1883 Pinocchio: Original Tale Features Puppet Killing Talking Cricket with Hammer

A recent social media post has drawn attention to a stark difference between the popular perception of Pinocchio and Carlo Collodi's original 1883 novel, "The Adventures of Pinocchio." The tweet, from user "𝕙𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕗𝕦𝕝 𝕒𝕓𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕠𝕟," highlighted a specific, violent event: "in the 1883 version of pinocchio, the first thing he does after geppetto gives him the shape of a boy is kill cricket with a hammer." This detail, surprising to many familiar only with Disney's adaptation, is indeed accurate to Collodi's initial narrative.

In Chapter IV of Collodi's "Le avventure di Pinocchio," shortly after Pinocchio is created, the Talking Cricket, who has lived in Geppetto's house for over a century, attempts to offer the mischievous puppet advice. The Cricket warns Pinocchio about disobedience and laziness. Pinocchio, in a fit of rage, responds by throwing a hammer at the insect.

The original text explicitly describes the brutal act: "At these last words, Pinocchio jumped up in a fury, took a hammer from the bench, and threw it with all his strength at the Talking Cricket. Perhaps he did not think he would strike it. But, sad to relate, my dear children, he did hit the Cricket, straight on its head. With a last weak 'cri-cri-cri' the poor Cricket fell from the wall, dead!" This scene sets a grim tone, far removed from the benevolent Jiminy Cricket of later adaptations.

Despite this violent demise, the Talking Cricket notably reappears later in the novel as a ghost, continuing to offer Pinocchio counsel. This spectral return underscores the original story's blend of dark fantasy and moral instruction. Collodi's work was initially serialized in a children's magazine, with the cricket's death being part of a more punitive and less forgiving narrative arc before popular demand led to its continuation and a more redemptive path for the wooden puppet.

The original "Adventures of Pinocchio" is known for its darker themes, including hunger, poverty, and harsh consequences for misbehavior, contrasting sharply with the more sanitized versions that have gained widespread global recognition. The incident with the Talking Cricket serves as an early, vivid example of Pinocchio's rebellious nature and the severe lessons he must learn on his journey to becoming a real boy.