The Golden Touch "What! Are you not satisfied?" asked the stranger.
(Adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne, excerpted from The Book of
Virtues by William J. Bennett)
This retelling of the famous Greek tale about lust for gold is
adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne's version in his Wonder Book.
The Midas of mythology is usually identified by scholars with a
king of ancient Phrygia (now Turkey) who ruled in the eighth
century B.C. The early Greeks believed Phrygia to be a land of
fabulous wealth.
Once upon a time there lived a very rich king whose name was
Midas. He had more gold than anyone in the whole world, but for
all that, he thought it was not enough. He was never so happy as
when he happened to get more gold to add to his treasure. He
stored it away in great vaults underneath his palace, and many
hours of each day were spent counting it over.
Now King Midas had a little daughter named Marygold. He
loved her devotedly, and said: "She shall be the richest princess
in all the world!"
But little Marygold cared nothing about it all. She loved her
garden, her flowers and the golden sunshine more than all her
father's riches. She was a lonely little girl most of the time, for her
father was so busy planning new ways to get more gold, and
counting what he had, that he seldom told her stories or went for
walks with her, as all fathers should do.
One day King Midas was down in his treasure room. He had
locked the heavy doors and had opened up his great chests of
gold. He piled it on the table and handled it as if he loved the
touch of it. He let it slip through his fingers and smiled at the clink
of it as if it had been sweet music. Suddenly a shadow fell over
the heap of gold. Looking up, he saw a stranger dressed in
shining white smiling down at him. King Midas started up in
surprise. Surely he had not failed to lock the door! His treasure
was not safe! But the stranger continued to smile.
"You have much gold, King Midas," he said.
"Yes," said the king, "but think how little this is to all the gold
there is in the world!"
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"Satisfied?" said the king. "Of course I'm not. I often lie awake
through the long night planning new ways to get more gold. I wish
that everything I touch would turn to gold."
"Do you really wish that, King Midas?"
"Of course I wish it. Nothing could make me so happy."
"Then you shall have your wish. Tomorrow morning when the
first rays of the sun fall through your window you shall have the
golden touch."
When he had finished speaking, the stranger vanished. King
Midas rubbed his eyes. "I must have dreamed it," he said, "but
how happy I should be if it were only true!"
The next morning King Midas woke when the first faint light
came into his room. He put out his hand and touched the covers
of his bed. Nothing happened. "I knew it could not be true," he
sighed. Just at that moment the first rays of the sun came through
the window. The covers on which King Midas's hand lay became
pure gold. "It's true, it's true!" he cried joyfully.
He sprang out of bed and ran about the room touching
everything. His dressing gown, his slippers, the furniture, all
became gold. He looked out of the window through Marygold's
garden. "I'll give her a nice surprise," he said. He went down into
the garden touching all of Marygold's flowers, and changing them
to gold. "She will be so pleased," he thought.
He went back into his room to wait for his breakfast; and took
up his book which he had been reading the night before, but the
minute he touched it, it was solid gold. "I can't read it now," he
said, "but of course it is far better to have it gold."
Just then a servant came through the door with the king's
breakfast. "How good it looks," he said. "I'll have that ripe, red
peach first of all."
He took the peach in his hand, but before he could taste it, it
became a lump of gold. King Midas put it back on the plate. "It's
very beautiful, but I can't eat it!" he said. He took a roll from the
plate, but that, too, became gold. He took a glass of water in his
hand, but that, too, became gold. "What shall I do?" he cried. "I "Which would you rather have, O King -- that little golden
am hungry and thirsty, I can't eat or drink gold!" statue, or a little girl who could run, and laugh, and love you?"
At that moment the door was opened and in came little Mary- "Oh, give me back my little Marygold and I'll give up all the
gold. She was crying bitterly, and in her hand was one of her gold I have!" said the king. "I've lost all that was worth having."
roses.
"You are wiser than you were, King Midas," said the stranger.
"What's the matter, little daughter?" said the king. "Go plunge in the river which runs at the foot of your garden, then
take some of its water and sprinkle whatever you wish to change
"Oh, Father! See what has happened to all my roses! They are
back as it was." The stranger vanished.
stiff, ugly things!"
King Midas sprang up and ran to the river. He plunged into it,
"Why, they are golden roses, child. Do you not think they are
and then he dipped up a pitcher of its water and hurried back to
more beautiful than they were?"
the palace. He sprinkled it over Marygold, and the color came
"No," she sobbed, "they do not smell sweet. They won't grow back into her cheeks. She opened her blue eyes again. "Why,
anymore. I like roses that are alive." Father!" she said. "What happened?"
"Never mind," said the king, "eat your breakfast now." With a cry of joy King Midas took her into his arms.
But Marygold noticed that her father did not eat, and that he Never after that did King Midas care for any gold except the
looked very sad. "What is the matter, Father dear?" she said, and gold of the sunshine, and the gold of little Marygold's hair.
she ran over to him. She threw her arms about him, and he kissed
her. But he suddenly cried out in terror and anguish. When he
touched her, her lovely little face became glittering gold, her eyes
could not see, her lips could not kiss him back again, her little
arms could not hold him close. She was no longer a loving,
laughing little girl; she was changed to a little golden statue.
King Midas bowed his head and great sobs shook him.
"Are you happy, King Midas?" he heard a voice say. Looking up
he saw the stranger standing near him.
"Happy! How can you ask? I am the most miserable man
living!" said the king.
"You have the golden touch," said the stranger. "Is that not
enough?"
King Midas did not look up or answer.
"Which would you rather have, food and a cup of cold water or
these lumps of gold?" said the stranger.
King Midas could not answer.