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The Adventures of Pinocchio
Scouts · 1st–3rd
Pinocchio laughs and jokes at the man who threw him into the sea, then sobs inside the Shark. Was the laughing courage, or only what he does while the danger is far?
The tension Pinocchio is bold and joking as he swims free of the man, but when the Shark swallows him he first tries to be brave and then bursts into sobs.
Notice how Pinocchio acts with the man who threw him into the sea, and how he acts inside the Shark.
The man pulls up the rope and finds a live Marionette instead of a dead donkey. Pinocchio tells his story, laughs at the man, and dives away. He sees a Goat with an azure coat on a white rock, calling him, but the Terrible Shark overtakes him and swallows him. In the dark inside the Shark he meets a Tunny, who says to wait to be digested. Pinocchio thinks he sees a faint light and says good-by to the Tunny.
Start with the rope. Ask what the man expects to pull out of the water, and what he finds.
Retell The student tells the chapter back in order: the rope, the story, the dive, the Goat on the rock, the Shark, the dark and the Tunny.
Imitate the author After copying the two sentences, the student says a short cry about someone, then one sentence that says why.
Debate Take sides on the big question: is Pinocchio's laughing courage, or only what he does while the danger is far? Each side uses one line from the chapter.
Purpose Close by asking why the author lets Pinocchio laugh with the man and sob in the Shark in the same chapter.
Easier Read the scene inside the Shark aloud together and talk through discussion questions 3 and 4 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's words and his feelings do not match.
1. Pinocchio asks the man to untie his leg so he can tell his story better. Why might he ask that first?Inference
What it asks It asks the student to work out what Pinocchio wants from being untied, and what the man hopes to get from agreeing.
He wants to be free to get away, and the story is his way to get untied.
Untie my leg and I can tell it to you better.
Pinocchio, feeling free as a bird of the air, began his tale
He wants the man curious instead of angry, so he has time to talk.
Woe be to you, if I lose my patience!
The old fellow, curious to know the true story of the Marionette’s life, immediately untied the rope
A strong answer Pinocchio asks to be untied so he can tell his story better, and the man, curious, unties him right away. One reading is that the story is a way to get free, since Pinocchio is soon swimming away. Another is that he wants the man curious instead of angry, since the man has just warned him about losing his patience. The chapter does not say what Pinocchio planned. A strong answer says what each of them wants and points to something said or done.
2. The man says he spent four cents and wants his money back. Is that fair? What makes you think so?Moral reasoning
What it asks It asks whether the man has a fair claim to his money, when he bought Pinocchio to harm him.
Fair: he paid four cents for a donkey and got a Marionette instead.
I know that I spent four cents to get you and I want my money back.
Instead of a dead donkey, he saw a very much alive Marionette
Not fair: he meant to kill Pinocchio for a drum, so he has no right to ask.
You bought me to do me harm--to kill me--to make a drumhead out of me!
Indeed I did! And now where shall I find another skin?
A strong answer The man did pay four cents and finds a Marionette instead of a dead donkey, so he feels cheated. But he bought Pinocchio to kill him for a drumhead, and when Pinocchio says so, the man answers, “Indeed I did!” A strong answer takes a side on whether someone who meant harm can fairly ask for his money, and uses the man's own words.
3. The Tunny says, “opinions should be respected.” Is the Tunny wise, or has he given up? What makes you think so?Character
What it asks It asks whether the Tunny is wise to accept what he cannot change, or has simply stopped trying.
Wise: he knows the truth and wants to keep his dignity.
Neither do I
if one is born a fish, it is more dignified to die under the water than in the frying pan
Given up: he waits to be digested and does not try to escape.
Wait until the Shark has digested us both, I suppose.
Who knows? It is better not to think about it.
A strong answer The Tunny does not want to be digested either, but he thinks it is more dignified for a fish to die under the water than in the frying pan, and he calls that an opinion to be respected. That can sound wise, a way of keeping his dignity. But he also says to wait until the Shark has digested them, and tells Pinocchio it is better not to think about it, which can sound like giving up. A strong answer picks wise or given up, or says both, and uses the Tunny's words.
4. The author stops to say the Shark has asthma, and a storm seemed to blow when he breathed. Why might he add that?Author's choice
What it asks It asks why the author adds a joke about the Shark's breathing while Pinocchio is in the dark, and what that does for the reader.
To make us smile, so the dark is not only frightening.
I forgot to tell you that the Shark was suffering from asthma, so that whenever he breathed a storm seemed to blow.
for a moment he thought he had put his head into an inkwell
To make the Shark seem bigger and more frightening.
Once in a while a cold wind blew on his face.
His body, not counting the tail, is almost a mile long.
A strong answer The author speaks right to the reader here, saying, “I forgot to tell you that the Shark was suffering from asthma.” One reading is that the joke makes us smile, so the dark is not only frightening. Another is that it makes the Shark seem bigger, since his breath blows like a storm. A strong answer picks a reading and says what the reader feels.
1. Pinocchio calls out good-by to the man, laughing. Using two details, tell what makes him so bold.
What it asks It asks the student to find what lets Pinocchio laugh at a man who just tried to drown him: being free and quick, or having come through worse.
He is free and quick, and the man cannot catch him.
Pinocchio, feeling free as a bird of the air, began his tale
In a few seconds he had gone so far he could hardly be seen.
He has come through worse, and he knows hard wood is safe from the fish.
I am made of very hard wood
those greedy fish found out that the wood was not good for their teeth
A strong answer Pinocchio has two reasons to feel bold. He is free as a bird of the air, and soon so far away that he can hardly be seen. And he has come through something worse: the fish took bites of him and gave up, because he is made of very hard wood. A strong answer picks the stronger reason and gives two different details.
2. Inside the Shark, Pinocchio “at first tried to be brave.” Using two details, tell what makes the bravery stop.
What it asks It asks the student to name the moment and the cause that end Pinocchio's brave try.
Knowing the truth: once he is sure he is inside the Shark, he cannot pretend.
as soon as he became convinced that he was really and truly in the Shark’s stomach, he burst into sobs and tears
Pinocchio at first tried to be brave
Being alone in the dark with no one to hear him.
Around him all was darkness, a darkness so deep and so black
Oh, poor me! Won’t someone come to save me?
A strong answer The chapter says he tried to be brave at first, and then as soon as he was convinced he was really and truly in the Shark's stomach, he burst into sobs and tears. That points to knowing the truth as the turning point. The dark may matter too, since it is so deep and black that he thinks he has put his head into an inkwell, and he cries out for someone to save him. A strong answer picks what ends the bravery and gives two different details.
3. Pinocchio’s heart beats faster when he sees the Goat on the rock. Using two details, tell what he hopes.
What it asks It asks whether Pinocchio hopes for someone he knows, or only for a safe place to climb out of the sea.
He hopes she is someone he knows, since her coat is the color of the lovely maiden's hair.
Her coat was not white or black or brown as that of any other goat, but azure, a deep brilliant color that reminded one of the hair of the lovely maiden.
Pinocchio’s heart beat fast, and then faster and faster.
He hopes for rescue: she is calling him to a rock out of the water.
High on the rock stood a little Goat bleating and calling and beckoning to the Marionette to come to her.
He redoubled his efforts and swam as hard as he could toward the white rock.
A strong answer The chapter does not say who the Goat is, only that her azure coat reminded one of the hair of the lovely maiden. That may explain why Pinocchio's heart beats fast. But she is also calling and beckoning him toward a rock, and he swims as hard as he can toward it, so he may hope only for rescue. A strong answer picks what he hopes and gives two different details.