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 Long ago in Greece, there was
a very rich king called King Midas .
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Ki11g Midas l0ved g9ld. He decorated ·
his palace with gold. He ate off
. plates of gold. He had b og~s. and ba gs
of gold locked in l1is storeroom.
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Instead of looking after his kingdom,

King Mida s spent most of his time
counting his gold.
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T here was only one thing
that the king loved more than
rus gold, and that was his daughter,
who was n(m1ed M arygold.
~1.arygolri loved her father,
but she did not love his gold.

Kl n J T\ ida s and M arygold liked to

walk Ii he ya rden. One day, King ,

\1.idt~s -,d ·':- only a1.l these flowers

TPre ~old.'

"1' . ,, l:..atb~~r' replied Morygold.

\ , \ T~ 1't smell them if they are made
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- "Well, a golden fountain would
be nice," said the king. "I ,wish that
everything I touched turned into gold."

Ma rygold just laµghed at her father.

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The next day, when King Midas

was in his storeroom f OUnti_ng ..
his gold, a stranger dressed

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in goJd-coloured clothes suddenly
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appeared in front of him . \
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"Good morning, Your Majesty,"

said the stranger. "I see you are
counting your gold. You must be
the richest man in the world.
There is more gold in this room
than in any other room on Earth!"
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"I am very rich," replied the ki ng,
"but I want to have even
more gold."

"I heard the wish you made,''

said the str<'flger " I heard you want
to tum hings into gold Just by
touchlng them."

"ThGt true," said K ng Midas,

"I d1d make that w1s 1."

" I can gr(]Jlt your wish,"

srua the stranger. "I con
give you the golden touch.''

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T he king \va s very excited.

«You mean tha t everything I touch 1s
going to tum to gold?" he cn ed. I .. I
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"Yes," said the stranger. ''Everything."

"Then give me the golden touch,"

demanded King Midas.

The stranger looked at t he king sadly.

"Kneel do\vn," he said. "I now q1ve I
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you the golden touch. Cse it carefully,

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King Mldos."
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½'hen the king looked up, .
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the stranqer vanished.

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King lvlidas rushed to t he door.
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As soon a ~ ne toucnea the kc)'. 0

it turned ro gc Id

Ki r19 ~'11das rushed outside.

He tou he. d trees H e touched
the flowers. hr \\ e ~ into
the air. Soon he \\ a. surrounded
b) a glittering, den garde

"It ~orks, it worksP' la ughed the king.

"I ha ve the golden touch. \1' ·1nt1l
.l\1arygold sees \Vhat I can do!"

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The king went inside.
He touched the table. It turned
to gold. He touched his chair.
It turned to gold.

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"I'm thirsty," said the king.

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"Pour me o gloss of water."
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The servant poured the water,
and ~ as King Midas took
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the glass, the water turned to gold.
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"I'm hungry," said the king.
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"Bring
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me ~ e food ," h e ordered.

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King Midas picked up som e bread.

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It turned to gold. H e lifted his golden
..foI;k to his mouth, but as soon as th e
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food touched his lips, it became hard
and heavy.

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King Midas put his head

on his golden table and wept.
"I'm so hungry!" he cried.
"How am I going to eat?"

Just then, Marygold ran in.

"Wh9,t's wrong, Father?" she cried.

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Marygold gave the king a hug. L
Immediately, she turned into
a golden statue.
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"No!" cried King Midas. "NO! N O!
NO! Not Marygold! How foolish
I am. How stupid and greedy
I am, too."

Suddenly, a breeze blew into the room -

and the stranger in gold-coloured
clothes appeared.
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"I gave you your wish, King Midas,"

the stranger said. "Did the golden
touch ma ke you happy?"
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"No," cried the king. "I want
' everything to change bock to the way
it was. Gold means nothing
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to me now."
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"I am glad to see t hat you are O King Midas ran to the fountain .
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wiser man," said the stranger. "Maybe H e poured water on the flowers and
I can help you ." the trees and the pebbles. H e poured
water on the table and the chair,
"Yes, help me, please," begged t he the plates and the food . Last of a ll,
king. "Ta ke all the gold in m y he poured water over the statue of his
kingdom. I want my daughter ba ck." da ughter.

"I a m going to take back the golden

touch, King Midas," said the stra nger.
"T a ke some water from the founta in
and pour it over the things you wish
to change back to the way they were."

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"What are you doing, Father?"
cried Marygold, who didn't know
she was a statue.

King Midas never told Marygold a bout

the golden touch. From that day on,
he was a wiser king. He always
stop·p ed to smell the roses and laugh
with Marygold!