Carlo Collodi

The Adventures of Pinocchio Carlo Collodi

A poor man named Geppetto wants to carve himself a marionette in order to make a living as a puppeteer. He is given a piece of enchanted wood, and as soon as Geppetto carves the puppet, which he names Pinocchio, it begins abusing the old man. Once its feet are made, Pinocchio runs away, and Geppetto is arrested when he seizes the puppet. Pinocchio returns to Geppetto's home alone, and when the Talking Cricket admonishes him, Pinocchio kills the cricket. Going his own way, and ignoring all advice, Pinocchio soon falls in with a variety of bad characters, particularly the Fox and the Cat, who scheme to steal the five gold pieces Pinocchio was given for Geppetto. Eventually, the Fox and the Cat, disguised as Assassins, hang Pinocchio in order to get the gold pieces.

However, the Fairy with Azure Hair saves Pinocchio at the last moment. When Pinocchio lies to the Fairy about the gold pieces, his nose grows comically long. Later, Pinocchio again falls in with the Fox and the Cat, who trick him out of his gold pieces. Eventually, Pinocchio finds the Fairy again and comes to live with her as her son. Twice he begins attending school, and twice he allows himself to be led astray, the second time resulting in his becoming a donkey. After further adventures, Pinocchio is swallowed by the Terrible Shark and finds Geppetto living in the shark's belly. Pinocchio rescues his father and thereafter takes care of him. The Fairy then turns Pinocchio into a real boy.