The Adventures of Pinocchio
Chapter 22 — 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
Pinocchio tells the Farmer about the Weasels' offer but says nothing of the dead dog's deal with them. Was that honest, kind, or both?
The tension Pinocchio could tell all he knows about the dog's shameful contract with the Weasels, but he tells only what the Weasels offered him, and the Farmer praises him and sets him free.
Today's focus
Notice what Pinocchio tells the Farmer, and what he decides not to say, after the Weasels come at midnight.
Two core ideas
- Honesty can have more than one side: Pinocchio tells the Farmer about the Weasels' offer, yet says nothing about the shameful contract between the dog and the Weasels.
- The Farmer knows only what he is told: he speaks of “my faithful Melampo” and calls Pinocchio a fine boy.
The shape at a glance
Pinocchio is awakened at midnight by four Weasels who take him for the dead watchdog Melampo and offer him a chicken if he will not bark. Pinocchio shuts them in the henhouse and barks. The Farmer ties the Weasels in a bag, speaks warmly of his old dog, and hears Pinocchio's account of the offer. Pinocchio keeps to himself what he knows about the dog's deal, and the Farmer calls him a fine boy and takes off his dog collar.
A way in
Start with the Weasel's greeting, “Good evening, Melampo.” Ask what the Weasels expect to find in the doghouse.
Lesson plan
Retell The student tells the chapter back in order: the midnight whispers, the Weasels' offer, the shut door and the barking, the Farmer's praise and the freedom.
Imitate the author After copying the sentences, the student says two short sentences in the same pattern: a plain fact about someone who is gone, then what the speaker thinks should be done.
Debate Take sides on the big question: was Pinocchio honest, kind, or both when he kept quiet about Melampo? Each side uses one line from the chapter.
Purpose Close by asking why the author lets the Farmer say “my faithful Melampo” while Pinocchio keeps what he knows to himself.
Easier Read the coop scene and the Farmer’s speech aloud together and talk through discussion questions 1 and 2 only.
On level Talk through all four discussion questions, then have the student give one critical-thinking answer aloud with two details from the chapter.
Harder Ask the student to find one more place where what a character says and what that character knows do not match.
Discussion
- The Weasels slip into the coop, and Pinocchio shuts the door and barks. Was that clever, unfair, or both? What makes you think so?Moral reasoning
What it asks It asks whether catching thieves by a trick is right when the thieves thought they had a friend, and where the student draws the line.
One reading
Clever: it catches the thieves, and it is the watchdog's job.
The one who had done the trick was Pinocchio
he barked as if he were a real watchdog
Another reading
Unfair: he never said no out loud, so they walked in trusting him.
they went straight to the chicken coop which stood close to the doghouse
they were no sooner in than they heard the door close with a sharp bang
Listen for
- Says what Pinocchio did and what the Weasels expected.
- Gives a reason for clever or unfair, not only the word.
If stuck
- What did the Weasels expect Pinocchio to do?
- Whose job is it to guard the henhouse?
A strong answer It was clever because it worked: the thieves were caught, and Pinocchio did the watchdog's job by shutting the door and barking. It may also be unfair, because the Weasels walked in believing they had made a deal and Pinocchio never said no out loud. A strong answer picks clever, unfair, or both, and says why.
- The Farmer says he is “a very kind and generous man” as he ties the Weasels in a bag. Is he? What makes you think so?Character
What it asks It asks the student to weigh the Farmer's words about himself against what he says he will do.
One reading
No: he makes a joke of it, and the Weasels will become dinner.
there you’ll make a fine dinner for some hungry mortal
It is really too great an honor for you, one you do not deserve
Another reading
In a way: he holds back from punishing them at once, and he is generous to Pinocchio.
I could punish you now, but I’ll wait!
you are free from this instant!
Listen for
- Uses the Farmer's own words about the Weasels.
- Notices what he does for Pinocchio as well.
If stuck
- What does the Farmer say the Weasels will become?
- What does he give Pinocchio at the end?
A strong answer The Farmer's words to the Weasels are harsh: he says they will make a fine dinner and calls it an honor they do not deserve. But he also holds back from punishing them at once, and he is generous to Pinocchio, whom he praises and frees. A strong answer says what the Farmer means by kind, and points to what he says or does.
- The Farmer says, “my faithful Melampo, never saw them in all these years!” Why might the author give the Farmer those words?Author's choice
What it asks It asks the student to notice what the reader has heard that the Farmer has not, and why the author sets that gap in front of us.
One reading
It pokes fun at a man who trusts his dog too much.
Indeed he did, and because of that we were the best of friends.
Another reading
It makes us feel for him, since he speaks so warmly of an old friend.
my faithful Melampo, never saw them in all these years
Listen for
- Notices what the reader knows that the Farmer does not.
- Says what the words make the reader feel.
If stuck
- What did the Weasel say about Melampo and the Weasels' visits?
- How does the Farmer sound when he talks about Melampo?
A strong answer The Farmer's words land hard because the reader has just heard the Weasels describe the deal they made with Melampo. One reading is that the author is poking fun at a man who trusts his dog too much. Another is that we feel sorry for him, since he speaks so warmly of an old friend. A strong answer says what the reader knows that the Farmer does not, and what the author gets from that gap.
- Pinocchio calls himself “a very wicked Marionette full of faults,” yet says he can never be bribed. Do both fit him? What makes you think so?Character
What it asks It asks the student to set what Pinocchio says about himself beside what he does in this chapter.
One reading
Both fit: he knows his faults, and he still turned the Weasels down.
though I am a very wicked Marionette full of faults, still I never have been, nor ever shall be, bribed
They had the audacity to make such a proposition as that to me!
Another reading
Not quite: a boy who thinks of the dead dog and shuts thieves in does not seem so wicked.
thinking of the dead dog, he said to himself
The best thing to do is to leave them in peace!
Listen for
- Uses Pinocchio's own words about himself.
- Weighs what he says against what he does.
If stuck
- What does Pinocchio say he has never been?
- What does he do after the Weasels walk into the coop?
A strong answer Pinocchio is hard on himself: he says he is wicked and full of faults, but in the same breath he says he has never been bribed, and the chapter shows him turning the Weasels' offer into a trap. A strong answer says whether the two fit together, and points to something Pinocchio does, not only to what he says.
Critical thinking
- The Weasels offer a chicken if Pinocchio pretends to sleep. Using two details, tell what his answers show he thinks of the offer.
What it asks It asks the student to read Pinocchio's short answers to the Weasels and say what he feels about the plan.
One reading
He is shocked that a watchdog would take part in such a plan.
Did Melampo really do that?
Another reading
He is already angry and ready to act.
“Even too well,” answered Pinocchio.
shaking his head in a threatening manner
Listen for
- Two different details, not one told twice.
- A reason that links each detail to what Pinocchio thinks.
If stuck
- What does Pinocchio ask right after he hears the plan?
- What does he do with his head after he says, “Even too well”?
A strong answer Pinocchio's answers show he does not like the plan. He asks, “Did Melampo really do that?” as if he can hardly believe it, and then he answers, “Even too well,” while shaking his head in a threatening manner. Together they point to a boy who is shocked first and then angry. A strong answer uses two different details and says what each one shows.
- The Farmer hears Pinocchio's story and calls him a “fine boy.” Using two details, tell what the Farmer thinks of Pinocchio.
What it asks It asks the student to read the Farmer's words and actions toward Pinocchio and say what kind of boy he takes him for.
One reading
He thinks Pinocchio is clever and quick, a good watchdog.
How did you ever find them out so quickly?
Then he went up to Pinocchio and began to pet and caress him.
Another reading
He thinks Pinocchio is good, a boy to be proud of.
You ought to be proud of yourself.
you are free from this instant!
Listen for
- Two different details, not one told twice.
- Says whether the Farmer thinks Pinocchio is clever, good, or both.
If stuck
- What does the Farmer ask Pinocchio about finding the Weasels?
- What does the Farmer give Pinocchio at the end?
A strong answer The Farmer thinks very well of Pinocchio. He asks how he found the Weasels so quickly, which shows he thinks Pinocchio is sharp, and he says Pinocchio ought to be proud of himself and sets him free, which shows he thinks Pinocchio is good. A strong answer uses two different details and says which view, clever or good, the Farmer seems to hold more.
- The Weasel says she and Melampo were “the best of friends.” Using two details, tell whether you believe her.
What it asks It asks the student to weigh the Weasel's warm words about Melampo against why she says them.
One reading
Yes: she speaks kindly of him and seems sorry that he is dead.
Died? Poor beast! He was so good!
Another reading
Not really: they were friends because of what he did for them, and she talks sweetly to Pinocchio to get the same deal.
Indeed he did, and because of that we were the best of friends.
said in a sweet voice
Listen for
- Two different details, not one told twice.
- Says what the Weasels get from the friendship.
If stuck
- What does the Weasel say right after she hears that Melampo died?
- What does she say the friendship came from?
A strong answer She seems sad that Melampo is dead: she says, “Poor beast! He was so good!” But she also says they were the best of friends because of what he did for them, and she talks in a sweet voice to Pinocchio to get the same deal. A strong answer takes a side and uses two different details.