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King Midas' Golden touch

King Midas was a very kind man who ruled his kingdom fairly, but he was not one to think very deeply about what he said or did.  One day, while walking in his garden, he saw an elderly satyr asleep in the flowers. Taking pity on the old fellow, King Midas let him go without punishment. When the god Dionysus heard about it, he rewarded King Midas by granting him one wish. The king thought for only a second and then said I wish for everything I touch to turn to gold." And so it was.

King Midas, eager to try out his new touch rushed out into his garden and picked up a large stone. Instantly, it turned into a large chunk of brilliant gold. Drunk with joy, he stooped down and picked a handful of dust and his magic turned it into gold-dust. Sprinkling the dust onto his beautiful flower beds, he remembered his beautiful daughter, Helen, the apple of his eye. He bowed down to pick some flowers for her but they too turned to gold. 'Oh, how lovely, what a nice present these will make for her - pity they don't smell as nice as fresh ones', he thought as he went indoors to look for her. And on his way to her room, he touched all the walls, the bannister, the carpet, vases, tables, chairs, even his daughter's cat which he paused to stroke - all turned to glittering gold till his eyes could hardly stand its garish brightness. On opening the door of her room and instantly turning it to gold, Midas started to doubt the wisdom of his wish.  But a few seconds later his doubts turned to horror when his radiant and lively daughter seeing his troubled countenance and rushing to embrace him turned to hard and cold gold too.

Nothing could console Midas now and he started to waste away, not only from regret but also because the food and drink he touched also turned to the now hateful precious metal.

King Midas saw that soon his whole kingdom would turn to gold unless he did something right away. He asked Dionysus to turn everything back to the way it had been and take back his golden touch. Because the king was ashamed and very sad, Dionysus took pity on him and granted his request. Instantly, King Midas was poorer than he had been, but richer, he felt, in the things that really count.