Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi    

Chapter 10: The Puppets Recognize Their Brother Pinocchio

Performer: Librivox - Phil Chenevert


When Pinocchio came into the little puppet theater, an incident occurred that almost produced a revolution.

The curtain had gone up and the play had already begun.

On the stage Harlequin and Punch were as usual quarrelling with each other and threatening every moment to come to blows.

All at once Harlequin stopped short and, turning to the public, he pointed with his hand to someone far down in the pit and exclaimed in a dramatic tone: "Gods of the firmament! Do I dream or am I awake? But surely that is Pinocchio!"

"It is indeed Pinocchio!" cried Punch.

"It is indeed himself!" screamed Miss Rose, peeping from behind the scenes.

"It is Pinocchio! it is Pinocchio!" shouted all the puppets in chorus, leaping from all sides on to the stage. "It is Pinocchio! It is our brother Pinocchio! Long live Pinocchio!"

"Pinocchio, come up here to me," cried Harlequin, "and throw yourself into the arms of your wooden brothers!"

At this affectionate invitation Pinocchio made a leap from the end of the pit into the reserved seats; another leap landed him on the head of the leader of the orchestra, and he then sprang upon the stage.

The embraces, the friendly pinches, and the demonstrations of warm brotherly affection that Pinocchio received from the excited crowd of actors and actresses of the puppet dramatic company are beyond description.

The sight was doubtless a moving one, but the public in the pit, finding that the play was stopped, became impatient and began to shout: "We will have the play—go on with the play!"

It was all breath thrown away. The puppets, instead of continuing the recital, redoubled their noise and outcries, and, putting Pinocchio on their shoulders, they carried him in triumph before the footlights.

At that moment out came the showman. He was very big, and so ugly that the sight of him was enough to frighten anyone. His beard was as black as ink, and so long that it reached from his chin to the ground. I need only say that he trod upon it when he walked. His mouth was as big as an oven, and his eyes were like two lanterns of red glass with lights burning inside them. He carried a large whip made of snakes and foxes' tails twisted together, which he cracked constantly.

At his unexpected appearance there was a profound silence: no one dared to breathe. A fly might have been heard in the stillness. The poor puppets of both sexes trembled like so many leaves.

"Why have you come to raise a disturbance in my theater?" asked the showman of Pinocchio, in the gruff voice of a hobgoblin suffering from a severe cold in the head.

"Believe me, honored sir, it was not my fault!"

"That is enough! Tonight we will settle our accounts."

As soon as the play was over the showman went into the kitchen, where a fine sheep, preparing for his supper, was turning slowly on the spit in front of the fire. As there was not enough wood to finish roasting and browning it, he called Harlequin and Punch, and said to them: "Bring that puppet here: you will find him hanging on a nail. It seems to me that he is made of very dry wood and I am sure that if he were thrown on the fire he would make a beautiful blaze for the roast."

At first Harlequin and Punch hesitated; but, appalled by a severe glance from their master, they obeyed. In a short time they returned to the kitchen carrying poor Pinocchio, who was wriggling like an eel taken out of water and screaming desperately: "Papa! papa! save me! I will not die, I will not die!"

    Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi    

Chapter 10: The Puppets Recognize Their Brother Pinocchio

Performer: Librivox - Phil Chenevert

Directions

Study the story for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read or listen to the story one or more times.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Study the vocabulary words.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Discuss the review questions.

Synopsis

The other puppets recognize Pinocchio as one of their own and stop the play to carry him on their shoulders. When the audience becomes upset, the showman grabs Pinocchio and hangs him on a nail. The showman decides to burn Pinocchio as firewood to roast his sheep dinner.

Vocabulary

Quarrel: An angry argument or disagreement, typically between people who are usually on good terms.
Firmament: The heavens or the sky, especially when regarded as a tangible thing.
Recital: The performance of a program of music by a solo instrumentalist or singer or by a small group.
Footlights: A row of spotlights along the front of a stage at the level of the actors' feet.
Showman: A person who produces or presents shows as a profession, especially the proprietor, manager, or MC of a circus, fair, or other variety show.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Recite the Book Information

  • Before and after reading or listening to the story, recite aloud the name of the author, the title of the book, and the title of the chapter.

Activity 2: Narrate the Story

  • After reading or listening to the story, narrate the events aloud in your own words.

Activity 3: Recite a Passage from the Chapter

Practice reciting aloud the following passage, with drama and feeling.

  • 'It is our brother Pinocchio! Long live Pinocchio!'

Activity 4: Dictate a Sentence from the Chapter

  • Step 1: Instructors write the sentence, and children copy it.
  • Step 2: Instructors say the sentence aloud, and children write it.
  • Sentence: That puppet would make a beautiful blaze.

Review

Question 1

Who are Harlequin and Punch?
1 / 5

Answer 1

Harlequin and Punch are puppets in the show.
1 / 5

Question 2

Why do the puppets stop the show?
2 / 5

Answer 2

The puppets stop the show to greet Pinocchio and carry him on their shoulders.
2 / 5

Question 3

Why does the audience get angry?
3 / 5

Answer 3

The audience becomes angry when the puppets stop the show.
3 / 5

Question 4

Who wants to use Pinocchio as firewood?
4 / 5

Answer 4

The showman wishes to use Pinocchio as firewood.
4 / 5

Question 5

Who does Pinocchio cry for as he is dragged toward the fire?
5 / 5

Answer 5

Pinocchio cries for his papa.
5 / 5

  1. Who are Harlequin and Punch? Harlequin and Punch are puppets in the show.
  2. Why do the puppets stop the show? The puppets stop the show to greet Pinocchio and carry him on their shoulders.
  3. Why does the audience get angry? The audience becomes angry when the puppets stop the show.
  4. Who wants to use Pinocchio as firewood? The showman wishes to use Pinocchio as firewood.
  5. Who does Pinocchio cry for as he is dragged toward the fire? Pinocchio cries for his papa.