While Geppetto and the police were on the look out for Pinocchio, there was talk among the villagers. Most of Pinocchio's schoolmates couldn't believe he would do such at thing as run away.
"I knew something had been bothering Pinocchio for so long, but I never thought he'd do that. He was often so sweet and kind."
"Often, yes. But he has been getting into trouble quite a lot since he has had that birthday party of his."
Most of the other villagers had their thoughts.
"I knew it. I just knew it. that little Pinocchio was a troublemaker from the start."
"Well, who can blame him? The kid's mother wasn't able to live for him! For goodness sakes, any child could be affected by something like that!"
"Maybe he ran off because he thinks Geppetto is not the father he should have been having and he went off looking for a new family."
"Ridiculous! Even if that were so, all the kid really wants is to have his dead momma back!"
"Which is a ridiculous thing to have any hope for in the first place!"
Back at Geppetto's house, Beatrice and Martina came by to comfort Geppetto.
"I'm sure he's alright. You looked for him today. The police are still searching. Jiminy's out there too. Somebody will find him. I know it," she told him.
"I don't know," Geppetto said tearfully. "I can't help but feel it was my fault. All because I tried to hide Francesca from him. Maybe he's right. It probably is my fault she died. I wasn't able to save her"
"Mr. Geppetto, it's okay," Martina assured him. "When she was sick, I'm sure you did the best you could for her."
"I did," Geppetto said fiddling with Pinocchio's old doll. "I only wish I could have done more. What am I going to do?"
Meanwhile in the forest, Pinocchio was sitting by an old river, thinking to himself.
"Mother, why did you have to die?" He asked in his sorrow. "All my life I've been failing to see how blessed I was with father; how lucky I was to have not grown up an orphan like he did. Yesterday, I blamed him for what happened to you, but I guess…I'm the one I should blame. Were it not for me, you'd still be alive. Even if you can't come back, I just wish I could tell you I'm…I'm sorry."
Tears came out of Pinocchio's eyes once again.
"All I know is this. I'll probably never be happy again. And father probably couldn't care any less," he said tearfully.
"Maybe I'm better off without him. If I can't have you either, then I have nothing."
Pinocchio sat to himself in the forest all day crying. In sad song, he thought to himself,
"If only I knew what my heart was telling me
Don't know what I'm feeling Is this just a dream?
Ah oh, yeah If only I could read the signs in front of me
I could find the way to who I'm meant to be
Ah oh, if only If only If only"
So it was Honest John who suddenly came out of nowhere.
"Why hello, Pinocchio. It's been quite a while. Why my dear boy, whatever is the matter?"
"Why do YOU care?" Pinocchio asked the fox remembering his previous encounter. "You shouldn't even be near me after what happened before."
"Of course, of course," Honest John complained in fake sympathy. "But please, do tell me what troubles you. I wish to know."
Pinocchio looked up and said, "nobody, not even my own father cares about me anymore. All I want was for my mom to come home, but instead it's been nothing but trouble."
"I'm so sorry to hear about that. Perhaps I can help you."
"What could YOU do that help me?" Pinocchio asked in a non-trusting manner.
"Well, what I think could cheer you up is a trip to place called Pleasure Island. A happy land of care free boys, where everyday is a holiday. And kids can do anything they want! And no parents to tell you anything!"
Pinocchio's curiosity peaked as Honest John asked him,
"Shouldn't there be a place where nothing is naughty, Shouldn't there be a place where anything goes,
Where "shouldn't," and "can't," and "don't," and "mustn't," and "ought," evaporate, And fun's the only biz, guess what, there is!
Pleasure Island, Pleasure Island, It's that what's for supper, Candy, Cake and Pie-Land,
See that window, why not break it, See that toy there, Aw just take it!
And you'll never have a lesson, or a chore to do, Rules and Limits,
Kiss Goodbye land,
Pleasure Island welcomes you!
"Well," Pinocchio said. "I don't know. I thought only bad kids go there,"
"Nonsense," Honest John explained. "Every little boy can go there, good or bad. The coach departs this evening!"
"Well, since my own father doesn't seem to care about me anymore, and it's obvious my mother isn't coming back, I guess I can! Yes! I want to go!"
As Pinocchio took Honest John's hand, they both sang,
"Hi-diddle-dee-dee, it's Pleasure Isle for me Where every day is a holiday, and kids have nothing to do but play! Hi-diddle-dee-doo, if what I hear is true At noon each day, there's a big parade The river's flowing with lemonade A land of pudding and marmalade It's Pleasure Isle for ME!"
It wasn't long before Jiminy spotted them.
"Pinocchio! Now want do you suppose…? Welp, I better go after him."
So he did. later around later that night, the coachman after gathering up as many boys as possible, took the carriage carrying the boys.
Pinocchio noticed a familiar freckled ginger haired boy.
"Lampwick! What are you doing here?"
"Why Mr. Honest John and this coachman fella offered me to come to pleasure island. Ever been?" Lampwick asked.
"Uh-uh, but I heard…"
"Me neither. But they say it's a swell joint. No rules, no school, no cops, no parents, you can tear the joint apart! Plenty to eat, drink, do and it's all free! I can hardly wait!"
"I might need it. Had fight with my father and…."
"Ah, what does that old fossil of a man for your pops know? Never even knew mine, and didn't care."
"Well, I guess it should be fun then!" Pinocchio grinned with excitement.
Little did they know, Jiminy was hiding underneath the carriage.
"Well, here we go again," he told himself.
Soon, Pinocchio and Lampwick joined all the other boys on a ferry leaving the docks sailing off too pleas Island. With Jiminy stowing on board.
Meanwhile at Geppetto's house, the police stepped through the door. Geppetto rushed down the stairs. Frederico was with them.
"Did you find him?!" He asked with a glimmer of hope.
"No. Only a witness," one of the officers said. "A carriage was spotted heading for the docks earlier this evening with boys from several villages. We noticed a few from this one. We have no confirmation, but we believe your son was among them."
Geppetto's heart started beating fast.
"Where are they?" He asked.
"They're said to be headed out to where careless troublemaking boys have said to have ended up," Fredrico explained. "Pleasure Island."
Geppetto couldn't help fearing the worst. He went and grabbed his coat.
"I'm going after him!"
"Geppetto, no! It's too dangerous," Fredrico warned. "If the ferry taking the boys has already left, then it's not worth it to pursue. You know as well as I do what lies out in the open sea."
"Fredrico, my friend. I must go. I will not lose the last thing I have left of Francesca. I am going after him."
"Are you sure that wish to risk your life for this, Signore Geppetto?" the constable asked him.
"Listen to me, Constable. I might be crazy to try and do this. But I am not coming home without my son!"
"Then you can go and look for him! Or you can stay here until he's hopefully found by Jiminy and brought safely too, unlikely. Either way," Fredrico warmed grimly. "You go out there, you probably won't be coming back here alive."
Geppetto pondered for a moment. But his mind was made up.
"I've made my choice, Fredrico. Make sure Figaro and Cleo are taken care of until I get back."
As Geppetto was heading upstairs to gather his necessities he looked at Figaro.
"Listen, Figaro. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but Fredrico will look after you. I won't be back until I find Pinocchio. I promise as soon as I find him, we'll come back. Be good, Figaro."
He walked off leaving the poor little kitty to sadly mope, realizing both of them had now gone, but with small glimmer of hope his friends would come back for him.
So it was Geppetto set out to find his son. Even if it was going to have take him out to open sea. He figured whether or not it was true Pinocchio was headed that way, he might as well start out there.
Meanwhile, the ferry had arrived at Pleasure Island as all the boys disembarked, and Pinocchio watched the gates open to the sight of the giant amusement park which covered the whole island.
"Well, then, ready to go, huh?" Asked the coachman to him.
"Yeah! I certainly am," he said as he rushed off to join the other boys.
Little did he know, the coachman was staring with a rather sinister smirk.
"Hehehe. Give a bad boy rope," he chuckled. "And he'll soon make a jackass of himself."
Everywhere he looked Pinocchio saw all the boys having the time of their lives. And without even the slightest hint of hesitation he decided to join in. Children every where were getting in messes in mudpuddles, dominating for control of the rides and grabbing all the sweets they could, even committing vandalism on the model house standing with a sign, "open for destruction." Pinocchio caught up with Lampwick.
"Hey you know what, Lampy? Being bad's a lot of fun. Ain't it?"
"Yep. This sure is the life, Pinokie," Lampwick retorted. "So come on, let's go poke somebody in the nose or something at the rough house! Just for the fun of it!"
"The rough house. Then rough house. It's the roughest toughest joint. Come on in a pick a fight, boys," said the statue.
"Yes, let's!" Pinocchio interjected signing as were all the other boys about their new found freedom.
"Wouldn't you like to play and party forever? Wouldn't you like to fight and frolic and fuss? To stomp on the mud and get real dirty never apologize? If that's your sort of thing, then let's all sing!
Pleasure Island Pleasure Island
It's that "What's for supper? Candy, cake, and pie " land!
See that window? Let's go break it See that toy there? We'll just take it
'Cause they think we're really smart When we act really dumb
Schools and bedsides Kiss goodbye-land Pleasure Island Here we come!"
Jiminy was forced to run about so much given his small size dodging step after step of all the children on the island. Looking through every group he could, he was unable to keep up with Pinocchio.
"I don't like this place. Not one bit. There's just something not right!" He thought to himself.
Back at town, Geppetto reached the docks, and using everything he had, built himself a make shift boat. The docks master came and warned him. Beware the whale, my friend. Those who have come across him are never seen again."
"I don't care," Geppetto said to him. "I'm going out to find my son. I'll start out there and I won't stop searching until I find him, it's my fault he ran away and I'm going to make things right. I must."
Geppetto rowed out to sea.
"Oh, please. Pinocchio," he muttered. "If you're out there, I just want you to know I'm sorry, son. I'm coming to find you and I will start making things right with you.
Before long he was out of reach from town.
Meanwhile, on Pleasure Island, Pinocchio was having the time of his life.
"I'm loving it here!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. Come on, Lampwick, let's got to the pool hall!"
"Now you're talking!" Lampwick agreed. "I'm going to tobacco rows to get us some cigars! I'll meet you there."
"See ya!" Pinocchio called as he ran off.
Later on, the place was starting to become deserted. Jiminy wandered around looking for Pinocchio in a messy trashed landscape.
"It's quiet. Too quiet," Jiminy said suspiciously. "Wonder what happened to everybody."
As he pondered this, he headed towards the giant eight ball. Inside it was the billiards hall. Inside, Pinocchio and Lampwick were by themselves.
"Hey, Lampy! Where do you suppose everybody went off to?"
"I don't know," said Lampwick. "What do you think it matters? You're having fun, ain't ya?"
"Uh-huh," said Pinocchio. "Hey, can you teach me how to play pool?
"Sure, let me show you how it goes."
Lampwick showed him how to play pool, and then Pinocchio got up and tried it out, he heard someone shout his name.
"PINOCCHIO!"
He was suddenly startled he slipped and tore up the table with the cue. He saw Jiminy standing on top of one of the balls. Jiminy was angry.
"So, this is where I find you! Don't you even have any idea the trouble you're in?! Look at yourself, picking mudfights, smoking, playing pool! What would your mother think?! Do you have any idea how upset your father's going to be when he finds out about this?!"
He kicked the 8 ball and winced and pain, then he shouted. "You're coming right home with me this minute!"
"Hey, is this the beetle you talk about?!" Lampwick asked picking Jiminy up by his coat.
"You put me down right now, you big hoodlum. Why I oughta…"
"Yeah, what's it to you, Grasshopper?" Lampwick rudely responded throwing Jiminy onto the table.
"Grasshopper?! Why, you impudent young puck! It wouldn't have hurt for you to have learnt to have respect your grasshopp, I mean, your elders! If you even had a conscience!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure," Lampwick said. "Screwball in the corner pocket," he added.
Jiminy was knocked into a hole by a ball, the other ball went in too. When Jiminy landed in the ball pit, he ran out of the way of the number 8 ball. Lampwick cracked up laughing as Jiminy climbed out of the hole and climbed on top and begin to get angrier.
"You foolish young hoodlum! I'll knock your block off! I'll take you apart and…"
"Jiminy, stop! Look, Lampwick is my friend now." Pinocchio blurted. Jiminy was appalled at what he just heard.
"He's your friend now?! And what am I?! Just some little bug you brought in from the streets?!
"What's it matter to you if he's my friend now or not?!" Pinocchio blurted. "You're not my father."
"You truly have changed. You're not the Pinocchio I once knew! So that settles it."
Jiminy grabbed his coat and started to storm off.
"But Jiminy…."
"You buttered your bread. Now sleep in it!"
"Jiminy, Lampwick says a guy only lives once," Pinocchio said.
"Lampwick?! hmmph!"
As Jiminy stormed off, he found a door he never noticed before. He slid under and found a cave where the coachman was gathering a bunch of donkeys. He was loading them into crates onto the boats as if to be shipped off.
The coachman pulled one up and spoke to it. It only brayed in response.
"okay, you'll do!"
The coachman took another one up. The poor donkey seemed sad and was in a sailor suit. He asked it, "what might your name be?"
"Alexander," the donkey responded speaking with the voice of a boy.
"So, you can still talk?!"
"Yes, sir," the young donkey cried. "I want to go home to my mama!"
"This one can still talk!"
The coachman grabbed him and threw him into a cage with several other boys turned into donkeys!
No! Please! I don't want to be a donkey! Let me out of here!" The boys all cried out.
"Quiet!" The coachman yelled slashing his whip. "You boys have had your fun! Now pay for it!"
Jiminy suddenly realized something.
"Boys, so that's what...Oh no! I gotta get Pinocchio out of here! Pinocchio!"
Jiminy raced towards the billiards hall hoping to catch Pinocchio before he was too late. He came in just as Pinocchio was about to take a swig with Lampwick when Jiminy burst in.
"Pinocchio, listen to me," Jiminy said "We have to leave now! This place is evil! The kids, the boys they're all donkeys!"
"I don't have to listen to anyone here!" Pinocchio interjected. "It's Pleasure Island."
"Pinocchio, please! This place isn't safe. I need to get you to your father!"
"I know what my father will have to say to me! That I'm just a big disappointment! He didn't believe what I wanted, so he didn't want me? Well now I don't want HIM!"
"Pinocchio, please! There's no time! I have to get you home."
Pinocchio threw his mug down.
"I AM HOME!" He screamed. "I'm staying here on pleasure island! So what if I'm behaving like a ja...hee haw!"
Pinocchio suddenly covered his mouth.
"What just happened to me?" he said. "Did THAT come out of ME?"
Jiminy nodded in fright
Suddenly, Pinocchio noticed Lampwick acting strange.
"oh, I don't feel so good! I..I…what's wrong with me…I feel like...hee haw!" Lampwick brayed too.
Lampwick suddenly felt a pair of furry ears growing his own usually were and then his face became that of a mule as a tail grew out of his rear end.
"Huh. What the…what's going on?"
"Lampwick! Look!" Pinocchio screamed pointing to a mirror. Lampwick looked and screamed in horror.
"I've been double-crossed! Help! Help! I've been framed! Help! Please, Pinocchio, do something!"
Pinocchio backed up against the wall gasping in shock as Lampwick's hooves turned to hands.
Lampwick let out one last call for help.
"Mama! Maaaaaaamaaaaaaa!"
But it was too late. The transformation was complete. There was Lampwick on all fours. His voice replaced by brays. Lampwick went wild and destroyed the room as he ran off and disappeared. Before Pinocchio could even think about what he just saw, he suddenly felt a pair of ears grow on him too.
"Ohhh! What's happening?! What do I do?!" He screamed as a tail grew from him too.
"Hurry, Pinoke! We got to get out of here!" Shouted Jiminy. "Come on! Before you get any worse!"
They both rushed out from the park and all the way to a cliff on the edge of the island.
"We're gonna have to jump for it. It's the only way! I'll hold onto your tail."
Pinocchio took a short deep breath and jumped off the cliff into the lake below. Once he recuperated and gained his full sense back, he emerged from the water and swam for shore.
Once he was back on dry land with Jiminy, he took a moment to breath with Jiminy nearby. Pinocchio felt his head and noticed something.
"Hey! Jiminy. my ears, they're normal again. And my tail's gone. Phew, that was close."
"Well, that's a relief," said Jiminy. "At least it's feels good to be back on dry land and away from there."
"Is that so?" Pinocchio and Jiminy turned around and saw the coachman standing nearby. He suddenly knocked Jiminy aside and picked up Pinocchio by the suspenders.
"Never has a child ever escaped from Pleasure Island before, Pinocchio. You got lucky! But by doing so you didn't quite learn the lesson you probably should have!"
"Why did you do this to all those poor boys?!" Pinocchio asked
"Because all bad little boys make Jackasses of themselves in the end," the coachman answered with a sinister grin. "But you're out of luck. I caught you and taking you back to join your little friend."
"No, you won't!" Pinocchio growled as he punched the gentleman in the eye causing him to be dropped.
"You little brat! I'll make you pay for that!" The coachman shouted, but just as he was advancing, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Much to Pinocchio and Jiminy's surprise, he was transforming…into a jackass, just like all the other boys. Much like Lampwick, he ran off braying and kicking until he was out of sight.
"Well, what an irony," said Jiminy. "But Pinocchio, I have so much to say right now!" He scowled at Pinocchio.
Pinocchio stood up and hung his head.
"What were you thinking running away from home like this? Do you have any idea how horrified your father would have been seeing what had almost just happened to you?!"
"Jiminy, I'm really sorry! I…."
"All this because you can't stop dreaming about your mommy! You are so lucky I found you! Your father, he's probably worried sick!"
"What does he care? He doesn't know me like he thinks he does! Nobody does. They don't believe like I did!"
"When is it gonna be enough for you, Pinocchio?! Things happen all the time. Sometimes they even go wrong! You can't predict, you can't change it!" I don't know what your father's gonna have to say about any of this but I'm gonna tell you this right now I hope you learned just now. Throwing away everything your father did for you and running off acting like a jack ass won't bring your mother back!"
Pinocchio begin to break down. He knelt on his knees in tears.
"I'm sorry she died, but it was a long time ago. You want the impossible, Pinocchio. You would think everything your father did, you would learn to be a little more grateful."
"But how would you know what it's like?! What I've been through living without her?"
"Because Pinocchio, when I was young, I lost my parents too."
Jiminy explained the whole story of his childhood to Pinocchio. Pinocchio felt sorry for his friend.
"Gee, Jiminy. I had no idea. I'm so sorry," Pinocchio told him. "I guess you and I are a bit more alike than I thought."
"I guess," Jiminy said.
"Jiminy, thank you for coming after me and saving my life. I'm really so sorry. Sorry for everything I said."
"It's ok, pal. I forgive you."
"Thanks, Jiminy. How are we gonna get home? Do you think we should ask the fairy for help? What do I tell her?"
"You might tell her the truth!"
Suddenly, a blue flash of light came onto the shore and out of it came the blue fairy.
"Blue Fairy! Gee, I'm awfully glad to see you," said Pinocchio.
"I'm afraid I don't know if I share your sentiments, Pinocchio," she said rather firmly. "I understand your emotional frustration with your father and other things, but your behavior certainly has not seemed to show much improvement since we last met. I warned you of the path you were heading on."
"Well, he's still pretty lucky, Milady. He would have Completely transformed into one had it not been for me."
"Exactly. Pinocchio, it was I just now who transformed the coachman into a donkey. To punish him for what he did to these boys. And to tell you, that you have failed again. Pinocchio. I once before met a boy who once asked me for help, and I told him to be good, but he didn't do you know what I did. I turned him into wood like one of your father's marionettes. Is that what you would want?"
"No, mam," Pinocchio replied with some tears in his eyes. "All I want is to see my mother. That was my wish, but if I can't make that wish come true, then what can I do?"
The blue fairy looked down at him and said, "Pinocchio, Magic cannot be used for a quick fix. Just because it's magic doesn't mean it's simple like that."
"I realIze that now, but even so, I guess she wouldn't want me after everything I've done. But I don't care anymore about that. I just….I want to go home to my father. That's all I want now. I swear, once I do, I'll never run away again. Honest I won't. I'll try a little harder to do better to be what my father wants me to be!"
Jiminy stepped in.
"Please, your honor, uh miss fairy. If he got turned into anything else, his father would indeed be very unhappy. And besides, he's just a child. And he's my friend. Give him another chance, please. Let him earn his redemption. For my sake, and his fathers. "Huh?" He asked fluttering his eyes at the fairy.
She smiled and said to Pinocchio, "I'll forgive you this once. But remember, a boy who won't be good, might just as well be made of wood."
"We'll be good, won't we?!" Jiminy and Pinocchio replied simultaneously.
"Very well, but unless you can live up to your word, then this is the last time I can help you."
"Uh, one more thing, blue fairy. What's going to happen to the other boys on Pleasure Island?"
"Pinocchio, I'm afraid their fates have been sealed, but some of them might still be helped. If you can live up to your word and redeem yourself then maybe I will help them and if I do I sure you they will be quite alright. If and when they become boys again, they will be restored to their normal terrible selves. But maybe they'll be a little wiser for the wear. But first, to start making things right, you must get home to your father. Geppetto is out looking for you."
She vanished in a blue sparkle. Pinocchio sat on a rock with Jiminy sitting nearby.
"I know Lampwick probably deserved it, but he looked so terrified. I wanted to help him, Jiminy. But I…I couldn't do anything. I feel awful."
"Pinocchio, it's OK. There wasn't really anything you could've done. Although he was nothing but a rotten egg, I can't help but say I feel a little sorry for him too."
"Jiminy, I'm sorry about all the horrible things I said to you," Pinocchio apologized. "You really are my best friend. I guess I was a fool to think my mother could even come back from the dead."
"Pinocchio, you don't have to let that wish go entirely. But you can still learn to control your emotions over it. Perhaps when I get you home, I can help you learn how to do that. Come on, let's find some shelter and get some sleep. We'll start heading back home at first light."
They did so as they made a raft and made their way to a nearby island where a small fishing town laid. With some help from locals, Jiminy and Pinocchio managed to catch a room at the inn. As Pinocchio made himself comfortable in the bed, he looked over to Jiminy.
"Jiminy, tell me about your mother. What was she like?"
"Well," Jiminy answered. "She was very kind. Beautiful. She was a very sweet woman. I can only imagine how different it could have been for me if she and my father had survived. I do miss them, Pinocchio. Like anyone else would. Because I was raised so well by my sister I learned to never let my feelings of that loss cloud my judgement."
"I just hope my father's okay, Pinocchio said sadly. "I shouldn't have run away."
"Pinocchio, I'm sure he's alright. He probably hasn't gone far in looking for you. But he might be glad to see you. Your father loves you, Pinocchio. He just hopes you will never forget that."
"It seems I did, for a while, Jiminy."
"He cares. He wants to help you."
"But I didn't think he wanted me anymore after how I've been behaving. He was probably going to even tell my mother at her grave that I was a big disappointment."
"Pinocchio, He could never say such a thing like that about you. I know you tried to do everything he told you to do and the blue fairy said as well. I know you did."
Even though Pinocchio felt grateful to Jiminy for saying that, he still managed to shed a few tears.
"All I know is that if I screw up again, I'll never be a real boy anymore."
"Pinocchio, she didn't grant you that opportunity for redemption simply because I begged her. She granted it for another reason. Because even through me she saw your spirit. Your heart. Pinocchio, even if you had been made of wood like one of your father's puppets you probably would still have the heart of a real boy. Sometimes the inside is stronger than the outside."
"Do you really believe that?"
"I do, Pinoke. I do."
Pinocchio let out a weak smile. Even though he had just gotten himself into a lot of trouble again he was at least happy that his best friend still believed in him.
Jiminy once again comforted the boy.
"Pinocchio people die every day that's just how the world is. It was no different from the cases of my parents or your mother. It's true my sister who raised me is dead too. But it didn't emotionally cloud my judgment. She and I will be together forever. My father, he and my mother gave their lives for me and my sister. She said she would always be with me. my family is right here, Pinocchio."
Jiminy pointed to his own heart.
"And your mother is going to be right there in your own. As long as you feel her there you don't have to worry about anything."
"Let's get some sleep, Jiminy," Pinocchio said. "All that matters now is me getting home. Getting me to my father."
"Good night, Pinoke. I promise I'll get you home. And don't worry about Lampwick. I'm sure he'll be alright."
Pinocchio went to sleep missing not only his own bed, but his also his room itself, his toys, Figaro, Cleo, and most importantly his father.
The next morning, Pinocchio and Jiminy headed for the docks seeking transportation. But one of the fishermen spoke, "if it's a voyage home you seek, my boy. Then you must know. It will be a perilous journey. It's impossible to ask for from here. No one from here has ever gone more than further out than the full borders between this land and the open sea."
"Why not?" Pinocchio asked.
"Stories of the whale. The devil of the deep, some in this town call him. To others, he's known as Monstro."
"Monstro?" Jiminy asked. "It couldn't be!"
"Couldn't be what, Jiminy?" Pinocchio asked not understanding.
"Monstro the whale, Pinocchio. Never saw him myself, but I have heard of him. He's a whale of a whale. He swallows whole ships whole."
"That's right," the old fisherman said. "Monstro. Legendary monster of the sea."
"There were always stories, Pinoke," Jiminy blurted. " Monstro has been preying on ships and sailors for near many a decade or century. He never leaves any survivors."
"No survivors?" Pinocchio asked. " Then where do the stories come from; I wonder."
The fisherman and Jiminy looked at each other.
"Lad makes a fair point. But I can say this. Only one man survived an encounter with Monstro and lived to tell the tale. That was me brother. He lost his wife and daughter to that whale."
"That's awful," Pinocchio sympathized. "So, is there more you can tell me?"
"I wish there were more to the stories that could be told of them," the fisherman said solemnly. "Even from those who have encountered Monstro but...Dead men tell no tales."
Pinocchio and Jiminy were at a loss for words. But Pinocchio suddenly got a feeling of dread.
"You don't think if maybe my father has already probably come looking for me, that maybe the whales already got him, do you?" He panicked.
"If that were so, then your father maybe already be a goner, my boy," the fisherman said.
"Oh no. Jiminy, we have to leave now! If my father comes out this way, he could be in trouble."
"I may be live bait out there, but I'm with you, Pal," Jiminy assured him. "After all, I forgot to tell you, I didn't tell him when I had left."
"Why didn't you tell him, Jiminy?!"
"I was so worried about you; I didn't stop to let him know. But I promise I'm going to get you home if it's the last thing I do!"
"Either way, I gotta get to him right away! We need an actual boat. We're not going to get much farther by raft."
"Tell me, boy," said the fisherman. "Do you really wish to go out to open sea and risk the danger out there just to make it home to your father?"
"I must, sir. I need to get home."
"Very well, my boy. take one of my dory boats, it's small, but it's strong and sturdy."
He gave them a boat, and as the prepared to make sail, The fisherman spoke once more to them.
"This be a fool's errand, Pinocchio, but you must be a brave young lad, wanting to risk this. Ye know the perils of the sea now. Ye know Monstro be out there. Now proceed at your own risk. These be the last friendly words you'll hear. You may not survive to pass this way again."
"Thank you, sir," Pinocchio replied with a tip of his hat.
"Let's go, Jiminy. I do hope nothings happened to my father."
"So do I, Pinoke. So do I."
Both of them cast the riggings aside from the docks and set sail on the small dinghy boat making their way out to sea. Both praying for the best, yet fearing the worst. Pinocchio could feel the dread in his heart if something happened to his father, he would never forgive himself.