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The Adventures of Pinocchio
Scouts · 1st–3rd
When the Assassins say they will kill his father too, Pinocchio screams “Not my Father!” and still keeps the gold under his tongue. Is he guarding his father, or only his gold?
The tension Pinocchio is wild with terror for his father, yet his lips stay shut on the gold, and the chapter calls him stubborn as ever.
Notice what Pinocchio says before the Assassins come, and what he does once they have him.
Pinocchio walks on alone and says he has never believed in Assassins. Two figures in black sacks leap out, and he hides his four gold pieces under his tongue. They threaten him and his father, and he refuses to open his mouth. He bites off a paw, runs, climbs a pine that is set on fire, and jumps a pool, and at dawn the two dripping figures are still behind him.
Start with the gold under his tongue: ask what Pinocchio says and does when the Assassins threaten his father.
Retell The student tells the chapter back in order: the speech, the two shadows, the gold, the threats, the knife, the paw, the pine and the pool.
Imitate the author After copying the sentence, the student writes one sentence in the same pattern: a feeling, then what someone did, then what they tried to do.
Debate Take sides on the big question: is Pinocchio guarding his father, or only his gold? Each side uses one quote from the chapter.
Purpose Close by asking why a story might make Pinocchio scream for his father and keep the gold in the same moment.
Easier Read the Assassins' scene aloud together and talk through discussion questions 3 and 5 only.
On level Talk through all five discussion questions, then have the student give one critical-thinking answer aloud with two things from the chapter.
Harder Ask the student what the Assassins would have needed to say to make Pinocchio open his mouth, and what in the chapter makes them think so.
1. Before the Assassins come, Pinocchio says he never believed in them, and tells what he would say if they came. What does that show about him?Character
What it asks It asks what Pinocchio's brave talk shows, and whether he is as bold inside as he sounds.
He is boastful and sure of himself, and does not think danger is real.
At least I have never believed in them, nor ever will.
Remember that you can’t fool with me! Run along and mind your business.
He is already a little afraid, which is why he has a plan to run.
But in case they don’t run away, I can always run myself. . .
Pinocchio was not given time to argue any longer
A strong answer Pinocchio says he has never believed in Assassins and will tell them to run along and mind their business, which sounds bold. But he ends by saying that if they do not run away he can always run himself, so he has a way out ready. A strong answer says whether he sounds brave or only boastful, and uses his own words.
2. Pinocchio says everybody scolds boys, gives them advice and warns them. Is he right? What makes you think so?Theme
What it asks It asks whether Pinocchio's complaint about being warned is fair, once the warning turns out to be about something real.
He is right that it feels like too much: he is scolded and told what to do by everyone.
Everybody scolds us, everybody gives us advice, everybody warns us.
that bothersome Cricket
He is wrong: the warning he laughs at is about danger that does come.
there in the darkness stood two big black shadows, wrapped from head to foot in black sacks
Here they come!” Pinocchio said to himself
A strong answer Pinocchio feels that everybody scolds, advises and warns boys, and he calls the Cricket bothersome. A strong answer can say that feeling is understandable. But the danger he dismisses arrives within moments, as two black shadows in sacks, and he says Here they come. A strong answer weighs how it feels to be warned against whether the warning was true.
3. Pinocchio will not open his mouth, even when the Assassins say they will kill him. Is that brave or stubborn? What makes you think so?Moral reasoning
What it asks It asks whether keeping his lips shut under threat is courage or only refusing to give in, and what he risks.
It is brave: he is terrified and still keeps his mouth shut, though they pull him about.
wild with terror
they pulled him unmercifully from side to side in order to make him open his mouth
It is stubborn: he puts himself in danger over four gold pieces.
But Pinocchio was as stubborn as ever.
Out with that money or you’re a dead man
A strong answer The Assassins say he is a dead man and that his father will die too, and they pull him unmercifully from side to side, yet his lips might have been nailed together. That is brave, since he is wild with terror and holds on anyway. The author also says he is as stubborn as ever. A strong answer weighs braveness against stubbornness, and says which word fits.
4. The hand Pinocchio bites off turns out to be a cat’s paw. What do you make of that?Inference
What it asks It asks what the paw might mean, and how much the chapter lets us say about who the Assassins are.
It is a clue the author gives the reader: these Assassins are more than they seem.
Fancy his surprise when he saw that it was not a hand, but a cat’s paw.
two big black shadows, wrapped from head to foot in black sacks
It is only a strange, surprising detail, and the chapter does not explain it.
Encouraged by this first victory, he freed himself from the claws of his assailers
A strong answer Pinocchio expects to spit out a hand, and it is a cat's paw. The author says fancy his surprise, which tells the reader to pay attention. But the chapter does not say who the Assassins are. A strong answer says what the paw might mean, and does not claim more than the chapter says.
5. The chapter ends with two dripping figures still behind Pinocchio. Why might the author stop there?Author's choice
What it asks It asks what the open ending does, and what the reader is left wanting.
It leaves the chase unfinished, so the reader wants to know what happens next.
But there were the two somber figures still following him
He thought they must surely be drowned and turned his head to see.
It shows that the Assassins are hard to shake, which makes them seem even more dangerous.
Far from giving up the chase, this only spurred them on.
though their black sacks were drenched and dripping with water
A strong answer Pinocchio thinks the Assassins must surely be drowned, and then turns his head and there they are, drenched and dripping. Stopping there leaves the chase unfinished and the reader wanting more. It also shows they are very hard to shake off. A strong answer says what the ending leaves us feeling, and points to the words that do it.
1. Pinocchio hides all four gold pieces under his tongue. Using two things from the chapter, tell whether that was a good hiding place.
What it asks It asks the student to weigh what the hiding place does for Pinocchio and what it costs him.
It was good: his lips stay shut and the Assassins cannot pry them open.
All was of no use. The Marionette’s lips might have been nailed together.
They would not open.
It was poor: he cannot speak, and the gold tinkles and gives him away.
On account of the gold pieces in his mouth, Pinocchio could not say a word
the gold pieces tinkled together in his mouth
A strong answer The hiding place keeps the gold safe, since his lips might have been nailed together and the Assassins cannot pry them open. But he cannot speak, and when he screams the gold pieces tinkle together and give him away. A strong answer says whether it was good or poor, using two things from the chapter.
2. After they fall in the pool, Pinocchio calls out, “A pleasant bath to you, signori!” Using two things from the chapter, tell whether it was wise to joke.
What it asks It asks whether laughing at the Assassins was clever or risky, once the chapter shows they are still coming.
It was wise: he keeps his spirits up and never stops running.
cried out, laughing, but never stopping in his race
With a “One, two, three!” he jumped clear across it.
It was not wise: he thought they were drowned, and they were not.
He thought they must surely be drowned and turned his head to see.
But there were the two somber figures still following him
A strong answer Pinocchio laughs and calls out but never stops in his race, so the joke costs him nothing. Yet he thought they must surely be drowned, and they were still following him. A strong answer says whether the joke was wise or a little careless, using two things from the chapter.
3. The Assassins light a fire under the pine tree. Using two things from the chapter, tell why they do not give up.
What it asks It asks what keeps the Assassins going after a fall, and what the fire shows about them.
They want the money and will not stop until they have it.
Out with that money or you’re a dead man
They gathered a bundle of wood, piled it up at the foot of the pine, and set fire to it.
Being beaten only makes them more determined.
Far from giving up the chase, this only spurred them on.
The Assassins tried to climb also, but they slipped and fell.
A strong answer The Assassins want the money, and they say he is a dead man if he does not hand it over. When they fall trying to climb the pine, the author says this only spurred them on, so they light a fire at its foot. A strong answer says what keeps them going, using two things from the chapter.