A Touch of Gold

 Hello everyone,

    Today I am going to tell you a story of a very greedy king in ancient Greece. This story shows us not to be greedy about anything and to be wise. You should never make hasty decisions. Always think properly before asking for anything or doing anything for that matter.

    Read on find out the fate of King Midas.

A Touch of Gold

    Once upon a time, in ancient Greece there was a king called Midas. King Midas was a very greedy man. He was very rich and he had lots of wealth, but he was never satisfied. He always yearned for more and more of gold. He loved gold and he wished that he had the power to turn anything that he touched to gold.

   

    One day as he slept at night a bright light woke him up. When he woke up he found the god of wealth standing before him (in ancient Greece people believed in gods and goddesses).

    “Make a wish, oh King Midas and I shall grant it tonight!” the god spoke.

   

    The king was delighted. He knew exactly what to wish for.

    “Grant me the wish of the touch of gold, so that whatever I touch turns to gold,” replied the greedy king.

    “Think carefully before you make such a wish, oh King Midas,” said the god of wealth.

    “I have thought about it and it is my wish to have the golden touch!” the greedy king replied, who was so blinded by greed that he just could not see the consequences of his wish.

    “Very well,” said the god. “So be it! You shall have your wish in the morning.”

    And with that he disappeared. Now the king could not wait for the morning to come. He tossed and turned all night. As soon as morning dawned, he woke up and went into the garden.

   He touched his gate and it turned to gold! He touched some flowers and the whole plant turned to gold! He went mad with joy! At last, he had what he had always wished for!

    Then he went inside and he touched the walls and he touched the table and the chairs and they too turned to gold!

    After doing all that he suddenly felt very hungry and told his servants to bring him breakfast. The servants at once obeyed and brought him all kinds of food and some wine. As soon as the king touched the goblet of wine it turned to gold! He was delighted!

    But what’s this? The king could not drink the wine as it too had turned to gold! And when he wanted to eat his breakfast, it turned to gold as well!

    The king was horrified!

    Just then his little princess whom he loved very much came in running to show her father some flowers that she had picked in the garden. As soon as the king touched her to stroke her hair, she turned to gold!

    The king was distressed. What could he do now? Everything that he touched turned to gold. What the king had thought to be a blessing turned out to a curse! He did not know what to do. He couldn’t eat! He couldn’t drink! The daughter that he loved so much had been turned to a golden statue.

    He now understood that gold was of no value compared to the love of your fellow human beings. He wished now that he had never been so greedy and he wished that he had never made that wish. But what could he do now. The deed had been done. The god of wealth had warned him to think carefully before making such a wish but he had been too blinded by greed.

   

    The king began to cry now! He was hungry. He was thirsty. He longed to see his daughter alive and well again. He cried and he cried, but it was no use!

    Soon night fell and he prepared to go to bed. As soon as he got into bed, his bed turned to gold, blankets and all!

    The king began to hate the very sight of gold! The very king who had loved gold so much, now hated the very sight of it!

    Anyway, he got on the hard gold bed and tried to sleep. But it was impossible to sleep on such a hard bed when he was so used to sleeping on his soft velvet one. He tossed and turned and soon it was midnight.

    At midnight, again there was a bright light and the God of Wealth appeared before him.

    “Well, King Midas,” he said, “how is your wish going? Do you like it? Would you like to keep it?”

    King Midas started crying all over again.

    “Please, I beg you, take this wish away! It is not a wish, it has turned out to be a curse! I can’t eat, I can’t drink and my daughter has turned to golden statue!” he said, in a very low sad voice. “I just don’t know what to do. Please, help me! Take this cursed wish away! I don’t want it.”

    “You must understand that gold is not everything,” said the god of wealth. “There is human love and lots more.”

    “I understand that now,” said the king, in a shameful voice. “I hate the very sight of gold now! Please, take this wish away. I beg you.”

    “Very well,” said the god of wealth. “I shall take the wish away. In future think twice before you make such a wish.”

    And with that he disappeared.

    When the king woke up the next morning, everything seemed to be normal. His bed was normal and his house was no longer made of gold.

    When he went out, his daughter came running to him!

    The king was so delighted to see his daughter normal again that he started to cry with joy!

    From that day onwards, he never ever wished for gold again!