Listen to “Pinocchio” on Spreaker.
Once upon a time, in a small, quaint village, there lived an old woodcarver named Geppetto. Geppetto was kind and gentle, but he was very lonely. One day, he decided to carve a puppet from a piece of wood to keep him company. He carefully carved a little boy and named him Pinocchio.
That night, before going to bed, Geppetto looked at Pinocchio and sighed, “Oh, how I wish you were a real boy.” As he slept, a magical fairy heard his wish and visited the little workshop. She waved her wand over Pinocchio and brought him to life. The fairy smiled and said, “Pinocchio, you will be alive, but to become a real boy, you must prove that you are brave, truthful, and unselfish.”
The next morning, Geppetto woke up to find Pinocchio moving and talking. He was overjoyed and treated Pinocchio like his own son. Pinocchio was very happy, too, but he was also curious about the world.
One day, on his way to school, Pinocchio met a sly fox and a crafty cat. They told him about a place called Pleasure Island where boys could have fun all day without any rules. Pinocchio, excited by the idea of endless fun, decided to follow them, forgetting about Geppetto’s advice to be good and go to school.
When Pinocchio arrived at Pleasure Island, he and the other boys played and misbehaved without thinking about the consequences. But soon, they began to turn into donkeys as punishment for their bad behavior. Pinocchio grew ears and a tail, and he realized he had made a terrible mistake.
Pinocchio escaped from Pleasure Island and tried to find his way back home. Along the way, he met the fairy again. She warned him about the importance of being good and honest. Pinocchio promised to be better and continued his journey.
However, when Pinocchio returned home, he discovered that Geppetto had gone out to sea to search for him and had been swallowed by a giant whale. Determined to save his father, Pinocchio bravely set out to find the whale. When he finally found it, he let the whale swallow him too, so he could rescue Geppetto from inside.
Inside the whale’s belly, Pinocchio and Geppetto were reunited. Pinocchio came up with a clever plan to make the whale sneeze by lighting a fire. The plan worked, and the whale sneezed them out, sending them safely back to shore.
The fairy appeared once more and praised Pinocchio for his bravery and selflessness. “You have proven that you are brave, truthful, and unselfish,” she said. With a wave of her wand, she turned Pinocchio into a real boy.
Geppetto and Pinocchio returned home, where they lived happily together. Pinocchio had learned the importance of honesty, courage, and kindness, and he always remembered the lessons he had learned during his adventures.
The end.
Follow-Up Questions:
Why did Pinocchio decide to go to Pleasure Island instead of school?
How did Pinocchio and Geppetto escape from the whale?
- What qualities did Pinocchio need to show to become a real boy, and how did he prove he had them?