A long, long time ago, in a little village, there lived a kind old toy maker named Geppetto. He carved wonderful wooden toys that all the children loved. But even though he made toys for others, Geppetto was lonely. His biggest wish was to have a little boy of his own.
One day, he had a wonderful idea. “If I cannot have a real son, I will make one from wood!” he exclaimed.
He went into the forest and found a perfect piece of wood. Back in his workshop, he started carving. Tap, tap, tap! As he worked, he heard a little voice. “Ouch! That tickles!” But Geppetto was so focused, he thought it was just the wind.
Finally, his wooden puppet was finished. It had bright eyes and cheerful red cheeks. Geppetto loved him instantly and named him Pinocchio. He was so tired from his work that he fell fast asleep in his chair.
Geppetto
That’s when a sparkly Blue Fairy appeared! She whispered, “Dear Geppetto, you have such a kind heart. You deserve to have your wish come true.” She touched Pinocchio with her magic wand. Poof! A shower of sparkles fell upon him.
The next morning, Geppetto woke up with a stretch. He couldn’t believe his eyes! Pinocchio was stretching too! He was moving, talking, and laughing!
“Papa!” said Pinocchio.
“My son! You’re alive!” cried Geppetto, hugging him tightly.
Time passed, and soon it was time for Pinocchio to go to school. He needed a schoolbook, but Geppetto was very poor.
“Don’t worry, my boy,” Geppetto said. He went out and sold his only warm coat to buy the book. “Here, Pinocchio. Be a good boy and go straight to school.”
On his way, Pinocchio saw a big, colorful tent! It was a puppet show! The music was lively, and he forgot all about school.
“Ticket, please!” said the man at the door.
Pinocchio, a wooden puppet
Pinocchio showed him the money for his schoolbook. The greedy showman saw that Pinocchio was a living puppet! He grabbed him and put him in a cage. “You will perform for me forever!” he laughed.
Pinocchio was scared and sad. Just then, the Blue Fairy appeared. “Pinocchio! Why didn’t you go to school?”
Afraid of getting in trouble, Pinocchio told a lie. “A giant… a giant monster stole my book!” he cried.
Suddenly, his nose started to grow! It grew longer and longer, like a tree branch!
“Oh! My nose!” he wailed.
“Every time you tell a lie, your nose will grow,” explained the Fairy. “Now, tell me the truth.”
Pinocchio admitted everything. The Fairy forgave him, made his nose normal again, and set him free. “Remember, be good and always tell the truth,” she reminded him.
As Pinocchio hurried home, two sneaky animals, a Fox and a Cat, tricked him. They said, “Don’t waste that money on a book! Bury it in the magic field, and it will grow into a money tree!”
Poor Pinocchio believed them and gave them his coins. They ran away, laughing, and he was left with nothing.
This time, when the Blue Fairy asked what happened, Pinocchio told the truth. His nose stayed just the same! She was proud of him.
But his adventures weren’t over yet! The angry showman found him and threw him into the sea! A giant whale, who was swimming by, saw the splashing and… GULP! He swallowed Pinocchio whole!
Pinocchio’s Joy
It was dark and wet inside the whale’s belly. Pinocchio cried, “Oh, Papa! I’m so sorry I didn’t listen! I wish you were here!”
Meanwhile, Geppetto had been searching everywhere for his son. He heard Pinocchio was last seen near the sea, so he sailed out in a little boat to find him. A huge wave capsized his boat, and the same whale… GULP! Swallowed Geppetto too!
Inside the whale, Pinocchio heard a sneeze. “Papa!” he shouted. There was his father! They hugged each other tightly.
“Don’t worry, Papa, I have a plan!” said Pinocchio. “Do you have matches?”
They gathered old wood from the whale’s belly and made a small fire. The smoke tickled the whale’s throat. He gave a tremendous sneeze, and… ACHOO! He sent Pinocchio and Geppetto flying out of his mouth and safely onto the shore!
The Blue Fairy, who had been watching, saw how brave and truthful Pinocchio had become. She waved her magic wand one last time.
A shower of golden sparkles fell on Pinocchio. His wooden body became warm and soft. His heart beat with joy. He was a real boy!
From that day on, Pinocchio was always good, honest, and kind. He, and his loving Papa Geppetto, lived happily ever after.
