The Adventures of Pinocchio
Chapter 16 — Teaching Companion
Carlo Collodi · Scouts 1st–3rd
Coaching, not a script — and not an answer key: every question here has more than one defensible answer.
This chapter's big question
The Cricket calls Pinocchio a rascal and a disobedient son, and Pinocchio hides under the sheets and sobs. Are his tears sorrow for what he did, or fear of dying?
The tension The Cricket's hard words and Pinocchio's tears meet in a sickroom where two doctors read the same tears in opposite ways, and Pinocchio himself says nothing.
Today's focus
Notice what Pinocchio does, and does not do, while the Cricket speaks and the doctors argue.
Two core ideas
- Hard words can land on someone who cannot answer: Pinocchio only shudders, hides and sobs as the Cricket speaks.
- The author mixes comfort and comedy: a glass coach and a Poodle in velvet, then two doctors who contradict each other.
The shape at a glance
The Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair, who turns out to be a Fairy, sees Pinocchio hanging from the oak and sends a Falcon to cut him down and a Poodle with a glass coach to fetch him. She puts him to bed and calls three doctors, a Crow, an Owl and a Talking Cricket, to say whether he is dead or alive. The Crow and the Owl disagree, and the Cricket says Pinocchio is rude, lazy and a disobedient son. Pinocchio shudders and sobs, and the Crow and the Owl each say what the tears mean.
A way in
Start in the sickroom: ask who is in the room, and what Pinocchio does as each of them speaks.
Lesson plan
Retell The student tells the chapter back in order: the window, the Falcon, the Poodle and the coach, the bed, the three doctors, and the tears.
Imitate the author After copying the sentence, the student writes one sentence that lists three sounds in a row.
Debate Take sides on the big question: are Pinocchio's tears sorrow for what he did, or fear of dying? Each side uses one quote from the chapter.
Purpose Close by asking why a story might let two doctors argue over what a boy's tears mean.
Easier Read the scene with the three doctors aloud together and talk through discussion questions 3 and 4 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 to find one more place in the chapter where Pinocchio's body shows a feeling, and to say what it might mean.
Discussion
- The Cricket says Pinocchio is “rude, lazy, a runaway.” Is that fair? What makes you think so?Moral reasoning
What it asks It asks whether the Cricket's hard words are fair, and whether it matters that he says them to a boy who is half dead.
One reading
It is fair: the Cricket has known him a long time and is telling what is true.
that Marionette is not a stranger to me. I have known him a long time!
That Marionette is a disobedient son who is breaking his father’s heart!
Another reading
It is not fair to say it now: Pinocchio is half dead and cannot answer back.
a poor, half-dead Marionette stretched out on the grass
Pinocchio, who until then had been very quiet
Listen for
- Uses the Cricket's own words or the state Pinocchio is in.
- Says what makes it fair or unfair, not only the word.
If stuck
- What does the Cricket call Pinocchio?
- What does the Cricket say about how long he has known him?
- What state is Pinocchio in while he listens?
A strong answer The Cricket says he has known Pinocchio a long time, and he calls him a rascal, rude, lazy, a runaway, a disobedient son breaking his father's heart. If it is true, it is fair. But Pinocchio is a poor, half-dead Marionette lying very quiet in bed, and the hard words come one after another. A strong answer weighs whether something true can still be unfair to say at that moment, and uses the Cricket's words.
- The author takes a long time to describe Medoro the Poodle and the glass coach. Why might he do that?Author's choice
What it asks It asks what the long, fancy pictures do for the story, and what they tell us about the way Pinocchio is being cared for.
One reading
They are for fun and wonder: a Poodle in velvet who walks like a man is a fairy-tale picture that makes the reader smile.
A magnificent Poodle appeared, walking on his hind legs just like a man.
with lining as soft as whipped cream and chocolate pudding
Another reading
They show how gently the Fairy treats Pinocchio: everything made for him is soft and grand.
Lift him up tenderly, place him on the silken cushions of the coach, and bring him here to me.
stuffed with canary feathers
Listen for
- Points to one picture, such as the costume, the coach or the mice.
- Says what the picture does for the reader.
If stuck
- What is the Poodle wearing?
- What is the coach made of, and what is it like inside?
- Who is the coach meant to carry?
A strong answer The Poodle walks on his hind legs in a gold-trimmed hat and a velvet coat, and the glass coach is lined with something as soft as whipped cream and chocolate pudding and drawn by a hundred pairs of white mice. These are pictures made for fun, like a fairy tale. They are also very soft and grand, and the coach is meant to carry a half-dead Marionette on silken cushions. A strong answer says what the pictures do, wonder, comfort or both, and points to one of them.
- The Crow says Pinocchio is dead, but if not, that proves he is alive. Is the author joking? What makes you think so?Tone
What it asks It asks how the author wants us to take the doctors' grand, tangled sentences: as a joke, or as a serious answer to a real question.
One reading
The author is joking: the doctors sound wise and say nothing sensible.
but if, by any evil chance, he were not, then that would be a sure sign that he is still alive!
my famous friend and colleague
Another reading
The author is serious underneath: the Fairy asked a real question and the doctors answer with weight.
I should like to know if this poor Marionette is dead or alive.
Then he solemnly pronounced the following words
Listen for
- Points to words that sound wise but say little.
- Says what a solemn voice does to a silly sentence.
If stuck
- What does the Crow say first, and what does he add after "but"?
- How does the chapter say the Crow speaks?
- What does the Owl say to the Crow?
A strong answer The Crow says Pinocchio is dead and gone, then that if he is not, that would be a sure sign he is alive, and the Owl answers with a mirror-image sentence, calling the Crow his famous friend and colleague. That is a joke. But the Fairy asked a real question, and the Crow pronounces his answer solemnly. A strong answer says whether the author is joking, serious or both, and uses one line.
- At the start Pinocchio hangs from the oak, and at the end he lies in a bed. What has changed for him? What has not?Plot structure
What it asks It asks the student to compare Pinocchio's place at the start with his place at the end, and to notice what is still unsettled.
One reading
A great deal has changed: he is down, indoors, in a bed, and people are caring for him.
lifted the poor little Marionette in her arms, took him to a dainty room with mother-of-pearl walls, put him to bed
Luckily for him, the Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair once again looked out of her window.
Another reading
Very little has changed: he is still hardly alive, and no one can say he will live.
I should like to know if this poor Marionette is dead or alive.
At first glance, I thought he was dead.
Listen for
- Says where he was at the start and where he is at the end.
- Names one thing that has not changed.
If stuck
- Where is Pinocchio at the start?
- Who takes him down, and where does he go?
- Do the doctors agree whether he is alive?
A strong answer At the start Pinocchio dangles from an oak and all hope would have been lost; at the end he is in a dainty room, in bed, with the Fairy and three doctors around him. Much has changed. But the Fairy still has to ask whether he is dead or alive, and the doctors do not agree. A strong answer names something that changed and something that did not.
- The Fairy twice asks whether Pinocchio is dead or alive, and also gives him a soft bed. Which seems to matter more to her? What makes you think so?Character
What it asks It asks what the Fairy cares about most when she looks after Pinocchio: finding out how he is, or making him comfortable.
One reading
Finding out: she asks the Falcon, then sends for the most famous doctors.
How did you find him? Alive or dead?
sent immediately for the most famous doctors of the neighborhood to come to her
Another reading
His comfort: she lifts him in her own arms and puts him in a dainty room.
lifted the poor little Marionette in her arms
took him to a dainty room with mother-of-pearl walls, put him to bed
Listen for
- Uses what the Fairy says and what she does.
- Gives a reason, not only a choice.
If stuck
- What does the Fairy ask the Falcon when he comes back?
- What does she do herself when the coach arrives?
- Who does she send for?
A strong answer The Fairy asks the Falcon how he found Pinocchio, alive or dead, and later asks the doctors if he is dead or alive, so she wants to know. But she also lifts him in her own arms, takes him to a dainty room with mother-of-pearl walls, and puts him to bed, so she wants him comfortable. A strong answer says which seems to matter more, or whether she can care about both, and gives the words that show it.
Critical thinking
- The Falcon says Pinocchio sighed and spoke when the knot came loose. Using two things from the chapter, tell how close to death he still seems.
What it asks It asks the student to weigh signs of life against signs of danger, and to say how close to death Pinocchio still seems.
One reading
Still very close: the Falcon first thought he was dead, and the Fairy calls him half dead.
At first glance, I thought he was dead.
a poor, half-dead Marionette stretched out on the grass
Another reading
Not so close: he sighs, speaks and shakes the bed.
he gave a long sigh and mumbled with a faint voice
shuddered so hard that the bed shook
Listen for
- Two different pieces of evidence, not one told twice.
- A reason that says which signs count more.
If stuck
- What did the Falcon think at first glance?
- What did Pinocchio do when the knot came loose?
- What did the bed do when he shuddered?
A strong answer Pinocchio is still close to death: the Falcon first thought he was dead, and the Fairy tells Medoro to look for a poor, half-dead Marionette. But he gives a long sigh, mumbles that he feels better, and later shudders so hard that the bed shakes. A strong answer decides which signs count more, using two things from the chapter.
- The Cricket says doctors who do not know should keep their mouths shut. Using two things from the chapter, tell whether he follows that advice.
What it asks It asks whether the Cricket does what he says a wise doctor should do, and what he actually answers when the Fairy asks for his opinion.
One reading
Yes: he speaks only because he knows Pinocchio well, so he is not talking without knowing.
that Marionette is not a stranger to me. I have known him a long time!
Another reading
No: the Fairy asks for his opinion on one thing and he talks about another.
And do you hold any opinion?
I say that a wise doctor, when he does not know what he is talking about, should know enough to keep his mouth shut.
Listen for
- Two different pieces of evidence, not one told twice.
- Notices what the Fairy asked and what the Cricket answers.
If stuck
- What does the Fairy ask the Cricket?
- Does he say whether Pinocchio is dead or alive?
- What does he say about knowing Pinocchio?
A strong answer The Cricket says a wise doctor who does not know what he is talking about should keep his mouth shut, and then says Pinocchio is not a stranger to him, so he does know something. But the Fairy asked for his opinion on whether Pinocchio is dead or alive, and he never says. A strong answer says whether he follows his own advice, using two things from the chapter.
- The Falcon and the Poodle do just what the Fairy says. Using two things from the chapter, tell whether it is respect or love.
What it asks It asks the student to look at how the Falcon and the Poodle behave toward the Fairy, and whether they obey out of respect or out of fondness.
One reading
Respect: the Falcon bows to her and calls her his charming Fairy.
bending his beak in deep reverence
What do you command, my charming Fairy?
Another reading
Love: the Poodle carries the bones his loving mistress gives him and drives the coach gladly.
two huge pockets which were always filled with bones, dropped there at dinner by his loving mistress
snapped his whip gayly in the air
Listen for
- Two different pieces of evidence, not one told twice.
- Notices that the Falcon and the Poodle are not the same.
If stuck
- How does the Falcon speak to the Fairy?
- What does the Poodle's pocket hold, and who put it there?
- How does the Poodle drive the coach?
A strong answer The Falcon bends his beak in deep reverence and asks what she commands, which sounds like respect. The Poodle keeps in his pockets the bones dropped there by his loving mistress, and snaps his whip gayly, which sounds like fondness. A strong answer says whether it is respect, love or both, using two things from the chapter.