Teaching Companion · Chapter 28 · The Adventures of Pinocchio

This chapter's big question

Pinocchio saves the Dog who chased him, but only after he asks for a promise and hesitates. Was that a kind deed, a bargain, or both?

The tension Pinocchio's kind heart pulls him to rescue the Dog who was chasing him, yet he first asks for a promise, hesitates, and then swims away rather than trust him.

Today's focus

Notice what Pinocchio does for the Dog who chased him, and what he does not do.

Two core ideas

Pinocchio's help comes with a promise and a pause: he asks Alidoro to promise, hesitates, then swims out to save him.
The chapter swings from a rescue to a trap: Pinocchio saves a dog and is caught in a net, with the Fisherman's pan ready.

The shape at a glance

Alidoro chases Pinocchio to the shore, and both land in the sea. The Dog cannot swim, and Pinocchio, after a bargain and a hesitation, pulls him out and swims away. Soon Pinocchio is caught in a net by an ugly green Fisherman who sorts the fish for his pan. The Fisherman takes him for a crab, then for a Marionette fish, and rolls him in flour. The chapter breaks off as the Fisherman takes him by the head.

A way in

Start with the sea. Ask what the Dog cries and how Pinocchio first answers.

Lesson plan

Retell The student tells the chapter back in order: the chase, the leap, the Dog in the water, the rescue, the net, the Green Fisherman and the flour.

Imitate the author After copying the sentence, the student says a sentence of their own that puts the reason for a feeling between two commas.

Debate Take sides on the big question: was the rescue a kind deed, a bargain, or both? Each side uses one line from the chapter.

Purpose Close by asking why the author puts the rescue and the net in the same chapter.

Easier Read the rescue 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 compare the Dog's thanks with the Fisherman's respect, and to say which sounds more honest.

Discussion

Pinocchio calls “Drown!” to the Dog from afar, happy at his escape. Then he swims out to help. Why might he change his mind?Character
What it asks It asks what turns Pinocchio from glad at his escape to swimming out to help, and whether pity or a remembered saying does more.
One reading

Pity: the Dog's cries touch his heart.
- At those cries of suffering, the Marionette, who after all had a very kind heart, was moved to compassion.
Another reading

A saying from his father: he remembers that a kind deed is never lost.
- remembering how his father had often told him that a kind deed is never lost
Listen for
- Uses the chapter's words about his heart or his father.
- Notices that he is glad at his escape first.
If stuck
- What does the Dog cry out, and how does Pinocchio first answer?
- What does the chapter say Pinocchio remembers before he swims out?
- Which would move you more, the cries or the saying?
A strong answer The chapter gives two reasons close together. The Dog's cries of suffering move Pinocchio, who has a very kind heart, and then he remembers his father telling him that a kind deed is never lost. A strong answer says which reason sounds stronger to the student, and notices that Pinocchio was happy at his escape a moment before.
After saving Alidoro, Pinocchio swims away “not wishing to trust him too much.” Was that wise, unkind, or both? What makes you think so?Moral reasoning
What it asks It asks the student to weigh being careful against being kind to a Dog who is too weak to stand.
One reading

Wise: the Dog had been chasing him and had nearly reached him.
- he was on the very point of reaching him
- the labored breathing of the beast who was fast on his trail
Another reading

Unkind: the Dog is helpless and too weak to stand.
- The poor Dog was so weak he could not stand.
- He had swallowed so much salt water that he was swollen like a balloon.
Listen for
- Says what Pinocchio had to fear from the Dog.
- Gives a reason, not only wise or unkind.
If stuck
- How did the Dog get into the water in the first place?
- How weak is the Dog when Pinocchio leaves him?
A strong answer It can be both. The Dog had been chasing Pinocchio and came near to catching him, so being careful makes sense. But the Dog was too weak to stand and was swollen with salt water, so swimming away can seem cold. A strong answer picks wise, unkind, or both, and uses one detail about the Dog.
The Fisherman promises “all due respect,” then asks how Pinocchio wants to be cooked. Is that funny, scary, or both? What makes you think so?Tone
What it asks It asks the student to name the mood of the Fisherman's polite talk and to point to the words that make it that way.
One reading

Funny: he is so polite about something so awful.
- Do you wish to be fried in a pan, or do you prefer to be cooked with tomato sauce?
- It’s always a comfort to find oneself in good company.
Another reading

Scary: he means to eat Pinocchio and will not let him go.
- Do you think that I want to lose the opportunity to taste such a rare fish?
- I’ll fry you in the pan with the others.
Listen for
- Names a feeling and points to a word or a line.
- Notices that polite words can carry a scary meaning.
If stuck
- What choice does the Fisherman give Pinocchio?
- What does Pinocchio say he would rather have?
A strong answer It can be both. The Fisherman is so polite that offering a choice between a pan and tomato sauce is almost funny. But he plainly means to eat Pinocchio, and when Pinocchio asks to go free, he refuses. A strong answer names the mood or moods and points to one line for each.
The chapter ends in the middle of a sentence: “Then he took him by the head and . . .” Why might the author stop there?Author's choice
What it asks It asks why the author breaks off, and what the reader feels and wonders at the stopping place.
One reading

To leave the reader in suspense, wanting to know what happens next.
- Pinocchio’s turn came last.
- Then he took him by the head and . . .
Another reading

To let the reader picture the worst without being told.
- Seeing himself so near to death (and such a horrible death!)
Listen for
- Notices that the sentence is left unfinished.
- Says what the reader feels at the stopping place.
If stuck
- Whose turn has come in the pan?
- What would you expect the next words to be, and why does the author not say?
A strong answer The author leaves the sentence open, so the reader is left wondering. One reading is that this is suspense: Pinocchio's turn has come last, and we want to know what comes next. Another is that the author lets the reader picture it, which may be worse than being told. A strong answer picks a reading and says what the reader feels at the end.

Critical thinking

Alidoro says, “If the chance comes, I shall be there.” Using two details, tell whether you think he means it.
What it asks It asks the student to weigh the Dog's thanks against the moment he promised, and to decide how far to trust his word.
One reading

He means it: he thanks Pinocchio warmly and says kindness comes back.
- A thousand thanks for having saved me from death.
- in this world, what is given is always returned
Another reading

He may not: his first promise came only when he was drowning.
- I promise! I promise! Only hurry, for if you wait another second, I’ll be dead and gone!
Listen for
- Two different details, not one told twice.
- Says whether the Dog's promise is worth trusting, and why.
If stuck
- What does the Dog say when he thanks Pinocchio?
- When did the Dog first promise something, and what was happening to him?
A strong answer The Dog's thanks sound warm: he gives a thousand thanks and says what is given is always returned. But his first promise was shouted while he was drowning, when he would have promised anything. The chapter does not show whether he keeps his word, and a strong answer does not say. It uses two different details and says how far to trust him.
Pinocchio says, “Thank Heaven, I’m not a fish!” Using two details, tell how long that courage lasts.
What it asks It asks the student to follow Pinocchio's courage from the net to the pan, and to say where it breaks.
One reading

It lasts a little while: he talks back and asks to go free.
- I am a Marionette, I want you to know.
- if I must choose, I should much rather go free so I may return home!
Another reading

It breaks quickly: he cries, begs and shakes with fright.
- began to cry and wail and beg
- he began to tremble so with fright that he had no voice left with which to beg for his life
Listen for
- Two different details, not one told twice.
- Says when his courage runs out, and what makes it run out.
If stuck
- What does Pinocchio say to the Fisherman when he is called a crab?
- What does Pinocchio do when he hears he will be fried?
A strong answer His courage lasts only while he can talk back. He tells the Fisherman he is a Marionette and says he would rather go free. But when he hears he will be fried, he cries, wails and begs, and later he trembles so much that he has no voice left. A strong answer says where the courage breaks and uses two different details.
Pinocchio thinks the Fisherman is a sea monster. Using two details, tell what is most frightening about him.
What it asks It asks the student to choose between how the Fisherman looks and what he does, and to back the choice with the chapter.
One reading

How he looks: he is green all over, like a giant lizard.
- Green was the skin of his body, green were his eyes, green was the long, long beard that reached down to his feet.
- He looked like a giant lizard with legs and arms.
Another reading

What he does: he calmly sorts the fish and rolls them in flour for his dinner.
- his mouth watered with the thought of the good dinner coming
- started to roll the fish into it, one by one
Listen for
- Two different details, not one told twice.
- Says whether looks or actions are more frightening, and why.
If stuck
- What color is the Fisherman, and what does he look like?
- What does he do with each fish as he pulls it from the net?
A strong answer The Fisherman looks like a monster: his skin, eyes and beard are all green, and he looks like a giant lizard with legs and arms. But what he does may be scarier, since he pulls out the fish with his mouth watering and rolls them in flour, one by one, for the pan. A strong answer picks looks or actions and uses two different details.