Everyone calls old carpenter Master Antonio, 'Master Cherry,' because his nose looks like a shiny, crimson cherry. Master Cherry decides to make a table leg out of a piece of wood, but the wood talks to him, pleading not to be struck so hard. Master Cherry vacillates between thinking the voice is his imagination and being terrified. As Master Cherry polishes the wood, the wood laughs and asks Master Cherry to stop tickling. Master Cherry is so frightened, his nose turns blue from fright.
A lively old man, Geppetto, enters Master Cherry's shop, looking to make a wooden puppet. Neighborhood boys sometimes tease Geppetto by calling him Pudding, as his wig looks like yellow pudding made from Indian corn. Geppetto hates being called Pudding. However, as Master Cherry and Geppetto start to discuss the puppet, a little voice calls Geppetto pudding. Geppetto and Master Cherry come to blows, but the men reconcile. As Master Cherry tries to hand the talking piece of wood to Geppetto, the wood strikes against Geppetto's shins, and the men get into another brawl. The men make up again, and Geppetto takes the little piece of wood home.
Geppetto names his puppet Pinocchio for good luck and begins carving the puppet. After Geppetto carves the eyes, they peer at him. When Geppetto carves the nose, it grows and grows. The more Geppetto cuts it, the more it grows. After Geppetto carves the mouth, it laughs at him. When Geppetto demands the mouth stop laughing, it sticks out its tongue at him. When Geppetto carves the hands, the hands snatch the wig from Geppetto's head and put it on its own head. When Geppetto finishes the feet, they kick his nose. When Geppetto teaches Pinocchio to walk, Pinocchio runs out of the house. A soldier catches Pinocchio by the nose and returns him to Geppetto. Pinocchio throws himself on the ground and a crowd gathers. The crowd feels sorry for Pinocchio and accuses Geppetto of beating him. The soldier frees Pinocchio and puts Geppetto in prison.
Pinocchio returns home and meets the Talking Cricket, who scolds him for rebelling against Geppetto. Pinocchio plans to run away the next day, for he does not want to go to school. The Talking Cricket warns Pinocchio that he will grow up to be a donkey to be ridiculed by others. The cricket advises Pinocchio to learn a trade. Pinocchio says the only trade he's interested in involves eating, drinking, sleeping, amusement, and leading a vagabond life. The Cricket counters that those following that trade end up in prison or a hospital. The Cricket pities Pinocchio, and this so enrages Pinocchio that he hits the Cricket with a hammer.
Pinocchio becomes very hungry, but finds nothing in the house to eat. He spots an egg and breaks it, but a little chicken pops out. The chicken thanks Pinocchio for freeing him and flies out the window. Pinocchio cries and screams and falls to the floor, bitterly regretting running away from home and sending his papa to prison. Pinocchio decides to roam the neighborhood and see if anyone will give him some bread.
Pinocchio rings the bell of a little old man and asks for food. The man asks Pinocchio to step beneath a window and hold out his cap. When Pinocchio complies, rather than tossing him some bread, the man pours an enormous basin of water on him. Pinocchio returns home and falls asleep with his feet on a brazier full of burning embers. As he sleeps, his feet burn to cinders. He awakens to Geppetto knocking at the door.
Pinocchio falls when he tries to answer the door for Geppetto, having no feet. Angry Geppetto thinks Pinocchio is playing tricks. Geppetto manages to climb in a window and feels very sad when he sees Pinocchio is telling the truth. Geppetto gives Pinocchio his breakfast of three pears. Pinocchio asks Geppetto to peel the pears, and after chastising Pinocchio for being dainty, Geppetto complies. When Pinocchio moves to throw away a pear core, Geppetto stops him and says the core may be useful. Pinocchio gets angry and insists he will not eat the core. After eating the three pears, Pinocchio complains that he is still hungry, and decides to eat the rinds and cores of the pears. Upon finishing the rinds and cores, Pinocchio is no longer hungry.
No longer hungry, Pinocchio cries because he wants a new pair of feet. Geppetto refuses to make him new feet until Pinocchio promises to be good, to go to school, and to learn a trade. With his new feet, Pinocchio decides to go to school, but asks for clothes to wear. Having no money, Geppetto makes Pinocchio clothes out of paper, tree bark, and bread. Even though it is snowing outside, Geppetto sells his coat to buy Pinocchio a spelling book for school.
As Pinocchio walks to school, he vows to study and get a job so he can buy Geppetto a fine new coat. He hears the sound of fifes and a big drum and decides school can wait until tomorrow. He finds a colorful puppet theater has been constructed in the middle of the town square. A play is about to start and costs ten cents. Pinocchio sells his spelling book to watch the play.
The other puppets recognize Pinocchio as one of their own and stop the play to carry him on their shoulders. When the audience becomes upset, the showman grabs Pinocchio and hangs him on a nail. The showman decides to burn Pinocchio as firewood to roast his sheep dinner.
Fire-Eater sneezes, signifying he feels bad for Pinocchio. Fire-Eater spares Pinocchio, but decides to burn Harlequin in Pinocchio's place. Pinocchio insists that he be burned instead of Harlequin. Pinocchio's act of self-sacrifice touches Fire-Eater, and he decides to pardon both puppets and eat his mutton half-raw. The puppets all run to the stage and dance in celebration.
The next day, Fire-Eater gives Pinocchio five gold pieces to give to Geppetto, who is a poor beggar. On his way home, Pinocchio meets a lame Fox and a blind Cat. The Cat laughs at Pinocchio when Pinocchio claims to be a gentleman, so Pinocchio shows the Fox and Cat his five gold pieces. When a Blackbird warns Pinocchio about the Fox and Cat, the Cat eats the bird. The Fox tells Pinocchio he can double his money if he visits the land of the Owls. Pinocchio refuses at first. The Fox and Cat promise Pinocchio's five gold pieces can become two thousand if he plants a piece of gold in the Field of Miracles, waters and salts the gold, and leaves it overnight to grow into a tree laden with gold. Pinocchio becomes excited and agrees.
The Fox, Cat, and Pinocchio walk to the inn of the Red Craw-Fish. Although the Cat and Fox claim they cannot eat much due to various sicknesses, they feast heartily. When the Fox asks the host for two rooms, the crooked host winks at the Fox, indicating he knows what tricks the Fox is up to. Pinocchio falls asleep in his room, and when he awakens he finds that the Fox and Cat have left and stuck him with the bill. Pinocchio pays the host one of his gold pieces and starts off in the dark for the Field of Miracles. As Pinocchio walks, he encounters the ghost of the Talking-Cricket, who warns him to return to Geppetto with his four gold pieces. Pinocchio refuses to listen. The Talking-Cricket prays Heaven will protect Pinocchio from danger and assassins.
Two evil-looking figures in charcoal sacks accost Pinocchio and demand his money or his life. Pinocchio hides the four gold pieces in his mouth. The brigands threaten Geppetto, and the gold pieces clink in Pinocchio's mouth when he replies. When the evil figures attempt to pry open Pinocchio's mouth, Pinocchio bites a hand off, which turns out to be a cat paw. Pinocchio flees for miles and climbs a high pine tree. The assassins start a fire at the bottom of the tree, so Pinocchio is forced to jump down and flee again. Pinocchio jumps over a ditch, but the assassins don't give up and continue to chase him.
Pinocchio runs to a white house, where he meets a beautiful Child spirit who speaks without moving her lips. Pinocchio begs to be let in, but she does not or perhaps cannot let him inside. The assassins catch Pinocchio and try to stab him with a knife, but fail as Pinocchio is made of hard wood. The assassins hang Pinocchio from a tree. When Pinocchio remains alive, the assassins decide to return the next day to collect their gold coins. Pinocchio hopes someone will rescue him, but help does not come. A wild wind blows him about and tightens the noose. Eventually he closes his eyes and loses consciousness.
The beautiful Child, revealed as a Fairy, summons a large Falcon to free Pinocchio, who is still alive. The Child next sends for a Poodle named Medoro to fetch the puppet to the house. She also summons the famous doctors of the neighborhood to care for Pinocchio: namely, a Crow, an Owl, and a Talking-Cricket. As the doctors debate whether Pinocchio is alive or dead, Pinocchio begins to cry.
Pinocchio has a fever, but refuses to drink his medicine, even when the Fairy gives him a lump of sugar to remove the bitterness. Pinocchio claims he would rather die than drink the medicine. When four black rabbits come to take Pinocchio on a bier, Pinocchio finally drinks the medicine. The medicine restores Pinocchio's health. When the Fairy asks Pinocchio to tell how he became pursued by the assassins, Pinocchio lies and says he no longer has the four gold pieces. Each time Pinocchio lies, his nose grows longer until he can no longer move. The Fairy laughs and tells Pinocchio lies are found out immediately, because they either have short legs or long noses.
The Fairy feels compassion for crying Pinocchio and summons a bunch of Woodpeckers to peck his nose off. The Fairy offers to have Pinocchio stay with her, and she reveals she has already sent for Geppetto. Pinocchio leaves to meet Geppetto and runs into the Fox and Cat. Still not suspecting they are the assassins, Pinocchio tells them his tale of the assassins. When Pinocchio notices the Cat's missing paw, the Fox claims the Cat gave it willingly to a hungry wolf. When the Fox learns Pinocchio still has the gold, he convinces Pinocchio to come with them to plant the gold in the Field of Miracles. They travel through a town of thieves called 'Trap for Blockheads' and arrive at the Field of Miracles. Pinocchio plants the gold and waters the ground. The Fox and Cat tell Pinocchio to return in twenty minutes and he'll find a shrub with branches loaded with money.
Pinocchio waits in town for his money tree to grow. He returns to the field, but finds no tree. He hears a Parrot laugh, who claims to be laughing because he tickled himself while pruning his feathers. Pinocchio waters the land where he planted the coins again. The Parrot laughs again and reveals he is laughing at Pinocchio for being a simpleton and losing his money. Sure enough, Pinocchio finally realizes the Fox and Cat have stolen his gold. Pinocchio rushes to the town Courts of Justice to report the Fox and Cat to the judge. The judge throws Pinocchio in prison, where he remains for four months. Luckily, the Emperor orders release of all prisoners in celebration of his victory over his adversaries. Pinocchio is only released by pretending to be a criminal, for the criminals go free while the weak and victimized are imprisoned in the town of Trap for Blockheads.
When Pinocchio heads back over a marshy road to the Fairy's house, he becomes covered with mud and runs into a Serpent stretched across the road. Pinocchio eventually asks the Serpent to move, but the Serpent becomes motionless and his tail stops smoking. Thinking the Serpent dead, Pinocchio tries to jump over him, but the Serpent rises up, causing Pinocchio to fall. Pinocchio's head becomes stuck in the mud. The Serpent laughs so hard he dies, allowing Pinocchio to finally pass. Feeling hungry, Pinocchio tries to eat some grapes and becomes stuck in a polecat trap.
Pinocchio calls out for help, but no one comes. Eventually a Firefly passes by. The Firefly admonishes Pinocchio for trying to take grapes that did not belong to him. The owner of the field hears the voices and comes to check the trap. The owner feels someone capable of stealing grapes is capable of stealing chickens, so he secures a collar and chain on Pinocchio and forces Pinocchio become his watchdog.
Four polecats awaken Pinocchio and attempt to make a deal with him. If Pinocchio keeps quiet, the polecats will give him one of the chickens they intend to kill. Pinocchio pretends to agree to the deal, but traps the polecats in the chicken yard and barks to awaken the peasant. The peasant is so pleased with Pinocchio, he frees him.
Pinocchio tries to return to the Fairy, but the white house has vanished. Pinocchio finds instead the Fairy's tombstone, which indicates she died of sorrow from Pinocchio's abandonment. Pinocchio learns from a Pigeon that Geppetto is building a boat on the seashore to look for Pinocchio. Pinocchio rides the Pigeon to the seashore and finds Geppetto and his boat in danger of sinking. When the boat disappears, Pinocchio jumps into the ocean and also disappears.
Pinocchio washes up on an island. A Dolphin directs him to the nearest village, and says Geppetto was probably eaten by the terrible Dog-Fish. Pinocchio travels to 'The Village of the Industrious Bees,' whose inhabitants are all busy at work. Feeling hungry, Pinocchio begs for money, but is instead offered work dragging carts of charcoal and carrying a basket of lime. At first, he refuses the offers of work, but he eventually agrees to carry two cans of water for a little woman. The little woman gives him a fine dinner for his work, which he devours. When the woman laughs, Pinocchio realizes she is the Fairy.
Pinocchio wishes to be a man, and the Fairy says he can become one, if he is a good boy. Pinocchio promises to be a good boy. Although the Fairy doesn't know where Geppetto is, she is sure Geppetto and Pinocchio will be reunited. The Fairy reveals she came to look for Pinocchio due to the sincerity of his grief at her tombstone. The Fairy instructs Pinocchio that he must go to school and choose an art or trade. Pinocchio has a bad attitude, but eventually promises to study and work, for he wishes to become a real boy.
Pinocchio attends school the next day, but the other boys play tricks on him, making him angry. Eventually, Pinocchio fights back and earns their respect, and they all become friends. Pinocchio does well in school at first, coming in early, staying late, and working hard. But he is too friendly with some of the rascally boys who dislike studies and like mischief. The schoolmaster and Fairy warn Pinocchio not to be friendly with the troublemaking students, but Pinocchio does not listen. One day before school, the troublemakers convince Pinocchio to skip school to see the Dog-Fish.
When Pinocchio and the bad boys arrive at the sea, Pinocchio realizes the boys have lied to him. There is no Dog-Fish there. Pinocchio fights with the boys when they pressure him to abandon his studious ways. A crab crawls up on shore and scolds the boys for fighting. One boy gets hit with a heavy book and passes out. Believing him dead, the other boys flee, but Pinocchio remains and tries to help the boy. Two soldiers walk by and arrest Pinocchio for harming the boy. Pinocchio escape the soldiers, and the soldiers set a mastiff after him.
Pinocchio plunges into the sea to avoid capture by the dreadful mastiff. The mastiff jumps in too, but cannot swim and begins to drown. Pinocchio pulls the mastiff to shore and saves him. Still wary of the mastiff, Pinocchio jumps back into the water. He swims toward a smoky cave and is captured in a fisherman's net. The fisherman carries Pinocchio and his netful of fish into the cave. The fisherman insists Pinocchio is a rare fish and dips him in flour to prepare him for frying.
Enticed by the scent of cooking fish, the mastiff enters the fisherman's cave and rescues Pinocchio from being fried in the frying pan. As Pinocchio converses with a little old man and tells him lies, he notices his nose growing. When he tells the truth, his nose shrinks. Pinocchio returns to the Fairy's house, and a Snail offers to open the door, but being so slow, it takes hours for the Snail to reach the door. Eventually, Pinocchio reaches the Fairy, and she agrees to pardon him one more time. Pinocchio returns to school and studies hard. The Fairy tells him that he will become a real boy the next day, and they decide to celebrate with a party.
After being warned by the Fairy to be home before dark, Pinocchio sets out to deliver party invitations around the town. One of Pinocchio's schoolmates, a very naughty boy named Candlewick, invites Pinocchio to travel to the Land of Boobies. Candlewick says the Land of Boobies has no schools, teachers, or books. Pinocchio refuses at first, but eventually gives in. They hear a feeble trumpet blare announcing the coach arriving to take them to the Land of the Boobies.
The coach arrives, drawn by donkeys wearing men's boots and crammed full of boys. Pinocchio decides to come with and climbs on a donkey since the coach is too full. As they travel, Pinocchio hears a voice warning him not to go and suspects it is the voice of the donkey he's riding. Pinocchio ignores the warning, and the next day they arrive at the Land of the Boobies. The Land of the Boobies is inhabited entirely by playing boys. For five months, Pinocchio plays and has fun with the other boys. Then, he awakes to a disagreeable surprise.
Pinocchio awakens to find he has donkey ears. He has caught 'donkey fever' from being lazy and not going to school or learning. Pinocchio seeks out Candlewick and learns Candlewick is also becoming a donkey. At first, they laugh, and then they transform completely into donkeys. The coachman knocks on the door and demands the new donkeys come out.
The coachman takes Pinocchio and Candlewick to the marketplace to sell them. Candlewick is bought by a peasant. Pinocchio is bought by the director of a circus. Pinocchio's master trains him for three months to jump through hoops and frames of paper, to dance waltzes and polkas, and to stand upright on his hind legs. During the circus dress rehearsal, as Pinocchio dances before the crowd, he spots the Fairy wearing a medallion with his image. He calls out, but all he can do is bray, earning a blow from his master. The Fairy disappears, and after this Pinocchio falls and becomes lame for life. Pinocchio's master sells him for two dollars. His new owner weighs him down with a stone and pushes him into the sea to drown.
When Pinocchio's new owner pulls him from the sea, Pinocchio is a puppet again. The Fairy had sent a shoal of fish who ate the donkey, freeing the puppet within. Pinocchio jumps in the water and swims away, escaping his new owner. As Pinocchio swims, the Dog-Fish swallows him, along with a Tunny fish. Inside the Dog-Fish, Pinocchio sees a light, and sets off to find the source.
Pinocchio follows the light and finds Geppetto sitting at a table with a lit candle. They embrace, and Pinocchio and Geppetto exchange their stories for how they came to be swallowed by the Dog-Fish. Geppetto has managed to survive in the Dog-Fish for two years, as the Dog-Fish swallowed entire merchant vessel packed with supplies. Pinocchio and Geppetto escape through the Dog-Fish's mouth, but Geppetto cannot swim. Geppetto clings to Pinocchio's shoulders as they enter the sea.
Pinocchio and Geppetto almost drown before being rescued by the Tunny fish. Back on shore, Pinocchio and Geppetto encounter the Cat and Fox, who are in bad shape, but Pinocchio refuses to help them. Pinocchio and Geppetto come to a house inhabited by the Talking-Cricket. Pinocchio has Geppetto lie down, for Geppetto has become ill. For the next five months, Pinocchio pumps water in exchange for milk for Geppetto. Over time, Pinocchio saves money to buy himself new clothes, but he gives the money to the Snail to help the Fairy. Pinocchio has a dream in which the Fairy visits him, kisses him, and praises him. When he awakens, Pinocchio is a real boy. Geppetto feels better and starts carving wood again. From that point on, Pinocchio is a well-behaved little boy.
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