Maharashtra Board Class 5 English Balbharti Unit Five Chapter 3 The Golden Touch PDF Download

The Golden Touch

Listen Carefully And Read With Me

Characters

King Midas, Marygold, A Stranger, A Servant

Scene 1

King Midas is sitting in a dark cellar. He is counting his gold.

King: What a lot of gold I have! But I wish I had some more....

A Stranger enters.

Stranger: Who are you?

King: How did you get in? The door is locked.

Stranger: Locked doors cannot keep me out. What a pile of gold you have there! You must be very rich.

King: But I want more! I want to be richer. It has taken me many years to get all this gold. I want to get more gold quickly.

Stranger: Why do you love it so?

King: Why, everyone loves gold. It makes you rich. I love to sit in this dark cellar and look at all my gold.

Stranger: In your garden are flowers and golden sunshine. They are far more beautiful.

King: Not to me. I like to be here, where everything is made of real gold. I wish that everything I touched would turn to gold.

Stranger: That is a strange wish. Are you sure you want to turn everything you touch to gold?

King: Yes, yes. I'm sure. Everything made of gold! I would be so happy!

Stranger: Then you shall have your wish. Tomorrow morning, at sunrise, you shall have the Golden Touch.

King: Thank you so much, O Stranger!

Stranger: Do not thank me. Perhaps you will be sorry.

King: Oh, no! It's a dream come true!

Teacher's Note

King Midas wants everything to be gold. This story teaches us that money is not everything. Just like our parents always say - eat good food, play outside, and spend time with family. Gold cannot do all these things.

Exam Trick

Remember: King Midas = wants gold = greedy. The stranger gives him the wish = be careful what you ask for! In exam, write - greed brings trouble.

Points to Remember

King Midas is a greedy king who loves gold very much.
A stranger comes to his cellar and offers him a wish.
King Midas wishes that everything he touches turns to gold.
The stranger gives him the Golden Touch power.
The king thinks this wish will make him happy.

Scene 2

In the breakfast-room

Servant: Good morning, Princess.

Marygold: Good morning. Where is the King?

Servant: He has gone for a walk in the garden.

Marygold: I have been looking for him. Everything in his bedroom is turned to gold.

Servant: There he is – in the rose garden.

Marygold: Whatever is he doing?

Servant: He is touching all the roses. Now he is coming this way. I will go and get his breakfast. (Leaves.)

King: Good morning, Marygold. See what I have brought for you.

Marygold: A fine yellow rose. (Smells it.) Oh, it has no smell, and the hard petals have pricked my nose. (Starts crying.)

King: What are you crying for? It is a golden rose. All roses in my garden are golden!

Marygold: Are they all like this one?

Teacher's Note

Marygold touches a golden rose and gets hurt. She cannot smell it. This shows us that golden things are not always better. Real flowers are more beautiful because they smell sweet and feel soft.

Exam Trick

Remember: Golden rose = hard and no smell. Real rose = soft and sweet smell. In exam, write - money cannot buy everything. Beauty and love are more important than gold.

Points to Remember

Marygold is the king's daughter and princess.
The king gives her a golden rose from the garden.
The golden rose has no smell and hard petals.
It hurts Marygold's nose when she smells it.
All the roses in the garden have turned to gold.

Scene 3

Marygold is still a statue. The King is sprinkling water over her head.

King: Come on, now. Let's have our breakfast. .... oh!

Marygold: What's the matter? Have you burnt your mouth?

King: This fish has turned to gold. I must try an egg.... oh, that has turned to gold, too. Oh, no! What shall I do now?

Marygold: Tell me, what's the matter?

King: Everything I touch turns to gold. I shall never be able to eat anything.

Marygold: My poor father! Can I help you?

Marygold rushes forward.

King: No, don't touch me. Keep away! Oh, Marygold, what have you done?

Marygold has turned into a statue of gold.

King: My daughter! My dear, dear Marygold! So full of life! Like a ray of sunshine! She is only a golden doll, now!

The stranger comes in.

Stranger: Well, friend Midas, what do you say now?

King: I am the unhappiest man in the world.

Stranger: Why, you have plenty of gold now.

King: I don't want this gold. I want my daughter, I want to eat. I want real flowers in my garden. Please take away this Golden Touch.

Stranger: Do you really want me to take away the Golden Touch?

King: I hate it. Take it away.

Stranger: Then go and bathe in the stream that flows through your garden. When that is done, bring back a pitcher of water and sprinkle it upon anything you wish to change back from gold.

King: First I will sprinkle some water over my dear little Marygold.

Marygold: (Comes alive) What are you doing, father? You have sprinkled water on my frock.

King: Let us go into the garden, Marygold. See what a fine morning it is.

Marygold: Yes, let us go and pick some flowers.

King: Come along then, Marygold. I have to sprinkle this on everything that I touched. And then we will get you some roses. Beautiful roses with a lovely smell!

– Adapted from a play by Philip Walsh

Teacher's Note

King Midas finally learns his lesson. He realizes that his daughter is more important than all the gold in the world. This teaches us that family and love are worth more than money. Like our parents say - family is our first treasure.

Exam Trick

Remember: King Midas learns at the end = greed is bad. His daughter turns to gold = money cannot replace love. In exam, write the lesson - love and family are more important than gold and money.

Points to Remember

King Midas cannot eat food because it turns to gold when he touches it.
Marygold tries to help her father but accidentally touches him.
Marygold turns into a golden statue because of the Golden Touch.
The king realizes he was wrong to want so much gold.
The stranger teaches him how to remove the Golden Touch by using water.

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