Introduction: “The Golden Touch” is Lesson 2 from the ASSEB (Assam State Board of Secondary Education) Class 6 English textbook Rainbow. It is an adaptation of the famous Greek myth of King Midas, retold by the American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. The lesson tells the story of a greedy king who loves gold more than anything else in the world. When a magical stranger grants him the power to turn everything he touches into gold, the king first feels overjoyed — but soon learns that his “golden touch” is actually a terrible curse. The story teaches young readers an important moral lesson about greed, contentment, and the value of love and life over wealth.
Summary
Long ago there lived a king named Midas who ruled over a rich kingdom. He had a lovely little daughter named Marygold whom he loved very much. But Midas loved gold even more than his daughter. He spent most of his time in his treasure room counting his gold coins, polishing his gold bars, and dreaming of becoming the richest king in the world. He even wished that everything he touched would turn into gold.
One day a strange visitor with a smiling face appeared in the treasure room. He told Midas that his wish would be granted, and from the next sunrise everything Midas touched would turn into pure gold. The king was overjoyed. Next morning he found that his bed, his clothes, his book and even his spectacles turned into gold at his touch. He ran into the garden and turned the roses into golden flowers. He sat down to have his breakfast — but the bread, the milk, the eggs and the fish all turned into hard, cold gold the moment he touched them. He could neither eat nor drink anything.
Just then his little daughter Marygold came in crying because the roses in the garden had lost their soft petals and sweet smell. Midas tried to comfort her by hugging her — and at his touch, his beloved daughter turned into a lifeless golden statue. The king was heart-broken. The stranger appeared again and asked Midas which was dearer to him — gold or his daughter. Midas begged for the curse to be removed. The stranger told him to bathe in the river and sprinkle its water on everything he had changed. Midas did so, and Marygold and all other things came back to life. From that day Midas hated the very sight of gold and learned that love, life, food and happiness are far more precious than all the gold in the world.
Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| greedy | having a strong desire for more wealth or food than one needs |
| treasure | a collection of valuable things such as gold, silver and jewels |
| kingdom | the land ruled by a king or queen |
| stranger | a person whom one does not know |
| granted | allowed; given as a favour |
| sunrise | the time in the morning when the sun rises |
| spectacles | a pair of glasses worn to help one see better |
| petals | the soft coloured parts of a flower |
| fragrance | a sweet or pleasant smell |
| delicious | very tasty; having a very pleasant taste |
| solid | hard and firm; not liquid or soft |
| statue | a figure of a person made of stone, metal or other hard material |
| lifeless | dead; without life or movement |
| heart-broken | extremely sad; full of deep sorrow |
| curse | something evil or harmful caused by a magical word or wish |
| sprinkle | to scatter small drops of water on something |
| precious | very valuable; loved and important |
| contentment | the feeling of being happy and satisfied with what one has |
| bloom | (of a flower) to open out; to be in flower |
| gleam | to shine brightly |
Question Answers
A. Comprehension
1. Who was King Midas? What did he love most in the world?
Answer: King Midas was the king of a rich and prosperous kingdom. He had a beautiful little daughter named Marygold. Although he loved his daughter, he loved gold even more than her. Gold was the thing he loved most in the world.
2. What was the name of King Midas’s daughter? How did the king feel about her?
Answer: The name of King Midas’s daughter was Marygold. The king loved her very much, but he loved gold more than her. He thought that the more gold he had, the happier his daughter would be.
3. Where did King Midas spend most of his time? What did he do there?
Answer: King Midas spent most of his time in his treasure room. He sat there for hours counting his gold coins, polishing his gold bars and admiring his wealth. He felt the happiest when he was surrounded by his gold.
4. Who came to visit King Midas one day? What did the stranger offer him?
Answer: One day a strange visitor with a smiling, glowing face suddenly appeared in the treasure room of King Midas. The stranger had magical powers. He offered to grant Midas any one wish he wanted. Midas wished that everything he touched would turn into gold, and the stranger granted him this wish — the “golden touch”.
5. What wish did King Midas make? When was his wish to come true?
Answer: King Midas wished that everything he touched would turn into gold. The stranger told him that his wish would come true from the next sunrise — that is, from the next morning when the sun rose.
6. What were the first things that turned into gold the next morning?
Answer: The next morning, as soon as Midas woke up and touched things around him, they began to turn into gold one by one. His bed-cover, his clothes, his book, his spectacles and even the door-handle turned into solid gold. He was overjoyed and ran out into his garden, where the roses also turned into golden flowers at his touch.
7. What happened when King Midas sat down for breakfast?
Answer: When King Midas sat down for breakfast, he was very hungry. But the moment he touched the bread, it turned into a hard piece of gold. The milk, the eggs, the fish and even the water in the cup all turned into cold, solid gold the moment they touched his lips. He could neither eat nor drink anything, and for the first time he felt afraid of his golden touch.
8. Why did Marygold come crying to her father?
Answer: Marygold came crying to her father because all the lovely roses in the garden had been turned into gold by his touch. The flowers had lost their soft petals, their bright colours and their sweet fragrance. They had become hard, cold and lifeless, and this made the little girl very sad.
9. What happened when King Midas tried to comfort Marygold?
Answer: When King Midas tried to comfort his crying daughter, he hugged her and kissed her on the forehead. The moment he touched her, Marygold turned into a lifeless, golden statue. Her smile, her warmth and her loving voice were all gone. The king was heart-broken to see his beloved daughter changed into cold gold.
10. How did the stranger help King Midas the second time?
Answer: The stranger appeared again before the sad king and asked him whether gold was dearer to him or his daughter. Midas wept and begged the stranger to take back the golden touch and give him back his daughter. The stranger told him to go to the river, take a bath in it, and bring back a jar of its water. He was to sprinkle that water on everything he had changed into gold. Midas did exactly as he was told, and Marygold and all the other things came back to life.
11. What lesson did King Midas learn at the end of the story?
Answer: King Midas learned a very valuable lesson at the end of the story. He realised that gold and riches are not everything in life. Love, life, food, water, flowers, and happiness are far more precious than all the gold in the world. Greed for wealth can take away the simple joys of life. From that day, Midas never loved gold more than his daughter and never wished for too much again.
12. Why is the golden touch called a “curse” in the story?
Answer: The golden touch is called a “curse” because, although it gave Midas a lot of gold, it also took away everything that made his life worth living. He could not eat, he could not drink, he could not smell the roses, and he even lost his beloved daughter. So the gift that he had wished for so eagerly turned out to be a terrible curse rather than a blessing.
13. Who is the author of the original story “The Golden Touch”?
Answer: The original story “The Golden Touch” is an old Greek myth that has been retold many times. The version in our textbook is adapted from the well-known American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, who included it in his book A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys.
B. True or False
State whether the following statements are True or False:
| Statement | True / False |
|---|---|
| (a) King Midas loved his daughter more than gold. | False |
| (b) Marygold was the name of the king’s daughter. | True |
| (c) The stranger granted the king his wish. | True |
| (d) King Midas could eat his food easily after getting the golden touch. | False |
| (e) Marygold turned into a golden statue when her father touched her. | True |
| (f) The river water removed the curse of the golden touch. | True |
| (g) At the end of the story, Midas still loved gold the most. | False |
C. Vocabulary
1. Find the meanings of the following words from the lesson:
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| greedy | wanting more than one needs |
| treasure | a store of gold, silver and other valuable things |
| granted | allowed; given as a favour |
| sprinkle | to scatter small drops of water |
| fragrance | a pleasant smell |
| statue | a figure made of stone or metal |
| curse | an evil or harmful spell |
2. Match the words with their opposites (antonyms):
| Word | Opposite |
|---|---|
| rich | poor |
| happy | sad |
| love | hate |
| greedy | generous |
| life | death |
| soft | hard |
| blessing | curse |
| wise | foolish |
3. Fill in the blanks with words from the story:
| Sentence | Answer |
|---|---|
| (a) King Midas had a daughter named __________. | Marygold |
| (b) The stranger granted Midas the __________ touch. | golden |
| (c) Midas could not eat because his __________ turned into gold. | food (bread) |
| (d) Marygold turned into a golden __________. | statue |
| (e) Midas had to sprinkle __________ water to remove the curse. | river |
D. Grammar
1. Identify the nouns in the following sentences:
| Sentence | Nouns |
|---|---|
| (a) King Midas loved gold. | King, Midas, gold |
| (b) Marygold was a beautiful girl. | Marygold, girl |
| (c) The stranger came to the palace. | stranger, palace |
| (d) Roses are sweet flowers. | Roses, flowers |
| (e) The king bathed in the river. | king, river |
2. Change the following sentences into the past tense:
| Present Tense | Past Tense |
|---|---|
| (a) Midas loves his gold. | Midas loved his gold. |
| (b) The king touches the rose. | The king touched the rose. |
| (c) Marygold cries in the garden. | Marygold cried in the garden. |
| (d) The stranger comes to the palace. | The stranger came to the palace. |
| (e) He bathes in the river. | He bathed in the river. |
3. Use the following words in your own sentences:
- greedy — King Midas was a greedy man who loved gold more than his daughter.
- treasure — The pirate hid his treasure on a lonely island.
- fragrance — The fragrance of the roses filled the whole garden.
- statue — There is a tall statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the park.
- curse — The wicked witch put a curse on the prince.
- precious — Time is more precious than money.
4. Make plurals of the following nouns:
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| king | kings |
| daughter | daughters |
| rose | roses |
| man | men |
| child | children |
| foot | feet |
| story | stories |
| statue | statues |
E. Writing
1. Write the moral of the story “The Golden Touch” in your own words.
Answer: The moral of the story “The Golden Touch” is that greed is a curse. Money and gold are useful, but they are not the most important things in life. Love, family, food, water, flowers and good health are far more precious than all the riches of the world. We should always be content with what we have and never let greed take control of us. Too much desire for wealth can take away our happiness and even our loved ones.
2. Imagine you are King Midas. Write a short paragraph (about 80 words) describing how you felt after Marygold turned into a golden statue.
Answer (Sample): When I touched my dear Marygold and she turned into a cold golden statue, my heart broke into a thousand pieces. I could no longer hear her sweet voice or see her bright smile. All the gold in my treasure room suddenly looked ugly and useless to me. I cried and prayed for her to come back. At that moment I understood that I had been a foolish and greedy king. I would gladly give up all my gold for one warm hug from my little daughter.
3. Write five sentences about a wish you would like to make and why.
Answer (Sample):
- If I had one wish, I would wish for good health and happiness for my family.
- I would not wish for gold, because the story of King Midas teaches us that wealth alone cannot make us happy.
- I would also wish for the strength to study hard and become a kind and helpful person.
- A good wish should help not only us but also others around us.
- I believe that the best wishes are those that bring love, peace and joy to everyone.
4. Answer in one or two sentences:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| (a) Why was Midas not happy with his gold at last? | He was not happy because his food, his daughter and even his garden flowers had all turned cold and lifeless gold. |
| (b) What did Midas do to remove the curse? | He bathed in the river and sprinkled its water on everything he had changed into gold. |
| (c) Who turned Marygold back into a living girl? | King Midas himself, by sprinkling the magical river water on her statue. |
| (d) Why did Midas hate gold at the end of the story? | Because gold had nearly destroyed his daughter and his happiness, he hated even the sight of it. |
Additional Questions and Answers
1. Describe the appearance of the strange visitor who came to King Midas.
Answer: The strange visitor had a smiling, glowing face and looked very kind and friendly. He suddenly appeared in the treasure room of the king, even though all the doors were locked. This showed that he was no ordinary man but a magical being who had the power to grant wishes.
2. How did King Midas feel just after getting the golden touch? How did his feelings change later?
Answer: Just after getting the golden touch, King Midas was extremely happy and excited. He danced with joy as he turned his bed, clothes, book and even the roses in the garden into gold. But his feelings changed completely when he could not eat his breakfast and, worst of all, when his loving daughter Marygold turned into a lifeless golden statue. Then he became very sad and regretted his greedy wish.
3. Why is “The Golden Touch” considered a moral story?
Answer: “The Golden Touch” is considered a moral story because it teaches us important lessons about life. It shows that greed can lead to great unhappiness and that we should value people and simple things more than money. The story also tells us to be careful what we wish for, as our wishes might bring trouble instead of joy. These lessons make the story meaningful for readers of all ages.
4. What kind of king was Midas before and after the incident of the golden touch?
Answer: Before the incident, King Midas was a greedy and selfish king. He spent most of his time in his treasure room and loved gold more than anything else, even his daughter. After the incident, he became a wise and loving king. He realised the true value of life, love and family. He no longer cared for gold and lived happily with his daughter Marygold.
5. Why did Marygold cry in the garden? What does this show about her character?
Answer: Marygold cried in the garden because all the lovely roses had turned into hard, golden flowers without colour or fragrance. This shows that Marygold was a kind, sensitive and nature-loving little girl. Unlike her father, she did not love gold; she loved the simple beauty of flowers and nature.
6. Write the story of “The Golden Touch” in your own words in about 100 words.
Answer: Long ago, a greedy king named Midas loved gold more than his little daughter Marygold. One day a magical stranger granted him the wish that everything he touched would turn into gold. At first Midas was overjoyed as his clothes, books and roses all became gold. But when his food turned into solid gold, he could not eat. Worse still, when he hugged Marygold, she became a lifeless golden statue. Midas wept bitterly and begged the stranger to take back the gift. The stranger told him to bathe in the river and sprinkle its water on everything. Midas did so, and Marygold and all the things came back to life. Midas learned that love is more precious than gold.
7. Make meaningful sentences using the following words: (a) gold, (b) wish, (c) river, (d) garden, (e) lesson.
- (a) gold: King Midas had a treasure room full of gold coins and gold bars.
- (b) wish: Midas made a foolish wish that everything he touched would turn into gold.
- (c) river: He went to the river and sprinkled its water to undo the curse.
- (d) garden: Marygold loved the flowers in the garden very much.
- (e) lesson: The story of Midas teaches us a great lesson about greed.