Carlo Collodi
By Illa Vij

DESPITE the popularity of Pinocchio, its author remains unknown to most people. Some people feel that it is derived from ancient folklore, while some associate it with Walt Disney. But, it’s the brainchild of Carlo Collodi, whose original name was Carlo Lorenzini. He took this pen name Collodi from the village where he spent many years.

Carlo was born in 1826 in Florence. As a young man, he worked as a journalist and also wrote many humorous stories for adults and children. Later he wrote only for children because he felt that adults were too hard to please. In 1860, Carlo took his pen name. In 1875, he was commissioned by thePaggi publishing company to translate a French book of fables, which turned out to be a great success.

In 1881, Carlo was given an assignment for some articles from Rome’s Giornale per i bambini, a weekly magazine for children. He began a series titled ‘The story of a Puppet’. It’s believed that Collodi got bored of his work after some time and ended the series by writing ‘finis’ at the end of an October issue. But children protested, the editor pleaded and Pinnochio reappeared under a new title "The Adventures of Pinochhio". Finally Collodi sold the rights of his story to the Paggi publishing company.

In 1883, the series was published as a book. The children’s love for the puppet kept the sales high. Its popularity made people study it critically. About 200 analyses and studies of the tale came into existence. There have been thousands of editions all over the world and millions of copies have been sold ever since it first hit the stands. It has been translated into more than 200 languages.

In 1952, large funds were collected in Italy to lay out a park near Collodi village. Italian school children donated money and so did well-wishers from 22 other countries.These funds were raised by the National Carlo Collodi Foundation. The park, inaugurated in 1956, houses a towering bronze sculpture of Pinocchio, Child-Fairy and a bird. It is surrounded by a magic square, with mosaics depicting scenes from the book. Pinocchio dolls are sold in thousands inItaly alone and its animated cartoon became equally popular. Parents in many countries use this story to bring up their children with right values. They tell their children that if they tell a lie their nose will become longer and longer, and if they don’t study hard they will grow donkey’s ears. (In the story, Pinocchio is a wooden puppet carved by an old man named Geppetto. The puppet comes to life and experiences many unhappy adventures because he is lazy and selfish. When he learns and promises to be honest and hard-working, a fairy grants him a wish and magically changes him into a real boy). Carlo Collodi died in 1890.

H.B. Stowe

Fiction has been used to improve the quality of life, and also highlight social evils. The book Uncle Tom’s Cabin was an influential contribution to American literature, to the movement against slavery. Its authoress Harriet Beecher Stowe was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, on June 14, 1811. As a young girl, she learned to sew, knit and read prayer books, hymns, poems and sermons. Once on a visit to her brother HenryWard Beecher, the main topic of discussion was slavery. Harriet felt inspired to write something that would make the whole nation realise what an accursed thing slavery was. In 1836, she married Professor Calvin E. Stowe. She made a devoted wife and had a happy married life.

Her other works include The Minister’s Wooing, The Pearl of Orr’s Island. ATale of the Great Dismal Swamp by her also deals with slavery. Harriet Stowe died in Andover on July 1, 1896.