Hello! My name is Jiminy Cricket. I never used to believe in the wishing star. Let me tell you why I changed my mind.
It all started one night in a wood – carver’s shop.
The shop was owned by a kind man named Geppetto.
Geppetto had made a puppet out of wood. It looked just like a little boy.
Geppetto lived with his cat, Figaro, and his fish, Cleo.
“Just a little more paint and he’s finished,” Geppetto told them. He painted on a smile. Then the old man smiled, too.
“I have just the name for you,” Geppetto said to the puppet. “Pinocchio!”
Soon Geppetto was climbing into his warm bed.
Suddenly he pointed to the brightest star in the sky. “Look, Figaro! It’s the wishing star.”
Geppetto made a wish.
“I wished that my little Pinocchio might become a real boy,” he told the cat.
Geppetto fell asleep and dreamed about having a real, live son.
Well, I didn’t fall asleep. So I saw the Blue Fairy fly in through the window! She waved her wand…and Pinocchio came to life!
“Am I a real boy?” he asked.
The Blue Fairy shook her head. “If you are good, one day you will be a real boy.”
Pinocchio was very happy. He could walk and talk just like a real boy. In fact, he made so much noise that he woke up Geppetto.
The old man could hardly believe his eyes.
“My wish has come true!” Geppetto exclaimed.
He danced around the room with Pinocchio.
“Look, Figaro! I have a son!” Geppetto cried.
Geppetto loved Pinocchio as he would have loved a real boy.
The next morning Geppetto sent Pinocchio off to school.
Pinocchio was very excited. He couldn’t wait to learn like the real children.
Two rascals saw Pinocchio walking to school.
One was a sly fox named Honest John.
But Honest John was not honest at all.
The other was a mean cat called Gideon.
Honest John exclaimed, “A puppet who moves without strings! We can make a fortune out of him.”
Gideon agreed.
The fox and the cat told Pinocchio to come with them.
Honest John said, “You will be the star of Stromboli’s puppet show.”
“But I have to go to school,” Pinocchio replied.
“Actors don’t need school. Come with us. We’ll show you the easy road to success,” the sly fox promised.
So Pinocchio went with Honest John and Gideon.
I spent the day looking for Pinocchio.
I finally found him at Stromboli’s puppet show.
The show was just starting.
“Ladieees and gentleman!” Stromboli announced. “Presenting the one and only puppet without strings!”
Pinocchio came out onto the stage.
He sang a funny song.
He danced with the other puppets.
The crowd clapped and threw gold coins.
Pinocchio was a star!
I thought Pinocchio didn’t need me any longer.
But I was wrong!
Stromboli wouldn’t let Pinocchio go home to Geppetto. Instead he locked poor Pinocchio in a cage.
“You’re going to make lots of money for me,” the greedy Stromboli told him.
I saw Stromboli driving his wagon out of town. So I decided to say good – bye to Pinocchio. I found my friend in the cage.
He was crying. He was sorry he hadn’t gone to school. And he wanted to go home.
I tried to set Pinocchio free, but I couldn’t open the lock.
It seemed hopeless.
Then Pinocchio saw the wishing star.
In a twinkle, the Blue Fairy appeared.
She asked Pinocchio what had happened.
Pinocchio told her one lie after another.
With each lie, his nose grew longer…and longer…and longer!
“Tell the truth,” I begged Pinocchio.
Finally he did.
The Blue Fairy smiled. She waved her wand.
Pinocchio’s nose became short again. And he was free!
“Remember,” said the Blue Fairy. “A boy who won’t be good might as well be made of wood.”
Meanwhile, Honest John and Gideon were in a tavern.
A fat coachman was there, too.
Honest John bragged about how much money Stromboli had paid them for Pinocchio.
“I pay even more for small boys,” said the coachman. He showed them a sack full of gold.
The coachman told Honest John his scheme.
He brought boys to a place called Pleasure Island.
He said, “No boys ever return – at least, not as boys.”
Honest John decided to catch more small boys.
Just then Pinocchio and I were racing home to Geppetto.
I ran very fast. I didn’t see Honest John stop Pinocchio until it was too late.
Honest John told Pinocchio all about Pleasure Island.
“Boys play there all day and never have to go to school,” the crafty fox said.
“That sounds like fun!” Pinocchio agreed.
Soon Pinocchio and a coach full of boys were headed for Pleasure Island.
I thought Pinocchio might need my help. So I jumped on the back of the coach.
We rode through the starry night. Then we sailed to Pleasure Island.
Pleasure Island was full of rides and sweets.
The boys did whatever they wanted to do.
Pinocchio made friends with a bad boy named Lampwick.
Lampwick smoked cigars. He showed Pinocchio how to play pool.
But then something terrible happened.
Lampwick grew donkey ears. He grew a donkey tail. He began to bray just like a donkey.
Hee – haw! Hee – haw!
Lampwick turned into a donkey!
Pinocchio started to laugh. But he just brayed like a donkey.
Hee – haw! Hee – haw!
Then Pinocchio grew donkey ears and a donkey tail.
He was turning into a donkey, too!
“We’ve got to get off Pleasure Island before it’s too late!” I cried.
Pinocchio and I jumped into the sea.
By the time we reached the shore, Pinocchio had stopped turning into a donkey. But he still had his long ears and tail.
We ran to Geppetto’s shop.
No one was home!
Pinocchio and I didn’t know what to do.
Then a letter floated down from the sky.
I read the letter aloud. “Geppetto went to look for you. His ship was swallowed by Monstro the Whale.”
“We must save him!” Pinocchio cried.
At that moment Geppetto, Figaro, and Cleo were inside Monstro’s belly.
“We’ll starve if Monstro doesn’t open his mouth soon,” Geppetto said to them.
Pinocchio and I went back to the shore.
Pinocchio tied a rock to his tail.
Then we jumped into the sea and sank to the bottom.
We looked all around.
A school of fish swam nearby.
We finally spotted Monstro.
The giant whale was sleeping.
Suddenly Monstro woke up.
He opened his huge mouth.
Monstro swallowed all the fish.
He swallowed Pinocchio and me, too!
Soon Pinocchio and I were in Geppetto’s boat.
Geppetto cried, “My son! I thought I would never see you again.”
Pinocchio hugged Geppetto. He promised he would never leave his father again.
Then Geppetto saw Pinocchio’s long ears and tail.
“What happened?” he asked.
Pinocchio felt ashamed.
“I’ll tell you later,” he said. “First we need to get out of here.”
Pinocchio had a plan. “We need to make a fire. The smoke will make Monstro sneeze.”
They built a big fire.
Sure enough, the huge whale opened his big mouth. “Ah…Ahhh…AH – CHOO!”
We were all blown out of Monstro’s mouth.
Geppetto was too weak to swim.
“Save yourself,” he told Pinocchio.
But the little wooden boy would not leave his father. Pinocchio pulled Geppetto to shore.
Geppetto woke up and found Pinocchio lying in the water.
Pinocchio didn’t move at all.
Geppetto took Pinocchio home.
He put the little wooden boy on his bed.
Geppetto wept. “Good – bye, my brave son. You gave your life to save me.”
Suddenly a bright light shone around Pinocchio.
His wooden limbs changed to real arms and legs.
His eyes opened. Pinocchio was alive.
And he was a real boy!
Geppetto hugged Pinocchio.
They danced all around the room. At last Geppetto’s wish had come true.
Which is just what happens when you wish upon a star!