Pinocchio

The story

Once upon a time there was an old woodcarver named Geppetto.
He lived alone and longed for a child.

One day, he carved a wooden boy from a piece of wood.
He named him Pinocchio.

To his amazement, the puppet could talk, walk and laugh as if he were truly alive.
Geppetto was overjoyed and immediately loved him like a real son.

But Pinocchio was mischievous.
Instead of going to school, he went off in search of adventure.

A wise, talking cricket warned him:
"Listen to your conscience, Pinocchio, and always be honest."

But Pinocchio did not listen.
He ended up at a puppet theatre, was tricked by a sly fox and cat,
and kept getting himself into trouble.

There was something very unusual about Pinocchio.
Whenever he told a lie, his nose grew.

The bigger the lie, the longer his nose became.

A kind fairy with blue hair helped him.
She said, "If you are honest, brave and kind, one day you can become a real boy."

Pinocchio promised to do his best.
But time and again, he let himself be tempted into mischief.

One day, Pinocchio heard that Geppetto had gone to sea to look for him.
His little boat had been swallowed by an enormous fish.

Filled with regret, Pinocchio thought:
"It is my fault that Father is in danger."

Without hesitating, he jumped into the sea to rescue him.
And sure enough, Pinocchio was swallowed by the enormous fish too.

Deep inside the sea monster's belly, in the darkness,
Pinocchio found his father again.

Geppetto had been trapped there for a very long time.
How happy they were to see each other again.

Pinocchio came up with a clever plan.
They waited until the great fish opened its mouth to breathe.

Then they swam out together.
All the way back to the shore.

By saving his father, Pinocchio showed that he could be brave, honest and selfless.

That night, the fairy with the blue hair appeared.
"You have proved that you have a good heart," she said softly.

The next morning, Pinocchio woke up.
He was no longer a wooden puppet.

He was a real, living boy.

Geppetto hugged him.
And together, they lived happily ever after.