![]() ![]() Geppetto finds a magical, sentient piece of wood, carves a puppet, calls him Pinocchio, and makes a wish that his puppet could become a real boy. Pinocchio’s creator, Geppetto, a Tuscan village carpenter, longs to have a son and along with his pet cat, Figaro, and goldfish, Cleo, believes this would bring them great happiness. Crickets symbolically are carriers of good luck and wisdom. The characters in this tale are Pinocchio, the protagonist, La Fata Turchina (the Blue Fairy) who represents the “mother” keeping watch and advising him, and Il Grillo Parlante (the Talking Cricket or Jiminy Cricket of the Disney version) who represents his conscience and life guide. Collodi’s 15th installment in the series had Pinocchio’s feet burned off and death by hanging which horrified the children and the publishers forced him to extend the story and bring Pinocchio back to life through the intervention of the Blue Fairy. “Pinocchio” was originally published as a weekly serial from 1881 to 1883 in Giornale dei Bambini. It was first translated into English by Mary Alice Murray in 1892. It is the most translated non-religious book in the world and the most widely read, second only to the Bible. Perhaps the most famous children’s tale of all time is “The Adventures of Pinocchio” written by Carlo Collodi (Carlo Lorenzini) in 1883. It wasn’t until the 19th century that stories were written specifically for children. The stories may be fantastical, but the lessons are invaluable to both children and adults. Tolkien, father of modern fantasy literature, believed that the human mind has great capabilities to visualize and stories that go beyond the physical world help our minds to transcend the limits placed on us. ![]() In 1959, Italo Calvino collected 200 tales for his book “Italian Folktales.” The author, Hans Wilhelm, said fairy tales “are metaphors for the growth of our soul,” and they “reflect our personal journey through life.” J.R.R. Folk and fairy tales filled with allegorical symbolism were originally shared amongst adults in the oral tradition until Charles Perrault scribed them around 300-years-ago and the Brothers Grimm around 100-years-ago.
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