One cool fall afternoon in November, Geppetto was in the work shop trying to comfort the almost 9 month old Pinocchio. The poor little boy had been cranky and fussy for at least a week. He had been crying much more than usual. Much like in his first few weeks of his life, he barely let his father get any sleep. But Geppetto knew what was wrong. The child was in pain. And it was coming from inside Pinocchio's mouth. The boy's teeth were coming in. Geppetto tried everything to sooth Pinocchio's pain, but his gums still felt sore. At one point, Pinocchio grabbed Figaro and tried to put his paw into his mouth to try and sooth himself, but Geppetto stopped him.
"No, Pinocchio. Do not put Figaro in your mouth. No! We don't gnaw on our kitty!"
Geppetto kept on trying to sooth his son's pain with oral medicine, gel and all sort of treatment. While the pain never completely went away, at least it made Pinocchio made feel better.
Before long, one day, Pinocchio had his hand in his mouth and felt something hard press down on his finger and he screamed in pain.
"Dada! Owie!" he cried.
"Oh, what's wrong, my son? Did you bite your finger?"
"mmhmm", baby Pinocchio whimpered.
"Oh. There, there. Let me kiss your boo boo."
Geppetto kissed the wound on the boy's finger and Pinocchio's tears started fading as did the pain on his finger.
"There you go. Feel better?"
"Uh huh," Pinocchio replied with a smile.
"Good. Be a little more careful. Here, let me see the inside of your mouth."
Geppetto felt around inside the boy's mouth and felt two teeth on top and two on bottom. Some of his teeth had already come in.
"Here you go, son. Chew on this giraffe toy for a while."
So he did. Geppetto knew Pinocchio had more teeth to grow soon, but at least he had his first set already. So he couldn't complain about that. Geppetto also couldn't help but smile as he watched the child play. 8 months, he had been working very hard as a single father. Keeping the shop afloat at the same time wasn't easy either, but he had managed. At least the bright side of it was this, by keeping the shop and his woodcarving and toy making business afloat, he was able to make at least enough income to provide for him and Pinocchio. While they weren't entirely poor, nobody in the village was the wealthiest type either. At least Geppetto never had to scour for scraps like those who had no homes or couldn't even afford to properly feed their own families.
Meanwhile, Geppetto's smile was not without reason. He knew it was almost December. That meant it was almost Christmas time. Though it would be his first without Francesca, he was very excited to share his first Christmas with Pinocchio. For still, nothing brought Geppetto as much joy as Pinocchio did. And he knew as well, Pinocchio was almost a year old.
Pinocchio was growing inch by inch so much already, Geppetto knew that one day Pinocchio would be to big for him to carry around, but he knew he could always still love and hold his child as any father should. For nothing was stronger to him than his love for his son. But he knew the day he couldn't carry him would not be for quite some long time.
One afternoon, just before thanksgiving, Geppetto had a very important errand to run. He needed to deliver a new set of clocks and toys to some customers. Since Pinocchio was born, he allowed direct pick ups only since there was no one else available to look after him except for the day Figaro was adopted. Geppetto did often take Pinocchio on walks carrying him around, but there would be no way he could take Pinocchio with him. He knew leaving Pinocchio by himself at 9 months would be irresponsible. His other neighbor, Roberto had moved away to another town some time ago.
Thankfully, Fredrico and Martina stopped by to browse for new toys. Geppetto also had something he wanted to ask Fredrico about.
"Fredrico, my friend. I've been thinking about hiring some extra help," Geppetto kindly stated. "Someone I could train to help carve the wood and make the toys while I take care of Pinocchio. He's such a handful I can't run the shop by myself. Perhaps if you'd be willing to allow Martina to help, at least until Pinocchio is old enough to help out."
"That's a generous offer, Geppetto. But she's only 7. And she's busy with school and chores. But I suppose I could think about talking to her and Beatrice about it."
"Well, think about it. But I wanted to ask you also. Can you and Martina watch after Pinocchio for a while? I must go into town to make a delivery. And I can't leave him by himself."
"Now, that we can do," Fredrico replied. We can watch after him. Martina loves him."
"Oh, Thank you, old friend."
Geppetto walked over to his son who was playing in the workshop, picked him up and placed him on the worktable.
"Listen, Pinocchio. Daddy needs to go run an important errand. I'm going to leave you just for a while with Fredrico and Martina, but I won't be gone too long."
Pinocchio felt nervous.
"Dada, no go! Dada stay," he squealed. "Dada stay! play, dada!"
Geppetto chuckled and ruffled his son's hair.
"Don't worry, son. It's just for a while. I'll be back in several minutes. Dada needs to deliver these clocks and toys to some people. Dada will never leave you, ever. I promise. Ok?"
"Okie," replied the baby boy.
Geppetto picked him up and hugged him. Then he placed Pinocchio in the play pen in the living and placed his hand on his cheek.
"I won't be gone long, son. Dada's coming right back. And then Dada will play with you."
"Dada, play now!"
"Later, Pinocchio. If I don't get these items to my customers, I can't make enough money to provide for us. Do you understand?"
The child nodded with a sad look on his face.
Geppetto took the crate and walked out the door. Pinocchio crawled after him, and grabbed his father's leg. Geppetto looked down and saw Pinocchio, holding onto him.
"Hehehe. Pinocchio, you can't come with dada. Dada has to do this himself. Dada promises to come back. Figaro will be here too in case you get bored."
"NO! DADA STAY! DADA STAY!"
Geppetto tried to shake Pinocchio off. But it was no use.
"Pinocchio, let go of my leg!" Geppetto scolded.
"No! stay!"
Martina walked over to them.
"Come on, Pinocchio. You can come play with me," Martina told him kindly. she tried to reach out but he just turned away. She struggled for 5 minutes before she finally got him to let go. Fredrico picked him up and Pinocchio started crying as Fredrico carried him to the other room.
"NOOO! DADA! DADA, COME BACK! DAAADAAAA!"
Fredrico held Pinocchio close to him and tried to calm him.
"Go on ahead, Mr. Geppetto. We'll take care of him," Martina said politely.
"Alright. I left instructions on feeding him on the table. Tell your daddy to be sure to give him his oral medicine around 1:00. His mouth is still bothering him from teething, and he's a bit of biter already. So be extra careful."
"Got it."
"Thank you," replied Geppetto with a warm smile.
"And get him his cricket doll. I left it in the workshop when I brought him to the living room. It might help him stop crying. Figaro's upstairs in his little bed. Go wake him up. Pinocchio loves to play with Figaro. And one more thing. Sing him a song if you can. He likes that."
Geppetto walked out the door leaving the crying infant with Fredrico and Martina. Fredrico put Pinocchio in the playpen and tried making funny faces for the boy, it only freaked him out more.
"Daddy, what did you do?!" shrieked Martina.
"You were supposed to calm him. You just scared him!"
"Don't yell at me, sweetie. I'm trying, alright? Those are my funniest faces."
"Well, he's still crying. I've got to go get the babysitting instructions and his dolly. I'll be right back."
From the upstairs room, Figaro couldn't get even an inch of peace or quiet because poor Pinocchio was crying so loud. Covering his ears with a bedsheet or pillow didn't even help much. Even Cleo couldn't get a moment of peace inside her bowl. Not even hiding inside her little miniature castle could drown out the baby's cries and screaming.
Pinocchio's cries were so loud he could break a window. but Fredrico was doing everything he could. Martina went and received the instructions and Pinocchio's doll. When she came back, Pinocchio was lying on his back in the playpen. His face was so red, he looked like he was going to explode.
"Daddy, can we try feeding him? He might be hungry too and it might cheer him up."
"I don't know, honey. He sure didn't want Geppetto to leave, that's for sure. I already checked his diaper. He's clean."
"Well, good," said Martina in defiance. "Because if he needs to have his diaper changed, I'm not doing that nasty business."
"I'll take care of that, Martina. Don't worry. Honey, do you have his doll?"
"I got it right here. He likes a bottle of warm milk before his naps. Now, Mr. Geppetto said we need to give him soy milk. Regular milk gives him bad gas. And nothing with peanuts. He's highly allergic."
"I got it, sweetie. Now give him his toy."
Martina walked over to the playpen. She handed the little toy doll to Pinocchio. He wouldn't grab it. He kept knocking it out of her hand.
Martina was frustrated.
"Oh, this is useless. I thought he loved that toy."
She tried one more time.
"Pinocchio, do you want your cricket? He's right here."
Pinocchio still kept bawling but he grabbed the doll and threw it down. Then Martina got an idea.
"Daddy, let me try this. My old lullaby you used to sing. I think it'll help him."
"Go for it, sweetie. Maybe it should put him to sleep for a little bit."
Martina peeked into the playpen and stroked Pinocchio's head and his cries reduced to whimpers, but his lips continued trembling.
"It's okay. Pinokie. My daddy used to sing this song to me when I was as small as you. Even though I'm a girl, I'm gonna change some of the words of it for you since you're a boy."
She then began to sing sweetly and gently.
"Look to the stars my darling baby boy"
"Life is strange and vast"
"Filled with wonders and joys"
"Face each new sun with eyes clear and true"
"Unafraid of the unknown"
"Because I'll face it all with you"
Pinocchio at last calmed down and smiled as he fell asleep.
"Martina, you did great," Fredrico complemented. "Just like how me and your mother used to sing it to you when you were a baby."
"Thanks, daddy. I think it worked. He's feeling a lot better now."
She handed him the cricket toy and placed it in his hand. She heard a soft meow and turned around to see Figaro. Figaro had seen everything and was glad Pinocchio had finally stopped crying.
Martina knelt down and petted Figaro behind his ears.
"You can play with Pinocchio later, Figaro. He's taking a nap right now."
So they let Pinocchio sleep for at least half an hour and kept Figaro and Cleo company. Martina heard a yawn in the living room.
"I think he's awake. I'm going to go play with him, daddy. Care to come?"
"In a little bit, sweetheart. Take Figaro with you."
Martina and Figaro went into the living room. Pinocchio got on his knees and peeked at the girl and his cat, his cricket in right hand with his blankie too, Figaro peeked through the bars as Pinocchio reached out to pet him. Figaro purred and smiled at the feeling of the boy's tiny hand on his head.
"FeegWo." Baby Pinocchio uttered.
"Yes, you love Figaro, don't you?" asked Martina sweetly.
Pinocchio smiled and giggled as Figaro licked his hand.
"FeegWo, Pinocchio fwiend."
"That's right, Pinokie. Figaro is your friend."
Martina covered her eyes with her hands and then,
"Peekaboo!"
Baby Pinocchio laughed.
"Tina, fwiend too."
Martina did this again and again.
Fredrico entered the room.
"Alright, Pinocchio, time for your bottle. Here you go, little buddy."
Pinocchio took the bottle and started to gulp down the milk.
"Hey, hey. Not so fast. You'll get a tummyache."
Martina held up the bottle and helped Pinocchio with the milk as he started to drink it slower. As he gulped each sip of his formula, he looked at Martina and he smiled.
"I think he likes you, Martina," Fredrico said calmly. "You know, I think he almost looks like you did when you were a baby."
"He kind of does, except he's a boy."
"well, that is true."
As the two conversed about this, Pinocchio finished the last of his milk,
"Daddy, can I try burping him?" Martina asked.
"Go ahead sweetie."
Fredrico picked Pinocchio up and placed him in Martina's arm as she patted his back, and he let out a loud but gentle burp.
So, Fredrico and Martina played with Pinocchio and his toys and kept him occupied with Figaro for quite a while.
Meanwhile Geppetto was making the last rounds of his delivery when he reached his last customer, a tall slender woman with red hair.
"Hello, Connie, how is little Gino?"
"He's doing alright." The woman replied. "He's just now learning how to walk and talk. What about your son?"
"Oh, Pinocchio still hasn't started walking yet, but he's doing very good with talking. His vocabulary is expanding little by little, but very well. I suppose all the times I spend reading to him at night is paying off."
"It must be difficult having to raise him all by yourself without poor Francesca," she told him sympathetically.
"Yes, it is a bit of a challenge, but I have managed well. I'm looking to hire some extra help to keep the shop running until he's old enough to help out himself. That way balancing work and taking care of Pinocchio won't be such a challenge."
"Have you found anybody yet?"
"Not yet, but I'm looking."
"Well, good luck. I wish the best for Pinocchio."
"Thank you, Connie. It was nice to see you today."
"Nice to see you too, Geppetto. Take care."
Geppetto walked off and as he was halfway home, he pumped into a tall anthropomorphic fox dressed as a gentleman.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, sir. I didn't see you," Geppetto told the sharply dressed fox.
"Quite alright, sir," the fox replied. "Honest John is my name. Honest John Worthington Foulfellow at your service."
"Well, pleasure's all mine, I suppose. My name is Geppetto. I am a woodcarver and toy maker."
"Well, that's quite an interesting business for you to be in. Perhaps I'd be willing to extend an offer."
Something in Geppetto didn't seem to feel quite normal around this fox. There was something about this "Honest" John fellow that didn't seem right. So he refused.
"I'd love to talk deals, but…"
"But what, sir? You don't trust foxes?"
"No, it's not that, sir. It's just that I need to get home to my son."
"I see."
"Well, again, sorry about running into you, like that."
"But, sir. I'm sure we could make a great profit together if you just make some kind of deal with me."
Geppetto trusted his gut instinct and turned away.
"Not interested."
He walked away. Foulfellow watched with a smirk.
"oh, but we may yet meet again, good sir." The fox said with a sinister tone. "We may yet meet again."
Martina and Fredrico were just finishing up a new hand clapping game with Pinocchio when Geppetto walked in the door. Martina and Figaro walked up to him.
"Hello, Mr. Geppetto. How was your delivery run?"
"It went better than I expected, he replied as he knelt down and rubbed Figaro's ears from behind. Then they walked into the living room "I hope Pinocchio was a good boy in my absence."
Hearing his father's voice Pinocchio climbed out of his play pen and fell onto the floor. Then, he used his hands to stand himself up trying to balance himself.
"Dada!" he called out. Geppetto and Martina stopped in surprise. A look of shock overtook Geppetto's face. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Pinocchio was standing on both his feet.
He suddenly moved his right foot and then his left foot. He started to lose his balance. Martina ran to catch him.
"My goodness! My little wooden head is trying to walk!" Geppetto exclaimed with excitement.
Martino then let him go as Geppetto knelt down and opened his arms.
"Go on, Pinocchio. Walk to your daddy. Go on. It's okay."
Pinocchio giggled happily and moved his feet again one at a time. Walking towards his father.
"Come on, Pinocchio! Come to dada! You can do it!"
Pinocchio felt himself tumbling again and started to whimper.
"You can do it, Pinocchio," Geppetto said. You just gotta be brave. Don't look down. Look at me."
The boy then moved one more inch at a time until he was in reach of Geppetto's hands.
Geppetto grabbed his wrist and helped him walk the rest of the way.
"You did it, Pinocchio! You learned how to walk!" Geppetto cried tears of joy as he lifted his son into the air, Pinocchio laughing with happiness as Geppetto pulled him in for a hug.
"Dada, walky!"
Geppetto looked at his son and poked his nose. Pinocchio giggled and played back.
"Yes, you did, Pinocchio! You just took your first steps. I'm so proud of you."
Geppetto placed him down.
"Figaro, stay there. Let's see if Pinocchio can walk to you. Go ahead, Pinocchio. I'll be here to catch you if you fall."
Pinocchio, using what he just learned, walked over to Figaro and patted his head. With a soft purr, Figaro rubbed his face against Pinocchio's head.
"FeegWo," Pinocchio exclaimed.
Geppetto let out a small tear. A happy tear.
"What's wrong, Geppetto?" asked Fredrico. "I thought you'd be happier. That was quite amazing."
"I know," replied the old woodcarver. "I just wish Francesca was here to see this. She'd be so proud."
"You really do miss her. Letting her go has been hard for you, I can tell. But at least Pinocchio brings you lots of joy, doesn't he?"
"I just wish, Fredrico, she could be here to share that joy. But at least she's in a better place. Thank you so much for looking out for Pinocchio while I was gone."
"No problem, Geppetto. He was an angel the whole time."
"Have you thought asking Martina about working for me?"
"We'll think about it Geppetto. I promise."
Martina then explained how she got Pinocchio to stop crying and taught her the Lullably she sang.
"It sounds, beautiful, Martina. I've sung a variety of lullabies to Pinocchio, but can I use that one sometimes?"
"You may, Mr. Geppetto. At least daddy says it's okay if you do."
Fredrico and Martina left and Geppetto picked Pinocchio and took him upstairs.
"Come on, Pinocchio. it's supper time, then bath and bed.
It wasn't long before Geppetto bathed Pinocchio, took him back to his room, put him in pajamas and placed him in his crib. He grabbed another toy off the shelf.
"Here you go, Pinocchio. Mr. Giraffe wants to sleep with you tonight too."
Pinocchio babbled happily as he grabbed the stuffed giraffe hugging it tightly with his cricket still in his right hand.
As Geppetto walked off and almost walked out the door, he heard Pinocchio call him.
"Dada."
Geppetto turned around to see the boy standing in the crib.
"What's wrong, Pinocchio. What is it?"
"Hug."
"Oh, you want a good night hug. Alright."
Geppetto walked over and wrapped his arms tightly around the little boy as Pinocchio did the same. Geppetto whispered into his ear.
"Pinocchio, I'm sorry I left you today. But I had to. Duty calls when it comes to work. If I don't work at all, I can't afford to clothe you, feed you, or even take care of you. Do you understand?"
"uh huh," Pinocchio muttered.
"Good," said Geppetto. "everything I try to do Pinocchio, i'm doing for the both of us. I know you don't quite understand now, but one day soon when you're a little older you'll be able to see clearly."
"Pinocchio wuv dada," the infant boy said happily.
"Dada loves you too", Geppetto replied lovingly. I won't ever leave you just to leave you, Pinocchio. You're my greatest treasure in the world and I will always love you. How are your teeth and your mouth feeling? Open up."
Pinocchio opened his mouth and Geppetto stuck his finger inside and felt that more of his teeth had come in and he felt no pain in the boy.
"Well, I guess you're not feeling so bad anymore."
Geppetto than began to sing.
"Close your eyes, and good night."
"With pink roses bedlight."
"With lilies, o'er spread."
"Is my baby's sweet head.
With a yawn and a smile, Pinocchio started to fall asleep as Geppetto laid him back down.
"Soft and warm is your bed,"
"Close your eyes and rest your head,"
Pinocchio closed his eyes as his head lay against the pillow, and Geppetto covered up the boy with the sheets.
"Good night, Pinocchio." He whispered. "I love you, my boy."
Geppetto kissed Pinocchio's cheek as he stroked his head and walked out, leaving him in his crib with his toys. Geppetto went to sleep himself too. It had been such a long day. For both he and Pinocchio. As he dozed off, he had a small dream about Francesca and how different things would have been with him and Pinocchio had she been around.
Nevertheless, despite his struggle to fully cope with her death, he knew through all the fun and happy times he had Pinocchio, that he wouldn't trade it for anything. Even Francesca wouldn't want him to. Geppetto then snoozed off for the night with a smile on his face.
