For this exercise I'll pick 'Pinocchio'. In case anyone doesn't know, in short: man makes puppet, puppet gets enchanted and becomes alive, his nose grows every time he lies and only shrinks if he tells the truth, puppet wants to become a real boy. Might be nice to point out that, instead of the Disney version, in the original version, Pinocchio wasn't exactly the best example of good behaviour, and he eventually was executed. (Here's the Wikipedia page if you want to know more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinocchio)
Anyhow, for my own version, I am kinda moving away from the fairy tale aspect, and instead want to set it in modern day Italy. The main character of my story is Pietro Innocenzo Nócchio, or Pietro for friends. When the story begins, Pietro has just been elected into the Italian parliament. However, his campaign wasn't cheap, and he mostly paid for it with money from the Moriconi family, one of the more notorious families in Italy. Once in parliament, Pietro has no choice but to vote according to the wishes of the Family. One of these votes happens to be the tie-breaker in a law which leads to the demolition of a series of apartment buildings in the outskirts of Rome, after which the Moriconi can cheaply buy the land.
However, shortly after the passing of the law, Pietro receives a letter, written by an old woman who lived in one of these buildings. She states that the law Pietro helped pass condemned her to a life of homelessness. She curses him, as punishment for his lack of morality.
The next day, while Pietro is giving an interview, he notices the effect of the curse: whenever he tells a lie, his nose grows longer. Realising that this curse basically spells the end of his personal and political life, Pietro seeks to lift the curse. After finally finding the woman who wrote the letter, he realises that his only solution is to abstain from lying, and living an honest life. The one major challenge to achieve this goal, however, is the Moriconi family's influence over him.
When the Family realises that Pietro is no longer in their power, they start a smear campaign, revealing all of Pietro's corruption while dealing with them. After hearings in parliament, and a very public legal battle, Pietro finally confesses everything. Accepting a plea deal, and working together with the Italian anti-mafia unit, he manages to get the Moriconi family's top members, especially the 'father' of the family, convicted.
Having brought down one of Italy's most powerful families, and after retreating from politics altogether, Pietro's curse is finally lifted.
Bonus:
For my bonus scene, I chose the moment when Pietro notices the effects of his curse:
The press room was located in one of the older parts of the ministry. Decorated in an 18th century Baroque style, it felt more like a palace than the workplace of an elected official. The chairs for the attending press were set in a semi-circle, with the lighting of the camera's in the back turning the journalists into a shadowy audience, while I, as the afternoon's main act, stood behind my lectern.
"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is our vision of the Suburra housing project as I, and my co-workers, envision it." I told the audience. "Are there any more questions?"
Somewhere in the back of the room, a shadow raised its arm. Shortly after, a disembodied voice called out: "Mister Nócchio, do you really believe that your project will enhance the lives of those living in the Municipio XVI? After all, did the government not just recently, with your support, if I might add, evict those living in the low-income housing projects in the neighbourhood?"
Of course, I had already anticipated questions like these, so I confidently answered: "I don't only believe it will, I know it will. We demolished the housing projects because the living conditions were sub-par from what we expect from a modern country, and a modern metropolis. I know that it might not seem so at the moment, but when the project is finished, the neighbourhood will prosper, and those who are now temporarily living elsewhere will see the merit of our project. Our main concern is the improvement of the lives of our citizens."
Now, I have to add that I gave this speech in the Spring, right during hay fever season. However, as Cesare, my media advisor told me that constantly scratching my nose didn't look good on camera, I couldn't resolve the itch that had been bugging me during my presentation. However, once he jumped in front of me, and yelled 'no more questions now!', I realised that something was wrong. Only when the lights were once more turned on in the room, I noticed the curious faces of the press.
At that point, I realised that something was partially obstructing my view. A blurry object in the corner of my vision. And then, while one of my attendants finally held her pocket mirror in front of me, I saw what it was: my nose had grown longer by about an inch.