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The King of the Golden River

"The King of the Golden River" by John Ruskin is a fantasy story written in 1841 and published in 1851. In the fertile Treasure Valley, two cruel brothers mistreat a magical visitor and lose everything, forcing them into poverty. When they melt their younger brother Gluck's golden mug, they release the King of the Golden River, who offers a tantalizing challenge: climb the mountain and transform the river into gold. But this quest demands more than greed—it tests the human heart itself.

Level C1 pagesEnglish

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Categories: Children & Young Adult Reading Mythology, Legends & Folklore

Readers: Family Kids Teens

Suggested age: 8+ (AI estimate)

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Reading guidance

Level C1

Language difficulty is an AI estimate based on sampled text.

Reader and content guidance is an AI estimate based on the title, author, source summary, contents and selected excerpts. Unseen portions have not been assessed.

Recommended age: 8+ (AI estimate)
Content is suitable from about 8, and the mercy-versus-greed choices are understandable then. Supported reading can start younger with help for the punishment and thirst scenes; independent enjoyment of the moral quest is more defensible from 8. Based on named-book metadata and selected excerpts; unseen text was not assessed. This is guidance, not an official age rating; individual reading ability varies.

Source: Project Gutenberg · Public domain in the USA.

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