In which a foolish king became miserable from too great desire for wealth.

King Midas was a very foolish king who wanted more money than anybody else in the world had. One day after he had done a kindness to the god Dionysius, the god said to him:

“Choose what you would like best. I will grant it to you.”

Midas at once said: “Grant that everything I touch may turn to gold.”

Dionysius said: “It shall be as you desire, but I tell you that you have made a very foolish request.”

Midas went away very proud and happy. He broke off the branch from an oak tree, and it turned into a solid rod of gold. He took up a stone out of the road, and it became a solid lump of gold. He plucked a rose from his garden, and it became a golden flower in his hand. He reached up and gathered an apple from a tree, and it changed to shining gold.

“Now, I shall be rich indeed,” he said. “Richer than anybody,” and he began to sing and dance, thinking of his wonderful powers.

When he entered his palace he ordered his servants to bring him all the cups and dishes in his house. Then he touched them and they became gold cups and dishes. He ordered them to bring him the table at which he ate. He touched it and it became a gold table. He touched his chair and it became a gold chair. Then he put his hands on his coat, his hat, and his trousers, and they became gold, so stiff and heavy that he could hardly walk.

“Now, indeed, I shall feast like the noblest men,” said the king. “Bring me in the finest food and wine you can get.”

The servants put before him the best food and wine that could be procured, but as soon as Midas touched it it all became hard gold. He could not eat the bread, nor the meat, nor the fruit. They were all gold as soon as he touched them. The wine was like molten gold in the glass and he could not drink it.

“I shall starve to death with all this gold!” cried the poor foolish old king. Just then his daughter came in and kissed him. At once she was turned into a statue of gold. Seeing this, the servants fled and left him alone in his misery.

He ran back to Dionysius and cried: “Take away this golden touch, for I am very unhappy and about to starve!”

The god told him to bathe in the river Pactolus, and he bathed himself and his daughter in the river. Then he was where he began. She became flesh and blood again, and Midas could eat his food like other people.

But the sand of the river sparkled like gold ever afterwards, and his daughter had beautiful golden hair the rest of her life.