money and help Geppetto but he got into troubles again. He sold his book and bought a ticket to see a puppet show. The puppets were amazed to see their puppet brother but they mean master Mangiafuoco got a hold of Pinocchio and decided to throw him into the fire so he could make dinner.

The boy started to cry and call his father but he was nowhere to be seen. The mean Mangiafuoco had mercy upon him but then decided to throw his friend into the fire. To save him Pinocchio says that he should end up in the fire. Mangiafuoco had a change of heart and decided to keep both puppets alive. He wasn’t so mean after all and he gave some money to the boy so he could give it to his father. The naïve boy stumbled upon the cat and a fox. They convinced him in the existence of a magical land where you can plant money.