Bedtime stories for littles

Pinocchio

Long ago in Italy there lived on old clock-maker named Geppetto. Tick-tick-TOCK! Tick-tick-TOCK! went all the clocks in his shop. When he worked, Geppetto felt happy. But when he rested, a sad feeling came over him. "Ah!" he would think. "All my life and no child to call my own!" So, one day Geppetto carved a puppet from wood in the shape of a boy.

The arms and legs could move. He cut and sewed a nice outfit for the puppet, as if it were a real boy. "I will call you Pinocchio," said Geppetto. That night, Geppetto lay the wooden puppet down onto the bed.

From out of the window, a big star twinkled bright. Geppetto looked out the window to the twinkling star.

"Bright star," said Geppetto. "If I could make one wish, it would be that I could have a real boy of my own." But of course, he knew that was not possible.

That night, the same big star swooshed right into Geppetto's room. It changed into a Blue Fairy! The Blue Fairy flew over to the bed.

"Little wood puppet," said the Blue Fairy. "In the morning, you will be able to walk and talk like a real boy." She tapped the puppet one time with her wand. "And if you can prove that you are brave and true, someday you will be a real boy."

Pinocchio's eyes opened.

"One more thing," said the Blue Fairy. Suddenly. a cricket appeared. He was dressed mighty fine -and could talk! "Meet the Cricket", said the Blue Fairy. He will stay with you to help you make wise choices."

nd with that, the Blue Fairy went swoosh and was gone! Out of the window and up into the night sky.

When Geppetto woke up the next morning, he said, "I will go take my puppet out of bed." But the bed was empty!

"Here I am, Father!" said Pinocchio from the other side of the room.

Geppetto swung around. "What? You can talk?"

"Yep! I am Pinocchio, your boy!"

"How can this be?" said Geppetto in shock. Then he said, "But who cares?" He rushed over and swept the wooden puppet into his arms. "Pinocchio, my son!" he said in great happiness.

Off to School

One day Pinocchio said, "I want to go to school, like other boys."

"Of course," said Geppetto. But he did not have the money to buy schoolbooks.

Later that day, Geppetto came back home with schoolbooks. "Now you can go to school," he said.

"But Father, where is your warm coat?"

With a wave of his hand Geppetto said, "No need to worry about that. What matters is that you will go to school tomorrow!" He did not want Pinocchio to know he had traded his warm coat to buy the schoolbooks.

The next morning, Pinocchio said good-bye to Geppetto.

He skipped along the path to school, humming as he went. The Cricket rode on his shoulder, happy, too.

Coming up to them on the path was a Fox and a Cat.

"And where are you going on this fine day?" said the Fox.

"I am going to school!" said Pinocchio.

"On such a fine day as this?" said the Fox. "It is too nice to be stuck inside school! You should come with us, to the fair."

"Listen to me," said the Fox. He put his arm around Pinocchio's shoulder. "Anything you need to know, you can learn at the fair."

"Really?" said Pinocchio.