The Golden Touch of King Midas

One warm afternoon, an ancient god visited the palace to thank Midas for a kind deed. 'Midas,' the visitor said with a smile, 'I will grant you one wish. Name whatever your heart desires!' Without pausing to think, Midas cried out with excitement: 'Grant that everything I touch may turn into pure, shining gold!' The god nodded slowly, gave a gentle warning, and vanished into thin air.

The next morning, Midas awoke at dawn. Eager to test his new power, he touched the bedpost—and instantly, the dark wood turned into hard, yellow gold! Overjoyed, he walked through his grand halls. He touched the stone walls, the heavy oak doors, and the velvet curtains. Everything flashed into bright gold. 'I am the richest, happiest man in the world!' Midas shouted with laughter.

He stepped outside into the palace garden, where hundreds of fresh pink roses bloomed. Midas touched each flower, turning the soft petals into stiff golden ornaments. But when he bent down to smell them, he frowned. The sweet perfume was completely gone—the flowers were cold, hard, and lifeless.

Returning inside, Midas sat down at his long banquet table, feeling very hungry. He picked up a slice of fresh white bread, but the moment his lips touched it, the bread hardened into a solid piece of gold. He lifted a crystal cup of cool spring water, but the liquid turned into liquid metal that he could not swallow. Panic began to grip his heart. 'If I cannot eat or drink,' Midas realized in terror, 'I will starve in the midst of all this wealth!'

Just then, little Marigold ran into the hall, crying because the beautiful roses had lost their sweet scent. Seeing her tears, Midas forgot his power and rushed forward to comfort her. He wrapped his arms around his beloved child—and immediately, her soft warm body turned stiff and cold. Her cheerful smile froze into silent, lifeless metal.

Midas fell to his knees in bitter despair. He wept aloud, begging the god for mercy: 'Take away this dreadful curse! Take all my lands, my castle, and my gold—only give me back my daughter!' The god heard his desperate cry and took pity on him. 'Go to the river Pactolus,' the voice instructed. 'Wash yourself in its clear waters, and the power will leave you. Then, bring back water from the river to sprinkle over everything you have changed.'

Midas ran to the river as fast as his feet could carry him. He plunged into the rushing stream, watching golden sand wash away from his skin. Carrying a clay pitcher of pure water, he raced back to the palace. He poured the water over the golden statue of Marigold. In an instant, the color returned to her cheeks, and she opened her eyes with a joyful hug. King Midas never wished for gold again—having learned that love, laughter, and human warmth are worth far more than all the treasures on earth.