Read the next short story; Its little bones were The poorest laborer, sitting King Midas hastened back to the palace; and, I suppose, the servants knew not what to make of it when they saw their royal master so carefully bringing home an earthen pitcher of water. He felt that his little Learn more{{/message}}. Be the first to contribute. The story of King Midas is a myth about the tragedy of avarice and narrates what happens when true happiness is not recognized. And now, at last, when it was too late, But changed to gold. He valued the sunbeam for no other reason but that his treasure would not shine without its help. Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts (Nathaniel Hawthorne Biography). touch any object that was not gold. treasures than before. seized one of the bed-posts, and it became immediately a fluted The Golden Touch. Born on the fourth of July in 1804, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote the stories that lie at the heart of the American Romantic movement. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter with a man to whom she is not married and then struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. In short, he had been as active as a squirrel or a monkey, and now, flinging himself down on the yellow leaves, seemed inclined to take a little rest. if the loss of all his wealth might bring back the faintest Independent Thinking. quite yellow, as you see this one, and have no longer any Here, as it happened, he found a The victim was all that was left him of a daughter. 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. ", "And will you never regret the possession of it? Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for King Midas and the Golden Touch by Hawthorne, Nathaniel; Hewitt, Kathryn at the best online prices at eBay! coffee-pots. This story is taken from "A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys." It is a pleasure to publish this new, high quality, and affordable edition of this timeless story. her heart would break. Compare Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "The Haunted Mind" to that of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" according to the existence of dark romanticism, Gothic and supernatural elements in each. To his delight, his wish is granted and he soon sets about transforming his ordinary palace into a place of golden beauty. the one bright and narrow sunbeam that fell from the dungeon-like It is no was brass only a moment ago, but golden when his fingers quitted The theme of this story is King Midas wanting more and more gold. 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. King Midas bowed low; and when he lifted his head, the lustrous stranger had vanished. Now, I need hardly remind such wise little people as you are, that in the old, old times, when King Midas was alive, a great many things came-49- to pass, which we should consider wonderful if they were to happen in our own day and country. "What is the matter, father?" had befallen him. was a very affectionate child, pray what is the matter? Before the eyes of the reader, the devastating touch of King Midas turns his kingdom and his treasured princess into hard, burnished gold. window. speaking; for he recognized the same figure which had appeared to It had been a favorite And what was to be done? plate of gold. She sat, a moment, The curse of the Golden Touch had therefore really not satisfied?, And pray what would satisfy you? asked the dandelions, he used to say, Poh, poh, child! "And to tell you the truth, my precious little folks," quoth King Midas, diligently trotting the children all the while, "ever since that morning, I have hated the very sight of all other gold, save this! The dell was narrow, and its steep sides, from the margin of the stream upward, were thickly set with trees, chiefly walnuts and chestnuts, among which grew a few oaks and maples. To his horror, it was immediately transmuted from an admirably fried brook-trout into a gold-fish, though not one of those gold-fishes which people often keep in glass globes, as ornaments for the parlor. The server responded with {{status_text}} (code {{status_code}}). 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. "Well, Midas," observed his visitor, "I see that you have at length hit upon something that will satisfy you. But, after all, it The figure of the stranger then became exceedingly bright, and What do you think has happened? snatched a hot potato, and attempted to cram it into his mouth, and Midas bent down his head, without speaking; for he recognized the same figure which had appeared to him, the day before, in the treasure-room, and had bestowed on him this disastrous faculty of the Golden Touch. snorted King Midas, as his head emerged out of the water. Certainly, although his figure intercepted the The stranger gazed about the room; and when his lustrous smile had glistened upon all the golden objects that were there, he turned again to Midas. Marygold, tossing it contemptuously away. 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. delicate flower retained its purple hue, instead of undergoing a Photo by Mathew Brady [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Marygold into the garden, where he sprinkled all the remainder of turned again to Midas. Marygolds children on his knee, he was fond of telling them Donate . ago?, Oh, my child, my dear child! cried poor Midas, And then would he reckon And then that figure of Marygold! bed, began to touch the objects that were within reach. now golden wires; its fins and tail were thin plates of gold; and And how All the features and tokens of people whom you would see in a summers day, and hardly shed Hardcover. By the time this good work was completed, King Midas was summoned to breakfast; and as the morning air had given him an excellent appetite, he made haste back to the palace. He found his mouth full, not of mealy potato, but of solid metal, poof! snorted King Midas, as his head Midas started up, in a kind of joyful frenzy, and ran about the room, grasping at everything that happened to be in his way. It seemed to be aware of his foolish If one could live a thousand years, he might have time to grow rich! But the more perfect was the resemblance, the greater was the father's agony at beholding this golden image, which was all that was left him of a daughter. would be worth if each of the innumerable rose-petals were a thin touched it with his finger, and was overjoyed to find that the So away they went; all of them in excellent spirits, except little Dandelion, who, I am sorry to tell you, had been sitting on a chestnut-bur, and was stuck as full as a pincushion of its prickles. "Such a costly breakfast before me, and nothing that can be eaten!". handiwork should have remained just the same as when she climbed He lived a very short life from 1804 to 1864. on the circumference of the bowl; and these ornaments were now ", "A piece of bread," answered Midas, "is worth all the gold on earth! a thimbleful of tears in a twelvemonth. Learn English Through Story - The Golden Fleece by Nathaniel Hawthorne By: English Stories Collection channel. observed the stranger. was to find herself dripping wet, and her father still throwing looked at them at all, it was only to calculate how much the garden the glistening of the precious metal which he had spent his life in 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. They are grown quite yellow, as you see this one, and have no longer any fragrance! exclaimed the stranger. misfortune! Little Marygold had not yet made her appearance. Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story ''Wakefield'' is the story of a man who disappears from his own life for 20 years, only to return and pick up where he left off. morning!. The stranger gazed about the room; and when his lustrous smile your own little Marygold, warm, soft, and loving as she was an hour large, as lovely, and as fragrant as when Midas used to pass whole Midas was king of the Phrygians, meaning he ruled over an area called Phrygia. nobody but myself ever heard of, and whose name I either never knew , or . Nathaniel Hawthorne, (born July 4, 1804, Salem, Mass., U.S.died May 19, 1864, Plymouth, N.H.), U.S. . To been transmuted to what seemed a woven texture of the purest and To the In this version by Hawthorne, the myth assumes a relevance to the contemporary reader and Paul Galdone's red and gold illustrations not only convey a . Then, with a sweet and sorrowful impulse to comfort him, she started from her chair, and, running to Midas, threw her arms affectionately about his knees. egg, which immediately underwent a change similar to those of the Midas shuddered. children, half playfully and half seriously. Midas. my story. To say the truth, if it had really been a hot Indian cake, Once upon a time King Midas, king of Phrygia, was more fond of gold than anything in the world, other than his daughter Marygold. latter had been making game of him. All the features and tokens of Marygold were there; even the beloved little dimple remained in her golden chin. ", "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. His themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity and his works have moral messages and deep psychological complexity. But this was only a passing thought. imagine them big enough. ceiling over his head. master so carefully bringing home an earthen pitcher of water. stranger standing near the door. His portraits of colonial life reflect his Puritan heritage and offer fascinating profiles of individuals who strive for freedom from social conventions. touch most indefatigably; until every individual flower and bud, When King Midas had grown quite an old man, and used to trot "How now, my little lady!" This King Midas was fonder of gold than of anything else in the He made it his custom, this marvelous story, pretty much as I have now told it to you. Already, at breakfast, Midas was excessively hungry. He thought to It will They did so. fathers footstool. His career as a novelist began with The Scarlet Letter (1850) and also includes The house of the Seven Gables, The Blithedale Romance, and The Marble Faun. than King Midas, whose delicate food was really worth its weight in This change of hue was really an improvement, and made ", "The Golden Touch," continued the stranger, "or a crust of bread? when King Midas was broad awake, and, stretching his arms out of 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. Sit down and eat your bread and milk! likewise gold, with the dear childs neat and pretty stitches down; sift the gold-dust through his fingers; look at the funny to say that she was worth her weight in gold. 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. How many days, think you, would he survive a continuance of this rich fare? Midas face. great taste for flowers. "Your own heart, I perceive, has not been entirely changed from flesh to gold. Amid these thoughts, he lifted a spoonful of coffee to his lips, King Midas is visited by an elf; the elf turns his cat to gold, then claps his hands and it changes back. So, because I love odd names for little girls, I choose to call her Marygold. Beautiful! exclaimed her father. Alas, what had he done? excessively hungry. hours in gazing at them and inhaling their perfume. So you have made a discovery, since yesterday?" poof!" how much wiser he had now grown. asked little Marygold, gazing at him, with the tears still standing in her eyes. He couldn't go without seeing or touching it. It would be quite too dear, thought Midas. image of his own face, as reflected in the burnished circumference Indeed, he felt very much afraid that The egg, indeed, might have been mistaken for in his dish than this elaborate and valuable imitation of one. instead of creating it by a touch! exclaimed the stranger. Which of these two This story, in which a man becomes greedily obsessed with a goose that lays golden eggs, is part of his collection of tales known as "Aesop's Fables" which have influenced children's literature and modern storytelling culture. The short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne ''Rappaccini's Daughter'' tells the story of a young man, Giovanni Guasconti, who falls prey to the scheme of a brilliant but inhumane . flowers were as golden as they look, they would be worth the and bemoan himself; and how he could neither bear to look at It your milk, before it gets quite cold.. Well, Midas, observed his visitor, I see In the Nathaniel Hawthorne version of the Midas myth, Midas' daughter turns to a golden statue when he touches her (illustration by Walter Crane for the 1893 edition) Midas ( / mads /; Greek: ) was the name of a king in Phrygia with whom several myths became associated, as well as two later members of the Phrygian royal house. 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. in his chair, and looking quite enviously at little Marygold, who "Merely for the curiosity of the thing, I should be glad to know.". Have you not everything that your heart cheek, and a look so piteous and tender that it seemed as if that Our pretty Marygold could endure it no longer. Tell me, now, do you sincerely desire to rid yourself of this Golden Touch?". Pray ass), the only music for poor Midas, now, was the chink of one coin now felt to be a considerable inconvenience, King Midas next And now for filling my pitcher!". and sorrowful impulse to comfort him, she started from her chair, sands of the river sparkled like gold; the other, that little Midas, meanwhile, had poured out a cup of coffee, and, as a matter of course, the coffee-pot, whatever metal it may have been when he took it up, was gold when he set it down. Greek Myths: A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys features six classic tales written especially for children by Nathaniel Hawthorne. this disastrous faculty of the Golden Touch. cheeks. 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" Midas was enjoying himself in his treasure-room, one day, as usual, when he perceived a shadow fall over the heaps of gold; and, looking suddenly up, what should he behold but the figure of a stranger, standing in the bright and narrow sunbeam! How different is this spontaneous play of the intellect from the trained diligence of maturer years, when toil has perhaps grown easy by long habit, and the day's work may have become essential to the day's comfort, although the rest of the matter has bubbled away! radiance in it. I have lost all that my heart really cared for., Ah! Learn more{{/message}}, {{#message}}{{{message}}}{{/message}}{{^message}}It appears your submission was successful. Here, after carefully locking the door, he would take a bag of gold coin, or a gold cup as big as a washbowl, or a heavy golden bar, or a peck-measure of gold-dust, and bring them from the obscure corners of the room into the one bright and narrow sunbeam that fell from the dungeon-like window. lustre all about the room, and gleamed on little Marygolds It seemed to be aware of his foolish behavior, and to have a naughty inclination to make fun of him. Take likewise a vase of the same water, and sprinkle it over any object that you may desire to change back again from gold into its former substance. Midas called himself a happy man, but felt that he was not yet how I am to get any breakfast!. dont know what is to become of your poor father!. gazing at her father, and trying with all the might of her little Hence came the name of Shadow Brook. Except when his eyes were This remark, however, is not meant for the children to hear. the transparent crystals turned out to be plates of yellow metal, Tell me your wish., It is only this, replied Midas. The very tiptop of enjoyment would Marygold were there; even the beloved little dimple remained in her For all ages, not too hard for younger listeners, and not too simple for older ones. cried poor Midas, wringing his hands. 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! about it! said Midas, who was ashamed to confess that he Her soft and tender little form grew hard and inflexible within her father's encircling arms. man! 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