In that very instant, a loud knock sounded on the door. "Come in," said the carpenter, not having an atom of strength left with which to stand up.
       At the words, the door opened and a dapper little old man came in. His name was Geppetto, but to the boys of the neighborhood he was Polendina,[1] on account of the wig he always wore which was just the color of yellow corn.
       [1] Cornmeal mush
       Geppetto had a very bad temper. Woe to the one who called him Polendina! He became as wild as a beast and no one could soothe him.
       "Good day, Mastro Antonio," said Geppetto. "What are you doing on the floor?"
       "I am teaching the ants their A B C's."
       "Good luck to you!"
       "What brought you here, friend Geppetto?"
       "My legs. And it may flatter you to know, Mastro Antonio, that I have come to you to beg for a favor."
       "Here I am, at your service," answered the carpenter, raising himself on to his knees.
       "This morning a fine idea came to me."
       "Let's hear it."
       "I thought of making myself a beautiful wooden Marionette. It must be wonderful, one that will be able to dance, fence, and turn somersaults. With it I intend to go around the world, to earn my crust of bread and cup of wine. What do you think of it?"
       "Bravo, Polendina!" cried the same tiny voice which came from no one knew where.
       On hearing himself called Polendina, Mastro Geppetto turned the color of a red pepper and, facing the carpenter, said to him angrily:
       "Why do you insult me?"
       "Who is insulting you?"
       "You called me Polendina."
       "I did not."
       "I suppose you think I did! Yet I know it was you."
       "No!"
       "Yes!"
       "No!"
       "Yes!"
       And growing angrier each moment, they went from words to blows, and finally began to scratch and bite and slap each other.
       When the fight was over, Mastro Antonio had Geppetto's yellow wig in his hands and Geppetto found the carpenter's curly wig in his mouth.
       "Give me back my wig!" shouted Mastro Antonio in a surly voice.
       "You return mine and we'll be friends."
       The two little old men, each with his own wig back on his own head, shook hands and swore to be good friends for the rest of their lives.
       "Well then, Mastro Geppetto," said the carpenter, to show he bore him no ill will, "what is it you want?"
       "I want a piece of wood to make a Marionette. Will you give it to me?"
       Mastro Antonio, very glad indeed, went immediately to his bench to get the piece of wood which had frightened him so much. But as he was about to give it to his friend, with a violent jerk it slipped out of his hands and hit against poor Geppetto's thin legs.
       "Ah! Is this the gentle way, Mastro Antonio, in which you make your gifts? You have made me almost lame!"
       "I swear to you I did not do it!"
       "It was I, of course!"
       "It's the fault of this piece of wood."
       "You're right; but remember you were the one to throw it at my legs."
       "I did not throw it!"
       "Liar!"
       "Geppetto, do not insult me or I shall call you Polendina."
       "Idiot."
       "Polendina!"
       "Donkey!"
       "Polendina!"
       "Ugly monkey!"
       "Polendina!"
       On hearing himself called Polendina for the third time, Geppetto lost his head with rage and threw himself upon the carpenter. Then and there they gave each other a sound thrashing.
       After this fight, Mastro Antonio had two more scratches on his nose, and Geppetto had two buttons missing from his coat. Thus having settled their accounts, they shook hands and swore to be good friends for the rest of their lives.
       Then Geppetto took the fine piece of wood, thanked Mastro Antonio, and limped away toward home.

Chapter 1: How it happened that Mastro Cherry, carpenter, found a piece of wood that wept and laughed like a child
Chapter 2: Mastro Cherry gives the piece of wood to his friend Geppetto, who takes it to make himself a Marionette that will dance, fence, and turn somersaults
Chapter 3: As soon as he gets home, Geppetto fashions the Marionette and calls it Pinocchio. The first pranks of the Marionette
Chapter 4: The story of Pinocchio and the Talking Cricket, in which one sees that bad children do not like to be corrected by those who know more than they do
Chapter 5: Pinocchio is hungry and looks for an egg to cook himself an omelet; but, to his surprise, the omelet flies out of the window
Chapter 6: Pinocchio falls asleep with his feet on a foot warmer, and awakens the next day with his feet all burned off
Chapter 7: Geppetto returns home and gives his own breakfast to the Marionette
Chapter 8: Geppetto makes Pinocchio a new pair of feet, and sells his coat to buy him an A-B-C book
Chapter 9: Pinocchio sells his A-B-C book to pay his way into the Marionette Theater
Chapter 10: The Marionettes recognize their brother Pinocchio, and greet him with loud cheers; but the Director, Fire Eater, happens along and poor Pinocchio almost loses his life
Chapter 11: Fire Eater sneezes and forgives Pinocchio, who saves his friend, Harlequin, from death
Chapter 12: Fire Eater gives Pinocchio five gold pieces for his father, Geppetto; but the Marionette meets a Fox and a Cat and follows them
Chapter 13: The Inn of the Red Lobster
Chapter 14: Pinocchio, not having listened to the good advice of the Talking Cricket, falls into the hands of the Assassins
Chapter 15: The Assassins chase Pinocchio, catch him, and hang him to the branch of a giant oak tree
Chapter 16: The Lovely Maiden with Azure Hair sends for the poor Marionette, puts him to bed, and calls three Doctors to tell her if Pinocchio is dead or alive
Chapter 17
Chapter 18: Pinocchio finds the Fox and the Cat again, and goes with them to sow the gold pieces in the Field of Wonders
Chapter 19: Pinocchio is robbed of his gold pieces and, in punishment, is sentenced to four months in prison
Chapter 20: Freed from prison, Pinocchio sets out to return to the Fairy; but on the way he meets a Serpent and later is caught in a trap
Chapter 21: Pinocchio is caught by a Farmer, who uses him as a watchdog for his chicken coop
Chapter 22: Pinocchio discovers the thieves and, as a reward for faithfulness, he regains his liberty
Chapter 23
Chapter 24: Pinocchio reaches the Island of the Busy Bees and finds the Fairy once more
Chapter 25: Pinocchio promises the Fairy to be good and to study, as he is growing tired of being a Marionette, and wishes to become a real boy
Chapter 26: Pinocchio goes to the seashore with his friends to see the Terrible Shark
Chapter 27: The great battle between Pinocchio and his playmates. One is wounded. Pinocchio is arrested
Chapter 28: Pinocchio runs the danger of being fried in a pan like a fish
Chapter 29
Chapter 30: Pinocchio, instead of becoming a boy, runs away to the Land of Toys with his friend, Lamp-Wick
Chapter 31: After five months of play, Pinocchio wakes up one fine morning and finds a great surprise awaiting him
Chapter 32: Pinocchio's ears become like those of a Donkey. In a little while he changes into a real Donkey and begins to bray
Chapter 33
Chapter 34: Pinocchio is thrown into the sea, eaten by fishes, and becomes a Marionette once more. As he swims to land, he is swallowed by the Terrible Shark
Chapter 35: In the Shark's body Pinocchio finds whom? Read this chapter, my children, and you will know
Chapter 36: Pinocchio finally ceases to be a Marionette and becomes a boy