Geppetto the woodcarver was just finishing carving a big puppet from a log of specially good wood.While he was carving the nose, it kept growing longer and longer, even when he carved off the tip.Then he put some hair on the wooden head, and as he painted the eyes blue, it seemed to him that the eyes blinked and winked at him.That's very funny. I thought my puppet winked.Well, well. Now, what shall I call him?Pinto? Peppy? Pinocchio?That's it. Pinocchio.That's a good name. I like it. Pinocchio.Good gracious me. Was that you who spoke, my puppet?It was and it is. I'm Pinocchio.Well, you are a special puppet. I'll tell you what. I'll teach you to walk. Without strings.Oh, I feel a bit stiff and new, you know. But with practice. Well, come on, let's begin.So Geppetto taught Pinocchio to walk.And then he told Pinocchio that it would be good to go to school.But he had no money to buy him a spelling book.So while Pinocchio was practicing, Geppetto went out, sold his only jacket, and bought back a spelling book.Here's your spelling book for school, Pinocchio.Now, off you go, straight down the road to the end.Turn left, and there you are. Work hard.All right. Why are you shivering and where's your jacket?I believe you sold it to buy me a spelling book.Oh, off you go now.And if you work well, you may some day become a real boy instead of a puppet.Goodbye.Goodbye.Down the road near the corner, Pinocchio saw a puppet show and went inside.There, he was loudly greeted by all the puppets dancing in the show for the audience.They were amazed that Pinocchio didn't need strings tied to his head and arms and legs to help him to move.And Pinocchio was very pleased with himself.And set to work to show the other puppets.How to walk without using the strings.Their master, Mr. Fire Eater, was delighted with his clever puppets.And when he found out Pinocchio had been carved by his old friend Geppetto, and that he was now a very poor man, he gave the puppets some gold coins to take home.Fire Eater told Pinocchio to hurry away to school or he would grow to be a donkey, not a boy.Pinocchio waved goodbye to all the puppets and started off for school, jingling his gold coins.At the corner, he was stopped by a fox and a cat who had heard the jingling coins.They asked Pinocchio all kinds of questions as they were determined to get those gold coins for themselves.Pinocchio, you're taking that money home to your father.Now, would you like to double it?We can show you how.Can't we, cat?Double it?Oh, yes.But how?Come with us to the Field of the Miracles.There we'll bury it.Now water it with some magic water, and tomorrow morning you will dig it up twice as much gold coins.That's true, isn't it, cat?So away they went to a field and buried the coins.Next morning, Pinocchio dug and dug, but there were no coins at all.And fox and cat were just nowhere to be seen.They had dug up the coins and run away with them hours before.Pinocchio sat down in the Field of Miracles and wept.But that didn't bring back the money or the wicked thieves, fox and cat.Then, just as he was trudging out of the field, he heard a voice.He looked up and saw a large bird hovering around him.Why are you weeping, puppet?And who are you?I've lost my money.I haven't been to school, and I don't know where my kind father is.Is your name Pinocchio?Yes, it is. Why?I was looking for you.I have a message.You had better go and rescue your father Geppetto.He went looking for you, and then he took a boat and rowed towards a small island to search.But a great storm came up, and we don't know whether Geppetto has drownedor swallowed up by a huge fish we saw swimming nearby.Oh, I'd do anything to help him.How can I get there?I could float on the water. I'm made of good wood.Better get on my back.You won't be too heavy for a while, and keep a sharp lookout for a boat or a huge fish.Pinocchio got astride the bird's back, and they searched and searched for days and days with no luck at all.Then, as the bird was very tired, Pinocchio decided to swim and float around near an island for a while by himself.He had had a lot of time to think about how kind Geppetto and others had been to him and how thoughtless he had been,and he promised himself that he would work for Geppetto and go to school,and maybe one day he might be good enough to become a real boy.While he was thinking sadly about Geppetto,he hadn't noticed that a huge old fish was around.He swam right beside him,and in a twinkling, the fish opened its great mouth and swallowed Pinocchio.Down he went into a dark, rather damp stomach.Oh dear, oh dear, what a dreadful thing to let happen.I must get out behind Geppetto.Was that a noise?It sounded like a voice.Hello?Is someone here?Hello?Oh, that sounds like...It sounds like Geppetto.Hello?Here I am.Over here.Oh dear, dear Geppetto.Now don't let us waste any time, but get out the next time this huge mouth is opened.No, Pinocchio.You go.You see, I can swim.Oh, I can float.I'm made of wood, and I can hold you up.Besides, we're near an island.Come on.Pinocchio was a good swimmer, too,and as the old dogfish slept with his mouth open,they soon escaped and floated and swam until they reached the shore.After resting and drying their clothes,Pinocchio went off to find some milk for poor Geppetto.At last he came to a shed where a farmer was milking cows,but the man made Pinocchio pump water for the farm in payment for the milk.And for months Pinocchio worked hard for food for them both,and after a time he saved enough to buy new clean jackets and shoes,and then they said goodbye to their friend the farmerand made their way home to Geppetto's cottage.With the money he had earned,Pinocchio was able to go to school,and Geppetto bought more wood and made some beautiful carvings which he sold in the market.Pinocchio learned so much at school and helped so much at homethat he became a real boy and not a wooden-headed puppet any longer.Pinocchio's father,Pinocchio,was a good boy,and his father,Pinocchio,was a good boy,