Six - A Granted Wish and a Riddle
The Blue Fairy looked around the room with a smile, while Maria shyly stuck her head out from her hiding place; Jiminy Cricket also peeked out from inside the wooden pipe and softly smiled, "As I live and breathe, a fairy! Mmmm-mmm!"
The Blue Fairy turned her head and saw Maria hiding behind a wall. The Fairy smiled and softly said, "Do not be frightened, Maria. I have heard Gepetto's wish, as well as your own. Please come out."
Maria slowly stepped forward from the wall and asked, "Wh-who are you?"
The Fairy said, "I am the Blue Fairy. Years ago, I helped your father find love with your mother. Now I am here to help you and Gepetto. I have heard your wishes, and I can help to grant them." Maria gave a big smile as the Blue Fairy then went over to the foot of Gepetto's bed and said softly, "Good Gepetto, you have given so much happiness to others, you deserve to have your wish come true!" She then walked over to where Pinocchio was, waved her wand, and said as she tapped the puppet with it, "Little puppet made of pine, wake! The gift of life is thine!"
Maria watched with awe and wonder as light shone onto Pinocchio. Suddenly, the puppet's strings disappeared, and he began to move his body a little bit!
As Pinocchio rubbed his eyes, Jiminy Cricket saw the ordeal and said amazement, "Phew! What they can't do these days!"
Meanwhile Pinocchio looked at his hands and said, "I can move!" The marionette then covered his mouth before exclaiming with delight, "I can talk!" The blue fairy chuckled as Pinocchio stood up and tried walking by crying out, "I can walk!" However, because he was brought to life only a few minutes ago, the puppet fell back down on his backside.
"Yes, Pinocchio," said the Blue Fairy, "I've given you life."
"Why?" Pinocchio asked.
"Because tonight, Gepetto wished for a real boy," the Blue Fairy replied with a smile.
"Am I a real boy?"
"No, Pinocchio," the Fairy said, "To make Gepetto's wish come true will be entirely up to you and Maria, here."
"Up to me?" the puppet asked, "And what's a Maria?"
"That's me," Maria said as she stepped forward towards the puppet, "I'm kinda like your big sister!"
"That's right," the Blue Fairy said. She turned to Pinocchio and continued, "Prove yourself brave, truthful, and unselfish; and someday, you will be a real boy!"
"A real boy!" Pinocchio cried with excitement.
Jiminy Cricket, who was watching from the shelf above, commented with a smile, "That will be easy!"
Meanwhile, the Fairy was telling Pinocchio, "You must learn to choose between right and wrong, and Maria will help you."
"Right? Wrong?" Pinocchio questioned as he looked at his hands, "But how will I know?"
"How will he know?" Jiminy said to himself with slight annoyance.
"You'll see in time, silly!" Maria chuckled.
"Yes," said the Blue Fairy, "And your conscience will tell you."
"What are conscience?" Pinocchio asked.
"What are conscience?" Jiminy repeated. Just when Maria was about to answer for her puppet brother, the cricket floated down with his umbrella and said, "I'll tell ya! A conscience is that still, small voice that people won't listen to!" After landing by Pinocchio, the cricket pulled a box of matches over to stand on. "That's just the trouble with the world today," he continued.
"Are you my conscience?" Pinocchio asked him.
"Who, me?" Jiminy asked.
Maria laughed and said, "Silly Pinocchio, that's a cricket! It's a kind of bug!"
The Blue Fairy also chuckled and leaned over to ask Jiminy, "Would you like to be Pinocchio's conscience?"
The cricket looked up at the fairy and stammered as he blushed, "Well, I, uh, um, I… uh-huh."
The Fairy laughed and said, "Very well. What is your name?"
Jiminy replied as he moved his hat, "Oh, uh, Cricket's the name – Jiminy Cricket!"
"Kneel, Mr. Cricket!" the Fairy said with a smile.
Jiminy was puzzled at first, but then he kneeled as if he were about to be knighted. "No tricks, now," he said.
The Blue Fairy held up her wand and then gently tapped Jiminy Cricket as she said, "I dub you Pinocchio's conscience. Lord high keeper in the knowledge of right and wrong, counselor in moments of temptation, and guide among the straight and narrow path. Arise, Sir Jiminy Cricket!"
The cricket stood up and saw that he was wearing a brand new outfit – he now wore a black dress jacket, an orange vest over a white shirt and yellow tie, light brown slacks, and black shoes with yellow spats; he also had a brand new blue top hat, and new umbrella. "Well!" he said with a chuckle, "My, my! Mmmm, say! That's pretty swell!"
Maria added, "Oh, you look very dashing for a cricket, Jiminy!" She turned to the Blue Fairy and asked, "I don't mean to sound rude, Miss Fairy, but what about my wish?"
The Blue Fairy smiled and said, "Oh, Maria, I'm afraid your wish can be achieved only if you help Pinocchio achieve Gepetto's wish, first. You must prove to be a responsible, caring, and brave older sister for Pinocchio, and someday your wish will come true."
"What about my real papa?" Maria added with concern, "Is he still alive somewhere or is he dead?"
The Fairy thought for a moment, and then said with a smile, "You will find him. I will give you a riddle as clue. Now listen carefully – make your loved ones proud; find the sign; you will see the answer in a matter of time."
"Make my… sign?" Maria wondered.
The Blue Fairy said, "One more time. Make your loved ones proud; find the sign; you will see the answer in time."
Jiminy Cricket was still admiring his clothes when he said to the Fairy, "Gee, thanks. But uh, don't I get a badge or something?"
"Well, we'll see!" said the Blue Fairy.
"You mean, maybe you will?" Jiminy asked with enthusiasm.
"I should wonder!"
The cricket slapped his fist and requested, "Make it a gold one?"
"Maybe," the Blue Fairy said. She turned to Pinocchio and said, "Now remember, Pinocchio, be a good boy. And always let your sister – and your conscience be your guide!" As she said those last few words, the Fairy stepped back and disappeared in a cloud of sparkles!
"Goodbye, my lady!" Jiminy called softly.
"Goodbye," Pinocchio repeated with a wave.
Maria, meanwhile, was still studying the Blue Fairy's riddle on how to find her father, Marco. "Make loved ones proud," she thought, "Find the sign… what sign? This doesn't make any sense." But then she remembered about how proud Marco – and Gepetto – would be if she helped Pinocchio along by being responsible, brave, and caring. "I'm gonna become somebody important," she told herself, "I don't know how, but I am!" She then began to sing:
Proud of your girl
I'll make you proud of your girl
Believe me, shy as I've been, Papa
You're in for a pleasant surprise!
She walked over to a window and continued:
I've wasted time
I've wasted me
So say I'm slow for my age
A late bloomer, okay
I agree.
As she looked out at the stars, Maria imagined herself wearing a blue dress with white trimming, a teal blue headband with a star in the center, a pearl necklace, blue flat shoes, and her hair done in a low bun. She danced among the stars as she sang:
That I've been one frightened kid
Some gal, some fear, but some joy
But I'll get over this tearing up
Messing up, screwing up times!
She then envisioned Marco coming over to her and embracing her with a hug.
You'll see, Papa, now comes the better part
Someone's gonna make good
Cross my silly heart!
Make good and finally make you
Proud of your girl!
Marco danced with his daughter a little bit as Maria kept singing:
Tell me that I've been a mouse and a loafer
You won't get a fight here, no sir!
Say I'm a goldbrick, a goof-off, a low-down
But that couldn't be all that I am!
Marco led his daughter to a bridge made out of a crescent moon, and a river of clouds flowed under it.
Water flows under the bridge
Let it pass, let it go
There's no good reason
That you should believe me
Not yet, I know!
Marco and Maria went up the "bridge," and then slid down it, landing on a silver star.
But someday and soon
I'll make you proud of your girl
Though I can't make myself taller
Or smarter, or pretty, or wise
I'll do my best, what else can I do?
Marco was about to kiss his daughter on the forehead when he disappeared, and we then go back to inside Gepetto's workshop, where Maria put her head on her hand and finished the song;
Since I wasn't born perfect
Like Pinocchio or you
Papa, I will try to
Try hard to make you
Proud of your girl.
Maria hung her head away from the window, but then she went back over to check on Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket.
Author's Note: The song "Proud of Your Boy/Girl" is from Aladdin: The Musical ((c) Disney)