The Adventures of Pinocchio: Classic Children's Fiction

by Carlo Collodi

Overview

A carpenter finds a talking piece of wood and gives it to his poor neighbor, Geppetto, who carves the block into a marionette and names him Pinocchio. Pinocchio runs away as soon as he learns to walk. The marionette is caught by a Carabiniere, who assumes Pinocchio has been mistreated and imprisons Geppetto. Pinocchio goes back to Geppetto's house where he accidentally kills a talking cricket who had warned Pinocchio of the perils of disobedience and hedonism. That evening, Pinocchio falls asleep with his feet on the stove, and wakes to find that they have burned off. Geppetto is released from prison and makes Pinocchio a new pair of feet. In gratitude, Pinocchio promises to attend school, and Geppetto sells his only coat to buy him a school book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9788834161982
Publisher:	Diamond Book Publishing
Publication date:	07/29/2019
Series:	Children's Literature Collection , #6
Sold by:	StreetLib SRL
Format:	eBook
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Carlo Collodi (1826-1890) was an Italian children’s writer who gained worldwide recognition as the creator of the perennial favorite character, Pinocchio. He was active in the political world, founding a satirical newspaper called Il Lampione, and wrote non-fiction as well as translating from French. He died before he ever knew the success that his creation would go on to have around the world.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter I
 
How it came to pass that Master Cherry the carpenter found a piece of wood that laughed and cried like a child
 
There was once upon a time…
 
 
“A king!” my little readers will instantly exclaim.
No, children, you are wrong. There was once upon a time a piece of wood.
This wood was not valuable: it was only a common log like those that are burnt in winter in the stoves and fireplaces to make a cheerful blaze and warm the rooms.
I cannot say how it came about, but the fact is that one fine day this piece of wood was lying in the shop of an old carpenter of the name of Master Antonio. He was, however, called by everybody Master Cherry, on account of the end of his nose, which was always as red and polished as a ripe cherry.
No sooner had Master Cherry set eyes on the piece of wood than his face beamed with delight; and, rubbing his hands together with satisfaction, he said softly to himself:
“This wood has come at the right moment; it will just do to make the leg of a little table.”
Having said this he immediately took a sharp ax with which to remove the bark and the rough surface. Just, however, as he was going to give the first stroke, he remained with his arm suspended in the air, for he heard a very small voice saying imploringly, “Do not strike me so hard!”
Picture to yourselves the astonishment of good old Master Cherry!
He turned his terrified eyes all round the room to try and discover where the little voice could possibly have come from, but he saw nobody! He looked under the bench—nobody; he looked into a cupboardthat was always shut—nobody; he looked into a basket of shavings and sawdust—nobody; he even opened the door of the shop and gave a glance into the street—and still nobody. Who, then, could it be?
“I see how it is,” he said, laughing and scratching his wig. “Evidently that little voice was all my imagination. Let us set to work again.”
And taking up the ax, he struck a tremendous blow on the piece of wood.
“Oh! Oh! You have hurt me!” cried the same little voice dolefully.
This time Master Cherry was petrified. His eyes started out of his head with fright, his mouth remained open, and his tongue hung out almost to the end of his chin, like a mask on a fountain. As soon as he had recovered the use of his speech, he began to say, stuttering and trembling with fear.
“But where on earth can that little voice have come from that said Oh! Oh!? Here there is certainly no living soul. Is it possible that this piece of wood can have learnt to cry and to lament like a child? I cannot believe it. This piece of wood, here it is; a log for fuel like all the others, and thrown on the fire it would about suffice to boil a saucepan of beans…How then? Can anyone be hidden inside it? If anyone is hidden inside, so much, the worse for him. I will settle him at once.”
So saying, he seized the poor piece of wood and commenced beating it without mercy against the walls of the room.
Then he stopped to listen if he could hear any little voice lamenting. He waited two minutes—nothing; five minutes—nothing; ten minutes—still nothing!
“I see how it is,” he then said, forcing himself to laugh and pushing up his wig. “Evidently the little voice that said Oh! Oh! was all my imagination! Let us set to work again.”
Nevertheless, he was very frightened, so he tried to sing to give himself a little courage.
Putting the ax aside, he took his plane, to plane and polish the bit of wood; but while he was running it up and down he heard the same little voice say laughing:
“Have done! You are tickling me all over!”
This time poor Master Cherry fell down as if he had been struck by lightning. When he at last opened his eyes he found himself seated on the floor.
His face was quite changed; even the end of his nose, instead of being crimson, as it was nearly always, had become blue from fright.
 
Illustrations © 2002 by Gris Grimly

Table of Contents

	A Piece of Wood	12
	A Gift to Geppetto	14
	Making a Puppet	16
	The Talking Cricket	22
	The Omelette	24
	The Brazier	27
	The Breakfast of Pears	30
	The Spelling Book	33
	The Puppet Show	37
	The Puppeteer	39
	Pinocchio Saves Harlequin	42
	The Fox and the Cat	45
	The Red Crawfish Inn	51
	The Assassins	54
	The Great Oak Tree	58
	The Little Girl with Blue Hair	61
	Pinocchio's Nose Grows Long	67
	The Field of Miracles	73
	Four Months in Prison	78
	A Horrible Serpent	82
	Pinocchio Becomes a Watchdog	85
	Catching the Thieves	87
	Pinocchio Mourns	90
	The Island of Busy Bees	96
	Pinocchio's Promise	102
	At the Seashore	105
	Pinocchio Is Arrested	107
	The Fisherman	112
	The Fairy's Promise	116
	Candlewick Persuades Pinocchio	124
	Five Months in Funland	128
	Donkey Ears	135
	The Circus	141
	Swallowed by a Terrible Whale	147
	In the Whale's Belly	153
	Pinocchio Becomes a Boy	160
	Acknowledgments	172

Editorial Reviews

Two illustrated volumes of Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio take the spotlight this fall. Robert Ingpen's edition starts on a note of humor, with inset illustrations showcasing his meticulous ink lines and cross-hatching. He depicts the newly emerging Marionette wearing Geppetto's wig, for instance, or a full-page image of Geppetto fitting the fellow with new feet after the puppet's burn in a fire. A wordless spread of the Assassins making off with Pinocchio, however, exudes an appropriate creepiness. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 2-7-The classic moral tale of the wayward puppet's quest to become a real boy is illustrated with Ingpen's richly textured pencil-and-watercolor artwork. A combination of full-page illustration and spreads, as well as numerous smaller pictures, depicts Pinocchio's adventures. Ingpen's color choices-primarily subdued neutral tones accented with bright hues-underscore the sense of play in a rather grim story. The bright-eyed marionette is portrayed as more mischievous than malicious-more naive than nasty. Even as a puppet, his posture and movements are that of an active, curious child. Likewise, the narration is lively and energetic and seasoned with subtle humor. The dark sides of the tale are not omitted, but the focus is on the adventure and on Pinocchio's redemption. Some of the modernization is unnecessary and awkward; for example, the Cat receives a telegram, rather than message, informing him that his child is ill. Overall, this is a handsome traditional edition of the story that will appeal to children. The Adventures of Pinocchio illustrated by Robert Innocenti (Creative Editions, 2005) is a more literary version with a stronger sense of the European setting, dramatic tension, and moral undertones. Sara Fanelli's version (Candlewick, 2003) offers a more contemporary collage-style interpretation.-Heide Piehler, Shorewood Public Library, WI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

ger for reading aloud. The "true" story of the puppet who wanted to be a real boy will surprise those familiar with the popular Disney version. This abridged Pinocchio includes plot details missing from the animated film, more violence, and the blue fairy as a central character. The didacticism of the original is retained, but Mattotti's colorful paintings have enough style and dramatic impact to carry the reader to the final foregone conclusion. A good additional title for large comparative literature collections, this should provide a bridge for those who want the "real" story but are unable to tackle the original novel-length tale.

Janice Del Negro

What most readers know of Pinocchio is a wooden puppet whose nose grows from telling lies. This episode—longer than a picture book but shorter than the original tale—is one small chapter in the exploits and adventures of Pinocchio, the boy wannabe. An illustrated adaptation, it follows the original M.A. Murray translation closely, yet succeeds without the long-windedness of the 1892 classic, and with all the rich language, spirited characters, and lively escapades intact. Inspired by the commedia dell'arte, the Italian traveling street theater of Collodi's time, Young (Night Visitors, 1995, etc.) has created scenes that authentically capture the playlike quality of the story. Reminiscent of his colorful cut-paper collage in Seven Blind Mice (1993), the array of characters and images cleverly reflect a stage production, complete with double-page spreads that act as scenery backdrops. It's an energetic rendition that invites the audience to meet again the mischievous puppet with all his foibles, setting the stage for an Oz-like ending that reaffirms the power of good.

Kirkus Reviews

"Pinocchio was not just a puppet creation, but a symbol of a newly unified Italian nation."  —Guardian

From the Publisher