'Piece of pine' on a postage stamp

I read it in the newspaper a short while ago. The 70th birthday of Walt Disney's Pinocchio is being celebrated. 'From March 4, just before the 70th anniversary of this overwhelming adventure, Pinocchio will be available again for a limited time.' It isn't really just before the 70th anniversary, as the film was released on February 7, 1940. But anyway, only a nitpicker would point that out. The film has been, as they call it, digitally restored and will undoubtedly be of beautiful quality. I think those Disney movies are great, but let's please not forget the books. Pinocchio was written by the Italian writer. Carlo Collodi (1826-1890). Carlo Collodi is a pseudonym of Carlo Lorenzini. He chose the alias Collodi after his mother's birthplace.               The oldest stamp I found with Pinocchio on it comes, how could it be otherwise, from Italy, 1956. Collodi became famous for the book *Un romanzo in vapore*. He had a broad range of interests. For instance, he wrote for various political newspapers, created satirical and humorous sketches and stories, and in 1875 translated the fairy tales of Charles Perrault. Additionally, he began writing children's books at that time. Children's literature was very tame back then. Collodi devised the most wondrous adventures. Children were fascinated by them, but adults also read his work, due to the satirical and symbolic elements.      Ghana 1996 Nevis 1996 Pinocchio, Italian for 'little piece of pine', began as "Storia di un burattino", "the story of the marionet". Collodi started the story in 1880. Every week, a part of "Storia di un burattino" was published in a children's magazine. Eventually, this resulted in the book. 'The Adventures of Pinocchio', which was published in 1883.      Switzerland 1984 United States 2004 Collodi did not write the book solely for children. This is also evident from the fact that in one of the first versions, Pinocchio was even hanged. Reviewers felt that the book symbolized the rigid society of the time. The story showed the contrast between respectability and formal forms and following free instinct. Initially, the book was deemed unsuitable for well-mannered children, much like the Pietje Bell books were considered scandalous in the Netherlands. However, the book distinguishes itself pedagogically through the beautiful parallel between the marionet who becomes a boy and the child raised to adulthood. For readers who no longer know the story of Pinocchio very well; Gepetto is a friendly toy maker who works with heart and soul on wooden toys. One day, after putting the finishing touches on a marionet, he sees a star shining in the sky. Gepetto then wishes that his marionet would become a real boy. That same night, the Blue Fairy brings the puppet, Pinocchio, to life. But Pinocchio will only become a real boy when he knows the difference between good and evil. He will have to prove that he can be honest, loyal, and brave. Jiminy Cricket is appointed as Pinocchio's conscience. He must keep Pinocchio on the straight and narrow. But things go wrong on the very first day of school. Pinocchio runs into Sly the cat and Scrounge the fox. These vagrants think they can make good money off the wooden puppet. They tell him that he will become a big star on the stage. Despite Jiminy Cricket's warnings, Pinocchio believes the swindlers and goes along with the two. They sell him to the circus owner Stromboli. Pinocchio turns out to be a success. Stromboli earns a lot of money. Pinocchio gets absolutely nothing. He is locked up in a cage.   In 1987, Grenada also depicted the story in stamps. Fortunately, he is rescued by Jiminy Cricket and the Blue Fairy. When the Blue Fairy asks him what happened, he does not dare tell the truth. He lies, and his nose starts to grow. Pinocchio then promises not to do bad things anymore. Unfortunately, he does not keep his promise. He lets himself be persuaded again by Sly the cat and Scourge the fox and ends up on an island, Land of Plenty. There, the children get up to the most terrible things. Pinocchio joins in too. And this time, too, he does not listen to Jiminy Cricket. The children in Land of Plenty turn into donkeys. The owner of Land of Plenty can then sell them in the city later. When Jiminy Cricket manages to get Pinocchio away from there, Pinocchio already has donkey ears and a tail. Upon arriving home, they discover that Gepetto has been looking for Pinocchio all this time. Suddenly, a letter flutters down at Pinocchio's feet. It is a letter from Gepetto in which he writes that he knew Pinocchio was on a boat and that he had gone to look for him. During this search, he was swallowed, boat and all, by the whale Monstro. So he is inside the whale's belly. After reading the letter, Pinocchio feels very guilty and decides to go and rescue Gepetto. And so it happened. And through this heroic rescue, Pinocchio proved that he was a good, honest, and kind boy. The Blue Fairy therefore transformed him into a real boy.   Sierra Leone 1985 San Marino 1990 Turks- en Caoicoseil. 1983 It is beautifully depicted on the stamps above. From this lovely story, we were left with a great 'quote' that is still said to liars today: 'Watch out, your nose is going to grow any minute now.'