In the Disney film, Geppetto wishes that the wooden puppet would become a real boy. In the Collodi fairy tale, it is Pinocchio who makes the wish, not Geppetto, and what Pinocchio actually wishes for is that he become a fully grown man. The blue-haired fairy then explains to Pinocchio that he has to “begin by being a good boy” (p. 132) and that this involves obedience, truthfulness, an education, and consoling one’s parents. Collodi wants his child readers to understand that being a good boy or girl means being in a proper relationship to one’s parents. This is the real genius of his story.
