The fairy tales of Pinocchio

A Boy Made of Wood

Long ago in Italy there lived on old clock-maker named Geppetto. Tick-tick-TOCK! Tick-tick-TOCK! went all the clocks in his shop. When he worked, Geppetto felt happy. But when he rested, a sad feeling came over him. “Ah!” he would think. “All my life and no child to call my own!”

One day Geppetto carved a puppet from wood in the shape of a boy. The arms and legs could move. He cut and sewed a nice outfit for the puppet, as if it were a real boy. “I will call you Pinocchio,” said Geppetto.  That night, Geppetto lay the wooden puppet down onto the bed.

From out of the window, a big star twinkled bright.  Geppetto looked out the window to the twinkling star.  

“Bright star,” said Geppetto. “If I could make one wish, it would be that I could have a real boy of my own.” But of course, he knew that was not possible.

From out the window, a big star twinkled bright.

That night, the same big star swooshed right into Geppetto’s room. It changed into a Blue Fairy!  The Blue Fairy flew over to the bed.

“Little wood puppet,” said the Blue Fairy. “In the morning, you will be able to walk and talk like a real boy.” She tapped the puppet one time with her wand. “And if you can prove that you are brave and true, someday you will be a real boy.”

Pinocchio’s eyes opened.

“One more thing,” said the Blue Fairy. Suddenly. a cricket appeared. He was dressed mighty fine -and could talk! “Meet the Cricket”, said the Blue Fairy. He will stay with you to help you make wise choices.” And with that, the Blue Fairy went swoosh and was gone! Out of the window and up into the night sky.

When Geppetto woke up the next morning, he said, “I will go take my puppet out of bed.” But the bed was empty!

“Here I am, Father!” said Pinocchio from the other side of the room.

Geppetto swung around. “What? You can talk?”

“Here I am, Father!”

“Yep! I am Pinocchio, your boy!”

“How can this be?” said Geppetto in shock. Then he said, “But who cares?” He rushed over and swept the wooden puppet into his arms. “Pinocchio, my son!” he said in great happiness.

Off to School

One day Pinocchio said, “I want to go to school, like other boys.”

“Of course,” said Geppetto. But he did not have the money to buy schoolbooks.

Later that day, Geppetto came back home with schoolbooks. “Now you can go to school,” he said.

“But Father,” said Pinocchio, “where is your warm coat?”

With a wave of his hand Geppetto said, “No need to worry about that. What matters is that you will go to school tomorrow!” He did not want Pinocchio to know he had traded his warm coat to buy the schoolbooks.

The next morning, Pinocchio said good-bye to Geppetto. He skipped along the path to school, humming as he went. The Cricket rode on his shoulder, happy, too.

Coming up to them on the path was a Fox and a Cat.

“And where are you going on this fine day?” said the Fox.

“I am going to school!” said Pinocchio.

“On such a fine day as this?” said the Fox. “It is too nice to be stuck inside school! You should come with us, to the fair.”

“I am going to school!” said Pinocchio.

“Listen to me,” said the Fox. He put his arm around Pinocchio’s shoulder. “Anything you need to know, you can learn at the fair.”

“Really?” said Pinocchio.

“Take it from me,” said the Fox.

“Pinocchio!” said the Cricket.  “He does not know what he is talking about!” 

The Fox covered the Cricket with his hat. No one could hear the little fellow as the Cricket tried to call out, “Pinocchio, do not listen to him!”

“Okay!” said Pinocchio. “Let’s go to the fair!” And off they went. 

The Fair

What a fair it was! By the gate was a man dressed in white. He called out, “Come in, come in! Right this way! Get your tickets here!”

With a sad look Pinocchio said to the Fox and Cat, “I do not have any tickets.”

A man was selling old things at a table near the gate. He called, “Hey, you! Sell me those new schoolbooks of yours! That is how you can get money for tickets.”

The fair was so bright and colorful and exciting, that the next thing Pinocchio knew he had sold his schoolbooks for tickets.

“No, Pinocchio, stop!” called the Cricket, who finally got out from under the Fox’s hat. But Pinocchio, the Fox and the Cat did not hear him. They were already inside the fair.

The Man Who Ran the Fair

On stage was a puppet show! “I am a puppet, too!” said Pinocchio.  “I can dance like that!” He jumped right onto the stage and started to dance with the other puppets.

“Look at that new puppet!” someone called. “It has no strings!”

“No strings?” said another. “Amazing!”

Everyone laughed and laughed. They threw coins on the stage.

The man who ran the fair saw coins fly onto the stage. “Well, now!” he said, rubbing his chin. “This puppet with no strings will make me rich!”

The next thing Pinocchio knew, he was picked up and thrown in a birdcage. In the next moment, the door was locked shut.

“Hey, get me out!” called Pinocchio. But the person who had thrown him in just left the room. Only the Cricket heard Pinocchio’s calls. The Cricket ran back and forth, in and out of the birdcage, trying to find a way to free the lock.  But he could not unlock it.

“I am stuck!” cried Pinocchio. “How did this happen to me?”

The Nose Grows

All of a sudden, poof! There was the Blue Fairy.

“Please!” said Pinocchio. “Can you help me?”

“Tell me something first,” said the Blue Fairy. “How did you get inside that cage?”

“Tell her what happened,” said the Cricket.

“Well…” Pinocchio stopped. Could he really tell the Blue Fairy what had happened? What would she think of him?

“Tell me something first,” said the Blue Fairy. “How did you get inside that cage?”

“Um, I was robbed,” said Pinocchio.

“Is that right?” said the Blue Fairy with a frown. Pinocchio’s nose began to grow.

“Yes, robbed!” said Pinocchio. “By two mean men – no, four!”

The nose grew more.

“They took my books. They made me come here.  And they threw me into this cage!”

His nose grew longer and longer. Until Pinocchio could see nothing in front of his face but one big giant nose.

“Why is my nose so big?” Pinocchio cried out.

“Pinocchio!” said the Blue Fairy in a stern voice. “You must know what the truth really is.”

“I guess so,” said Pinocchio. “I wanted to come to the fair.  I came here with a Fox and the Cat.”

The nose grew shorter.

“I had to sell my books to get some tickets.”

“Had to?” said the Blue Fairy.

“I mean, I decided to sell my books to get tickets,” he said.

The nose got shorter.

The nose got shorter still.

“Then someone put me in this cage,” he said.

The nose was back to normal. “Good job, Pinocchio!” said the Cricket.

“Well done,” said the Blue Fairy. “Now I will get you out of here.”

With a wave of her wand, Pinocchio was out of the cage.

“Here are your books.” And Pinocchio was holding the same new schoolbooks in his hands again.

“Know this,” said the Blue Fairy, “you are on your own from now on. Make sure you do the right thing next time.” And she was gone.

The Coachman

Pinocchio was back on the road to school.  A Coachman drove up. “Hey kid, how about a ride?”

“No, thank you,” said Pinocchio. “I am going to school.”

“You will ride faster with me,” said the Coachman to Pinocchio. He said to himself, “He will ride faster all right, but not to where he thinks he is going!”

“Alright,” said Pinocchio. “I want to get to school right away!” 

When Pinocchio was inside the coach, the Coachman said, “Say kid, why do you think boys like you go to school?”

“To learn things,” said Pinocchio. “And to grow up, I guess.  So we can do what we want.”

“Well,” said the Coachman, “what if I told you that could do what you wanted, right now?”

“Right now?”

“Yep! Think of it. Skip the books. Skip the school. Right now, how would you like to have all the candy you can eat!”

“All the candy?”

“Yep.  Ice cream, too.  Of every flavor. Ever want to smoke a cigar or play pool? All this and more, at Pleasure Island.”

“Pleasure Island?”

“Best place in the world for boys like you!”

“Don’t listen to him, Pinocchio!” shouted the Cricket.

Best place in the world for boys like you!”

“Why wait?” said the Coachman. “I know just where Pleasure Island is. This is your lucky day, kid. So what do you say?”

“Let’s go there!” said Pinocchio. “I’m going to Pleasure Island!”

“Augh!” said the Cricket, waving his arms in the air.

Pleasure Island

After a while, the coach stopped.  “You got a boy with you in that coach?” said a dark stranger to the Coachman.

“Yep.” The Coachman grabbed Pinocchio and threw him down onto the ground. “He’s all yours. Now pay up.”

The Coachman reached out for something (was it money?) from the dark stranger. Then the Coachman drove off.

What could it all mean? But as Pinocchio looked around, he no longer cared. For everything the Coachman had told him was true! Heaps of candy all about. Tubs of ice cream in every flavor. Boys like him could eat and eat, and play all day.  None of them had to work or clean up. There were even cigars if you wanted one, and pool tables to play.

But after a few days, something was odd. “Where did all the boys go?” he asked the Cricket.

For everything the Coachmen had told him was true!

“All I see now are donkeys,” said Pinocchio.

“I must say, there used to be more boys around here,” said the Cricket.

Just then, one of his ears popped into a donkey ear.  Then his other ear popped into a donkey ear, too.

“Oh!” cried the Cricket. “What is happening to you?”

“I don’t know – HONK!” said Pinocchio.

Pinocchio and the Cricket saw a line of donkeys led by a dark stranger onto a truck. “Oh, no!” said the Cricket. “Now I get it! Boys get turned into donkeys here. Then the donkeys are sold! Pinocchio, we have to get you out of here, fast – while we still can!”

“Let’s go – HONK!” said Pinocchio. His two feet had popped into four.

“Run, quick!” said the Cricket. One good thing about Pinocchio’s new four legs is he could run very fast! Quick, quick, they ran out of Pleasure Island. Soon they were at a dock by the ocean.

“Please sir!” Pinocchio called out to a man by the dock. “I am looking for an old man named Geppetto. Do you know him? – HONK!”

“Sounds like you are getting a bad cold,” said the man. “Hmm, Geppetto. That’s the old man whose son left one morning and did not come back. He went out on a boat to look for him. No one has seen the poor fellow since.”

“Oh no! This is all my fault – HONK!” said Pinocchio. “I must look for my father!” Pinocchio jumped off of the dock into the ocean. The Cricket jumped in too, close behind.

The Whale

Most of Pinocchio was still made of wood, so he could float on the ocean. “Father!” he called out, paddling the water with his arms. “Father!” but there was no answer.

All Pinocchio could see around him was blue water, everywhere. Until – what was that, far away? Something was rushing up. Something big, and very fast!

In a moment, a giant whale was upon them. It opened its giant jaws and with one gulp, swallowed Pinocchio! Rushing inside with all the sea water tumbled Pinocchio and the Cricket. When they came to a stop, they saw that they were in the dark belly of the whale.

“Are you okay?” said Pinocchio to the Cricket.

“I am fine,” said a voice of an old man.

“Wait a minute,” said Pinocchio. “Father, is that you?”

There was Geppetto!

“Father, Father, it’s me!” said Pinocchio.

“My son!” said Geppetto. “I thought I was dreaming!”

They hugged in joy.

“Father, Father, it’s me!” said Pinocchio.

“Look!” said Geppetto as three fish swam by. “There goes our dinner!”

“Father, I have an idea! Let’s make a fire.”

“Grilled fish tonight!” said Geppetto.

“No, I mean for us to get out!” said Pinocchio. He gathered driftwood and got a flame going. “This is how we can make the whale sneeze!” he said. Pinocchio waved his arms over the flame to make a lot of smoke. Soon, clouds of black smoke were rising up.

The whale gave a cough. “Hang on!” said Pinocchio. And then… WHAM!! In one big sneeze, Pinocchio, Geppetto and the Cricket flew out of the whale’s mouth. Rolling over and over in the sea water, at last they rolled up onto the shore.

“Pinocchio?” Geppetto rose to his feet. The Cricket was there beside him.  But where was Pinocchio?

“Hang on!” said Pinocchio.

And then they found him! Pinocchio was face down, his head in a puddle.

“Pinocchio!”

They were too late. Geppetto and the Cricket wept over Pinocchio, the boy puppet, who lay still in the water.

Then in a flash, who was there but the Blue Fairy!

“Pinocchio,” she said. “You saved your father. You proved that you are both brave and true.” She tapped his head with her wand. “And now you will be a real boy.”

Pinocchio woke up.  He looked at his soft arms and soft legs.

“Father!” he cried out. “Look! I am a real boy!”

“That you are!” cried Geppetto.

The Blue Fairy turned to the Cricket. “Come,” she said. In a flash, the two of them were gone.

And Pinocchio and Geppetto lived many long and happy years together.

Source : Stories To Grow By

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The fairy tales of Cinderella

ONCE UPON A TIME a girl named Cinderella lived with her stepmother andtwo stepsisters.  Poor Cinderella had to work hard all day long so the others could rest. It was she who had to wake up each morning when it was still dark and cold to start the fire.  It was she who cooked the meals. It was she who kept the fire going. The poor girl could not stay clean, from all the ashes and cinders by the fire.

“What a mess!” her two stepsisters laughed.  And that is why they called her “Cinderella.” 

One day, big news came to town.  The King and Queen were going to have a ball!  It was time for the Prince to find a bride. All of the young ladies in the land were invited to come.  They were wild with joy! They would wear their most beautiful gown and fix their hair extra nice. Maybe the prince would like them!

One day, big news came to town.

At Cinderella’s house, she now had extra work to do.  She had to make two brand-new gowns for her step-sisters.  

“Faster!” shouted one step-sister.

“You call that a dress?” screamed the other.  

“Oh, dear!” said Cinderella.  “When can I–“ 

The stepmother marched into the room.  “When can you WHAT?”

“Well,” said the girl, “when will I have time to make my own dress for the ball?” 

“You?” yelled the stepmother.  “Who said YOU were going to the ball?”

“What a laugh!” said one step-sister.

“YOU?” yelled the stepmother.  “Who said YOU were going to the ball?”

“Such a mess!” They pointed at Cinderella.  All of them laughed.

Cinderella said to herself, “When they look at me, maybe they see a mess.  But I am not that way.  And if I could, I WOULD go to the ball.”

Soon the time came for the stepmother and step-sisters to leave for the big party.  Their fine carriage came to the door. The stepmother and step-sisters hopped inside.  And they were off. 

“Good-bye!” called Cinderella.  “Have a good time!” But her stepmother and step-sisters did not turn around to see her.

“Ah, me!” said Cinderella sadly.  The carriage rode down the street.  She said aloud, “I wish I could go to the ball, too!”

Then – Poof!

All of a sudden, in front of her was a fairy.

“I wish I could go to the ball, too!”

“You called?” said the fairy.

“Did I?” said Cinderella.  “Who are you?” 

“Why, your Fairy Godmother, of course!  I know your wish.  And I have come to grant it.”

“But…” said Cinderella, “my wish is impossible.”

“Excuse me!” said the Fairy Godmother in a huff.  “Did I not just show up out of thin air?” 

“Yes, you did,” said Cinderella.

“Then let me be the one to say what is possible or not!”

“Excuse me!” said the Fairy Godmother in a huff.  “Did I not just show up out of thin air?”

“Well, I think you know I want to go to the ball, too.” She looked down at her dirty clothes.  “But look at me.”

“You do look a bit of a mess, child,” said the Fairy Godmother.

“Even if I had something nice to wear,” said the girl, “I would have no way to get there.”

“Dear me, all of that is possible,” said the Fairy. With that, she tapped her wand on Cinderella’s head.

At once, Cinderella was all clean.  She was dressed in a beautiful blue gown.  Her hair was set up high on her head inside a golden band. 

“This is wonderful!” said Cinderella.

“Dear me, all of that is possible,” said the Fairy Godmother.

“Who said I was done?” said the Fairy Godmother.  She tapped her wand again. At once, a beautiful carriage came to be, with a driver and four white horses.

“Am I dreaming?” said Cinderella, looking around her.

“It is as real, as real can be,” said the Fairy Godmother.  “But there is one thing you must know.”

“What is that?”

“All of this lasts only to midnight.  Tonight, at the stroke of midnight, it will all be over.  Everything will go back to how it was before.”

“Then I must be sure to leave the ball before midnight!” said Cinderella.

“Good idea,” said the Fairy Godmother.  She stepped back. “My work is done.” And with that, the Fairy Godmother was gone.

“All of this will last only to midnight.”

Cinderella looked around her.  “Did that even happen?”  But there she stood in a fine gown, and with a golden band in her hair.  And there were her driver and four horses before her, waiting.

“Coming?” called the driver.

She stepped into the carriage.  And they were off.

Over at the ball, the Prince did not know what to think.  “Why do you have that sad look on your face?” the Queen said to her son.  “Look around you! You could not ask for finer maidens than these.”

“I know, Mother,” said the Prince.  Yet he knew something was wrong. He had met many of the young women.  Yet after he said “hello,” one by one, he could find nothing more to say.

“Look!”  Someone pointed to the front door.  “Who is that?”

All heads turned.  Who was that lovely maiden stepping down the stairs?  She held her head tall and looked as if she belonged. But no one knew her.

“Look!”  Someone pointed to the front door.  “Who is that?”

“There is something about her,” said the Prince to himself.  “I will ask her to dance.” And he walked over to Cinderella.

“Have we met?” said the Prince.

“I am pleased to meet you now,” said Cinderella with a bow. 

“I feel as if I know you,” said the Prince.  “But of course, that is impossible.”

“Many things are possible,” said Cinderella, “if you wish them to be true.”

The Prince felt a leap in his heart.  He and Cinderella danced. When the song was over, they danced again.  And then they danced again, and yet again. Soon the other maidens at the ball grew jealous.  “Why is he dancing all the time with her?” they said. “How rude!”

“Many things are possible,” said Cinderella, “if you wish it to be true.”

But all the Prince could see was Cinderella.  They laughed and talked, and they danced some more.  In fact, they danced for so long that Cinderella did not see the clock. 

“Dong!” said the clock.

Cinderella looked up.  

“Dong!” went the clock again.  

She looked up again.  “Oh, my!” she cried out.  “It is almost midnight!”

“Dong!” rung the clock.  

“Why does that matter?” said the Prince.

“Dong!” called the clock. 

“I must go!” said Cinderella.  

“Dong!” went the clock.

“Oh my!” she cried out.  “It’s almost midnight!”

“But we just met!” said the Prince.  “Why leave now?”

“Dong!” rung the clock.

“I must GO!” said Cinderella.  She ran to the steps.

“Dong!” said the clock.

“I cannot hear you,” said the Prince.  “The clock is too loud!”

“Dong!” rung the clock.

“Goodbye!” said Cinderella. Up, up the stairs she ran.

“Dong!” went the clock.

“Please, stop for a moment!” said the Prince.

“Dong!” rung the clock.

“Oh, dear!” she said as one glass slipper fell off her foot on the stair.  But Cinderella kept running up.

“Dong!” said the clock.

“Please wait a moment!” said the Prince.  

“Dong!” rung the clock.

“Goodbye!” Cinderella turned one last time.  Then she rushed out the door. 

“Dong!”  The clock was quiet. It was midnight.  

“Wait!” called the Prince.  He picked up her glass slipper and rushed out the door.  He looked around but could not see her blue dress anywhere.  “This is all I have left from her,” he said, looking down at the glass slipper.  He saw that it was made in a special way, to fit a foot like none other. “Somewhere there is the other glass slipper,” he said.  “And when I find it, I will find her, too.  Then I will ask her to be my bride!”

“This is all I have left from her,” he said, looking down at the glass slipper.

From hut to hut, from house to house, went the Prince.  One young woman after another tried to fit her foot inside the glass slipper.  But none could fit. And so the Prince moved on.

At last the Prince came to Cinderella’s house.  

“He is coming!” called one step-sister as she looked out the window.

“At the door!” screamed the other step-sister.  

“Quick!” yelled the stepmother.  “Get ready! One of you must be the one to fit your foot in that slipper.  No matter what!”

The Prince knocked.  The stepmother flew open the door.  “Come in!” she said. “I have two lovely daughters for you to see.” 

The first step-sister tried to place her foot in the glass slipper.  She tried hard, but it just would not fit. Then the second step-sister tried to fit her foot inside.  She tried and tried with all her might, too. But no dice.

“Come in!” she said.  “I have two lovely daughters for you to see.”

“Are there no other young women in the house?” said the Prince.

“None,” said the stepmother.

“Then I must go,” said the Prince.

“Maybe there is one more,” said Cinderella, stepping into the room.

“I thought you said there were no other young women here,” said the Prince.

“None who matter!” said the stepmother in a hiss.

“Come here,” said the Prince.

“Maybe there is one more,” said Cinderella, stepping into the room.

Cinderella stepped up to him.  The Prince got down on one knee and tried the glass slipper on her foot.  It fit perfectly! Then, from her pocket Cinderella took out something. It was the other glass slipper!

“I knew it!” he cried.  “You are the one!”

“WHAT?” shouted a step-sister.  

“Not HER!” screamed the other step-sister.

“This cannot BE!” yelled the stepmother.  

But it was too late.  The prince knew that Cinderella was the one.  He looked into her eyes. He did not see the cinders in her hair or the ashes on her face.

“I have found you!” he said.

“And I have found you,” said Cinderella.

And so Cinderella and the Prince were married, and they lived happily ever after.

Source: Stories To Grow By

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