Carlo Collodi of Florence, an Italian author wrote The Adventures of Pinocchio in 1883. Pinocchio has been conquering the hearts of generations of children ever since.
Pinocchio is a wooden marionette, carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan village. A marionette is a puppet manipulated using wires. However, the piece of wood from which he is derived is animated. Therefore, Pinocchio moves independently. Pinocchio is often depicted with a pointy hat, a jacket and a pair of coloured, knee-length pants.
Pinocchio is prone to lying and is often carried away by bad company. But Pinocchio always gets caught while lying; his nose grows long once he starts lying. This often lands him in trouble.
Let us now talk about some of the famous episodes from the novel. Pinocchio undergoes several funny transformations. He promises the Fairy with Turquoise Hair to become a real boy, flees with Candlewick to the Land of Toys, becomes a donkey, joins a circus, and becomes a puppet again. Thanks to the intervention of the Fairy in a dream, Pinocchio finally becomes a real boy.
Collodi’s original serial was meant to serve as a warning against bad behaviour. It ended with Pinocchio’s fatal hanging. However, the story’s fans were disappointed and Collodi’s publishers insisted that he resurrect Pinocchio and continue the puppet’s adventures.
Pinocchio is a cultural icon now. He is one of the most re-imagined characters in children’s literature. He has been adapted into films as well, the most notable one being the one made by Disney.
Picture Credit : Google