Midas Touches a Rose
King Midas loved his treasure. Every evening he counted his golden coins. "I want more," he said.
One day, Midas was kind to a lost old man. The old man belonged to a god. The god said, "Make a wish!"
"Let everything I touch turn to gold," said Midas. "Are you sure?" asked the god. "Yes!" said Midas.
On his way home, Midas touched a little twig. It turned to gold! He touched a stone, and it turned to gold too.
"I am the richest king in the world!" he said. He hurried into his garden. He touched a beautiful red rose.
The beautiful rose turned to shining gold. It was heavy and cold. It did not smell sweet anymore.
Midas sat down to dinner. He picked up some bread. It turned into heavy gold in his hand.
He lifted a cup of water. The water turned to gold as well. Midas could not eat or drink anything.
He looked at his golden rose. "I would trade this gold for a real rose."
Midas hurried back to the god. "Please take your gift back," he begged. "I was foolish."
"Go and bathe in the river," said the god. "Go to the place where it begins."
Midas jumped into the river. The gold washed off his hands. It sank into the sandy bottom.
That night, he ate plain bread and drank cool water. Then he smelled a real rose. It smelled absolutely wonderful.
Questions
- A pet bird
- That all he touched would turn to gold
- A bigger house
- It grew bigger
- It flew away
- It turned to gold
- It turned to hard gold
- It was too hot
- He was not hungry
- He did not like red
- The garden was too far
- Gold roses have no smell
- Full of gold
- Not wise
- Very rich
- More gold is not always better
- Gold is easy to find
- Rivers are cold
Words to know
- wish: a thing you hope for
- twig: a small stick
- richest: with the most money
- foolish: not wise
- plain: simple
Answer key: Midas Touches a Rose
- B. That all he touched would turn to gold
- C. It turned to gold
- A. It turned to hard gold
- C. Gold roses have no smell
- B. Not wise
- A. More gold is not always better
The story in pictures
- Part One · The Wish
- Part Two · The Touch
- Part Three · The River
For the teacher: how this passage is levelled
“Midas Touches a Rose” is a reading level 7 story. Every Peabody story at this level is written and checked to keep sentences to 10 words or fewer, to aim at an average of 6 words a sentence, and to show 12 to 30 words on a screen. At most 8% of its words may be off the familiar-word list. Children in 3rd grade start at this level.
| This passage | 242 words, 13 screens, 6 multiple-choice questions with an answer key, and 5 vocabulary words with kid-sized meanings |
|---|---|
| Longest sentence at this level | 10 words |
| Words on a screen | 12 to 30 |
| Skills practised at this level | phonics (sounding words out), sight words, spelling |
Reading level 7: the limits, a real sample and the free games. Peabody is a learning app, not an assessment: use the questions to talk about the story, not to grade a child.