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The Adventures of Pinocchio
Scouts · 1st–3rd
Twice Pinocchio says the Talking Cricket was right, and both times he is hungry. Does he feel wrong for what he did, or is he only wishing for something to eat?
The tension Pinocchio's words say it was wrong to disobey Father and run away, but he says them only while hungry, and the Cricket's death scared him for only a few moments.
Notice what Pinocchio says about the Talking Cricket, and what is happening to him when he says it.
Night comes on, and Pinocchio, hardly bothered by the Cricket's death, grows ravenous. He finds the pot on the fire is only painted and searches everywhere for food. He wails that the Talking Cricket was right, then finds an egg, but a Chick escapes from it and flies out the window. He cries again, and at the end he thinks of going to the village to find someone charitable.
Start with the empty pot and the egg: ask which moment Pinocchio hoped for most.
Retell The student tells the chapter back in order: the hunger, the painted pot, the search, the egg, the Chick, and the thought of the village.
Imitate the author After copying the sentence, the student writes one sentence in the same pattern: a feeling that was small or short, starting with "if".
Debate Take sides on the big question: does Pinocchio feel wrong for what he did, or is he only wishing for something to eat? Each side uses one quote from the chapter.
Purpose Close by asking why a story might let a hungry boy say he was wrong, twice, in the same chapter.
Easier Read the egg and Chick scene aloud together and talk through discussion questions 1 and 4 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 what Pinocchio might say about the Cricket if he were full, and what in the chapter makes them think so.
1. The pot is only painted, and later the egg turns into a Chick that flies away. Which is harder for Pinocchio? What makes you think so?Plot structure
What it asks It asks the student to compare two let-downs in the chapter and say which one hits Pinocchio harder.
The painted pot is harder: it is his first hope, and it breaks right away.
to his amazement the pot was only painted! Think how he felt!
His long nose became at least two inches longer.
The Chick is harder: he was so happy about the egg, and then he is left with empty shells.
The Marionette’s joy knew no bounds.
The poor Marionette stood as if turned to stone, with wide eyes, open mouth, and the empty halves of the egg-shell in his hands.
A strong answer At the painted pot, his nose grows at least two inches, and he has found nothing to eat. At the egg his joy knew no bounds, and then he stands as if turned to stone with only the empty shell in his hands. A strong answer can pick the pot because it was the first hope to break, or the Chick because he had climbed so high, and gives a reason from what Pinocchio does.
2. Pinocchio says the Talking Cricket was right, once when he is dizzy and faint and again after the Chick flies away. What do you notice about those moments?Inference
What it asks It asks the student to look at what is happening to Pinocchio each time he says the Cricket was right, and what that might show.
He means it: he names what he did wrong, and says he disobeyed Father and ran away.
It was wrong of me to disobey Father and to run away from home.
The Talking Cricket was right!
He is saying it because he is hungry and wants help, and the words come with his hunger.
If he were here now, I wouldn’t be so hungry!
Oh, how horrible it is to be hungry!
A strong answer Both times Pinocchio has just been let down: first he searches and finds nothing, then the Chick flies away. Both times he says the Cricket was right, and both times he ends by saying how horrible it is to be hungry. A strong answer notices that his words about being wrong sit right next to his words about hunger, and says what that might show, without deciding it for him.
3. Pinocchio's yawn stretches to the tips of his ears, and his nose grows at least two inches longer. Is the author laughing at him, or feeling sorry for him?Tone
What it asks It asks how the author wants us to take Pinocchio's hunger, as a joke or as a hardship.
The author is laughing: the yawn and the nose are silly pictures.
such a big yawn that his mouth stretched out to the tips of his ears
His long nose became at least two inches longer.
The author feels sorry for him: he is called poor, and he is dizzy, faint and weeping.
Soon he became dizzy and faint.
He wept and wailed to himself
A strong answer The yawn that stretches to his ears and the nose that grows at least two inches are comic pictures. But the author also calls him poor Pinocchio, and says he became dizzy and faint and wept and wailed. A strong answer can say the author laughs, or feels sorry, or does both at once, and points to a picture that shows it.
4. The Chick thanks Pinocchio for saving it the trouble of breaking its shell. Did Pinocchio do something good, or did he just get lucky?Moral reasoning
What it asks It asks whether a good result counts as a good act when Pinocchio meant only to cook the egg.
He did something good: the Chick is out of its shell, fluffy and gay and smiling.
a little yellow Chick, fluffy and gay and smiling, escaped from it
Many, many thanks, indeed, Mr. Pinocchio, for having saved me the trouble of breaking my shell!
He only got lucky: he meant to fry the egg and did not know a Chick was inside.
No, it is better to fry you in a pan!
But in place of the white and the yolk of the egg, a little yellow Chick
A strong answer Pinocchio meant to fry the egg, and he never knew a Chick was inside. But the Chick comes out happy and thanks him for the help. A strong answer says whether a good result is enough to make an act good, or whether what a person meant counts too, and uses the Chick's thanks and the frying plan as evidence.
5. The author says “Think how he felt!” and “you must picture it to yourself.” Why might the author talk to us like that?Author's choice
What it asks It asks what the author gets by speaking straight to the reader in the middle of the story.
The author wants us to feel what Pinocchio feels, so we can share how big the moment is.
Think how he felt!
It is impossible to describe it, you must picture it to yourself.
The author is being playful, like a storyteller who stops to speak to the listener.
The Marionette’s joy knew no bounds.
A strong answer At the painted pot the author says "Think how he felt!", and at the egg says the joy cannot be described and we must picture it. Both are moments when Pinocchio's feelings are at their biggest. A strong answer says the author is inviting us to feel along with him, or is playing the storyteller, or both.
1. The author says Pinocchio's hunger grew until he was as ravenous as a bear. Using two things from the chapter, tell what hunger makes him do.
What it asks It asks the student to look at what Pinocchio does when he is hungry and to decide whether it is sensible or wild.
Hunger makes him busy and clever: he searches every place he can think of.
He ran about the room, dug in all the boxes and drawers, and even looked under the bed in search of a piece of bread
Hunger makes him wild and silly: he kisses an egg and shrieks and stamps his feet.
he turned the egg over and over in his hands, fondled it, kissed it, and talked to it
he began to cry and shriek at the top of his lungs, stamping his feet on the ground
A strong answer Pinocchio runs about, digs in every box and drawer, and even looks under the bed. That is hunger making him search hard. But he also kisses and talks to the egg, and later cries and shrieks and stamps his feet. A strong answer picks whether hunger makes him sensible or wild, and uses two different things he does.
2. Pinocchio pours a little water in the pan, not oil or butter. Using two things from the chapter, tell whether he is a careful cook.
What it asks It asks the student to weigh how Pinocchio sets about cooking, and whether he is careful or only hurrying.
He is careful enough: he thinks about how to cook it and waits for the water to boil.
And now, how shall I cook you?
As soon as the water started to boil--tac!--he broke the eggshell.
He is not careful: he uses water for oil or butter and rushes at the egg.
In the pan, instead of oil or butter, he poured a little water.
No sooner said than done.
A strong answer Pinocchio asks the egg how he shall cook it, picks the pan, sets it on hot coals, and breaks the shell when the water boils. That is some planning. But he pours in water instead of oil or butter, and he changes his mind in a breath: no sooner said than done. A strong answer picks careful or hurried and backs it with two things he does.
3. At the end Pinocchio thinks of going to the village, hoping a charitable person will give him bread. Using two things from the chapter, tell what he needs most.
What it asks It asks what Pinocchio needs most at the end: food, or someone to look after him.
He needs food most: his stomach is grumbling and he has found nothing.
his stomach kept grumbling more than ever and he had nothing to quiet it with
I should not be dying of hunger.
He needs someone to look after him: he says things would be different if Father were here.
If he were here now, I wouldn’t be so hungry!
if Father were here now
A strong answer Pinocchio's stomach is grumbling and he has nothing to quiet it with, so he plainly needs food. But he also says that if Father were here he would not be so hungry, and he hopes for a charitable person to help. A strong answer says whether it is bread, or someone to give it, that he needs most, and uses two things from the chapter.