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Learning English through story books is a fun and effective way to improve your English vocabulary, grammar, reading skills, and understanding of everyday expressions. In this article, you will read The Golden Touch, a famous story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, first published in 1851 as part of A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys.
The story is about King Midas, a very rich king who loves gold more than anything else. He already has a lot of gold, but he wants even more. One day, a mysterious stranger gives him a magical power: everything he touches turns into gold. At first, Midas is very happy with his new power. However, he soon discovers that his Golden Touch can also bring terrible problems. His food becomes gold, and his beloved daughter Marygold is changed into a golden statue.
This version of The Golden Touch has been rewritten especially for A2-level English learners. The language is simpler and easier to understand, while the main events, characters, important conversations, and lesson of the original story are kept. The story is divided into four parts, making it easier to read and study step by step.
While reading, you can learn useful A2 vocabulary, common English expressions, basic grammar structures, dialogue patterns, and simple storytelling language in a natural context. Most importantly, you can improve your English while enjoying a classic story with an important lesson about love, family, and the true value of life.
This story was rewritten by LearnEnglish-new.com for English learners. The story is in the public domain, so it is free from copyright. Enjoy reading and improve your English skills!
The Golden Touch
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Contents
Chapter One: The King Who Loved Gold
Chapter Two: The Golden Touch
Chapter Three: The Golden Daughter
Chapter Four: The River Cure
Chapter One
The King Who Loved Gold
Long ago, there was a very rich king named Midas. He lived in a beautiful palace, and he had a little daughter named Marygold.
Midas loved his daughter very much. She was a happy and kind little girl. She often played near her father and brought him beautiful flowers.
But there was one thing King Midas loved more than almost anything else: gold.
He loved to look at gold. He loved to touch it. He loved to count his gold coins. He also loved his golden crown.
Midas was already very rich, but he was not happy.
Every day, he thought about getting more gold.
When he looked at the beautiful sunset, he thought, “I wish those golden clouds were real gold.”
When Marygold brought him yellow flowers, he did not see their beauty.
“Look, Father!” she said one day.
Midas looked at the flowers.
“They are beautiful,” Marygold said.
Midas shook his head.
“Flowers are nice, my child,” he said, “but gold is much more valuable.”
Marygold did not understand her father.
She loved flowers because they were soft, colorful, and beautiful. She did not care how much they cost.
Midas had a large garden behind his palace. Long ago, he loved this garden. It had many beautiful roses. The roses were red, pink, and white. They had a sweet smell.
But now Midas looked at the roses in a different way.
He did not think, “What beautiful flowers!”
He thought, “How much gold can I get from these roses?”
Midas also had a special room under his palace. It was dark and quiet. He kept his gold there.
Every day, he went into the room and locked the door.
Then he counted his coins.
“One, two, three… I have so much gold!” he said.
He touched his golden cups and golden bars.
“This gold makes me happy,” he told himself.
But Midas always wanted more.
He thought, “If I had all the gold in the world, then I would be completely happy.”
One day, while Midas was sitting in his room, something strange happened.
A young man suddenly appeared in front of him.
Midas was surprised.
“How did you come in?” he asked.
“I am not an ordinary man,” the stranger said with a smile.
The stranger looked around the room.
“You have a lot of gold, King Midas,” he said.
“Yes,” Midas answered. “I have a lot, but it is not enough.”
“Not enough?” asked the stranger.
“No. I want much more.”
The stranger smiled.
“Tell me, Midas. What do you really want?”
Midas thought carefully.
He looked at his gold.
Then he had a wonderful idea.
“I know what I want!” he said.
“What?” asked the stranger.
“I want everything I touch to turn into gold.”
The stranger looked at him.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes!” Midas answered quickly. “That will make me the happiest man in the world.”
The stranger smiled again.
“Very well,” he said. “Tomorrow morning, when the sun rises, you will have the Golden Touch.”
Then the stranger disappeared.
Midas looked around the room.
He was very excited.
“Tomorrow,” he whispered, “everything I touch will become gold!”
He went to bed and thought about his wonderful new power. But he did not know that his greatest wish was going to become his greatest problem.
Chapter 1 – Vocabulary
- Rich /rɪtʃ/ — a person who has a lot of money or valuable things
Example: Long ago, there was a very rich king named Midas. - Palace /ˈpæləs/ — a large and beautiful house where a king or queen lives
Example: He lived in a beautiful palace, and he had a little daughter named Marygold. - Gold /ɡəʊld/ — a valuable yellow metal
Example: But there was one thing King Midas loved more than almost anything else: gold. - Valuable /ˈvæljuəbəl/ — worth a lot of money or very important
Example: “Flowers are nice, my child,” he said, “but gold is much more valuable.”
- Garden /ˈɡɑːrdən/ — a place where flowers and plants grow
Example: Midas had a large garden behind his palace. - Count /kaʊnt/ — to say numbers in order to find how many things there are
Example: Then he counted his coins. - Stranger /ˈstreɪndʒər/ — a person you do not know
Example: A young man suddenly appeared in front of him. - Wish /wɪʃ/ — to want something to happen or to be true
Example: “I wish those golden clouds were real gold.”
Chapter 1 – Comprehension Questions
- Who was King Midas?
- What did Midas love more than almost anything else?
- Who was Marygold?
- Why did Midas want more gold?
- What did Midas think about when he looked at the sunset?
- What was in Midas’s garden?
- Where did Midas keep his gold?
- What did Midas wish for when the stranger asked him what he wanted?
Chapter 1 – Grammar Exercises
1. King Midas ___ a very rich king.
A) are
B) was
C) were
D) be
2. Midas ___ gold more than almost anything else.
A) love
B) loves
C) loving
D) loved
3. Marygold often ___ near her father.
A) play
B) plays
C) played
D) playing
4. Midas ___ a large garden behind his palace.
A) have
B) having
C) had
D) has
5. He ___ his gold in a special room under the palace.
A) keep
B) kept
C) keeping
D) keeps
6. Midas wanted ___ more gold.
A) get
B) getting
C) to get
D) got
7. One day, a young man ___ in front of Midas.
A) appear
B) appears
C) appeared
D) appearing
8. “I ___ those golden clouds were real gold,” Midas said.
A) wish
B) wishes
C) wishing
D) wished
Answers:
1-B, 2-D, 3-C, 4-C, 5-B, 6-C, 7-C, 8-A
Chapter Two
The Golden Touch
The next morning, King Midas woke up very early. He was excited.
“Today is the day!” he said. “I have the Golden Touch!”
Midas quickly got out of bed. He looked around his room.
First, he touched a chair. Nothing happened. The chair was still a chair.
Midas was surprised.
“Maybe I was dreaming,” he thought.
Then he touched his bed. Nothing happened. He touched the table. Nothing happened again.
Midas became worried.
“Where is my Golden Touch?” he asked.
He walked around the room and waited for the sun to rise. Soon, a small ray of sunlight came through the window.
It fell on his bed.
Suddenly, Midas saw something strange. The white bedcover was now gold! Midas opened his eyes wide.
“It is real!” he shouted. “I really have the Golden Touch!”
He was extremely happy. He touched the bed again.
Gold!
He touched a chair.
Gold!
He touched a table.
Gold!
Everything he touched became bright, beautiful gold. Midas ran around his room like a happy child. He picked up a book from the table. As soon as he touched it, the book became gold.
The pages became thin golden sheets. The words disappeared.
Midas did not care.
“Who needs books when I have gold?” he said.
Then he put on his clothes. His clothes became golden, too. He looked at himself in the mirror.
“What a wonderful king I am!” he said.
He picked up his handkerchief. It was a small handkerchief that Marygold had made for him.
The handkerchief became gold.
Midas looked at it carefully. For a moment, he was not happy.
“This was made by my little Marygold,” he said quietly.
He remembered his daughter’s kind smile. But then he looked at the gold again.
“It is still valuable,” he said.
Midas left his room and went downstairs. He touched the staircase. The wooden railing became gold. He touched the door. The door handle became gold.
Midas smiled.
“This is better than I imagined!”
He went outside into his beautiful garden. The morning was warm and peaceful. Birds were singing, and the flowers were fresh and beautiful.
Midas looked at his roses. They were red, pink, and white. They smelled wonderful. But Midas was thinking about gold.
“I can make these roses more valuable,” he said.
He touched one rose. It became gold.
He touched another.
Gold!
Soon, every rose and every flower he touched became golden. The garden looked like a place from a dream.
Midas was very proud.
“I have the most beautiful garden in the world!” he said.
Then he heard a servant calling him.
“Your breakfast is ready, Your Majesty!”
Midas smiled.
“Good!” he said. “I am very hungry.”
He went back to the palace. He sat down at the breakfast table and waited for Marygold. He did not know that his Golden Touch was about to cause him a very big problem.
Chapter 2 – Vocabulary
- Excited /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/ — very happy and interested about something that is going to happen
Example: He was excited. - Sunlight /ˈsʌnlaɪt/ — the light that comes from the sun
Example: Soon, a small ray of sunlight came through the window. - Ray /reɪ/ — a narrow line of light
Example: It fell on his bed. - Touch /tʌtʃ/ — to put your hand or another part of your body on something
Example: He touched a chair.
- Turn /tɜːrn/ — to change into something different
Example: “I really have the Golden Touch!” - Disappear /ˌdɪsəˈpɪər/ — to become impossible to see or find
Example: The words disappeared. - Rose /rəʊz/ — a beautiful flower with a sweet smell
Example: He touched one rose. - Breakfast /ˈbrekfəst/ — the first meal of the day
Example: “Your breakfast is ready, Your Majesty!”
Chapter 2 – Comprehension Questions
- When did King Midas wake up?
- Why was Midas excited in the morning?
- What happened when Midas touched the bedcover?
- What happened to the book when Midas touched it?
- What happened to Midas’s clothes?
- What did Midas do to the roses in his garden?
- Why was Midas happy when he looked at his garden?
- What did the servant tell Midas at the end of Part 2?
Chapter 2 – Grammar Exercises
1. King Midas ___ up very early the next morning.
A) wake
B) wakes
C) woke
D) waking
2. He ___ very excited about his Golden Touch.
A) was
B) were
C) is
D) are
3. Midas ___ a chair, but nothing happened.
A) touch
B) touched
C) touching
D) touches
4. The bedcover ___ into gold when the sunlight came through the window.
A) change
B) changes
C) changed
D) changing
5. Everything he touched ___ gold.
A) become
B) became
C) becomes
D) becoming
6. Midas ___ around his room like a happy child.
A) run
B) runs
C) ran
D) running
7. He wanted ___ the wonderful things he could do.
A) show
B) showed
C) showing
D) to show
8. Midas ___ his roses because he wanted them to become gold.
A) touched
B) touch
C) touching
D) touches
Answers:
1-C, 2-A, 3-B, 4-C, 5-B, 6-C, 7-D, 8-A
Chapter Three
The Golden Daughter
King Midas sat at the breakfast table. He was very hungry. He looked at the food in front of him.
There were hot cakes, a fish, potatoes, eggs, and coffee.
“This is a wonderful breakfast,” he said.
Then he picked up his cup of coffee.
He wanted to take a drink. But when his lips touched the coffee, something terrible happened.
The coffee became gold.
Midas put the cup down quickly.
“What happened?” he asked.
He picked up the fish.
As soon as his finger touched it, the fish became gold.
Midas looked at it in shock.
“Oh no!” he said. “I cannot eat this!”
He tried a hot cake.
Gold!
He touched an egg.
Gold!
He picked up a potato.
Gold!
Midas looked at all the food on the table. Everything was beautiful, but nothing was useful.
“How can I eat?” he asked sadly.
He was the richest man in the world, but he could not eat a simple breakfast.
Just then, he heard someone crying. It was Marygold.
She came into the room with tears in her eyes.
“Father!” she cried.
Midas looked at his daughter.
“What is wrong, my dear?” he asked.
Marygold showed him a rose.
“Look at this flower,” she said. “It is ugly now.”
Midas looked at the rose.
It was gold.
“I went to the garden this morning,” Marygold continued. “I wanted to bring you some beautiful roses. But all the flowers are hard and yellow. They have no smell.”
Midas felt sorry for his daughter. He knew that he had changed the flowers. But he did not tell her.
“Don’t cry, Marygold,” he said. “Come and sit with me.”
Marygold sat at the table. She did not even look at the golden bowl in front of her. She was still thinking about the beautiful roses.
Midas looked at his little daughter. Suddenly, he understood something. His Golden Touch was not making him happy. His daughter was more important than all his gold.
“Marygold,” he said softly.
The little girl looked at him.
“Are you sad, Father?”
“Yes,” Midas answered. “I am very sad.”
Marygold stood up.
She walked to her father.
“Don’t be sad,” she said.
Then she put her arms around his knees. Midas looked down at her. His heart was full of love. He bent down and kissed her forehead. At that moment, something terrible happened.
Marygold became still. Her warm face became bright yellow. Her brown hair became gold. Her soft hands became hard.
Midas moved back in fear.
“Marygold!” he cried.
But she did not answer.
His little daughter was now a golden statue.
Midas looked at her in horror. Her face was still beautiful. There was even a little tear on her golden cheek. But she could not move.
She could not speak. She could not smile. She was no longer a living child. She was gold. Midas fell to his knees.
“Oh, my dear Marygold!” he cried.
He touched her golden hand, but nothing changed. For the first time, King Midas understood the terrible truth.
Gold could not make him happy. Gold could not give him food. Gold could not give him water. And gold could not give him back his beloved daughter.
“I don’t want gold anymore!” he cried.
“I want my daughter back!”
Then he heard a familiar voice behind him. It was the stranger.
The same stranger who had given him the Golden Touch was standing at the door.
Chapter 3 – Vocabulary
- Hungry /ˈhʌŋɡri/ — needing or wanting food
Example: He was very hungry. - Thirsty /ˈθɜːrsti/ — needing or wanting to drink
Example: Midas was very thirsty. - Tears /tɪərz/ — drops of water that come from your eyes when you cry
Example: She came into the room with tears in her eyes. - Ugly /ˈʌɡli/ — not beautiful or attractive
Example: “Look at this flower,” she said. “It is ugly now.”
- Beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪfəl/ — very nice to look at
Example: I wanted to bring you some beautiful roses. - Sad /sæd/ — unhappy or not feeling good
Example: “Are you sad, Father?” - Hug /hʌɡ/ — to put your arms around someone because you love them or want to comfort them
Example: Then she put her arms around his knees. - Statue /ˈstætʃuː/ — a figure of a person or animal made from stone, metal, or another hard material
Example: His little daughter was now a golden statue.
Chapter 3 – Comprehension Questions
- Why was King Midas hungry?
- What happened when Midas touched the coffee?
- Why could Midas not eat the food?
- Why was Marygold crying?
- What did Marygold bring from the garden?
- Why did Midas feel sorry for his daughter?
- What happened when Midas kissed Marygold?
- What did Midas understand after Marygold became a golden statue?
Chapter 3 – Grammar Exercises
1. King Midas ___ very hungry at breakfast.
A) is
B) was
C) were
D) be
2. The coffee ___ into gold when Midas touched it.
A) turn
B) turns
C) turned
D) turning
3. Midas ___ eat the golden food.
A) can
B) could
C) cannot
D) is
4. Marygold ___ crying when she came into the room.
A) was
B) were
C) is
D) are
5. She ___ a rose to her father.
A) bring
B) brings
C) brought
D) bringing
6. Midas ___ sorry for his daughter.
A) feel
B) feels
C) felt
D) feeling
7. Marygold ___ her arms around her father’s knees.
A) put
B) puts
C) putting
D) to put
8. Midas ___ that gold could not make him happy.
A) understand
B) understands
C) understood
D) understanding
Answers:
1-B, 2-C, 3-C, 4-A, 5-C, 6-C, 7-A, 8-C
Chapter Four
The River Cure
The stranger looked at King Midas.
“Well, Midas,” he said, “how is the Golden Touch?”
Midas looked at him sadly.
“I am very unhappy,” he said.
“But why?” asked the stranger. “You have everything you wanted.”
“No,” said Midas. “I have gold, but I have lost everything that I really love.”
The stranger looked at him carefully.
“Do you still want the Golden Touch?”
“No!” cried Midas. “I hate it!”
The stranger pointed to a cup on the table.
“Which is more valuable?” he asked. “Your Golden Touch or a cup of cold water?”
“A cup of cold water!” answered Midas. “I am very thirsty.”
“And what about a piece of bread?”
“Bread is more valuable than all my gold!”
“And your daughter?” the stranger asked.
Midas looked at Marygold.
“My daughter is worth more than all the gold in the world,” he said. “Please, give her back to me!”
The stranger smiled.
“You are wiser now, King Midas.”
Then he gave Midas some instructions.
“Go to the river at the bottom of your garden,” he said. “Go into the water. Then take some river water in a pitcher.”
“What should I do with the water?” asked Midas.
“Sprinkle it on the things you want to change back. If you truly want to lose the Golden Touch, the water will help you.”
Midas quickly picked up a large pitcher. He ran out of the palace.
As he walked through the garden, the leaves became gold when he touched them.
“I don’t care about gold now!” he cried.
He ran faster.
Soon, he reached the river. Without thinking, Midas jumped into the water.
“Ah! What a wonderful feeling!” he said.
The cool water touched his face and hands. Midas felt different. His heart felt lighter. He took the pitcher and filled it with river water. Something amazing happened.
The golden pitcher changed back into an ordinary earthen pitcher.
Midas smiled.
“My Golden Touch is gone!”
He wanted to be sure. He saw a small violet flower near the river. He touched it carefully. The flower stayed purple. Midas was very happy.
“I am free!” he cried.
He took the pitcher and hurried back to the palace. First, he ran to Marygold. She was still a golden statue. Midas lifted the pitcher.
“Please come back, my dear child,” he said.
He sprinkled the river water over Marygold. For a moment, nothing happened. Then her golden face began to change. The yellow color disappeared.
Her warm skin came back. Her brown hair became soft again. Marygold moved her hands. Then she opened her eyes.
“Father!” she cried.
Midas hugged her.
“My dear Marygold!” he said.
He was crying with happiness. Marygold looked at her wet clothes.
“Father, why am I so wet?” she asked.
Midas smiled.
“It is a long story,” he said.
Marygold did not remember what had happened. Midas did not want to frighten her, so he did not tell her everything. Instead, he took her into the garden.
There were many golden roses. Midas sprinkled the river water over them.
One by one, the roses changed back. Their beautiful colors returned. Their soft petals became normal again. Soon, the garden was full of beautiful roses.
Marygold smiled.
“Oh, Father! The roses are beautiful again!”
Midas smiled too.
“Yes, my dear,” he said. “They are more beautiful than gold.”
From that day, King Midas became a different man. He still had gold, but he no longer loved it. He loved simple things. He loved fresh water. He loved good food. He loved flowers. Most of all, he loved his daughter.
He learned an important lesson:
Gold can buy many things, but it cannot buy love.
Years later, when Midas was an old man, he often told the story to Marygold’s children.
He would smile and say:
“Never think that gold is the most valuable thing in life.”
Then he would look at his family and smile.
“For me, the most precious things are the people I love.”
And from that day on, Midas never wished for more gold.
— THE END –
Read the original story: americanliterature.com
Chapter 4 – Vocabulary
- Unhappy /ʌnˈhæpi/ — feeling sad or not pleased
Example: “I am very unhappy,” he said. - Valuable /ˈvæljuəbəl/ — worth a lot of money or very important
Example: “A cup of cold water is more valuable than the Golden Touch.” - River /ˈrɪvər/ — a long, natural flow of water
Example: “Go to the river at the bottom of your garden.” - Pitcher /ˈpɪtʃər/ — a container used for holding and pouring water or other drinks
Example: Then take some river water in a pitcher.
- Sprinkle /ˈsprɪŋkəl/ — to drop or spread small amounts of liquid over something
Example: “Sprinkle it on the things you want to change back.” - Change /tʃeɪndʒ/ — to become different or make something different
Example: The golden pitcher changed back into an ordinary earthen pitcher. - Precious /ˈpreʃəs/ — very valuable or very important to you
Example: “My dear Marygold!” he said. - Lesson /ˈlesən/ — something that you learn from an experience
Example: Never think that gold is the most valuable thing in life.
Chapter 4 – Comprehension Questions
- Why was King Midas unhappy?
- What did the stranger ask Midas to do?
- Where did Midas go to remove the Golden Touch?
- What happened when Midas put the pitcher into the river water?
- How did Midas know that the Golden Touch was gone?
- What did Midas do to Marygold with the river water?
- What happened to the roses after Midas sprinkled them with the water?
- What important lesson did Midas learn about gold and love?
Chapter 4 – Grammar Exercises
1. Midas ___ very unhappy after Marygold became a golden statue.
A) is
B) was
C) were
D) be
2. The stranger ___ Midas to go to the river.
A) tell
B) tells
C) told
D) telling
3. Midas ___ into the river without waiting.
A) jumped
B) jumps
C) jumping
D) jump
4. The pitcher ___ back into an ordinary container.
A) change
B) changes
C) changed
D) changing
5. Midas ___ the river water over Marygold.
A) sprinkle
B) sprinkled
C) sprinkling
D) sprinkles
6. Marygold ___ her eyes after the water touched her.
A) opened
B) opens
C) opening
D) open
7. The roses ___ beautiful again after Midas used the water.
A) become
B) became
C) becomes
D) becoming
8. Midas ___ that love was more important than gold.
A) learn
B) learns
C) learned
D) learning
Answers:
1-B, 2-C, 3-A, 4-C, 5-B, 6-A, 7-B, 8-C
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