One bright and sunny morning, about a few weeks after Pinocchio's performance in the talent show, Pinocchio had just woken up and was getting dressed and ready for school. As he finished breakfast, he found a note from Geppetto on the table.
It read, "Pinocchio, I had to leave early this morning to run some errands in another town. I won't be back by the time you get home from school today either. Jiminy will be here to watch after you until I get back. I'll need you to be extra careful today. You can get yourself some lunch after school. I left you some money on the table. Other than that, don't go anywhere after school. Just come home. And I'm sure you know not to speak to strangers. I'll see you later this evening. One more thing, I heard they maybe a circus in town, but I can't take you because it's a school night. Maybe another circus, another time."
Love, Father."
Pinocchio grabbed his schoolbook and took the money Geppetto left him. He gave Figaro a pat on the head and locked the door as he hurried off to school.
If only he or Geppetto had been prepared for what was to happen that day. As the children of the village headed off to school many of them chattered among themselves.
"Have you heard at the circus being in town this week?"
"You mean Stromboli's circus? Have you even seen Stromboli's shows? They stink!"
"He's a rip off."
They all walked off to school for their day.
Nearby a tall sharply dressed fox was walking around town. With him was a flimsy looking cat dressed in ragged and worn out clothing. This fox happened to be Foulfellow, otherwise known as "Honest" John. This was the same fox who years ago when Pinocchio was a baby, Geppetto had run into unexpectedly, and was willing to discuss something with Geppetto, but not trusting of John, whether it was by gut instinct or something else, Geppetto politely declined. They had not seen each other since. The cat walking with him was his friend and sidekick, Gideon. Gideon was a bit of klutz, but he was loyal to his companion all the same. He also didn't usually talk. He was something of a mute.
Ah, Gideon, listen," Honest John said to his companion. "The merry laughter of little innocent children wending their way to school; thirsty little minds rushing to the fountain of knowledge, ha-ha! School, a noble institution. What would this stupid would be without…?"
Suddenly they noticed Pinocchio walking by.
"Now wait a minute," Honest John muttered as Pinocchio passed by. "I've seen that boy before. Something familiar about him. Where do I know him from?"
Gideon shrugged and nodded his head.
"Wait. I think I remember. He was the boy who played that live puppet without strings in that talent show a while back." Honest John suddenly realized. "I wonder. He had such talent. I wonder if…"
He noticed a poster of some kind. It was a circus advertisement.
"Well, Well. Stromboli. So that old rascal's back in town, eh? Ha-ha-ha. Remember, Giddy, the time I tied strings on you and passed you off as a puppet? Ha-ha-ha-ha." The fox laughed rather humorously maniacally. "We nearly put one over on that old gypsy that time. Hahaha! Had no idea he was still in business. Must be desperate to keep himself afloat! The big lump has fallen on hard times."
They followed Pinocchio to the school and saw him go in. John had an idea.
"Listen, Gideon. We'll wait until that boy is out of school, then we'll meet up with him somewhere. I think Stromboli could use a boy like that to save his failing circus. We could make a fortune. Why that old faker would give his- listen. If we play our cards right, we'll be on easy street or my name isn't Honest John. hahaha"
They quickly ran off to wait for school to be let out to enact their plan.
On his way home from school, Pinocchio bought himself a calzone for lunch. He was on his way home when John and Gideon followed him. As Pinocchio hopped along a stone wall, Foulfellow and Gideon hid on the other end. Foulfellow saw Gideon take out a wooden mallet, ready to strike.
"No, no, stupid." He grimaced as he took the mallet and bonked his feline sidekick on the head. "Don't be crude."
The fox then set his cane out through an opening in the wall.
"Ah yes, Giddy. As I was saying to the duchess only yesterday…."
But before he could say more, Pinocchio tripped over the cane and fell to the ground.
"Oh, my goodness.," he exclaimed with fake concern. "I'm so sorry, little boy. I didn't see you out there. I hope you're not injured."
"I'm alright," Pinocchio replied as Honest John helped him up. "I was just heading home from school. I didn't even see anything."
"Well, an honest mistake." Honest John had a look at Pinocchio's book, holding it upside down. "well, well. Quite the scholar I see. Look, Giddy, a man of letters."
He handed Pinocchio his book back.
"Thanks. I have to go now."
"I see. Why, my boy. Have you ever heard of the "easy" road to success?"
"uh-uh."
I'm speaking my boy of performing arts. Why, do you like to sing and dance, my boy?"
"Uh. Huh."
"Would you like to perform for someone right now?"
Pinocchio hesitated slightly.
"I seriously need to go. I'm not supposed to be talking with strangers. My father said so."
"Very wise of your father, my boy. I'm Mr. Honest John. But trust me. I can truly see it in you. The theater, the circus. You name it. Bright lights! Music! Applause! Fame!"
"Fame?" asked Pinocchio.
"Yes. And with that personality, that profile, that physique, why, he's a natural-born actor, eh, Giddy?"
"And I'm going…."
"Straight to the top!" The fox interrupted. "Why, I can see your name in lights...lights six feet high... What is your name?"
"Pinocchio.
"Pinocchio! P-i-n... u-o...P-i..." Honest John stuttered, having never heard such a name before.
"Oh, well. Now we aren't strangers anymore. Are we? Come. Have you heard there's a circus in town?"
"Why, no." Pinocchio answered. "I love going to circuses. But I..."
"Splendid. Why, that might be your chance. A circus performer. Come. Let's go!"
Pinocchio walked off with them as Honest John sang,
"Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee, an actor's life for me!
A high silk hat and a silver cane, a watch of gold with a diamond chain
Hi-Diddle-Dee-Doo, you sleep 'til after two
It's great to be a celebrity, an actor's life for me!
Pinocchio joined in,
"Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dum, an actor's life is fun
With clothes that come from the finest shop, and lots of peanuts and soda pop
Hi-Diddle-Dee-Doo, you sleep 'til after two
It's great to be a celebrity, an actor's life for me!"
Meanwhile, Jiminy came out of the house looking for Pinocchio.
"He should have been home by now, perhaps maybe he's still having lunch."
Heading out into town he was unaware what was going on. Before long, he heard Honest John singing as he passed by.
"Oh, boy. a parade!"
Jiminy decided to dance along as if marching when he suddenly heard Pinocchio singing along.
"Huh? Is that Pinocchio? What on earth is he….?"
He rushed over and climbed on top of the foxes' hat. He couldn't get Pinocchio's attention, so he had to whistle loud enough for everyone to hear.
"What was THAT?!" Honest John asked in surprise.
"Must be Jiminy. He probably came looking for me."
"Huh? Jiminy? What? Who?" He looked around but saw nothing. Jiminy was being rather elusive so as not to be seen.
"He's my best friend," Pinocchio explained. "He's helping me learn a bit more about…."
"Now, now, just relax, son. There's no one here." John said, but Gideon noticed him and prepared to strike with his cane. He made his move, but missed as Jiminy dodged and left Honest John's hat to be pressed down over his face.
"Mmph. Mmmphmmm," Honest John mumbled as he struggled.
"Psst, Pinocchio," Jiminy whispered to Pinocchio calling him over to a nearby brick wall.
"What do you think you're doing? You were supposed to come home."
"But Jiminy, they're taking me to the circus. I'm going to be an actor."
"Now, Pinocchio. Remember what I said about temptation?" asked Jiminy. "You're being tricked by it by running off with a stranger."
"Oh no, Jiminy. That's Mr. Honest John."
"Honest John?!" Jiminy exclaimed in surprise. "Hate to break it to you, but I don't feel like he could be as "honest" as his name claims him to be."
As Gideon and John struggled with his hat, from within the hat, Honest John yet out a loud yell.
"Get me outta here!"
"Now here's what you need to tell him. You can't go to the circus. You're sorry, but it's a school night, and you have to get back home," Jiminy explained.
"But Jiminy…"
"Just do what I say, Pinoke. You'll be better off. Now go on. Tell him. I'll meet you back at the house."
Though Pinocchio was willing to do as he was told, he was just about to tell Honest John he declined wanting to go to the circus and needed to go home, but Honest John told him, "But, my boy. You'd be missing the opportunity of a lifetime. I hear Master Stromboli is often looking for young talent. And you might be just what he's looking for."
"But I…"
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" John blurted. He and Gideon moved on with Pinocchio.
Jiminy did not like this at all.
"I better go and tell his father. No. That'll be snitching. I'll go after him myself."
So, he did. All he knew was that Pinocchio could be in trouble for disobeying his and Geppetto's orders and rules. So, he chased after them.
Before long, they arrived at a circus tent on the outskirts of town itself. The sign outside read, "Stromboli's amazingly amazing circus."
"You see, my boy. Stromboli's circus is guaranteed time of fun and excitement," Honest John explained. "Why perhaps this is the way to your stardom. Don't you want that?"
"Well, I…I…." stuttered Pinocchio. He wasn't sure what to say. He wanted to go home, but he wanted to have some fun too. Maybe even become a star or something. "I should really like to meet Stromboli."
"Well, then. I suppose I could ask for him Watch him, Gideon," John ordered and walked off.
Before long, Honest John came back with a large bald overweight man with a large beard and a mustache.
"So, you must be Pinocchio," he said to the boy. "John here told me you might have some talent."
"And you're….Stromboli?" Pinocchio muttered.
"Yes. Do you like to sing and dance, my boy?" Stromboli asked
"Oh yes. But I…."
"Splendid. I'm always on the lookout for young talent. People have been flaking on my shows for years. Saying, I'm nothing more than a stink bag! That my circuses are nothing but fakeouts!"
He then started muttering incoherently in Italian much to Pinocchio's sudden fright. Pinocchio now realized something was not right with Stromboli. But in a moment, Stromboli regained himself as he remembered he was in front of a child.
"Forgive me, Pinocchio. It just frustrates me that people say these things."
"It's alright. I would have felt the same," Pinocchio said innocently. "I…I guess I could try some things."
Stromboli led Pinocchio to a room inside the tent. As Pinocchio took a moment to look inside, Stromboli stepped out and spoke to honest John. He gave him a large sack of gold.
"That should be more than enough for him. He might be useful!"
The two con artists then zipped off as Jiminy was arriving.
"What kind of trouble is that boy getting himself into this time? I don't believe this."
Later that afternoon around early evening, people gathered around in the tent. Jiminy was watching from a vantage point.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Stromboli spoke out. "For tonight's final acts, a new act. A boy juggling on unicycle on a tight rope over a pool of water, and many other surprises. Introducing, Stromboli's newest performer, Pinocchio!"
Pinocchio had slight nerves having never rode a unicycle before. He knew if his father found out about this, he wouldn't hear the end of it, but he knew he didn't want to disappoint his new boss.
So, he took a deep breath and got himself ready to start up.
"okay. You can do this. Don't be afraid," he told himself. He climbed on top the one wheeled bike and maintained his balance with his juggling objects in his hands. Jiminy looked at the sight and was aghast.
"He's going to get himself hurt or worse. This is most definitely the kind of things a child like him shouldn't be done. If anything happens to him, why ol' Geppetto will never let me hear the end of it."
But contrary to what Jiminy was saying, Pinocchio was managing. Despite his nerves racking up in him, Pinocchio maintained his proper balance and managed to keep himself straight up forward and not messing up a single moment of his juggling.
People were amazed at seeing a boy so young manage such a dangerous act. Pinocchio felt relieved, but kept his focus so as not to mess up his balance and fall. Stromboli was grinning with delight, but little did anyone notice there seemed to be more than what it seemed, brewing beneath that face of his. After at least five minutes, as Pinocchio finished his juggling, Stromboli gave a signal, the tightrope came undone, Pinocchio fell, then a trampoline appeared over the pool of water, and Pinocchio bounced off on landed on his fit after a flip.
People applauded and Pinocchio took a bow with a relief and a smile.
"Well, I'll be," Jiminy thought to himself. "I never thought he'd make it through that. Well, I guess if he's going to be a circus performer. What would a boy like him want with a cricket for a pet now anyway?"
Meanwhile, Geppetto was at home with Figaro and Cleo. Geppetto paced back and forth.
"No sign of him. Fredrico's looked," Geppetto told himself. He was worried.
"What could have happened to him? Where could he be at this hour?"
Not a single scrap of food on the table had been eaten.
"I told him to come straight home after school. I'm going out to look for him again."
Geppetto grabbed his coat and lantern.
"Jiminy's missing too. Perhaps they went off somewhere. Cleo, make sure Figaro doesn't make any messes. Remember, no one moves or does anything else. Until I find him."
He went out into the cold. Figaro tried to grab a bite of food. But Figaro could only sit and frump as Cleo wouldn't let him.
Despite his spoiled attitude, Figaro couldn't deny, he was a bit worried about Pinocchio too.
Back at Stromboli's caravan, Stromboli was counting his coins and he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," he said in his burly accent. Pinocchio walked in.
"Gee, Mr. Stromboli. They seemed to really like me."
"Yes, Pinocchio! You were sensational you made me lots of coins today! I've never had such an outcome like this for a long, long time!"
But as he counted the coin, he found a piece of metal among them all. In a growl and a sudden outburst, he began grumbling obscenities in Italian language, but stopped when he remembered Pinocchio was listening.
"I'm sorry again, Pinocchio. Here. Take this."
Stromboli gave it to him as a gift in rewards for his efforts.
"Gee, thanks. I better get going though. My father's probably wondering where I am."
"Oh, you're going home, eh? Hahahahaha!"
"You mean it's funny?!" Asked Pinocchio.
They both started to have a laugh. Pinocchio was having such a giddy laugh; he didn't realize Stromboli picking him up. Stromboli suddenly blurted, "You're not going anywhere!"
"What are you doing?" Pinocchio shouted as he stopped laughing and realized something was wrong. Stromboli then threw him into a nearby cage and locked it.
"Wait! What is this?! What's happening?!" Pinocchio was frightened.
"THIS is your home now!" Stromboli growled.
"No! NO!" Pinocchio screamed.
"Yes! I see your talent! I'm going to use it!"
"You can't do this me!" Pinocchio cried. "I'm only 7! You can't do this to me!"
"SHUT UP!" Stromboli shouted. "You are now a part of this circus! For years, I've been dwindling and dwindling! People have criticized, mocked, even scorned me for the quality of my circus shows! But you! You will be my turn around!"
Pinocchio felt fear and terror overtake him. He realized now it was a mistake to trust that fox. He should have listened.
"No! I don't want to be a performer in this circus! I want to go home!"
"Never! You stay. And you make lots of money. FOR ME! We start tonight! We shall tour the world! Just picture it. The amazingly amazing Pinocchio. The 8th wonder of the world. My greatest….circus slave!"
Pinocchio began to rattle the cage.
"No! I won't let you do this! You let me out of here! I'll get the police you…."
"QUIET!" Stromboli yelled banging his fist on the nearby table. "Shut up! Before I knock you silly!"
Pinocchio understood what Stromboli wanted. He didn't want Pinocchio in the show for talent. Only profit.
"We will tour the world," Stromboli spoke. "Paris, London, Monte Carlo, Constantinople. And when you are growing too old, your fate…will be sealed!" Stromboli violently expressed with a sinister laugh. "Good night, my new little goldmine." Stromboli locked the door and left.
Pinocchio struggled to break out, but it was no use. As he heard and felt the caravan start to move, he grew even more horrified.
"HELP! SOMEBODY! PLEASE HELP ME!" He screamed. "Jiminy, where are you?! JIMINY CRICKET!"
A bolt of thunder struck in the sky. Pinocchio fell back onto the ground. Terrified and afraid, he began to cry.
"Oh, what have I done?" he muttered to himself. "What did I do to deserve this?"
Curling into a fetal position, he laid himself down and shuddered.
"Oh, father. I'm so sorry."
Giving up on trying to break the cage open, he submitted to himself. It began to rain
Jiminy walking away guilt-trodden in the rain, noticed the caravan going off.
"Maybe I should go and wish him well. He's off to travel the world I guess."
Jiminy hopped onto the carriage and crawled underneath the door.
"Pinocchio? Pinocchio, it's me, Jiminy. Where are you, pal?"
Hearing his friends voice, Pinocchio suddenly got up with jumped with joy and relief.
"Jiminy! Gee, I'm glad to see ya! Thank goodness!"
Jiminy looked at his friend's predicament and gasped.
"Good heavens, Pinocchio! What happened?!"
"Oh, he was mad. He said just cause I'm a kid, he's going to use me a slave to bring his profit up!"
"That's awful!" Jiminy exclaimed. "Then what happened?"
"He said when I'm growing too old, he was probably going to do something to me!"
"I had a bad feeling, Pinoke. We got to get you out of here, fast!"
Try as he might, Jiminy couldn't pick the lock.
"Must be one of the older models. I can't open it. Looks like we're stuck here."
"Gee," Pinocchio sighed in defeat.
Out in the streets of town, Geppetto searched everywhere.
"PINOCCHIOOOOO!" he called out, had it not been for the sound of thunder drowning his voice out as Stromboli's caravan passed by, Pinocchio could have called for help.
Geppetto, defeated and guilt trodden for leaving Pinocchio by himself all day, gave up and went home. He passed by and went to his room.
"Francesca, my dear. It seems I have failed. Pinocchio's gone."
Geppetto broke down in tears. The only thing he could do now was pray that somebody would find Pinocchio and bring him home.
Back in the caravan, Pinocchio sat in the cage with Jiminy, both feeling terrible.
"Someday, this turned out to be."
"I should have listened to you, Jiminy. It was all my fault. Guess I'll never see my father again!"
"Oh, it could be worse," Jiminy told him. "Be cheerful, LIKE ME!" his mood quickly changing.
Pinocchio let the tears fall from his eyes. Jiminy, feeling upset as seeing his friend this way tried to comfort him and dry his tears. Suddenly, Jiminy looked over and saw something by the carriage door.
"Pinocchio, look! The keys. It just might be the one to this cage. If we can get it, we might be able to escape."
"But how? It's all the way over there!"
"I got an idea! Pinocchio, I need you to lie."
Pinocchio was surprised. For all that he had been taught by his father, he never expected anyone to ask him to lie before. This was a first.
"But Jiminy, you know I can't do that. Lying is wrong. And..."
"I know, but trust me. Just do this. Quick, Pinocchio. Tell me why you didn't come home."
"Well, I… I was on my home from school. Til I met somebody. Two big monsters with green eyes," Pinocchio lied, even though the met somebody part was true. His nose grew out.
"Well, weren't you afraid?" Asked Jiminy.
"Uh, uh. But they tied me in a big sack!" Another few inches, his nose grew out.
"You don't say. And where was I?"
"They put you in a little sack. And how did I escape? I didn't. They chopped me into firewood, and ate the leftovers."
It was working. Every little lie was making Pinocchio's grow out long enough to reach the key, but one inch short. He was out of lies. Suddenly, Jiminy decided to say something. "It's working! Because you haven't been telling the truth."
"Oh, but I have. Every word!"
One extra few inches, his nose grew out, and Jiminy got the key.
"See? Now, quickly. Tell the truth and get your nose back so I can help. Hurry, and come clean."
As Pinocchio recounted the whole story with the truth, Every inch got Jiminy close to be cage, once he was close enough, Jiminy dropped the key in Pinocchio's hand and Pinocchio used it. The locked snapped open, and they escaped.
"Come on, Pinoke, let's get you out of here," Jiminy said. He and Pinocchio made their way out of the carriage quickly and ran towards the village.
"I'm never doing anything like that again. If I want to do something like perform maybe, I'm telling my father first!" Pinocchio said. He knew however his father was going to ask him to do a lot of explaining. So as they raced home, Pinocchio bumped into someone.
"Hey watch it, you little…..why, Pinocchio!" It was Honest John. "And how is the great young actor?"
"I don't want to be a circus actor! Stromboli was terrible."
"He was? My poor boy, what ever happened?" The fox feigning desperate concern asked.
"I'm not telling you anything. You tricked me! You lying creep!"
"It's called a hustle, my boy. Now, come here, let's see how we can…"
"Get away from me!" Screamed Pinocchio as he ran away. He saw his father nearby a building and called out to him.
"Father! Father!"
Geppetto raised his head and turned to face his son's voice.
"Pinocchio! There you are you! Thank goodness!" He shouted as he pulled the boy into his arms. "Where have you been? What happened?!"
Pinocchio was too nervous to straight up answer. "Well, I…I…"
"Tell me, Pinocchio! Do you know how worried sick I've been?! And you Jiminy, I thought you were supposed to look after him!"
Jiminy and Pinocchio explained everything just as Honest John walked up and confirmed his part in the debacle.
"You!" Geppetto shouted as he eyed the fox. I knew you were no good when I first saw you years ago."
"Now, Sir. Mr. Geppetto," Honest John said, trying to feign innocence. "I assure you, I only…"
"Silence, you no good trickster!" He growled as he got up and pinned Foulfellow and Gideon against the nearby wall.
Honest John gulped as Geppetto glared firmly at him fuming with a massive glare.
"If you EVER come near my son again!"
"No, I won't! Never again! I swear it! Right, Giddy?"
Gideon, fearful as his partner nodded yes, and ran off as Geppetto let them go. He then turned to Pinocchio with a mad look of disappointment on his face. Pinocchio hung his head.
"Father, I…."
"You deliberately disobeyed me, Pinocchio. I told you to come straight home after school!"
"Father, I'm sorry. I didn't know they were going to trick me."
"Come along, Pinocchio. We're going home! You're going to bed without supper and we'll discuss the rest of your punishment in the morning." Geppetto stated as he took Pinocchio and Jiminy home.
As they walked through the house door, Figaro looked and got ecstatic seeing Pinocchio home. But Geppetto's face was more than enough for him to see it was no time to play.
"Figaro, Pinocchio got into trouble and now he has to be punished. Now, Pinocchio go to your room and go straight to bed."
As Pinocchio climbed the stairs, he looked back at Geppetto stopping halfway. Before he could say anything, Geppetto silenced him. "Not…a word."
Pinocchio went to his room. climbed into bed in his pj's and cried. He felt horrible for what he had done. He knew for sure he was in big trouble. Suddenly as Jiminy climbed into his doll house there was a flash of light. A blue sparkle engulfed the room. And from out of it, materialized a beautiful woman with blonde hair dressed in blue with a pair of translucent wings on her back. Pinocchio's jaw dropped at the sight. Jiminy was flustered.
"Well, I'll be. A fairy. MmmmmMmmm."
"Who are you?" Asked Pinocchio.
The fairy looked down at Pinocchio and spoke in a soft voice.
"Pinocchio, I am called the blue fairy. I have been watching over you and your father since you were born," she explained.
"Why?" Pinocchio asked.
"Because Geppetto was afraid to raise you alone when he learned of the fate that was to befall your mother. The reason I came to you tonight, is to warn you. Since you were told about the fate of your mother, things have changed between you and your father. You're heading down a path he does not want for you."
"Whatever do you mean?"
"You're becoming a troublemaker, Pinocchio. Much like that boy, Lampwick. Is this what your mother would want?" She asked.
Pinocchio sighed and hung his head in shame. "No, it isn't what she would want."
"Then you must realize if you keep this up, no good can come of it. Your getting into a fight at school was only the beginning."
A thought occurred to Pinocchio's mind.
"Blue fairy, please. I have to ask you something."
"It's about your nose, isn't it?" she asked
"How did you know?" Pinocchio said, surprised she knew somehow what he wanted to know.
"Because you have sought an answer to that question all your life. Long ago, when you were still an infant, it was I who came into your home as your father watched over you and blessed with a spell. A spell to teach you honesty."
"Like a curse?" Jiminy asked.
"No," the blue fairy. "An enchantment. Allow me. I will show you both."
With a wave of her wand, the area surrounding Jiminy and Pinocchio suddenly changed. It was Pinocchio's room, but somehow different. Pinocchio realized this was his room as it was a long time ago, when he was a baby. He looked nearby and saw his father rocking a cradle.
"Is that my father?" asked Pinocchio.
"Yes," the blue fairy responded. We are in your room as it was a few months after you were born. "Your past self and your father's past self can neither hear nor see you. If you wish to see your past self, go and take a look."
Pinocchio and Jiminy took a look inside the cradle and Pinocchio, suddenly amazed at the sight of his past baby self fidgeting around in the cradle surrounded by blankets, blushed. "Gosh, Jiminy. That's me as a baby. Father said I was quite a handful back then."
"I must say, you were quite a cute looking little fella," Jiminy said.
It was then they noticed the blue fairy's light surrounding the room, and she materialized right in front of Geppetto.
Pinocchio and Jiminy watched as they spoke. The blue fairy then said, "Good Geppetto, you have given so much happiness to others, you deserved to have a child of your own. I come bearing a gift. One that shall teach him well. "Should ever a chance of honesty he blow, an inch or two, his nose shall be grown.""
Pinocchio watched as the blue fairy made her way over to his past baby self's cradle and spoke to him.
"Little boy born, o' divine. I bless thee. The gift of truth is thine." She placed her wand over the cooing infant as a sparkle of light surrounded him. The blue fairy showed past Geppetto a demonstration of this spell, by using an example of a lie to speak for the baby and allowed the child's nose to slightly extend.
So it was, that suddenly, in a flash Pinocchio and Jiminy were back in the present.
"Pinocchio, a bit of magic is always in the air. That's why I placed this spell on you. To help your father. A spell that cannot be reversed. The difference between the truth and a lie is in you. And should you be what your father is attempting to raise you to be, I may yet grant a special wish. Now, remember, Pinocchio, you must find your way again a long the straight and narrow path. And always let your conscience be your guide."
She vanished in a blue sparkle of light.
It was morning the next day when Geppetto called Pinocchio downstairs. Pinocchio knew it was time for a lecture. Pinocchio sat down and hung his head in shame.
"Pinocchio, I am very disappointed in you for your actions from yesterday." Geppetto said sternly. "I admire your bravery in coming to me when Foulfellow threatened you again, but that does not excuse you running off with him and his friend when you know you're not supposed to trust strangers, let alone run off with them. Do you have any idea, how heartbroken I would have been if I had found out what happened to you and you were already gone too far out?"
"Yes, Sir. I do," Pinocchio muttered in guilt.
"I would have never seen you again! You deliberately disobeyed me. And what's worse, you ignored Jiminy too!"
Pinocchio was at a loss for words.
"If you wanted to be a performer, you can't just run off and ask to be one, and if someone offers you such a thing, you need to tell me!"
"I tried to decline, but they wouldn't let me talk myself out of it. They tricked me." Pinocchio muttered in tears.
"I understand what happened to you and that is exactly the point I was trying to make! You can't just trust anybody no matter how nice they seem." Geppetto explained. "You are so lucky Jiminy went looking for you and didn't give up as I almost did."
"So, how much trouble am I in? What's my punishment?"
"Pinocchio, for your punishment, you are grounded for the entire weekend. Listen, son. Despite how mad I am at how much trouble you got into for being disobedient and such yesterday, I can't stay too mad at you," Geppetto explained calming himself down. "Regardless of the circumstances, I'm glad you're alright and that you told me what happened."
"You are?" Pinocchio asked.
"Yes. I am relieved you're home safe and such, but I'm afraid that doesn't excuse you being grounded. Now you know how it works, and your activities are restricted for the entire weekend."
"I understand, father. After my punishment is over, I promise never to run off with strangers ever again."
"Thank you, Pinocchio. Now, is that a sincere promise?"
"Yes, father. It is."
Geppetto wrapped his arm around Pinocchio and sat next to him.
"Pinocchio, I know I am hard on you sometimes. But I am for your own good. To protect you. I don't want to lose you the way I lost your mother. Do you understand that?"
Pinocchio nodded yes and walked off to the breakfast table. After breakfast, Pinocchio went off to school and came home later. The next day, Pinocchio did some Saturday morning chores and was made to clean the gutter as a punishment chore. After he was finished, Geppetto allowed some playtime. Pinocchio took his punishment that weekend rather responsibly for a 7-year-old. Later that evening, Pinocchio told Geppetto about the blue fairy appearing to him the night before.
"Yes, I remember that, Pinocchio. When she came to us. To tell you the truth, I had forgotten how long ago it had been. Since you handled your punishment so well, too, how about a little family time tonight? I know you still want me to earn your trust back completely, but I'm trying, son."
"Alright," Pinocchio said with a smile. So Geppetto placed Pinocchio in his lap and Figaro joined in too as Geppetto read Pinocchio a story about a young thief and a magic lamp. Once the story was over, Pinocchio went and ate his supper.
Even though it seemed this fiasco had been dealt with and it seemed the worst was behind Pinocchio and Geppetto, it only actually proved Pinocchio still had much to learn. He could only imagine how angry Stromboli could be once he found out his new "gold mine" escaped. But Pinocchio was willing to make good on his promise never to trust strangers again.