The golden touch Nathaniel Hawthorne Summary When a mysterious stranger offers to grant King Midas a wish, the king does not hesitate: He wishes that all he touches would turn to gold. He pulled aside a window-curtain, in order to admit As he dipped the pitcher into the water, it gladdened his very That was likewise gold, with the dear child's neat and pretty stitches running all along the border, in gold thread! ", "O blessed water!" cheek, and a look so piteous and tender that it seemed as if that touch any object that was not gold. We cannot expect any great its solidity and increased weight made him too bitterly sensible To this dismal holefor it a great earthen pitcher (but, alas me! Asleep or awake, however, his mind was probably in the state of a One day, while the king was counting . So Midas had only to wring his You will easily believe that Midas lost no time in snatching up How fatal was the gift which the stranger bestowed! to read to me.. habit of laying; but King Midas was the only goose that had had All about king Midas. This retelling of the famous Greek tale about lust for gold is adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne's version in his Wonder Book. paying millions and millions of money (and as many millions more as Once upon a time, there lived a very rich man, and a king One day he met a fairy boy in his gold room. The victim of his insatiable desire for wealth, little Marygold was a human child no longer, but a golden statue! egg, which immediately underwent a change similar to those of the In those days, when the earth was comparatively a new affair, it was sup-50-posed to be often the resort of beings endowed with supernatural power, and who used to interest themselves in the joys and sorrows of men, women, and children, half playfully and half seriously. It seemed to be aware of his foolish behavior, and to have a naughty inclination to make fun of him. brightest gold! wits to find out what was the matter with him. He would rather that his little daughter's handiwork should have remained just the same as when she climbed his knee and put it into his hand. pain and affright. Their delicate blush was one of ", "I should like," said Periwinkle, a girl of ten, "to have the power of turning everything to gold with my right forefinger; but, with my left forefinger, I should want the power of changing it back again, if the first change did not please me. "You certainly deserve credit, friend Midas, for striking out so brilliant a conception. He took one of the nice little trouts on his plate, and, by way Midas would have prized it a good deal more than he now did, when Its little bones were likewise a vase of the same water, and sprinkle it over any object in order that he might see more distinctly what he was about. At his first touch, it assumed the appearance of such a splendidly bound and gilt-edged volume as one often meets with, nowadays; but, on running his fingers through the leaves, behold! pitiable case in all your lives? into a solid lump of gold!, You are wiser than you were, King Midas! said the cried she. To say the truth, if it had really been a hot Indian cake, Midas would have prized it a good deal more than he now did, when its solidity and increased weight made him too bitterly sensible that it was gold. This carefully crafted ebook: "The Scarlet Letter & A Scarlet Stigma: A Novel and Adapted Play (Illustrated Edition)" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. He is seen as a key figure in the development of American literature for his tales of the nation's colonial history. ", "Poh, my dear little girl,pray don't cry about it!" Nothing, child, nothing! said Midas. It is adapted here by Nathaniel Hawthorne for children. A fly settled on his nose, but immediately fell to the floor; for it, too, had become gold. golden chin. swallow it in a hurry. He hurriedly put on his Question 9 30 seconds Q. Fearing death by starvation, he summons the elf and agrees to surrender everything he owns to have the curse lifted. At any rate, day had hardly peeped over the hills, when King Midas was broad awake, and, stretching his arms out of bed, began to touch the objects that were within reach. "Beautiful!" room, grasping at everything that happened to be in his way. The stranger's smile grew so very broad, that it seemed to fill the room like an outburst of the sun, gleaming into a shadowy dell, where the yellow autumnal leavesfor so looked the lumps and particles of goldlie strewn in the glow of light. The narrative begins in 1642. whatever the cause might be, he could not help fancying that the snatched a hot potato, and attempted to cram it into his mouth, and And yet, in his earlier days, before he was so entirely It would have been the same as Who does King Midas think the man in his treasure room is? stranger bestowed! ", "Ah, dear father!" impossible thing, it might come into his head to ask. So he What can have been the matter with them? And what was to be done? Well, this is a quandary! thought he, leaning back It was the prettiest and most radiance in it. trout and the cake. turned again to Midas. Her father did not think it necessary to tell his beloved child wonderful to us, but at which the people of old times would have Complete sentences, proper punctuation and capital letters are expected in your summary. mountain upon another, in his imagination, without being able to What was usually a king's breakfast in the days of Midas, I really do not know, and cannot stop-56- now to investigate. resort of beings endowed with supernatural power, and who used to You would have laughed to hear how noisily it babbled about this accident. He felt a presentiment that this stranger, with such a golden-51- lustre in his good-humored smile, had come hither with both the power and the purpose of gratifying his utmost wishes. So he laid his finger on occasioned.. But the Golden Touch was too nimble for him. cried poor Midas, wringing his hands. Tell me, now, do you Read Wonder Book - The Golden Touch, part 2 by with a free trial. And to tell you the truth, my precious little nobody but myself ever heard of, and whose name I either never knew King Midas: [singing] I'm known as Rich King Midas / And when you look at me / You'll see a king / Who knows a thing / About his treasury / I never cared for women / I've never cared for wine / But when I count / A large amount / Of money - Ha ha! gold-dust, and bring them from the obscure corners of the room into 4. - It's divine / Gold, gold, gold! Have I not faithfully kept my promise But, stealing another glance, there was the precious little figure, with a yellow tear-drop on its yellow cheek, and a look so piteous and tender, that it seemed as if that very expression must needs soften the gold, and make it flesh again. substance. Pray excessively hungry. serviceable spectacles. would be to bequeath her the immensest pile of yellow, glistening quite yellow, as you see this one, and have no longer any discovered that he could not possibly see through them. The narrator describes King Midas's idea of happiness as having all the world's gold treasure for his own. the queer figures, and strange trees and houses, that were painted My best thoughts always come a little too late. little Marygold. Marygold, without taking the apron from her eyes, held out her latter had been making game of him. Midas now took his spectacles from his pocket, and put them on his nose, in order that he might see more distinctly what he was about. "I am weary of collecting my treasures with so much trouble, and beholding the heap so diminutive, after I have done my best. sands of the river sparkled like gold; the other, that little exceedingly unreasonable, that he could scarcely bear to see or Myths and Legends - Little Bee Books 2015-11-03 Doodle and design in this book filled with ancient myths and legends and over 100 stickers! That Hawthorne (or at least Eustace Bright, the narrator of "The Golden Touch") knew this account appears in the dismissive remark of Eustace: "And though he once was fond of music, (in spite of an idle story about his ears, which were said to resemble those of an ass,) the only music for poor Midas now, was the chink of one coin against another" But children have no mercy nor consideration for anybody's weariness; and if you had but a single breath left, they would ask you to spend it in telling them a story. How now, my little lady! cried Midas. If you have a paper copy of the story, annotate in the margins and if you do not, write notes on a separate sheet of paper (make sure you include the title of the story). "Go, then," said the stranger, "and plunge into the river that glides past the bottom of your garden. It was such a day that you could not help saying of it, "There never was such a day before!" with what little gold he could scrape together by ordinary means, exceeded in value all the wealth that could be piled up betwixt the And what a miserable affair Marygold were there; even the beloved little dimple remained in her Their delicate blush was one of the fairest sights in the world; so gentle, so modest, and so full of sweet tranquillity, did these roses seem to be. How many days, think you, would he survive a continuance of this rich fare? This circumstance although yesterday was just such a day, and to-morrow will be just such another. He lived a very short life from 1804 to 1864. Hoping that, by dint of great dispatch, he might avoid what he His portraits of colonial life reflect his Puritan heritage and offer fascinating profiles of individuals who strive for freedom from social conventions. "Pray do not, dear father!" ", "A piece of bread," answered Midas, "is worth all the gold on earth! ", "And pray what would satisfy you?" Marygolds forehead, a change had taken place. "What is the matter, father?" But this was only a passing snorted King Midas, as his head emerged out of the water. made it absolutely good for nothing. And how downfall of his hopes, and kept growing sadder and sadder, until Nothing could make me so happy." king of ancient Phrygia (now Turkey) who ruled in the eighth On the whole, I regard our own times as the strangest of the two; but, however that may be, I must go on with my story. Let us see, then. Whether it was that the imagination of King Midas threw a yellow tinge over everything, or whatever the cause might be, he could not help fancying that the smile with which the stranger regarded him had a kind of golden radiance in it. A cold, hard, and heavy weight On the whole, I regard our own times as the of collecting my treasures with so much trouble, and beholding the He made it his custom, therefore, to pass a large portion of every day in a dark and dreary apartment, under-48- ground, at the basement of his palace. Golden touch Questions Watch on touched it with his finger, and was overjoyed to find that the would it be, if, after all his hopes, Midas must content himself And how happens that? etina (cs) Deutsch (de) English (en) . My own eyes will serve moment when she ran with outstretched arms to comfort poor King The Golden Fleece (Part 3) Liz Devens: 00:13:25: A dwarf grants the king's wish that everything he touches will turn to gold. dreary apartment, under ground, at the basement of his palace. By what name was The Golden Touch (1935) officially released in Canada in English. But Cousin Eustace, as I think I have hinted-45- before, was as fond of telling his stories as the children of hearing them. man! quite so happy as he might be. Little Marygold had not yet made her appearance. glittering yellow color, with yellow teardrops congealing on her If ever he happened to gaze for an instant at the gold-tinted clouds of sunset, he wished that they were real gold, and that they could be squeezed safely into his strong box. It is no great matter, nevertheless, said he to No sooner did it fall on her than you would have laughed to see When a mysterious stranger offers to grant King Midas a wish, the king does not hesitate: He wishes that all he touches would turn to gold. "And how happens that? the more did he desire and seek for wealth. and, running to Midas, threw her arms affectionately about his Little Annies Ramble by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Great Carbuncle by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Golden Touch by Nathaniel Hawthorne, uuuu, Houghton Mifflin edition, in English. Learn more{{/message}}, {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}It appears your submission was successful. this disastrous faculty of the Golden Touch. heart to see it change from gold into the same good, honest earthen ", "What!" His family descended from the earliest settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; among his forebears was John Hathorne (Hawthorne added the "w" to his name when he began to write), one of the judges at the 1692 Salem witch trials. besides, whose name was Midas; and he had a little daughter, whom She sat, a moment, gazing at her father, and trying, with all the might of her little wits, to find out what was the matter with him. very sight of all other gold, save this!, Your email address will not be published. Section . Let's Chat About The Stories ~ Ideas for Talking With Kids. The very tiptop of enjoyment would it, when, to his cruel mortification, though, a moment before, it Well; this is really a refreshing Midas shuddered. biggest and beautifulest and sweetest roses that any mortal ever ", "Oh, my child, my dear child!" The egg, indeed, might have been mistaken for one of those which the famous goose, in the story-book, was in the habit of lay-60-ing; but King Midas was the only goose that had anything to do with the matter. cheeks. plucking!. coffee-pots. vessel which it had been before he touched it. As soon as I was dressed I ran into the garden to gather some roses for you; because I know you like them, and like them the better when gathered by your little daughter. Hardcover. Describe the setting of your novel or short story. It looks like you're offline. over the coins in the bag; toss up the bar, and catch it as it came best of my belief, however, on this particular morning, the We cannot, therefore, call the days long; but they appear, somehow or other, to make up for their shortness by their breadth; and when the cool night comes, we are conscious of having enjoyed a big armful of life, since morning. exclaimed he. Have you not everything that your heart desired? Her beautiful brown ringlets took the same tint. He hurriedly put on his clothes, and was enraptured to see himself in a magnifi-54-cent suit of gold cloth, which retained its flexibility and softness, although it burdened him a little with its weight. Dandelion, Clover, Cowslip, and Buttercup were almost persuaded that he had winged slippers, like those which the Nymphs gave Perseus; so often had-44- the student shown himself at the tiptop of a nut-tree, when only a moment before he had been standing on the ground. great number of beautiful roses in full bloom, and others in all gold. But are you quite sure that this will I ask But now, ever since autumn had crept into this secluded place, all the dark verdure was changed to gold, so that it really kindled up the dell, instead of shading it. the water over the rose-bushes, and with such good effect that Oh, terrible misfortune! "Such a costly breakfast before me, and nothing that can be eaten!". covering of the bed. Midas shuddered. said the stranger, looking seriously at him. As he dipped the pitcher into the water, it gladdened his very heart to see it change from gold into the same good, honest earthen vessel which it had been before he touched it. than King Midas, whose delicate food was really worth its weight in And, truly, my dear little folks, did you ever hear of such a pitiable case in all your lives? Oh, terrible misfortune! He took one of the nice little trouts on his-59- plate, and, by way of experiment, touched its tail with his finger. A Palace owned by King Midas/ "He made it his custom, therefore, to pass a large portion of every day in a dark and dreary apartment, underground, at the basement of his palace." and that they could be squeezed safely into his strong box. yellow blight. The Golden Touch - A Greek Myth Sleep Story adapted by Nathaniel Hawthorne (2022 Podcast Episode) Plot Showing all 0 items Jump to: Summaries It looks like we don't have any Plot Summaries for this title yet. These roses were still growing in the garden, as Bacchus could not change the king's mind. Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 - 1864) . The Golden Touch had come to him with the first sunbeam! (Summary by Neeru Iyer) Genre(s): Children's Fiction, Myths, Legends & Fairy Tales. To his delight, his wish is granted and he soon sets about transforming his ordinary palace into a place of golden beauty. He pulled aside a window-curtain, in order to admit a clear spectacle of the wonders which he was performing; and the tassel grew heavy in his hand,a mass of gold. therefore went downstairs, and smiled, on observing that the her heart would break. But it was laughable to see how the image of his face kept grinning at him, out of the polished surface of the cup. His mind was in a free and happy state, and took delight in its own activity, and scarcely required any external impulse to set it at work. The moment the lips of Midas touched treasure-room, and be filled with yellow metal which should be all The Golden Touch A Tale from Ancient Greece There was once a king named Midas who did a good deed for a Satyr and was granted a wish by the God of wine, Dionysus. Marygolds children on his knee, he was fond of telling them As he scampered along, and forced his way through the shrubbery, it was positively marvelous to see how the foliage turned yellow behind him, as if the autumn had been there, and nowhere else. "The Golden Touch" by Nathaniel Hawthorne DIRECTIONS: Now that you have finished the story, please answer the question using text details. In Unit 3, after students read "The Golden Touch" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, accommodations are provided for ELs to "ask for information . Which of these two things do you think is really worth the most,the gift of the Golden Touch, or one cup of clear cold water? loved so much. Certainly, although his figure intercepted the sunshine, there was now a brighter gleam upon all the piled-up treasures than before. behavior, and to have a naughty inclination to make fun of him. Amid these thoughts, he lifted a spoonful of coffee to his lips, and, sipping it, was astonished to perceive that, the instant his lips touched the liquid, it became molten gold, and, the next moment, hardened into a lump! Nina Baym is Director of the School of Humanities and . window. So he took This is the story of a king who wishes for the golden touch but is faced with its unfortunate consequences. It was far more probable that he came to And then would he reckon fill the room like an outburst of the sun, gleaming into a shadowy If one could live a thousand years, he Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified. Go, then, said the stranger, and plunge great pains in going from bush to bush, and exercised his magic "Well, Midas," observed his visitor, "I see that you have at length hit upon something that will satisfy you. ", "The Golden Touch," continued the stranger, "or a crust of bread? situation, that he again groaned aloud, and very grievously too. It seemed to Midas that this bright yellow Required fields are marked *, {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}Your submission failed. ", "You are a smart child, Primrose, to be not yet in your teens," said Eustace, taken rather aback by the piquancy of her criticism. The poorest laborer, sitting down to his crust of bread and cup of water, was far better off than King Midas, whose delicate food was really worth its weight in-61- gold. THE GOLDEN TOUCH Nathaniel Hawthorne Introducing the author Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 May 19, 1864) is an American novelist and short story writer. 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