✦A fresh retelling of the King Midas tale
The Golden Touch
A king wishes everything he touches would turn to gold—and discovers that the things he needs most cannot be measured in treasure.
A story to read together
The Golden Touch
Take your time. Let the story unfold.
King Midas loved the bright ring of coins falling into a chest. Every morning he counted his treasure, and every evening he wished there were more. His gardener grew fragrant roses, his cook baked warm bread, and his friends invited him to walk in the sunshine. Midas kept saying, “Later. I have gold to count.”
A wish too quickly made
One day, a traveller with a silver walking stick rested in the palace garden. Midas offered water and a place in the shade. Before leaving, the traveller offered him a single wish. “Think carefully,” she said. Midas hardly paused. “Let everything I touch become gold!” The traveller looked at him for a long moment. “That is a powerful wish. Its value may be different from what you expect.” But Midas was already imagining golden doors and golden chairs. At sunrise, the wish came true.
A palace full of gold
Midas touched a plain wooden stool. It flashed into gold. He touched a pebble, a curtain tassel, and the handle of his comb. Gold, gold, gold! Laughing, he ran to the garden and brushed a rose. Its red petals stiffened into shining metal. He bent to enjoy its scent, but the flower had none. A little uneasiness slipped into his delight. Then the breakfast bell rang. Midas hurried inside, ready to tell everyone about his wonderful morning.
The breakfast he could not eat
He picked up a piece of warm bread. It became a hard golden shape. He lifted a cup, but the water that touched his lips turned into gold too. Midas set the cup down carefully. He was hungry and thirsty, surrounded by treasure he could not eat or drink. He called to his gardener to keep everyone away from his hands. Then he sat very still. He missed soft rose petals, cool water, and bread shared with friends. “I asked for more,” he whispered, “without noticing how much I already had.”
An ordinary, wonderful day
The traveller returned to the garden. Midas asked to give back the gift. She led him to a flowing spring and told him to wash his hands. The water carried the golden magic away. Following her advice, he sprinkled spring water over the changed objects. The stool became wood, and the rose blushed red. At last Midas drank a cup of water and ate a simple meal with his household. He still kept a treasury, but he stopped spending every hour inside it. Each morning he made time for the garden, where ordinary roses smelled more wonderful than gold.
The end
After the final page
There is no single right answer. Invite young readers to notice, wonder and imagine.
What happened when Midas tried to eat breakfast?
Why did the golden rose stop seeming wonderful to him?
What ordinary thing would you miss if it turned into gold?
Make something: Make a “treasure without gold” page with drawings of five people, places, or everyday experiences you value.
