Once upon a time there was a king named Midas who ruled Phrygia - a rich kingdom in Asia.

Midas had everything: a beautiful palace, enormous gardens, loyal servants, a beloved daughter.

But Midas loved ONE Thing more than anything: Gold.

"Gold is the most beautiful thing in the world!" said Midas! "It shines! It doesn't spoil! It's worth more than anything!"

He spent hours looking at his treasure - gold coins, gold cups, jewels.

"If I could," he sighed, "I'd have EVERYTHING made of gold!"

One day, Midas's servants found a drunk old man in the palace gardens.

It was Silenus - the old satyr who was tutor and friend to the god Dionysus.

Silenus had gotten lost during a party and ended up sleeping in Midas's gardens.

The servants wanted to expel the old man! But Midas was kind!

"Leave him! Give him food and wine! Take care of him!"

For ten days, Midas treated Silenus as a guest of honor.

They had parties! Told stories! Laughed a lot!

When Silenus was better, Midas took him back to Dionysus.

Dionysus - the god of wine, parties and joy - was very happy.

"Midas! You took care of my dear friend! You were kind and generous!"

"Therefore, I will grant you a wish! Anything you want! Ask!"

Midas didn't even need to think! His eyes shone!

"Great Dionysus! I have only one wish!"

"I want EVERYTHING I touch to turn to GOLD!"

Dionysus frowned! "Are you sure? This wish could—"

"SURE!" said Midas eagerly! "It's all I've ever wanted!"

Dionysus sighed! "Very well! Your wish is granted!"

"Starting tomorrow at dawn, everything you touch will turn to gold!"

Dionysus disappeared.

Midas could barely wait! "Tomorrow I'll be the richest man in the world!"

That night, he could barely sleep from excitement.

When the sun rose, Midas woke up eagerly.

Still lying down, he touched the bed covers.

Zzzing! They turned to Pure Gold!

"IT WORKS!" shouted Midas! "IT WORKS!"

He jumped out of bed! He touched the chair! Gold!

He touched the table! Gold!

He touched the pillows! Gold!

He touched the curtains! Gold!

"IT'S WONDERFUL!" laughed Midas! "INCREDIBLE!"

Midas went out to the garden.

He touched the flowers! They became golden flowers!

He touched the trees! They became golden trees!

He touched the stones! Gold!

He touched the fountain! The water turned to liquid gold!

"My garden is the most valuable in the world!" he shouted!

The servants watched amazed! "Has the king gone mad? Everything is turning to gold!"

Midas touched columns! He touched statues! He touched walls!

Everything, Everything turned to gold.

After hours of transforming things, Midas felt hungry.

"So much work! I'm going to eat!"

He sat at the table! The servants brought food!

Midas picked up a piece of bread.

Zzzing! The bread turned to solid gold!

"Oh!" said Midas! "Well... I'll eat something else!"

He picked up a grape! Gold!

He picked up cheese! Gold!

He picked up a piece of meat! Gold!

He tried to drink wine! The liquid turned to Liquid Gold in his mouth!

Midas spat it out! "No... I can't eat!"

Panic began to grow.

"How will I eat? How will I drink?"

Midas was very hungry! And thirsty!

He tried water! It turned to gold!

He tried fruit! Gold!

Everything he touched to eat turned to gold.

"What have I done?" Midas began to realize! "I'm going to starve!"

Then his little daughter - a girl about eight years old - came running in.

"Daddy! Daddy! Why are you sad?"

She didn't know about her father's power.

"Darling! DON'T—" shouted Midas!

But it was too late.

The girl hugged her father.

The instant she touched Midas...

Zzzing.

She turned into a golden statue.

Frozen in mid-hug! Eyes open! But lifeless! Just gold!

"NOOOOO!" screamed Midas! "MY DAUGHTER! MY LITTLE GIRL!"

Midas fell to his knees crying.

He tried to hug the statue! But it was just cold metal!

"WHAT HAVE I DONE? WHAT HAVE I DONE?"

Midas cried and cried!

"I'm an idiot! I wanted gold more than anything!"

"And now I have gold... but I've lost what really matters!"

"My daughter! My food! My life!"

"What good is all the gold in the world if I can't hug my daughter?"

"If I can't eat? If I can't live?"

Midas was desperate.

"DIONYSUS!" he shouted! "PLEASE! COME BACK! I WAS A FOOL!"

Dionysus appeared! He was serious, but not angry!

"Midas! I tried to warn you! But you wouldn't listen!"

"I KNOW!" cried Midas! "I was a greedy fool!"

"I've learned my lesson! Gold is worth nothing compared to love!"

"It's worth nothing compared to my daughter! To food! To life!"

"PLEASE! Take away this power! Give me back my daughter! I'll do anything!"

Dionysus nodded! "You've learned! That's good!"

"Go to the river Pactolus! Wash your head in the waters of the spring!"

"That will remove the power! Then, take water from the river and pour it on whatever you want to reverse!"

Midas ran to the river Pactolus.

He plunged his head into the spring.

He felt the power leave him! Like a weight being lifted!

He touched a stone! It remained a stone!

"It worked! IT WORKED!"

He filled jars with water from the river! He ran back to the palace!

He poured water on the golden statue of his daughter.

Zzzing.

The gold disappeared! The girl came back to life!

"Daddy?" she blinked confused!

"MY DAUGHTER!" Midas hugged her crying! "You're alive! You're alive!"

Midas poured water on the flowers! They became real flowers again!

He poured it on the trees! They turned green and alive!

He didn't transform everything back - he left some things as gold to remember.

"I'll leave this golden column," he said, "to never forget my madness!"

Then Midas sat down and ate! Real Bread!

"This is the most delicious meal of my life!" he said! "Because it's not gold!"

He hugged his daughter again! "You're worth more than all the gold in the world!"

They say that the river Pactolus, from that day on, always had gold nuggets in its waters.

Because Midas washed his golden power there.

And Midas? He lived many years.

He was never greedy again.

He shared his riches! He was generous!

And he always said: "Gold doesn't buy happiness! It doesn't buy love! It doesn't buy life!"

"The most valuable things are not made of gold!"

And he was right.