Once upon a time, there was an old woodcarver named Geppetto. He lived alone in a small workshop. Geppetto wished for a son more than anything. One day, he decided to carve a puppet from a piece of wood. He worked carefully on the puppet for many hours. He gave the puppet a round nose and a friendly smile. Geppetto named the puppet Pinocchio. That night, a beautiful blue fairy visited the workshop. She touched Pinocchio with her magic wand. 'You shall come to life,' the fairy said. Suddenly, Pinocchio opened his eyes and moved his arms. He could walk and talk like a real boy! Geppetto was so happy that he cried tears of joy. The fairy told Pinocchio something important. 'If you are brave, honest, and kind, you can become a real boy.' She also gave Pinocchio a cricket named Jiminy as a guide. The next morning, Geppetto sent Pinocchio to school. But on the way, Pinocchio met two sneaky characters. They were a fox and a cat who wanted to trick him. 'Come with us to the Land of Toys!' they said. Pinocchio forgot about school and followed them. Jiminy the cricket warned him, but Pinocchio did not listen. In the Land of Toys, there was no school and no work. Children could play all day and all night. Pinocchio was very happy at first. But then something terrible happened. The children who stayed too long began to change into donkeys! Pinocchio grew donkey ears and a tail. He was so scared that he ran away as fast as he could. Pinocchio jumped into the sea to escape. A giant whale swallowed him whole! Inside the whale, Pinocchio found Geppetto. The old man had been searching for Pinocchio for days. 'Father!' Pinocchio cried. 'I am so sorry!' They hugged each other tightly. Pinocchio had a clever idea to escape. He made a fire to make the whale sneeze. The whale sneezed, and they flew out of its mouth! They swam to the shore together. But Geppetto was very weak and cold. Pinocchio carried his father all the way home. He took care of Geppetto day and night. Pinocchio worked hard to buy food and medicine. He never told lies anymore. Every time he had lied before, his nose had grown longer. Now Pinocchio understood why honesty was important. One morning, Pinocchio woke up and felt different. He looked at his hands and could not believe his eyes. He was no longer made of wood! Pinocchio had become a real boy at last. The blue fairy appeared one last time. 'You proved that you are brave, honest, and kind,' she said. Geppetto hugged his son with tears in his eyes. His wish for a son had finally come true. Pinocchio went to school every day after that. He studied hard and made many friends. Jiminy the cricket stayed with him as his best friend. And Pinocchio and Geppetto lived happily ever after.
English Story (A2)Pinocchio
This A2 English story is designed for elementarys learning English. It includes simple vocabulary and short sentences to help you improve your reading and listening skills. Click any word to see translations and hear pronunciation.
About this story
Geppetto, a lonely woodcarver, creates a puppet named Pinocchio who is brought to life by a blue fairy. She tells him he can become a real boy if he is brave, honest, and kind. Instead of going to school, Pinocchio follows two tricksters to the Land of Toys, where children turn into donkeys. He escapes but is swallowed by a whale, where he finds Geppetto. After rescuing his father and caring for him selflessly, Pinocchio transforms into a real boy.
Translations in English
Linked wordUnderlined wordOther words
Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
Who made Pinocchio?
2
What happened to children who stayed too long in the Land of Toys?
3
How did Pinocchio and Geppetto escape from the whale?
4
What did Pinocchio have to do to become a real boy?
Vocabulary
30 words from this story
