Hello my sweet listener.
Welcome to Storytime with Nana Jojo.
I'm so happy you're here.
I'm Nana Jojo,
And I have another fun story to share with you today.
But first,
Let's get cozy.
Grab your favorite stuffie.
Wrap up in your softest blanket and snuggle in nice and tight.
And now let's take some slow,
Deep breaths together.
When we breathe slowly,
Our bodies feel calm and relaxed.
Take a big breath in through your nose.
And breathe out with a happy sigh like this.
Hmmmmmm.
Let's do that again.
Big breath in.
And breathe out.
Hmmmm.
.
.
One more time.
Big breath in.
And breathe out.
Mmmmm.
Super duper job.
Do you feel nice and relaxed?
Yay,
I do too!
Okay,
My sweet little one,
Come snuggling close.
This is the beautiful story of Pinocchio.
It's a story about a little wooden puppet who wanted more than anything to become a real boy.
It's filled with a wish upon a star.
A tiny cricket with a big heart.
And the most wonderful discovery that telling the truth and listening to that little voice inside you can lead to the greatest magic of all.
Are you ready?
Okay,
Let's begin.
Once upon a time in a small house at the edge of a village.
There lived a kind old woodcarver named Geppetto.
Geppetto lived all alone.
And even though his little house was warm and cozy.
His heart felt a bit empty and quiet.
More than anything,
He wished he had a child of his own to love,
To teach.
To read stories to.
And to tuck in at night.
So one evening,
Geppetto decided to carve a puppet out of a beautiful piece of pine wood.
He carved the puppet very carefully,
Giving him round eyes,
A cheerful smile,
And two little wooden legs for walking.
He named his puppet Pinocchio,
And he loved him immediately.
Later that night,
Geppetto looked out his window and he saw the brightest star he had ever seen twinkling in the night sky.
Star light,
Star bright.
I wish my little Pinocchio could be a real boy,
He whispered.
Then Geppetto climbed into his bed,
And he fell fast asleep,
Keeping his wish close to his heart.
High above the clouds,
A kind star fairy heard his wish,
And she smiled a soft,
Twinkling smile.
She loved it when someone wished not for themselves,
But out of love for another.
The star fairy floated down through the window on a beam of starlight.
She went over and touched Pinocchio gently on his wooden nose and whispered.
Little puppet,
Because your father's wish was made with so much love,
I will let you walk and talk.
And think for yourself.
But remember,
" she said softly,
To become a real boy,
You must learn to be brave and kind and truthful.
And with that… Pinocchio's eyes blinked open.
His wooden arms wiggled.
And he sat straight up.
I can move,
" Pinocchio said,
Wiggling his fingers and toes with surprise.
I can talk.
Oh my,
Thank you.
The star fairy smiled and she faded back into the night sky,
Leaving a little trail of sparkles behind her.
Before she left.
The star fairy left Pinocchio a very special friend.
A small cricket who could talk.
I will stay close by,
" said the little cricket,
Hopping onto Pinocchio's shoulder.
And I will help you listen to your conscience.
The quiet voice inside that helps you know right from wrong.
What's a conscience?
Pinocchio asked,
Tilting his wooden head.
It's like a little whisper in your heart,
Said Cricket.
When you're about to make a good choice,
It feels warm and light.
When you're about to make a choice that isn't so good.
It feels different.
Like a little tug.
Pinocchio thought that sounded rather wonderful,
And he promised to try his very best to listen.
The next morning.
Geppetto woke up and could hardly believe his eyes.
His puppet was alive!
He hugged Pinocchio so tightly and he cried happy tears.
Then he went and sold his own warm coat so he could buy Pinocchio a book so that Pinocchio could go to school and learn with the other children.
Learning is a wonderful gift.
Geppetto told him.
Go and make new friends.
And always remember,
I love you so very much.
Pinocchio set off down the road,
Feeling proud and excited for his very first day of school.
But on the way to school,
Pinocchio met a sly fox and a clever cat who were resting under a big shady tree.
My,
My,
Said the fox.
What a lucky little puppet you are.
Have you heard of the field of wishes?
If you plant just one coin there.
A whole tree of gold coins grows overnight.
Pinocchio's eyes grew wide.
He didn't have any coins to plant,
But oh,
How wonderful that would be for his papa.
Right then,
Pinocchio felt a little tug in his heart.
The very feeling Cricket had told him about.
Pinocchio.
Cricket whispered from his shoulder.
Something about this doesn't feel quite right.
I think we should go to school instead.
But the fox and the cat made it sound so exciting,
And Pinocchio was curious,
So he followed them instead of going to school.
Of course,
There was no field of golden coins at all.
It was only a made-up story.
Later that day,
When Pinocchio got home,
Geppetto asked,
How was your first day at school,
My boy?
Instead of telling the truth,
Pinocchio said,
Oh,
School was wonderful,
Papa.
I learned so much.
And end right away.
Something very strange happened.
Pinocchio's little wooden nose began to grow longer.
And longer and longer.
Pinocchio,
What is happening?
Said Geppetto.
Pinocchio looked down and saw his nose stretching nearly all the way across the room.
And he began to cry.
I'm sorry,
Papa.
Pinocchio cried.
I didn't go to school today.
I followed a fox and a cat because they told me about a magic field of gold and I wanted to bring you a treasure.
To petal knelt down and hugged Pinocchio close,
Long nose and all.
Oh,
My dear boy,
He said gently.
You don't need to bring me treasures.
You only need to be honest with me and tell me the truth.
Even when it's hard.
The moment Pinocchio told the truth,
His nose slowly shrank back down to its normal little size.
I understand now.
Pinocchio said softly to Cricket.
That tug in my heart.
That was you trying to help me,
Wasn't it?
Yes,
It sure was,
Said Cricket with a gentle smile.
Your conscience is always there,
Even when it's hard to listen.
From that day on,
Pinocchio promised to try his very best to listen to that little voice inside.
A few days later,
Pinocchio was having so much fun playing tag with his friends after school that he lost track of time.
When he finally got home,
He found the house empty.
Pinocchio ran next door to ask the neighbor if they knew where Geppetto was.
Your papa took his boat out to the market to sell some toys he made,
Said the neighbor.
He should be home soon.
Just then,
Dark clouds rolled in and the wind began to howl.
A great storm was coming.
Pinocchio's heart pounded with fear.
He didn't hesitate,
Though.
He ran straight for the shore.
Papa,
He cried.
And without one single doubt,
He dove into the waves to swim out and find his papa.
The sea tossed and turned,
And the wind howled all around,
But Pinocchio kicked his wooden legs as hard as he could.
I'm not afraid,
He called out,
Even though his heart was beating fast.
Love is stronger than any storm.
And in the waves ahead,
He spotted Geppetto's little boat.
It had tipped over and Geppetto was clinging to it.
He was cold and tired.
Pinocchio!
" Geppetto cried out.
You came for me!
Of course I did,
Papa,
" said Pinocchio,
Wrapping his arms around him.
You've always been there for me.
Now hold on tight.
And because wood floats so well on water,
Pinocchio was able to help keep them both afloat.
With all his might,
He swam and swam and swam until they arrived safely on the shore.
They collapsed on the warm sand together,
Soaked and shivering,
But so very happy to be in each other's arms.
That night,
As Geppetto wrapped Pinocchio in a warm blanket by the fire,
A familiar sparkle of starlight drifted in through the window.
It was the star fairy,
Smiling brighter than ever before.
Pinocchio,
" she said.
You have learned to listen to your conscience and to speak the truth,
Even when it's hard.
And tonight,
You risked everything for someone you love.
You have shown me the truest heart of all,
" she said.
And so,
My dear puppet,
It's time.
With a gentle wave of starlight,
Pinocchio felt warmth spread through his whole body,
From his wooden nose down to his wooden toes.
And when he looked down at his hands,
They were no longer made of wood at all.
They were soft and warm,
Just like papas.
I'm a real boy!
" Pinocchio cried,
Laughing and crying all at once.
Geppetto scooped him up in the biggest hug in the whole wide world,
And Cricket hopped happily onto his shoulder right where he belonged.
The End.
And so,
My dear little listeners,
What did Pinocchio teach us in this magical tale today?
He showed us that telling the truth,
Even when it's hard,
Always makes our hearts feel happy.
And he showed us that when we listen to that quiet voice inside us,
The one that helps us know right from wrong.
We can find our way home again.
And as our story time comes to an end,
I want you to think about that little voice inside your own heart,
The one that always wants what's good for you.
You can trust it,
Just like Pinocchio learned to do.
It will always help guide you home.
And always be sure to remember that Nana Jojo loves you so very much.
I'll be right here when you're ready for another story.
If you're not quite ready for sleep,
I hope you have the most wonderful rest of your day.
And if it is time to go to sleep now,
I'm wishing you the sweetest and happiest dreams.
Sleep tight,
My little love.
I'll see you again soon.
Good night.
