I.Read the following text. Try to understand it in details.

№10

I.Read the following text. Try to understand it in details.

THE GOLDEN TOUCH

Once upon a time there lived a king, whose name was Midas, and he had a little daughter, called Marygold.

This king Midas was fond of gold more than of anything else in the world. He valued his crown because it was made of gold. If he loved anything better, it was his little daughter. But the more Midas loved his daughter, the more he desired wealth. He thought, foolish man: "The best thing I can do for this child will be to leave her an immense pile of yellow shining gold." If he sometimes gazed for an instant at the golden sunset, he wished that it was real gold. When little Marygold ran to meet him with a bunch of buttercups and dandelions, he thought: "If these flowers were as golden as they look, they would be worth picking."

And yet, in his earlier days king Midas liked flowers very much. He planted a garden, in which grew the biggest and most beautiful roses that any mortal saw. These roses still grew in his garden. But now, when he looked at them, he said: "How much would this garden be worth if each of the rose petals was a plate of gold."

Once Midas was fond of music, but now the only music for him was the chink of the gold coins.

At length (as people always grow more and more foolish, unless they take care to grow wiser and wiser) Midas could hardly bear to see or touch any object that was not gold. He spent a large part of every day in a dark room in the basement of his palace. It was here that he kept his wealth. Here Midas took a bag of gold and other things made of gold and brought them from the dark corners of the room into the one bright and narrow sunbeam that fell from a small window high up on the wall. He valued the sunbeam only because his treasure shone with its help.

Then he whispered to himself, "O Midas, rich King Midas, what a happy man you are!"

Midas called himself a happy man, but felt that he was not yet quite so happy as he might be. The very top of enjoyment could never be reached, unless the whole world became his treasure-room.

One day Midas was enjoying himself in his treasure-room; suddenly a shadow fell over the heaps of gold. Looking up he saw the figure of a stranger, standing in the bright and narrow sunbeam. It was a young man, with a pleasant smile.

As Midas knew that the door was locked and that no one could enter his treasure-room, he, of course, thought that the stranger must be a magician.

Now, I need hardly tell my readers that in the old, old times people believed in magic and so did Midas. So he was not frightened at all. The stranger, indeed, looked so kindly, that no one could suspect him of evil. Perhaps he came to give him, Midas, more treasure!

The stranger gazed about the room; then, with his sunny smile, he turned again to Midas.

"You are a rich man, friend Midas!" he said. "I doubt whether any other four walls contain so much gold as you have got in this room."

"I have.done pretty well, pretty well," answered Midas. "But, after all, it has taken me my whole life to get it together. If one could live a thousand years, he might have time to grow rich!"

"What!" exclaimed the stranger. "Then you are not satisfied?"

Midas shook his head.

"And what would satisfy you?" asked the stranger. "Tell me your wish."

Midas thought for a while. "I am tired of collecting my treasures with so much trouble," he said at last, "and still the heap is so small after I have done my best. I wish everything that I touch to be changed to gold."

The stranger's smile grew so very broad that it seemed to fill the room like a great sunbeam.

"The Golden Touch!" exclaimed he. "But, friend Midas, are you quite sure that this will satisfy you? Will you never regret your wish?"

"Of course not!" answered Midas.

"Be it as you wish, then," said the stranger. "Tomorrow, at sunrise, you will find yourself in possession of the Golden Touch."

Then the figure of the stranger became very bright, and Midas could not help closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw only one yellow sunbeam in the room.

Next morning king Midas began to touch the objects that were near his bed. He wanted to know whether he really had the Golden Touch. So he laid his finger on a chair, and on various other things, but was terribly disappointed when they remained the same as before.

"I feel very much afraid that I have only dreamed about the stranger," he said to himself.

Suddenly the earliest sunbeam shone through the window, and gilded the ceiling over his head. It seemed to Midas that this bright yellow sunbeam was reflected in rather a strange way on the white covering of the bed. And what was his joy, when he found that this white covering was now the brightest gold. The Golden Touch came to him with the first sunbeam.

Midas jumped out of bed, and ran about the room, seizing everything that happened to be in his way. He pulled aside a window curtain and the curtain grew heavy in his hand — a mass of gold. He hurriedly put on his clothes, and was happy to see himself in a suit of gold cloth, which was still soft although rather heavy, he thought. He took out his handkerchief, made by little Marygold. That was also turned into gold.

This last transformation did not quite please king Midas. He remembered when Marygold climbed on his knee and put the handkerchief in his hand. It was her work, but now he could not use it, — it was so hard.

Midas now took his spectacles and put them on his nose (in those days, only kings wore spectacles). He was rather disappointed, however, when he found that he could not see through them. They were worthless now as spectacles, though valuable as gold.

"It is no great matter, nevertheless," Midas said to himself. "The Golden Touch is worth much more than a pair of spectacles. Little Marygold will soon be old enough to read to me."

King Midas was so excited by the Golden Touch that he almost ran down the stairs, and laughed when he saw that the balustrade of the staircase turned into gold, as his hand passed over it in going down. He lifted the handle of the door (it was brass only a moment ago, but golden when his fingers touched it) and went out into the garden. Here, hundreds of beautiful roses were in full bloom. How pleasant was their fragrance in the morning breeze!

But Midas knew how to make them more precious. So he passed from bush to bush, and touched each flower until every flower was changed to gold. Then king Midas went to have his breakfast; the morning air gave him an excellent appetite, and he hurried back to the palace.

What was usually a king's breakfast in the days of Midas I really do not know, but on this particular morning the breakfast consisted of cakes, some nice fish, roast potatoes and coffee for king Midas and a cup of milk for his daughter Marygold.

In a little while he heard her coming along the corridor crying bitterly. This surprised him, because Marygold was one of the most cheerful little people in the world and hardly ever cried. When Midas heard her sobs, he decided to put his daughter into better spirits by a surprise; so he touched his daughter's cup (which was a China one, with pretty figures all around it), and changed it into gold.

Meanwhile, Marygold opened the door and appeared with her handkerchief at her eyes, still crying.

"Now, now!" cried Midas. "What is the matter with you this bright morning?"

Marygold held out her hand, in which was one of the golden roses.

"Beautiful!" exclaimed her father. "And what is there in this golden rose to make you cry?"

"Ah, dear father!" answered the child. "As soon as I was dressed I ran into the garden to gather some roses for you, because I know you like them. What do you think has happened? All the beautiful roses are quite yellow and have no longer any fragrance! What has happened to them?"

"Don't cry about it, my dear little girl," said Midas. "Sit down and drink your milk! You will find it easy enough to exchange a golden rose like that for an ordinary one."

"I don't care for such roses as this!" cried Marygold, throwing it away. "It has no fragrance, and the petals are hard!"

The child now sat down to table, but was so full of grief for the roses that she did not even notice that her China cup was not the same as before.

Midas, meanwhile, poured out a cup of coffee, but the coffee-pot, I do not know what metal it was made of was gold when he put it down.

"The kitchen will no longer be a safe place for articles so valuable as golden cups and coffee-pots," he thought to himself.

He lifted a spoonful of coffee to his lips. The instant his lips touched the liquid, it hardened into a lump of gold.

"Ha!" exclaimed Midas, rather frightened.

"What is the matter?" asked little Marygold, gazing at him, with the tears still standing in her eyes.

"Nothing, child, nothing!" said Midas, "Drink your milk, before it gets quite cold."

He took one of the nice little fishes on his plate and touched it with his finger. To his horror, it was immediately changed into a golden fish, though not one of those goldfishes which people often keep in glass cases. No, but it was really a gold fish. A very pretty piece of work, only king Midas, just at that moment, would much rather have had a real fish in his dish than this valuable golden one.

"I don't quite see," thought he to himself, "how I am to get any breakfast."

Midas took one of the cakes, and put it into his mouth, but could not bite it, — the cake was hard gold.

Midas looked with envy at little Marygold, who was now drinking her milk.

"Such a good breakfast before me, and nothing thatIcan eat!" he thought. He took a hot potato and tried to swallow it in a hurry. But the Golden Touch was quicker than he. Midas found his mouth full, not with soft potato, but with hard metal, which so burnt his tongue that he shouted aloud, and jumping up from the table began to dance about the room with pain. What was to be done? Already at breakfast Midas was very hungry. And how about dinner and then supper? How many days could he live without food? He looked at the golden fish, the cake, potato and cup of coffee and groaned aloud, so great was his hunger. Marygold could bear it no longer. She sat a moment, gazing at her father and trying to find out what was the matter, with him. Then, with a gentle wish to comfort him, she got up from her chair, and, running to Midas, threw her arms about his knees.

Midas bent down and kissed her. He felt that his little daughter's love was worth a thousand times more than all the gold he had now.

"My dear child!" cried he.

But Marygold made no answer. The moment the lips of Midas touched her cheek, a change took place. Marygold's rosy face, so full of love, became a yellow colour, with yellow teardrops on her cheeks. Her beautiful brown hair was also of the same colour. Her soft and tender little figure grew hard within her father's arms. Marygold was a human child no longer, but a golden statue!

Yes, there she was, with the look of love, grief and pity on her face.

The father's suffering was great when he looked at the statue, which was all that was left to him of a daughter. At last, when it was too late, he felt that a warm and tender heart was worth more than all the wealth in the world.

Need I tell you how poor Midas wept; how he could neither bear to look at Marygold, nor yet to look away from her. There was the little figure, with a yellow teardrop on its yellow cheek, and a look so full of pity and so tender that it seemed as if that very expression must soften the gold. Now Midas wished that he were the poorest man in the world, if the loss of all his wealth might bring back his child to him.

Suddenly the king saw the stranger standing near the door. Midas bent down his head, without speaking, for he recognized the man.

On the stranger's face there was the same sunny smile, which seemed to light up the whole room.

"Well, friend Midas," said the stranger, "how are you getting on with the Golden Touch?"

Midas shook his head.

"I am very miserable," he said.

"Very miserable, indeed!" exclaimed the stranger. "And how is that? Have I not kept my promise with you? Have you not everything that your heart desires?"

"Gold is not everything," answered Midas. "And I have lost all that my heart really cares for."

"Ah! So you have made a discovery since yesterday?" smiled the stranger. "Let us see, then. Which of these two things do you think is really worth more — the gift of the Golden Touch, or one cup of clear cold water?"

"Clear cold water!" exclaimed Midas. "I shall never be able to drink it again!"

"The Golden Touch," continued the stranger, "or a piece of bread?"

"A piece of bread," answered Midas, "is worth all the gold on earth!"

"The Golden Touch," asked the stranger, "or your own little Marygold, warm, soft, and loving as she was an hour ago?"

"Oh, my child, oh, my dear child!" cried poor Midas.

"You are wiser than you were, King Midas!" said the stranger. "Your own heart, I see, has not been entirely changed to gold. You are still able to understand that the ordinary things are more valuable than the riches which so many men struggle for. Tell me now, do you wish to get rid of this Golden Touch?"

"I hate it!"

"Go, then," said the stranger, "and bathe in the river that flows past your garden. Take also a jug of the same water, and sprinkle it over any object that you may wish to change into its original substance."

King Midas bowed low; and when he lifted his head, the stranger was not there anymore.

Midas at once seized a great jug and hurried to the river. As he ran along through the bushes and trees it was wonderful to see how the leaves turned yellow behind him. When he reached the river he jumped into the water without even pulling off his shoes.

"This is really a fine bath, and I think it must have quite washed away the Golden Touch," he said.

He felt a change within himself. A cold, hard, and heavy weight seemed to pass out of his heart.

Then Midas filled his jug full and came out of the water. Seeing a violet that grew on the bank of the river, he touched it with his finger. A flower remained purple in colour instead of becoming a bright yellow. Thus did king Midas really lose the Golden Touch.

Now he ran back to the palace. The first thing he did, as you can easily imagine, was to sprinkle some of the water over the golden figure of little Marygold.

No sooner did it fall on her than the rosy colour came back to the child's cheek! She was very much astonished to find herself all wet.

"Please do not, dear father!" cried she. "My nice dress is quite wet."

For Marygold did not know that a moment ago she was a golden statue; nor did she remember what happened since the moment she ran crying to comfort her father.

Midas led little Marygold into the garden, where he sprinkled all the rest of the water over the rose bushes, so that the flowers were bright again.

There were two things, however, which, as long as he lived, reminded king Midas of the Golden Touch. One was, that the sands of the river sparkled like gold; the other, that little Marygold's hair had now a golden shade, which it never had before she turned into a golden statue after his kiss.

When king Midas became quite old, he was fond of telling Marygold's children this story, — as I have now told it to you.

"And to tell you the truth," king Midas used to say, "I have hated the very sight of all other gold, except this." And he touched the children's hair with a rich shade of gold, which they got from their mother.

(Greek Mythology)

VOCABULARY PRACTICE

I. Learn the following words and phrases:

pile gaze buttercup dandelion they would be worth picking mortal petal basement sunbeam heap magician evil I've done pretty well regret could not help closing his eyes gild brass fragrance sob lump envy swallow groan could bear it no longer Need I tell you wise sprinkle

груда, куча пристально смотреть лютик одуванчик их стоило бы собирать смертный лепесток подвал солнечный луч куча, груда волшебник зло, злой я достиг кое-чего в жизни жалеть, сожалеть; сожаление был вынужден закрыть глаза золотить медь аромат рыдание кусок зависть; завидовать глотать тяжело вздыхать не могла больше этого вынести нет нужды рассказывать мудрый брызгать

II. Choose from В the synonyms of the words in A:

В 1. spray 2. sad 3. twinkle 4. wish 5. perfume 6. heap 7. pity 8. stare 9. cellar 10. piece

A 1) gaze 2) pile 3) basement 4) regret 5) grievous 6) lump 7) sparkle 8) desire 9) fragrance 10) sprinkle

III. Complete the following sentences from the text:

1. If he loved anything better,....

2. Once Midas was fond of music, but now....

3. Tomorrow, at sunrise, you will find....

4. King Midas was so excited by the Golden Touch that he almost....

5. So he passed from bush to bush, and....

6. What was usually a king's breakfast in the days of Midas I really don't know, but....

7. Midas looked with envy at....

8. Then, with a gentle wish to comfort him, she....

9. Now Midas wished that he were the poorest man....

10. You are still able to understand....

11. For Marygold didn't know that a moment ago she....

12. When king Midas became quite old, he....

IV. Reproduce the situations in which the following phrases are used:

to be fond of gold; to be a magician; to gild the ceiling over his head; to hear one's sob; to be full of grief; to groan aloud; miserable; to remind.

READING COMPREHENSION

V. Agree or disagree with the following statements:

1. Midas was fond of the three treasures he had: his little daughter, flowers and music.

2. The Golden Touch brought Midas a lot of joy and the feeling of satisfaction.

3. King Midas was really hungry after breakfast.

4. Having got a gold statue instead of his daughter Midas started to hate gold.

VI. Choose the correct variant to finish the following sentences:

1. Midas spent a large part of every day in

a) his garden full of the biggest and most beautiful roses;

b) a dark room in the basement of his palace;

c) his picture gallery looking at his pictures.

2. One day enjoying himself in his treasure-room he saw

a) a stranger;

b) a lot of sunshine;

c) a very precious coin.

3. Marygold was crying because

a) she fell and hurt her arm;

b) she regreted the roses in her father's garden which became gold;

c) she didn't want to drink milk for breakfast.

4. At the end of breakfast Midas asked himself,

a) "What is Marygold going to do with the roses?";

b) "Why doesn't she pay attention to her new Chinese cup?";

c) "How many days can I live without food?".

5. Midas bent down and kissed his daughter and she

a) at once became a gold statue;

b) stopped crying;

c) kissed her father too.

6. Midas seized a great jug and hurried

a) to the garden to water his flowers;

b) to his daughter to give her a drink;

c) to the river near his palace to fill the jug with water.

7. Then he ran to his palace. The first thing Midas did was

a) to have his breakfast as he was very hungry;

b) to sprinkle some of the water over the golden figure of little Marygold;

c) to run to his treasure-room to glance at his money.

VII. Answer the following questions:

1. What did king Midas think about when he saw some objects?

2. What did people in old times believe in? And what about Midas? Did he differ from such people?

3. Why did the stranger ask Midas whether he would never regret his wish? What's your opinion?

4. Was it really the stranger's only aim to satisfy the king's dream of becoming rich? What do you think about it?

5. Some transformations didn't quite please king Midas, did they? What transformations and why?

6. How did Midas try to put his daughter into better spirits hearing her sobs? Was he a success?

7. Did “the golden touch” make king Midas happy?

8. Why did the king finally regret his wish?

VIII. Put six or seven "what" and "why" questions to the second part of the text.

DISCUSSION

1. Say some words about the king's and his daughter's reaction to the Golden Touch.

2. Compare the Midas at the beginning of the story with the Midas at the end of it.

3. People often say, "Happiness is better than wealth." Do you agree with them? Use the facts from the text to support your opinion or give your own facts to dispute about.

4. Would you use the proverb "We know not what good is until we have lost it" to comment on one of the situations of the myth? What situation is it?

WRITING

Write a 300-word summary of the text.

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