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The Adventures of Pinocchio
Scouts · 1st–3rd
Pinocchio takes back his boast when his nose grows, yet soon tells another lie, about a painted wall. Is he ashamed of lying, or only afraid of his nose?
The tension He drops his boast the moment his nose grows, but his next lie is told because he is ashamed to say what really happened to him.
Notice what Pinocchio does with the truth in this chapter: he boasts, takes it back, hides, and finally keeps his word for a year.
Alidoro rescues Pinocchio from the Fisherman's cave, and Pinocchio learns that Eugene is alive. He boasts to an old man, takes it back when his nose grows, and hides the frying pan behind a story about a painted wall. Dressed in a hop bag, he reaches the Fairy's house at night, kicks his foot through the door while the slow Snail comes down, and faints at a breakfast made of chalk and cardboard. The Fairy forgives him, he keeps his word for a year, and just before he is to become a real boy the author adds that there is always a BUT.
Start with the old man's question, “And what do you think of him?” Ask what Pinocchio could say instead.
Retell The student tells the chapter back in order: the cave, Alidoro, Eugene, the old man, the hop bag, the door, the Snail, the Fairy and the year.
Imitate the author After copying the sentence, the student says one sentence of their own, in the same plain pattern, about something that went back to the way it was.
Debate Take sides on the big question: is Pinocchio ashamed of lying, or only afraid of his nose? Each side uses one line from the chapter.
Purpose Close by asking why the author lets Pinocchio mend one lie and tell another in the same scene.
Easier Read the old man's scene 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 Pinocchio hides the truth, and to say what he hides it from.
1. Pinocchio says he knows “this Pinocchio” only “By sight!” Why might he pretend not to know himself?Inference
What it asks It asks why Pinocchio hides who he is when the old man tells him what people say about him.
He cannot stand hearing it, so he keeps his own name out of it.
They say he is a mischief-maker, a tramp, a street urchin--
asked the Marionette, feigning ignorance
He wants to look good in the old man's eyes, so he praises Pinocchio.
I think he’s a very good boy, fond of study, obedient, kind to his Father, and to his whole family--
A strong answer Pinocchio is the boy the old man is talking about, and he hears himself called “a mischief-maker, a tramp, a street urchin.” He answers that he knows him only by sight, and then he praises him. One reading is that he cannot bear to hear it and hides. Another is that he wants to look good to the old man. A strong answer picks a reason and uses the old man's words.
2. Pinocchio hides the frying pan by blaming a painted wall. Is that lie smaller, bigger, or the same as his boasting? What makes you think so?Moral reasoning
What it asks It asks the student to weigh two lies from the same scene and to say what makes one lie bigger or smaller than another.
Smaller: it hurts no one and only hides something that frightened him.
Without knowing it, I rubbed myself against a newly painted wall,
ashamed to say that he had been made ready for the frying pan
The same: he took back one lie, and a moment later told another.
All the wonderful things I have said are not true at all.
he lied, ashamed to say that he had been made ready for the frying pan
A strong answer The first lie makes Pinocchio sound like a model boy. The second hides that he was nearly fried. One reading is that the second lie is smaller, since it hurts no one and only covers something that frightened him. Another is that a lie is a lie, and he told a new one right after taking the old one back. A strong answer picks smaller, bigger, or the same and says why.
3. The author says the Snail “must have raced” in nine hours. Why might the author make that joke?Author's choice
What it asks It asks why the author jokes about the Snail's slowness, and what the joke does for a scene where Pinocchio is stuck.
It is just for fun: a snail cannot race, and she told us so herself.
My boy, I am a snail and snails are never in a hurry.
That brave little animal, the Snail, had taken exactly nine hours to go from the fourth floor to the street.
It shows how long the wait felt to Pinocchio, stuck at the door.
two hours on a dreadful night like this are as long as two years
There he stayed as if nailed to the door.
A strong answer The Snail said snails are never in a hurry, and she took exactly nine hours to come down, so “How she must have raced!” is a joke. It makes us smile while Pinocchio waits with his foot through the door. One reading is that the joke is just for fun. Another is that it shows how long the wait felt to him, since two hours felt like two years. A strong answer picks a reason and says what the joke does for the scene.
4. Pinocchio runs back from the Fairy’s door three times before he knocks. Why might it be so hard for him to knock?Character
What it asks It asks what is holding Pinocchio back at the Fairy's door, using what he says to himself on the way.
He is afraid she will not forgive him.
Will she forgive this last trick of mine? I am sure she won’t.
He thinks she would be right to be angry, so he is slow to face her.
How shall I ever face my good little Fairy?
And I deserve it, as usual!
A strong answer Pinocchio runs back three times, and on the way he has been asking himself, “Will she forgive this last trick of mine?” One reading is that he is afraid she will not forgive him, since he says he is sure she will not. Another is that he thinks any anger would be earned: “I deserve it, as usual!” A strong answer picks a reason and uses one of his own words.
1. Pinocchio hears that Eugene is alive and jumps around with joy. Using two details, tell what that joy shows about him.
What it asks It asks the student to say what Pinocchio's joy shows: care for Eugene, relief for himself, or both.
He cares about Eugene: he looks for news of him first, and is overjoyed at it.
have you heard anything of a poor boy with a wounded head, whose name was Eugene?
jumping around with joy
He is also relieved for himself, since the news lifts a heavy worry.
Then the wound was not serious?
A strong answer The joy shows that Pinocchio cares. He asks about Eugene as soon as he reaches the hut, and he jumps around with joy when he hears Eugene is alive. It may also show relief for himself, since he asks right away if the wound was not serious. A strong answer uses two different details and says what each one shows.
2. Alidoro comes into the cave because he is hungry, yet he saves Pinocchio. Using two details, tell why he does.
What it asks It asks whether Alidoro saves Pinocchio out of thanks or by lucky chance, and what in the scene shows which.
Thanks: Pinocchio saved him once, and he says kindness is returned.
You saved me once, and what is given is always returned.
We are in this world to help one another.
Mostly chance: he came for the fish, and helped once he heard Pinocchio's voice.
But the poor Dog was very hungry
The Dog immediately recognized Pinocchio’s voice.
A strong answer Alidoro comes in only because he is hungry, and he will not leave when the Fisherman tries to kick him. But when he recognizes Pinocchio's voice he grabs him and runs, and later he says, “You saved me once, and what is given is always returned.” A strong answer picks hunger or thanks as the stronger reason and uses two different details.
3. Pinocchio kept his word for the rest of the year. Using two details, tell what may have helped him keep it this time.
What it asks It asks the student to weigh Pinocchio's own promise against the Fairy's forgiveness as the reason for his good year.
His own promise: he gave his word, and he kept it.
Pinocchio promised to study and to behave himself.
And he kept his word for the remainder of the year.
The Fairy's forgiveness: she forgave him and told him to be careful.
This time also I forgive you
But be careful not to get into mischief again.
A strong answer The chapter does not say what helped him, so a strong answer weighs both. His own promise matters: he promised to study and behave and kept his word. The Fairy's forgiveness may matter too, since she forgave him and asked him to be careful. A strong answer picks one as the stronger and uses two different details.