Pinocchio

Author: (Italian) Carlo Collodi
Translator: Cheng Yue
Country: Italy
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: He is innocent, pure, honest, and brave. He is also stubborn, mischievous, unruly, and sometimes likes to tell lies. He is neither irredeemably bad nor faultlessly good; instead, like many children in real life, he is kind-hearted and clever but full of flaws—this is Pinocchio, the famous mischievous puppet, the protagonist of one of the most widely read and best-selling works, next only to the Bible and the Quran. The Adventures of Pinocchio is the masterpiece of the 19th-century Italian children's writer Collodi, hailed as "a masterpiece of Italian children's literature" and "the most beautiful book in Italian children's literature." What are you waiting for? Pick up this book and go on an adventure with Pinocchio! This book is part of the World Classics for Young Readers series. These young literature classics adorn a beautiful life! In the long history of the development of world young literature, the classic works of these masters have continuously influenced generations of young readers. This series mainly selects and republishes influential world young literature masterpieces that have been re-edited over a long period. The main purpose is to provide young readers with better literary reading materials, allowing them to gain more beneficial insights while reading and appreciating these young literature masterpieces. This will broaden their horizons, refine their character, enrich their imagination, and make their lives more colorful and full of interest.
Once upon a time, my little readers might say, "Once there was a king!" But this time, you're wrong. The protagonist of today's story is a piece of wood. At first glance, this piece of wood is not made of precious timber—it's no different from the firewood taken from a pile and thrown into the fireplace to warm the room. But in reality, it is a magical piece of wood. If you want to know the magical adventures that happen to this piece of wood, please be patient and keep reading!
Long ago, in a small town in Italy, there lived an old man named Antonio who ran a carpenter's shop. Because of his bright red, shiny nose, like a ripe cherry, the townspeople gave him the nickname "Cherry Master." One day, Cherry Master accidentally discovered a rather unremarkable piece of wood at the corner of the wall, which made him overjoyed.
"This piece of wood has come at the right time. I can just use it to make a table leg," the old carpenter said, rubbing his hands together happily and murmuring to himself.
Without hesitation, he picked up a sharp axe and was about to shave off the bark and chop the wood into a table leg. But just as the axe was about to fall, the hand Cherry Master had raised high above his head suddenly stopped moving.
,：“,!”
The kind old man was genuinely startled! He looked around the room with wide-eyed surprise, wondering where the voice came from. But there was no one there. He bent down to look under the workbench—no one; he opened a cabinet that had been closed—no one; he sifted through the basket of shavings and sawdust—no one; even when he opened the shop door to look out into the street, there was still no one!
"Ah, I see," Cherry Master said, scratching his head and laughing. "I must have poor hearing and have imagined it. Let me just keep working."
So, he picked up the axe again and gave the piece of wood a hard blow.
"Ouch! You hurt me!" the thin voice called out, full of resentment.
This time, Cherry Master was truly stunned. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, his mouth fell open wide, and his tongue stretched out long, like a stone statue of a gargoyle in a fountain.
When his tongue finally moved again, the old carpenter trembled and stammered to himself, "This faint voice saying 'Ouch'—where did it come from? There's no one in the room. Could this piece of wood be talking like a person? Or maybe it's a monster? But how can I believe that! Look, it's just a piece of wood, no different from the firewood I use. If I throw it into the fire, it can even boil a pot of beans. So, if it's not wood, what is it? Could there be someone hiding inside this wood? If there really is someone hiding in there, then he deserves what he gets. I'll have to settle the score with him!"
So, he grabbed the poor piece of wood and slammed it against the wall without hesitation.
Then, Cherry Master stopped and listened intently, hoping to hear a cry, but after a long time, he heard nothing.
"I see," the old carpenter said, smiling bitterly and scratching his head again. "That faint voice saying 'Ouch' must have been me imagining it again. I'll just keep working."
Even though he said that, he was still quite scared in his heart. So, he tried humming a tune to build up his courage.
This time, he used a plane to smooth the wood. But as soon as he started, he heard the small voice laughing and saying, "Stop! You're making me itchy all over!"
This time, the poor Cherry Master was struck as if by lightning. He collapsed to the ground with a thud, his face turning ashen with fear, even his bright red, shiny nose turning pale with terror.
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