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MIDAS
Once there lived a king whose name was Midas. He was fond of gold. He loved gold
more than anything else except his daughter. Whenever he saw pieces of gold he counted
them.
One day when he was counting his gold a stranger entered the room and said: “Midas,
what else do you like most of all in the world ?” “I like gold but of all” – Midas answered.
–
“Midas, what will make you happy?”
–
“Whatever I touch turns into the gold”
–
“You will have what you wish” – said the stranger.
Next morning when Midas woke up, the sun was rising. While he was dressing he
noticed that everything that he touched turned into gold and that made him very happy.
He went into the garden and everything he touched turned into gold. And the same thing
happened at breakfast. His daughter watched him in silence. Midas took his coffee and it
turned into gold. This frightened him, he became pale. “What’s wrong with you, father?”
asked his daughter and ran up to him and took him by the hand. At the same moment she
also turned into gold.
“What have I done?” – cried Midas – “It was madness to want more riches. Now I have
lost my daughter.” That moment he heard the voice of the stranger – “Midas, which
would you like to have now, your gold or your daughter?” – “Give me back my child” –
exclaimed Midas. “I shall never want gold again” – “I shall go to the river to bring some
water. Then I’ll pour the water over your daughter”. The stranger poured the water over
the golden statue of his daughter. The girl opened her eyes and returned to life. Midas
realized that gold was not the most important thing in the world.
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