King Midas

Long ago in Ancient Greece, there lived a king named Midas. He had mountains of gold coins, goblets, crowns, and jewels—more than any king in the world. Yet he still wasn’t happy. King Midas spent hours tossing his treasure in the air, laughing as it sparkled in the sunlight. But while he played with his gold, his daughter Goldie wished for something else: that her father would play with her. One evening, while wandering through his rose garden, Midas stumbled—thud!—over a strange little man with a long beard, ragged trousers, and hooves for feet. “Who on earth are you?” gasped the king. “I’m Brian,” croaked the creature. “A woodland wanderer, lost and starving.” Despite his love of riches, Midas was not unkind. He carried Brian back to the palace, fed him, and let him rest. By morning, Brian was ready to repay the king. “You saved my life,” he said. “So I’ll grant you a wish.” Without hesitation, Midas cried, “I wish that everything I touch turns to gold!” Brian gave Goldie a sly wink, then nodded. “Your wish is granted.” At first, Midas was overjoyed. Roses, chairs, teacups—everything he touched gleamed with golden brilliance. He clapped his hands with glee… until he realized his food had turned to metal. His joy turned to worry—how could he eat or drink? And then the worst happened. Goldie ran to hug her father, and in an instant she became a beautiful, but lifeless, golden statue. Midas’s heart shattered. “Take it back!” he cried when Brian returned. “Goldie, not gold, is my greatest treasure.” Brian lifted the spell, and Goldie sprang back into her father’s arms. The palace shimmered once more with colors other than gold. From that day forward, Midas shared his riches with the people, and he learned that love and kindness were worth more than all the treasure in the world. And if you had been there, you might have seen Goldie give Brian a secret wink of thanks before skipping off to play in the rose garden. The End