Pinocchio - A Musical Emergency

October 8, 2005

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The Story of Pinocchio

Once upon a time, in a village a great distance from here, there was a cricket. I can't say "there lived a cricket" because on this particular night, this particular cricket was just passing through town. His name was Jiminy, and he was looking for a warm place to spend the night.

The night was still and cold, and the village was dark, so Jiminy crept up to the only house he could see that offered light from inside. When he saw that nobody was stirring, he slipped through the crack of the opened window and found himself in the comfortable workshop of a woodcarver.

Inside, Jiminy warmed himself by the fire, and admired the woodcarver’s works that lined the shelves. There were enchanting clocks, and beautiful toys, and delicate musical instruments. And on the woodcarver’s workbench sat the largest toy of them all – a marionette the size of a small boy.

Jiminy had just settled down to sleep beside a violin when he heard the sound of footsteps. The woodcarver, whose name was Gepetto, came downstairs to sit at his workbench. With a stroke of his paintbrush, he gave a smiling mouth to the marionette – the finishing touch.

“There you are,” Gepetto said, “all finished. And what a charming puppet you are! You shall be called…Pinocchio.”

Jiminy watched as Gepetto lifted Pinocchio on his strings and made him dance on the floor.

“Oh, if only you were a real boy, Pinocchio! We could be a real family!” Gepetto said with a sad smile. Then, something caught Gepetto’s eye. Jiminy watched as Gepetto turned to the window, where he could see a bright star rising over the horizon.

“Star Light, Star Bright, first star I see tonight…” said Gepetto. “I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight. I wish that Pinocchio could be a real boy!”

Gepetto watched the star, then chuckled to himself, and placed the marionette back on his workbench before bidding his goldfish goodnight and carrying his pet cat upstairs to bed.

Now that the house had become quiet again, Jiminy closed his eyes to go to sleep. But as he did so, a strange feeling came over him. He opened his eyes to see the room filled with blue light, which shone through the window. It was at that moment that a Blue Fairy flew slowly through the window and came to rest on the floor beside the marionette.

“Little puppet, made of pine,” said the fairy, “wake – the gift of life is thine!”

And with those words, the wooden puppet sat upright, and rubbed his eyes.

“I can move…I can talk!” said Pinocchio.

“Yes, that’s true,” replied the fairy. “Gepetto has made so many people happy that his wish has been granted.”

“Am I a real boy?” Pinocchio asked.

“No you’re not, Pinocchio. It’s up to you to become a real boy. You will be a real boy when you have learned right from wrong and proven yourself to be brave, unselfish, and truthful.”

“How do I do that?” asked Pinocchio.

“You listen to your conscience,” said the Blue Fairy.

“What’s a conscience?” asked Pinocchio.

It was at this moment that Jiminy Cricket, who had been watching in amazement, jumped down from his perch and spoke up. “Your conscience is the little voice that tells you when you’re doing something you shouldn’t be doing!”

The fairy chuckled at Jiminy’s sudden appearance. “Would you like to be Pinocchio’s conscience, Mister Cricket?”

“Why, I’d be honored, ma’am,” said Jiminy, blushing at her beauty.

“Then I hereby dub you Pinocchio’s conscience,” said the fairy, who then turned toward Pinocchio and said “Remember, Pinocchio, to always let your conscience be your guide. Farewell.” With that, she turned around and disappeared out the window, as suddenly as she had come in.

Once again the house was dark, except for the light from the fireplace. But Pinocchio was so happy he could not sit still. He leapt up and danced around the room, knocking over a small table and some tools. When Gepetto came downstairs to see what had made the noise, he saw Pinocchio, and everybody spent the night dancing for joy.

The next morning, Gepetto proudly sent his son off to school, with Jiminy Cricket hopping along behind him. Along the way, Pinocchio met a well-dressed fox and one-eyed cat. “And where are you going, young man?” asked the fox.

“I’m going to school,” said Pinocchio.

“And why are you doing that?” asked the fox.

“To become smart,” said Pinocchio.

“Oh, no – a charming young man like you, wasting time on boring old lessons? Why, you’ve clearly got the talent to become an actor! Have you thought of joining a theater?”

“Why, no! Do you think I could?” asked Pinocchio.

Jiminy Cricket jumped up on Pinocchio’s shoulder and whispered in his ear. “Stop this, Pinocchio! You know you’ve got to go to school and learn your lessons!” but the fox quickly brushed Jiminy to the ground and spun the boy around to walk to the theater.

Inside the theater, the fox introduced Pinocchio to the puppet master, whose name was Stromboli. “What’s this – a wooden boy?” said Stromboli. “He’ll be the star of my show!” Pinocchio trembled with excitement and began to dream of the life of an actor. He was so excited, in fact, that he did not notice when Stromboli gave a bagful of gold pieces to the fox.

That night, Pinocchio stood on Stromboli’s stage and performed for the very first time. The audience cheered wildly when the wooden boy with no strings danced and sang for them.

Pinocchio was overjoyed to hear their applause.

After the show, Pinocchio watched Stromboli counting stacks and stacks of coins in the back of his wagon. “I love to perform on the stage!” said Pinocchio. “I can’t wait to go home and tell papa that I’m an actor!”

“What do you mean, go home?” said Stromboli. “I bought you, and I’m going to keep you!” And with that, Stromboli picked Pinocchio up, threw him in a birdcage, and locked the door.

“What are you doing? Please let me go!” said Pinocchio. But Stromboli lumbered away, and soon the wagon began rolling on toward another town.

Jiminy Cricket jumped out from the corner where he had been hiding. “Oh, Jiminy!” said Pinocchio, “I’m so glad to see you. I’m so sorry I didn’t listen to you.”

“Well, let me see if I can get this lock open.” Said Jiminy, but he could not free Pinocchio from the cage. Pinocchio cried, for now all seemed hopeless.

After what seemed like hours, Pinocchio thought he heard Stromboli climbing back into the wagon as it moved down the bumpy road. But instead of the tall fearsome man with dark hair, Pinocchio saw a blue light shining underneath the wagon cover. The Blue Fairy appeared and spoke to him.

“Hello, Pinocchio,” said the fairy.

“Hello, ma’am,” said Pinocchio.

“I’ve come to ask why you weren’t in school, Pinocchio,” said the fairy.

Pinocchio was embarrassed. “Oh,” he said, “well, I was on my way to school when I met two…big monsters, with big green eyes!” He was doing his best to make up a convincing tale, but as he spoke, he noticed that his nose started to grow.

“My goodness!” said the fairy. “Were you afraid, Pinocchio?”

“Oh, no, ma’am,” said Pinocchio, as he continued his story. By the time he told the Blue Fairy that the monsters that tied him in a big sack, his nose got so long that it stuck through the door of the birdcage.

“Where was Jiminy?” asked the fairy.

“Oh, they tied him up in a little sack, next to mine,” said Pinocchio. Jiminy shook his head, disappointed, as twigs and branches stuck out of Pinocchio’s suddenly enormous nose.

“Are you telling me the truth, Pinocchio?” said the fairy.

“Oh, yes, ma’am,” said Pinocchio, staring at the end of his nose. “Well…no, I wasn’t.”

“Just remember, Pinocchio: a lie keeps growing bigger and bigger until it’s as plain as the nose on your face.”

Jiminy jumped up and balanced on Pinocchio’s long nose. “Please, ma’am. Could you give him another chance? For my sake?”

The Blue Fairy looked at Jiminy, and at Pinocchio’s long nose. “We must remember that a boy who won’t be good might just as well be made of wood. This is the last time I can help you, Pinocchio. You must listen to your conscience.” And with that, the blue fairy vanished and the wagon was dark.

Pinocchio shook his head. His nose had returned to its normal length – and the lock to the cage was open.

“Now’s our chance to escape!” said Jiminy, and he and Pinocchio bounded onto the road. As Stromboli’s wagon rolled slowly away, Pinocchio turned and ran back home – so quickly that Jiminy could barely keep up with him.


It happened that another conversation was also taking place nearby. Inside the Red Lobster Inn, the fox and the cat were celebrating their new riches when a white-haired man approached them. “So you’ve earned a few coins,” said the man, “but do you know how you can earn some real money?”

“Do you have a plan?” said the fox.

The white-haired man sat down next to the fox and the cat. “I’m collecting stupid little boys. Disobedient little boys.”

The fox leaned toward the man and whispered. “And what do you do with them?”

“I take them to pleasure island,” the man replied, “…where they do only what they want to do, night and day!”

The fox gave a curious look. “You take them to Pleasure Island?”

“Yes,” the man said with a horrible laugh, “and they never come back…as boys!”

Moments later, the fox and the cat were strolling down the road when Pinocchio ran by. When the fox saw Pinocchio’s familiar face, he caught the puppet’s back pocket with the handle of his cane. As Pinocchio ran forward without moving, the fox spoke. “Where are you going, Pinocchio?”

“Oh, hello, sir!” said Pinocchio. “I’m running home from that horrible puppet master. He locked me in a cage!”

“My, how unpleasant!” said the fox. “You must be a nervous wreck. There’s only one cure for you – a vacation on Pleasure Island!”

“Pleasure Island?” said Pinocchio.

“Yes – a land of carefree boys, where every day is a holiday. The coach departs at midnight tonight!”

And as Jiminy caught sight of Pinocchio, he had already boarded a coach filled with young boys. Pinocchio sat on the top bench, where he befriended a boy named Lampwick.

“Is there school on Pleasure Island, Lampwick?” asked Pinocchio.

“Nah,” said Lampwick. “On Pleasure Island, there’s no school, and no cops, and they let you break windows and play pool all day long!”

Soon the two boys were on board a boat to Pleasure Island. Jiminy Cricket found his way on board as well – but it was hours before he could make his way through the crowds of boys without being stepped on. When Jiminy caught up with Pinocchio, he was playing pool with Lampwick, with a cigar in his mouth and a nauseated expression on his face.

“Now, you listen to me, Pinocchio!” said Jiminy. “Come home with me at once!”

“Who’s that?” Lampwick asked Pinocchio.

“Oh, he’s my conscience!” explained Pinocchio.

“You take orders from a grasshopper?” Lampwick smirked.

Jiminy scolded “It wouldn’t hurt you to take orders from your conscience, young man!”

“His name’s Lampwick, Jiminy. He’s my best friend!”

“Best friend?” said Jiminy. “And who am I? Just your conscience! Well, you can just go ahead and make a jackass of yourself!” And with that, Jiminy hopped to the ground and stormed off.

But Jiminy had not gone far when he saw a befuddling sight. Dozens of donkeys were being loaded onto boats – donkeys dressed in boys’ clothes. One of the donkeys was crying “please let me go – I don’t want to be a donkey!”

“Oh, this boy’s still talking!” said a large man with a brutal laugh. “Well, off to the salt mines with you!” And with a crack of his fearsome whip, he pushed the young donkey into a crate and slammed the door shut.

“Boy? Salt mines?” said Jiminy with a shudder. “I’ve got to warn Pinocchio!”

Meanwhile, Lampwick was leaning over the pool table for a tricky shot. “To hear that beetle talk, you’d think something was going to happen to us! Heh!” he said, before ending his sentence with a strange honking sound. Pinocchio stared in disbelief. A tail had just poked out of the bottom of Lampwick’s pants! Long ears then pushed his hat off his head – and in another moment, Pinocchio was looking at a donkey where his friend had been.

“Lampwick! What happened?” said Pinocchio, as Jiminy rushed up to him.

“Pinocchio!” Jiminy said. “The boys turn into donkeys, and they’re shipped off to the salt mines!” But as he spoke, Pinocchio felt a tail poke through the bottom of his pants, and long donkey ears poke out of the top of his head.

“Quick – before you get any worse!” said Jiminy – and together the two of them ran to the dock, jumped into the water and swam away from the island.

After many hours of swimming and walking, they arrived back at Gepetto’s house – only to find it empty. “Where could he have gone?” wondered Jiminy. But as he spoke, a blue dove flew overhead and dropped an envelope. Jiminy quickly opened it and read the contents. “It says Gepetto has gone to look for you, and been swallowed by Monstro the Whale! He’s alive inside its belly!”

Immediately, the two of them ran off to look for Gepetto at the bottom of the ocean. At a cliff overlooking the water, Pinocchio tied a heavy rock to his tail and threw himself into the water. Jiminy filled his trousers with pebbles and followed along. They saw numerous fish, but whenever they asked where Monstro the Whale could be found, all the sea creatures would flee in terror.

Finally, they saw Monstro – a huge, terrifying beast.

The massive creature opened its jaws and instantly Pinocchio was inside its dark throat – along with scores of flapping fish. Jiminy tried to follow, but too quickly the whale closed its lips, locking him outside.

Inside, Pinocchio saw a broken-down sea vessel – Gepetto’s boat! With shouts of joy, the two were reunited. “Pinocchio! I had lost all hope!” Then Gepetto noticed Pinocchio’s ears and tail. “Well, Pinocchio, at least we’re together. Now, if only we could get out of this whale. I’ve built a raft – but when he opens his mouth, fish come in, but nothing gets out.”

Immediately Pinocchio leapt up and began gathering wood from the ship and adding it to the fire. “What are you doing, Pinocchio?” asked Gepetto, but Pinocchio did not stop to answer. Soon, the fire was billowing out clouds of thick black smoke – and the ground trembled as Monstro prepared to sneeze.

When the great beast sneezed, Gepetto and Pinocchio paddled as quickly as they could to escape from the angry monster. By the time they reached the shore, Gepetto was exhausted – but Pinocchio, lying face down in the water, was lifeless.

Back in his home, Gepetto cried over Pinocchio’s motionless body. “You were so brave. You did not think of yourself. Oh, Pinocchio!” So mournful was Gepetto that he did not notice the blue light that had filled the room. Nor did he hear the words when the Blue Fairy spoke.

“Pinocchio,” she said, “you have proven yourself brave, unselfish and truthful. You shall now be a real boy.”

And to Gepetto’s great delight, Pinocchio sat up – no longer a puppet made of wood, but a real boy. Jiminy blushed with pride. And with joy in their hearts, Gepetto and Pinocchio danced in celebration, and lived happily ever after as father and son.