Geppetto's Lesson

The question WHY

Geppetto woke up with a smile to the sun shining through the window, right onto his bed.  And when he turned his head slightly to the right his grin turned into a full out grin as he observed his son in the morning sunrays.  The wood looked so smooth, so lifelike, so soft in that light that he couldn’t resist the urge to touch it.  It was a bit of a jolt when he found a perfectly sanded and polished wooden surface instead of the flesh that the sunlight rendered his boy.

Now, it is NOT as if Geppetto did not know his boy was wooden.  I mean, he DID create the child after all.  It was just that in the grogginess of just waking up and the splendid light making everything look softer, well, I suppose he half-way thought himself still in his dream. 

Oh yes, Geppetto had dreamed that night.  A fantastic dream! Pinocchio was a real boy with flesh and blood like all boys!

Minutely disappointed that he was awake Geppetto closed his eyes to imagine Pinocchio as he has appeared in the dream.  Pinocchio riding in a sleigh, studying his letters, acting in a play at school, making friends…. Growing up….

“Dad! –Wake up, dad! The sun is up, dad! It is time to get up!”

Geppetto opened one eye to see his son hovering over him.  He closed his eye. Wow!  So much for a little more rest… so much for enjoying a good dream.  Guess it was time to break their fast.  -So much for Sunday.

“Dad?”

Geppetto opened his eyes sighing.  “I am awake son, what is it?” Sitting up he pulled his night shirt off over his head and replaced it with a simple cotton blouse.

Pinocchio stared at his father puzzled.  “Dad, why do you change your shirt? Is there something wrong with your shirt?”

Looking over at his son, Geppetto chuckled to see the truly perplexed expression on his little wooden face. ‘I could not have carved that expression if I had tried,’ he thought… but out loud, he answered Pinocchio by saying, “Son, I change my shirt because I have gotten it dirty and we must always wear clean clothes.”

“Why?” Pinocchio asked, just as any child would do.

In the process of pulling himself out of bed, Geppetto stopped and flopped back down. Why? ‘I am going to have to explain how to be socially acceptable to my boy… but he is wooden… will they accept him anyways?... well, Lia had.’ 

“Come here, Pinocchio,” Geppetto said, holding out his hand to his son.  Pinocchio crawled over the bed to where his father was sitting and into Geppetto’s lap.  Looking up into his father’s eyes he repeated his question of ‘why?’ and waited patiently for his father’s answer.

Taking a deep breath, Geppetto went on and on AND ON about how people change into clean clothes every day and bathe and always ALWAYS strive to stay clean at all times.

Pinocchio took in every word, processed it in his own childish way.  But he did not understand.  How silly! He looked at his father with a queer, puzzled little look… “Why, father?”

Geppetto peered at his son.  That question again.  Same question after the answer to the question. To say that Geppetto felt confusion and frustration might be a little short of the reality.

“Because, that is how it is, Pinocchio.  Animals wear fur, and we humans wear clothes.” Geppetto held a finger up to his son who was about to speak again, ‘probably with another why’ Geppetto thought. “Look at the cat, son.  See how she is licking her fur and arranging it nicely and making it shine?” he asked.

Pinocchio got down off of his father’s lap and tip-toed over to the gray striped feline on the stool across the room. “Yes, dad… but why is she doing that?” he asked.  Kneeling in front of the cat he put his forehead on hers and looked into her eyes.