Pinocchio carried his daughter back to town. As they entered the village, Pinocchio saw a policeman patrolling the streets.
"Perfect timing! Officer! Please help us!" He called out to him.
"What the trouble sir?" asked the policemen.
"Stromboli tried to kidnap my daughter and me!" The policemen looked at Annabelle in his arms.
"How do I know you didn't steal that puppet from him?" He asked suspiciously.
"He's telling the truth officer!" said Jiminy jumping out of Pinocchio's shirt pocket. "Fowl fellow Honest John and his partner Gideon lured Annabelle to Stromboli, and they tried to capture her and Pinocchio here!"
"Honest John and Gideon! We've been looking for those two crooks for years! I'll get the boys over there, and we'll arrest them all. You get yourselves home safely."
"Thank you, officer," After the policemen had left, Pinocchio took a moment to rest and make sure everyone was unharmed. "Is everyone alright?"
"I'm alright Daddy. I think Figgy is too," said Annabelle still a bit shook from the ordeal and cuddling the kitten in her arms. Figgy meowed letting him know she wasn't injured.
"I'm okay too Pinoke," said Jiminy. "But for a while there I thought Gideon was going to squash me like a bug!"
"I'm glad you're all okay. I'd feel terrible if something happened to you guys."
"Thanks for saving me, daddy." Annabelle smiled.
"You're still in big trouble young lady," Pinocchio told her. "When we get home, you have a lot of explaining to do!" Annabelle didn't like the look on her father's face. She knew he was mad that she didn't go to school and feared what would happen when they got home.
Upon returning to the house, Pinocchio brought Annabelle into the living room, sat her down, and began to question her about what happened when she left for school earlier in the day.
"Now than Annabelle. Where did I tell you to go today?" He asked her.
"To school.." she answered nervously.
"Then explain to me why you didn't go to school as I instructed you. And I d like to hear the truth."
"Uh...well...I...uh?" Annabelle was too anxious to tell him and tried to think of an excuse to explain herself. She looked at Jiminy on her dad's shoulder, and he looked cross too.
"Go on Annabelle! Tell your father why you ditched school!" Jiminy ordered making her even more nervous.
"Well, daddy I was following the children to school when I...uh I met these two big scary monsters with red eyes and pointy teeth!" Just then, Annabelle felt her nose begin to twitch. A strange light appeared around it, and it suddenly grew a few inches. Annabelle was wide-eyed in surprise by this unusual feature that happened to her.
"Monsters huh?" Pinocchio said, folding his arms over his chest. "And what did they do?"
"They...uh...they tried to get me to go with them, but I said no, and they grabbed me and locked me in a cage!" Her nose sparkled and grew a few more inches as she continued to lie with a leaf growing on the end of it. Annabelle gasped when she saw her nose grow again. She poked the tip of it with finger wondering what was causing it to become longer.
"I see. And what about Jiminy? I sent him after you to make sure you got to school on time."
"He...uh...he tried to save me, but they caught him and put him in a little cage," Annabelle replied as her nose jolted outward again with more leaves popping up and growing bigger.
"Then what happened?" Pinocchio asked.
"Uh...then they brought us to the puppet show! And Mister Stromboli said if I didn't perform for him, he would chop me up into firewood!" Her nose grew more and more with branches growing at the end with tiny leaves on them. "Wha...what's happening? My nose!"
"I'll tell you what's happening Annabelle!" said Jiminy. "Your nose is growing because you're not telling the truth!"
"Bu-but I am telling the truth!" Annabelle said causing her nose to increase in size. The branches and leaves got bigger and pink flowers started to appear on them. Her nose was now five feet and so dense that she lost her balance and fell backward. Her wooden body clattered on the hard floor.
"Young lady! You know that's not what happened!" shouted Jiminy hopping onto the end of her nose and pointing his finger at her. "You're lying! And when you lie it's as plain as the nose on your face!"
"He's right Annabelle!" said Pinocchio angrily. "Jiminy told you not to go to the theater, and you didn t listen to him! You also embarrassed me and made a fool out of yourself in front of all those people! I am very disappointed in you!" Seeing how angry her father was and the results of what her lies had done to her nose, Annabelle felt sad and ashamed of what she did.
"I...I'm sorry, Daddy," Tears began leaking from her eyes, and she started to cry. Pinocchio felt terrible to see her cry. But as a father, he knew that he had to comfort her. Jiminy looked at him and felt maybe they were too hard on her.
"I think she's learned her lesson Pinoke," he said hopping off Annabelle's long nose.
Pinocchio knelt down, took out a handkerchief from his pocket and used it to dry his daughter s tears. After she stopped sobbing and settled down, he spoke kindly trying to get the truth from her.
"Annabelle, I'm sorry if Jiminy and I were so hard on you. But you shouldn t tell lies. I learned that lying makes things worse and you should always tell the truth. Now, will you please tell us the truth?"
"Okay, Daddy. I'll tell the truth," she replied sadly wiping the tears from her eyes. "I met Mister Honest John and Gideon, and they said Mister Stromboli was your friend and his puppet show was failing. Stromboli told me that he was sad because people didn't come to see it anymore. I only went there because I thought he was nice and I wanted to help him, like how you always help people that come to see you!"
When Annabelle spoke truthfully, she felt her nose tingling, and it slowly started to grow shorter. The leaves and flowers shriveled up and fell off, and the branches receded into her nose as it shrank until it had returned to its original size. She patted the tip a few times with her finger making sure every lie she told had all been redeemed. When Pinocchio heard her speak the truth, he realized she was only doing what she believed was the right thing, because he taught her to help anyone who asked for help. He put his daughter in danger by not warning her that not all people are good and can be trusted.
"I'm sorry, Annabelle! I should never have sent you off to school on your own. I should have told you about Stromboli and those cons!" He hugged her tightly and cried with tears leaks from his eyes.
"I'm sorry too, Daddy!" Annabelle cried and hugged him back.
Jiminy stood silently watching this moment between them and felt guilty for not being able to keep Annabelle from making the same mistake Pinocchio made. Figgy walked over to Figaro who had been watching the whole time and lowered her head.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you daddy and running away like that," she apologized. But to her surprise, Figaro smiled and licked her cheek.
"It s okay Figgy. I forgive you. What you did was very brave. I'm sorry for being rude to Annabelle. I guess I'm just a grumpy old cat." Pinocchio glanced over at Figaro nuzzling his kitten, and it made him smile knowing he wasn't the only one trying to be a good father.
"I'm going to put Annabelle to bed Jiminy. She's been through a lot today,"
"Okay, Pinoke. I'll wait here. Goodnight Annabelle."
"Goodnight Jiminy."
Pinocchio carried his daughter upstairs, and Figgy followed them. Annabelle put on her nightgown and climbed onto her bed with the kitten beside her.
"I'm sorry I was bad and didn't go to school," she sobbed as Pinocchio tucked her in.
"It wasn't all your fault princess," he told her sitting on the edge of the bed trying to comfort her. "I should have been a more responsible parent and escorted you myself. I never thought you'd meet those same bad people I met all those years ago. I was scared I'd lose you. But I promise I'll never let anyone take you again."
"Daddy? Stromboli said I couldn't be a real girl. Is that right?" she asked worrying about what Stromboli said after the show.
"No Annabelle! Don't you believe his lies! I was a puppet, and I became a real boy. And someday you'll be real too."
"I don't care if I never become a real girl. I just want to make you proud of me daddy."
"That's my girl," Pinocchio smiled and kissed her forehead. "I ll promise to try and be a better father. Goodnight, my little princess."
After he had left, Annabelle stayed awake for quite some time. She thought about everything she had done and rechecked her nose making sure it was truly back to normal.
"You alright Annabelle?" Figgy asked her.
"Yes, I'm alright. Thanks for saving me from Stromboli. That was very brave of you to come and help us."
"I'm just glad you re okay. I love you Annabelle, and I would be sad if anything happened to you."
"Aw! thanks, Figgy. I love you too. I'll try to do better from now on so I can make everyone proud of me." She cuddled up with Figgy and soon fell fast asleep in a matter of minutes. Pinocchio went downstairs and sat in the kitchen feeling guilty for what had happened.
"You alright Pinoke?" Asked Jiminy seeing his friend unhappy.
"I feel terrible Jiminy," Pinocchio replied sadly. "I made the same mistake my father made sending me off on my own. The same thing that happened to me happened to her. I feel irresponsible."
"Don't be so hard on yourself pal! Being a parent isn't the easiest job in the world. I m just as much to blame too. I should have persuaded her to go to school a lot better."
"What am I supposed to do Jiminy? Suppose she gets taken away to Pleasure Island or swallowed by another whale like Monstro? I'd hate for her to have to go through the same things I went through."
"Unfortunately Pinoke, she's going to make mistakes. All children go through their phases, and you won t be able to follow her around everywhere continuously."
"I wish there some way for her to walk around safely and not stray off." Just then Jiminy thought of something.
"I've got an idea! Can we ask that girl Alex she made friends with to accompany her? She seems like an intelligent and responsible girl. Maybe she can help keep Annabelle safe."
"That's an excellent idea Jiminy! I'll go visit Alex's mother tomorrow and talk to her about having Alex accompany Annabelle!"
"Sounds like a plan!" The two of them went to bed hoping their plan would keep Pinocchio's daughter from getting into any more trouble.
End of Chapter 8