The Adventures of Pinocchio · Chapter
XIX: Pinocchio Is Robbed of His Money explained
Pinocchio returns to the Field of Miracles expecting to find a tree laden with gold coins, but finds nothing.
What happens
Pinocchio returns to the Field of Miracles expecting to find a tree laden with gold coins, but finds nothing. A Parrot reveals that the Fox and the Cat have stolen his buried money. Desperate, Pinocchio reports the theft to a judge, who instead of helping him, orders him imprisoned for four months. He is only released when a general amnesty is declared by the young Emperor.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Gullibility
Pinocchio is tricked by the Fox and Cat into believing money can be sown and harvested, and he is further deceived by the corrupt judge.
Education and Labor
The Parrot's lesson emphasizes that money must be earned through honest work or cleverness, not through magical shortcuts.
Characters to notice
- Pinocchio
Returns to the Field of Miracles expecting riches, learns he has been robbed, and is unjustly imprisoned.
- The Fox
Mentioned as having returned with the Cat to steal Pinocchio's buried gold.
- The Cat
Mentioned as having returned with the Fox to steal Pinocchio's buried gold.
- The Blackbird
Appears as the Parrot who reveals the theft and mocks Pinocchio's gullibility.
Key passages
“I am laughing at those simpletons who believe in all the foolish things that are told them, and who allow themselves to be entrapped by those who are more cunning than they are.”
The Parrot mocks those who are naive enough to trust every lie and fall into traps set by clever tricksters.
This highlights the theme of deception and gullibility, as the Parrot directly criticizes Pinocchio's foolishness.
“I have at last learned that to put a few pennies honestly together it is necessary to know how to earn them, either by the work of our own hands or by the cleverness of our own brains.”
The Parrot has learned that the only honest way to accumulate money is through physical labor or mental effort.
This reinforces the theme of education and labor, contrasting with Pinocchio's belief in easy riches.