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The Adventures of Pinocchio
Scouts · 1st–3rd
The two old men go from words to blows twice, and twice swear to be friends for life. Does their friendship count for less because they fight, or for more because they keep making up?
The tension Mastro Antonio and Geppetto are quick to blame, to shout and to hit, and just as quick to hand back a wig, shake hands and promise friendship.
Notice how quickly the two old men turn from fighting to friendship, and how plainly the chapter tells both.
Mastro Antonio sits on the floor when Geppetto knocks and asks for a piece of wood to make a Marionette. A tiny voice calls Geppetto "Polendina," and the two old men fight, trade their wigs back, and swear to be friends. Then the wood slips, hits Geppetto's legs, and they fight again over the name. They shake hands once more, and Geppetto takes the wood and limps home.
Start with the name Polendina: ask what happens each time someone says it.
Retell The student tells the chapter back in order: the knock, Geppetto's plan, the first fight, the wood that slips, the second fight, and the walk home.
Imitate the author After copying the sentence, the student writes one sentence in the same pattern: what two people finished, then what they did next together.
Debate Take sides: do the fights make their friendship count for less, or for more? Each side uses one quote from the chapter.
Purpose Close by asking why a story might open with two old friends who fight and make up.
Easier Read the first fight aloud together and talk through discussion questions 1 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 to explain what the two men would have to do differently for the fights not to happen.
1. Geppetto hears “Polendina” and says, “Yet I KNOW it was you.” Why might he be so sure it was Mastro Antonio?Inference
What it asks It asks why Geppetto blames his friend so fast, when the voice came from no one knew where.
Mastro Antonio is the only person he can see, so he blames the man in front of him.
cried the same tiny voice which came from no one knew where
facing the carpenter, said to him angrily
His temper is quick: the name makes him wild, and he does not stop to look for another answer.
Geppetto had a very bad temper.
turned the color of a red pepper
A strong answer The voice came from no one knew where, so Geppetto had no one to blame but the man in the room. The chapter also says Geppetto has a very bad temper and goes wild at that name. A strong answer can say he was sure because he saw only Mastro Antonio, or because his anger spoke before his thinking, and can notice that both could be true.
2. After Geppetto says “Idiot,” “Donkey” and “Ugly monkey,” Mastro Antonio answers “Polendina!” each time. Who is being less fair? What makes you think so?Moral reasoning
What it asks It asks whether name-calling from one side excuses name-calling from the other, and who has more reason to be angry.
Mastro Antonio is less fair: he knows the name drives Geppetto wild and says it anyway.
Geppetto, do not insult me or I shall call you Polendina.
On hearing himself called Polendina for the third time, Geppetto lost his head with rage
Geppetto is less fair: he started with worse names and was the one who blamed his friend.
Liar!
Ugly monkey!
A strong answer Geppetto calls his friend a liar, an idiot, a donkey and an ugly monkey, and Mastro Antonio answers every one with the name that makes Geppetto wild. Mastro Antonio even warns him first, so he knows what will happen. A strong answer weighs names that insult against a name that is only a nickname, and says which one seems less fair and why.
3. Mastro Antonio is “very glad indeed” to give away the wood that frightened him. Is that a kind gift, or just getting rid of it?Character
What it asks It asks why Mastro Antonio is glad to hand the wood over, and whether his gladness is for his friend or for himself.
It is a kind gift: he says he is at Geppetto's service and gives him what he asked for.
Here I am, at your service
Will you give it to me?
He is mostly getting rid of it: the wood frightened him, and he is glad to see it go.
went immediately to his bench to get the piece of wood which had frightened him so much
A strong answer Mastro Antonio hurries to fetch the wood, and the chapter says it frightened him so much. That makes it hard to call the gift only kind. But he also says he is at his friend's service and gives the wood after a fight he wanted to end. A strong answer can call it kindness, or relief, or a bit of both, and gives the reason.
4. The author has Mastro Antonio and Geppetto fight twice in one short chapter. Why might the author tell it twice?Author's choice
What it asks It asks why the author repeats nearly the same scene, and what the second fight shows that the first did not.
The repeat is for fun: the second fight is the same joke with worse names.
“Polendina!”
Then and there they gave each other a sound thrashing.
The repeat shows the two men are the same each time: they fight and then make up.
shook hands and swore to be good friends for the rest of their lives
they shook hands and swore to be good friends for the rest of their lives
A strong answer Both fights start with an insult, grow louder, turn to blows, and end with a handshake and a promise. The second repeats the first, which can make it funnier and can show how these two men always behave. A strong answer says what changes between the two fights, such as the worse names and the buttons and scratches, and what the repeating helps us see.
5. The first fight ends with a wig in someone's mouth. Is the fighting funny or serious? What makes you think so?Tone
What it asks It asks how the author wants us to take the fighting, and which details lean funny and which lean hurtful.
It is funny: the wigs are swapped and the men end with buttons missing and scratched noses.
Geppetto found the carpenter’s curly wig in his mouth.
Mastro Antonio had two more scratches on his nose, and Geppetto had two buttons missing from his coat
It is serious: they really scratch, bite and slap, and Geppetto is hurt.
began to scratch and bite and slap each other
You have made me almost lame!
A strong answer The details are comic: a wig in a mouth, two buttons missing, two more scratches on a nose. But the men really scratch and bite and slap, and Geppetto says he is almost lame. A strong answer picks funny or serious, or both, and shows which details made it feel that way.
1. Before the fights begin, Geppetto and Mastro Antonio joke with each other. Using two things from the chapter, tell how they seem to get along.
What it asks It asks what the friendly opening shows about the two men before any quarrel starts.
They get along well: they tease each other and Geppetto asks a favor easily.
I am teaching the ants their A B C’s.
Here I am, at your service
They get along only so far: Geppetto's temper is a sore spot, and one name changes everything.
Woe to the one who called him Polendina!
Geppetto turned the color of a red pepper
A strong answer At the start they tease each other: Geppetto asks what Mastro Antonio is doing on the floor, and he answers that he is teaching the ants their A B C's. Mastro Antonio says he is at Geppetto's service. A strong answer uses two things the men say, and explains what they show about how the two get along before the name Polendina comes up.
2. Geppetto says why he wants a Marionette. Using two things from the chapter, tell what Geppetto hopes the Marionette will do.
What it asks It asks what Geppetto wants from the Marionette, a way to earn a living or something more wonderful.
He wants it for his living: it will earn him bread and wine.
to earn my crust of bread and cup of wine
He wants something wonderful and a way to see the world.
It must be wonderful, one that will be able to dance, fence, and turn somersaults.
With it I intend to go around the world
A strong answer Geppetto wants a beautiful Marionette that can dance, fence and turn somersaults, and he plans to go around the world with it to earn his crust of bread and cup of wine. That is a plan for earning a living and also a plan for something wonderful. A strong answer uses two things he says, and decides which hope seems stronger.
3. Geppetto thanks Mastro Antonio and limps away with the wood. Was the visit a good one for Geppetto? Use two things from the chapter.
What it asks It asks whether Geppetto leaves better off, with what he came for, or worse off, with a sore leg and missing buttons.
Yes: he got the wood he came for and made up with his friend.
Then Geppetto took the fine piece of wood, thanked Mastro Antonio, and limped away toward home.
they shook hands and swore to be good friends for the rest of their lives
Not really: he left hurt, with a hit on the legs and two buttons gone.
hit against poor Geppetto’s thin legs
Geppetto had two buttons missing from his coat
A strong answer Geppetto came for a piece of wood, and he takes it, thanks his friend and swears friendship again. But the wood hit his thin legs, he lost two buttons, and he limps away. A strong answer weighs getting the wood against the hurt it cost him, using two things from the chapter.