← Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
Koala Moon: Kids Bedtime Stories & Sleep Stories for Kids Podcast
The Little Wooden Boy 🪵 💜 Pinnochio Short Kids Bedtime Story
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Hello and welcome back to Koala Moon, a podcast of original bedtime stories and sleep meditations for kids designed to make bedtime a dream. Tonight we're throwing open the clubhouse annex doors. Yeah, we've outgrown the original building. Now to siblings Bronwyn, Kieran and Devlin in Canada and wishing you a very happy early birthday. Bronwyn Coco is giving you high fives. And to you, Ivy and your sister Hazel, both in Perth, Australia, welcome to to you Hazel from the racing capital of the world, Indianapolis. Oh, and Eve from Atlanta too. Welcome, welcome. Thanks for joining us guys. We love, love love having you. Hope you enjoy all your extra stories and your ad free listening. And don't forget, you can get in touch with us any which way. Just check the show notes, let us know your ideas and your thoughts on the show. Okay, before we begin, a quick message for the grown ups. If you'd like to support our podcast, enjoy ad free listening, unlock four bonus stories per month and much, much more. You can join Koko Club. Subscribe in just two taps via the link in the show notes. But now here's a quick word from our sponsors.
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Does your little one love the adventures of Bluey? I know I do. What if they could talk and play with Bluey, Bingo or Muffin right in their own room with the all new Bluey Chatmates?
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Now they can.
- [01:41]
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Each figure comes to life with a press of the nose, saying 10 fun.
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Phrases straight, straight from the show.
- [01:47]
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Perfect for little hands and big imaginations. You can collect Bluey, Bingo and Muffin or look out for special versions like Bingo on her scooter or Rita with her Grannymobile, complete with granny glasses and a grabber tool. They're poseable, totally adorable and ready for bedtime adventures or daytime play. And kids will love recreating their favorite Bluey moments or making up brand new ones. And with more characters to collect, there's always a new adventure waiting to unfold. Bluey Chatmates are available at all major retailers.
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Our story coming up now is one that you certainly your adults may know. It's the tale of Pinocchio, the puppet who came to life. I remember being read this folktale when I was a very little girl and finding it hilarious that every time he told a lie his nose grew a bit. I soon learnt though that although my nose didn't grow, I had other tells or giveaway gestures that my mum would notice if I decided unwisely to tell a lie. It's really not a good idea, is it? Lies always come out in the end so best not to try. Are you ready to listen to this classic tale from my bookshelf? Okay, great. You know what to do. Jump into bed, snuggle down and get super cozy. Let your eyelids go nice and heavy and gently close as I begin. The Little Wooden Boy by Alisha Ainslie. Once upon a time, in a humble cottage in the heart of a village in Tuscany, lived a poor elderly wood carver named Geppetto. Geppetto was a kind man who worked hard for a living, but despite this, the fates hadn't ever seemed to shine down on him. He had lived alone in his house for many years, longing for two dreams to come true. One was to make a living as a puppeteer and become world famous, and the second dream was to become a father. However, no matter how hard he wished or how hard he worked, neither of these dreams seemed to be coming true for Geppetto. After many years of wishing and wanting, he resigned himself to his solitary life. One day, whilst Geppetto was busy carving away in his workshop, he was visited by his neighbour, Master Antonio, the carpenter. Master Antonio dashed inside Geppetto's workshop, clutching something large in a blanket. Geppetto was very confused by Master Antonio's flustered entrance. Whatever is the matter? Geppetto inquired, gesturing to the large blanket curiously. Master Antonio began his tale. Master Antonio had begun his day like any other normal day. He had enjoyed breakfast with his family before venturing out into the nearby forest to gather some blocks of wood for his work that day. Upon returning to his carpentry workshop, he had decided to carve a piece of wood into a new leg for his kitchen table. He had grabbed one of the blocks of wood and began to set to work, only to be stopped in his tracks by a loud yelp. Much to his surprise, the yelp had come from the piece of wood in his hand. It transpired that the wood in his hand had a little magic in it that had granted it a life of its own. Master Antonio had no idea what to do with such a miraculous log, and he couldn't think of anything he could do with it that would be worthy of such mystical energy. That's when he had thought of his elderly neighbour, Geppetto. He thought that Geppetto might be able to make something out of the magical block of wood. Perhaps he could transform it into a marionette and he would finally become a successful puppeteer. Geppetto's eyes lit up at the mere mention of one of his dreams potentially coming true. But he quickly shook it off. It surely was Too good to be true. Master Antonio pleaded with Geppetto to take the wood off his hands, insisting that his tale was true. Geppetto wasn't quite sure what to make of Master Antonio's wild story. Nevertheless, he took the bundled up blanket from his neighbour and placed it down on his workbench to inspect it. At first glance, the block of wood didn't look any different to any other he had seen. But as he began carving away, it became very clear that this was no ordinary piece of lumber. Geppetto began by carving out a face with big wide eyes and a button nose, two large ears and a mouth. Then he carved the shape of a body with arms, hands and legs connected with joints perfect for a puppet. As soon as he had finished the feet, it was like the magic stored inside erupted and consumed the wooden puppet. Right in front of Geppetto's eyes, the wooden marionette came to life. He named the little wooden puppet Pinocchio. And so began their incredible story together. Geppetto had never been happier than once Pinocchio was in his life. He'd always longed for a son, but the fates had never brought it to fruition. But here he was, raising a little boy of his own, albeit a little boy made of wood. Geppetto spent weeks and weeks teaching Pinocchio how to walk and talk, how to count numbers and how to write his own name. He taught him good manners and allowed him to assist in baking. He even let Pinocchio watch him craft away in his workshop. This time of exploration built a great bond between the pair. They were like a real father and son, and they both adored each other very much. They laughed together as Pinocchio stumbled and tripped over his own feet whilst learning to walk. And Geppetto encouraged him when he became tired and wanted to give up. Pinocchio was a far student when learning to talk and delighted in learning new words every day. Geppetto even brought him a dictionary so that he could learn as many words as possible. Eventually, Pinocchio had advanced so much that he was up to the same standards as other children in the town. He could almost fit in with them all if it weren't for the fact that he was made out of magical timber. However, with some persuasion, Geppetto managed to convince the local school to take on Pinocchio as a student, and he began to attend classes like a real human boy. Each morning, as Geppetto would wave off Pinocchio to school, he felt a pang in his happy heart. Perhaps the fates had granted him a son after All. One day, Pinocchio returned home from school to an empty house. Or at least what he assumed was an empty house. Papa Geppetto was working away in his workshop and Pinocchio had homework that he had brought home to complete. However, Pinocchio didn't feel like doing his homework today. Instead, he wanted to gallivant and play with all the other children. He could hear the chattering voices of some of his classmates outside and he peered out of the window to watch them throwing a ball to one another. It looked like they were having lots of fun. I want to play outside too. Sulked Pinocchio, looking at his homework book in disdain. Then he had an idea. He tiptoed over to his school bag and hid the homework book in the pocket at the far back of the satchel. He grabbed his jacket and made his way towards the front door when he heard a voice suddenly chirrup. I wouldn't do that if I were you. Pinocchio spun around briskly, looking for where the voice had come from, but he couldn't see anyone. Who said that? Pinocchio called out into the empty house. It was me. Came the little voice again. Pinocchio followed the sound of the voice and glanced up to the ceiling to see a little green cricket standing in the corner of the wall. Wow. Gasped Pinocchio. I didn't know crickets could talk. The cricket raised his eyebrows and retorted, I didn't know puppets could talk either. Pinocchio scratched the back of his head sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders in response. The cricket was surprisingly quick witted. He asked the cricket what he was doing in the house, to which the cricket responded that he had lived in this house for over a century. Even before Geppetto came along, he saw himself as a sort of guardian angel watching over Geppetto. He admitted that he had been both astounded and elated on the day that Pinocchio had come into his life. He had been watching their friendship blossom for many weeks now. After getting to know the talking cricket briefly, Pinocchio's attention returned to the children playing outside. He longed to join them, and so he bid the cricket farewell in favour of his classmates. Just as he had placed his hand on the doorknob, he heard the talking cricket call out, aren't you going to finish your homework first? I saw you put your book in the back of your bag. All of the excitement fell out of Pinocchio and he turned back to the talking cricket to plead, But I don't want to do my homework. I want to Go outside with my friends. He protested stubbornly. However, his pleas and protests fell on deaf ears. The cricket insisted that Pinocchio sit down and complete his homework before playing outside. The talking cricket insisted that Papa Geppetto had worked hard to gain Pinocchio a place at the local school and the only way that he would grow up to function properly in the world was by working hard. Pinocchio grabbed his score satchel, sulked his way over to the kitchen table and pulled out his homework book. The talking cricket came and sat by his side, observing his work and assisting him with any questions he had. Pinocchio quickly realised that the talking cricket wasn't so bad after all, and he only had his best interests at heart. When Papa Geppetto returned home from his workshop that night, he was so impressed with Pinocchio's homework success that he cooked up his favourite meal for dinner to reward him for his hard work. Perhaps there were more perks to doing his homework than he initially realised, Pinocchio thought to himself. Papa Geppetto and Pinocchio had a loving friendship and they trusted each other with everything. Although like in all families, sometimes they had their disagreements. In their provincial village, there were many hard working families who'd fallen on tough times. Like Geppetto, many people didn't have much money and they relied on other people's kindness from time to time to get by. Geppetto had heard word that the Muller family, who lived just down the road, had come into some money troubles. Master Mullah's business wasn't doing very well right now and he had a lot of mouths to feed. At home, with four children and a pregnant wife, Geppetto felt sorry for the Muller family. And even though he didn't have much himself, he wanted to do something to help. So he decided to put together a care basket for their family, full of essential food items such as bread, fruit and a couple of sweet treats too. He had spent the best part of his day compiling all of the elements for his care basket for the Muller family, and he looked forward to dropping it off at their house later today. Geppetto enjoyed helping other people. When Geppetto returned home later that afternoon, he went to grab the basket of food to take to the moolah's house. However, when he inspected it, Geppetto scratched his head with befuddlement. He could have sworn that he had baked a batch of cookies to go inside the food basket, but as he peered inside now, he saw that there were none. Without the cookies, the basket looked pretty bare. He grabbed a handful of extra apples from his cupboard to cover the gaping hole inside the wicker basket, and carried it down the street to give to the poor mooder family on his return. Geppetto was still confused about where the cookies had gone. He could distinctly recall baking them just yesterday, but perhaps he had only imagined the whole thing. He had been very busy with work recently, so something was bound to slip his mind. On his return from the Muller's home, he approached the front door to his own house. He looked up to the second level and saw Pinocchio's little feet hovering over the edge of the window ledge. The little wooden boy was sitting, crunching into an apple, watching the townspeople walk by without a care in the world. Geppetto would have to scold him for his foolishness. Pinocchio was often doing mischievous things and pushing the boundaries at the moment. That was when Geppetto had a thought. Could Pinocchio have eaten all the cookies? He didn't like to assume that Pinocchio could have done something so naughty, but considering Pinocchio's recent behaviour, he wouldn't be too surprised. That night, Papa Geppetto decided to ask Pinocchio whether he had anything to do with the disappearing cookies. Just as Pinocchio was snuggling down into his pillow and was wrapped up warm in his blanket, Geppetto sat on the end of Pinocchio's bed and asked him his question. Pinocchio, he began, can I ask you a question? Pinocchio sat up in his bed, surprised by this strange turn of events. Of course, Papa Geppetto, he replied. What would you like to ask? Geppetto looked into Pinocchio's big, innocent eyes and felt a pang of guilt for even questioning him. But he had to know. Geppetto continued to ask. Now, I won't be mad with you if you did, but did you eat the cookies that I left in the basket for the family down the street? Pinocchio looked briefly startled, but then replied without a thought, no, Papa Geppetto. I didn't eat the cookies. Maybe the talking cricket ate them. Almost as soon as the words had slipped off his tongue, Pinocchio noticed a warm, throbbing sensation in his nose. His wooden nose began to shimmy and shake, and all of a sudden it shot out several inches in front of his face. Geppetto gasped with surprise. Are you sure you didn't eat the cookies in a kitchen? He asked again, becoming unconvinced by Pinocchio's response. No, I didn't eat them. I promise Pinocchio cried before his nose grew another three inches right in front of his eyes. What is happening? Pinocchio exclaimed in bewilderment. Geppetto folded his arms disappointedly and replied, I think you might be telling porkie pies, Pinocchio. No, I'm not. Pinocchio protested, but his nose betrayed him and it expanded in length by an extra inch. He clutched his long wooden nose sadly and bowed his head. Im sorry, Papa Geppetto. The little boy sighed. I did eat all the cookies. Geppetto looked down at the apologetic little wooden boy and shook his head solemnly. If only Pinocchio hadn't lied, then he wouldn't be in this sorry state. It was always better to tell the truth and face any consequences for your actions than lie and try to place the blame elsewhere. Geppetto didn't have the heart to scold Pinocchio. He could tell that he had learnt his lesson. As he observed the little wooden boy cradling his long nose sorrowfully, Geppetto decided that kindness was the best way to rectify the matter. After all, Pinocchio was only a young boy at heart. Even if he was made out of a block of wood that was hundreds of years old, he still had a lot of learning to do. Geppetto hugged Pinocchio and dried his tears, forgiving him for his mischief and his lies. As Pinocchio's heart softened with Geppetto's understanding, his nose began to glow with a warm golden light and shrank back down to its normal size. It seemed that love, forgiveness and the truth were great healers for anything. Pinocchio learnt his lesson and Geppetto reaffirmed that he would make a wonderful father indeed. The months passed and Pinocchio continued to develop into a pleasant boy under the guidance of Papa Geppetto. He was achieving good grades at school and had made lots of friends with the other children. He was helpful around the house and he and Geppetto enjoyed lots of days together, crafting mini marionettes out of wood, reading books and playing games. Sometimes Geppetto wondered if he would come across another magical piece of wood one day. If he did, he could create a whole collection of magical marionettes and he could become famous all over the world. However, as time continued to pass, he started to think that maybe he had just been granted one piece of magic and he should be grateful for that. Every time he looked at Pinocchio, he counted his lucky stars. Geppetto only wished that Pinocchio was a real boy one day. Pinocchio was on his way to the local shop for a very special occasion. He'd been working hard as an apprentice in Papa Geppetto's workshop for months now, and he had saved up all of his hard earned money to buy himself a nice new suit for school. Today was the day when he finally had enough money to buy the suit he wanted. He had spotted it in the shop window months ago. It was a navy blue jacket with matching blue trousers in a checkered pattern. He would look very smart walking into school wearing it, and he hoped that it would one day gain him an apprenticeship somewhere of high importance. Pinocchio wanted to be able to look after and provide for Papa Geppetto one day when he became too old to work. Skipping along the road with his 40 pennies in his pocket, Pinocchio felt on top of the world. All of a sudden he noticed a woman sitting by the side of the road. She had the most striking azure blue hair and she wore a long grey coat that covered her entire body. She appeared weak and held out an empty can in front of her. Pinocchio had never seen someone like this before. Are you all right, miss? Pinocchio inquired politely, stepping closer to the woman. She gazed up at him with her turquoise eyes and smiled feebly. Hello, sweet puppet, she replied. I am ill and I have no money to buy medicine. Could you help me? Pinocchio clutched the outside of his trouser pocket, feeling the 40 pennies he'd saved up for so long. He had worked hard for his money and it had taken him a long time to gain enough to buy what he wanted. But staring at this poor woman in need, he questioned himself. Did he need his suit more than this woman needed her medicine? After a few seconds of thinking, Pinocchio knew what he must do. He reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out his 40 pennies. Here you go, take these, he said as he carefully poured them into the woman's can. She watched him in amazement with a smile on her face. Are you sure you want to give me all this money? She queried. Pinocchio nodded his head in response. Im sure, he assured her. You need this money more than I do. I hope you feel better soon. Pinocchio waved the woman goodbye and skipped back off in the opposite direction, heading towards home. He didn't tell Papa Geppetto what he had done. Instead, he carried on with his evening as if nothing had happened. That night, Pinocchio dreamt of the woman with azure hair. Except this time she didn't look ill at all. In Fact, she looked in perfect health and she appeared very happy. She smiled at Pinocchio and thanked him for his kindness, informing him that she had managed to buy her medicine and was feeling much better. Pinocchio was ecstatic that he had been able to help the woman. To his surprise, the woman suddenly sprouted large white wings from her back, and her whole body began to glow with a magical aura. The woman with the azure hair wasn't a normal woman at all. She was a fairy. She smiled at Pinocchio and kissed him on his forehead gratefully. Pinocchio felt himself grow even drowsier, falling into a deep sleep far from where his dreams lie. As the fairy began to fade away, she spoke softly and whispered, thank you for your kindness, Pinocchio. Now I want to return the favour. And with that, the fairy with the azure hair disappeared, and Pinocchio drifted into a deep sleep. The next morning, when Pinocchio awoke in his bed, he discovered 40 pennies sitting in his hand as if they'd never been away. He laughed at his good fortune. It seemed that the fairy had returned the favour after all, and now they had both got what they wanted. She was back to good health, and Pinocchio could finally buy the suit he had dreamed of. Little did Pinocchio know that there was still one dream yet to come true. Today, Pinocchio joined Papa Geppetto for breakfast as normal and sauntered into the kitchen cheerfully. Good morning, Papa, he greeted his aging elder. Geppetto met him with silence. Pinocchio looked up from the piece of bread he'd begun tearing into and saw Papa Geppetto staring at him with eyes wide open in disbelief and his mouth hanging open in awe. Before Pinocchio could ask him what was the matter, Geppetto slowly stood to his feet and cried, pinocchio, what happened? You are a real boy. Geppetto reached forward and picked Pinocchio up out of his chair, holding him high up into the air so that he could take a better look at him. Papa Geppetto's hands didn't feel hard against Pinocchio's wooden body anymore. They felt soft, and Pinocchio's skin felt squishy. Pinocchio noticed that his body didn't feel stiff any longer, but it felt loose and nimble. He looked down to his knees and elbows, and there were no joints and bolts holding him together anymore. Now he had bones. I'm a real boy. Cried Pinocchio with glee, and Geppetto spun him around the room, holding him close in an embrace. You are. You are a real boy. Geppetto celebrated, and the Talking Cricket came out of hiding to take a closer look. The Cricket leapt for joy and whistled with glee. He had never seen a happier sight in his century of living in the house. As Pinocchio and Geppetto danced around the kitchen with jubilation, the Cricket looked on with a smile of contentment. It seemed that good deeds attracted good rewards. And now Papa, Geppetto and Pinocchio could live happily ever after as father and son. Or, thanks to a little bit of magic and a whole lot of kindness, Sam.