The Legend of King Midas

Sari Bodi

Scene 1

Long, long ago in Gordium, there was a king named Midas, who was the richest man in all the land. But that wasn’t enough for him. He wanted to be even richer, and that’s what got him into trouble.

Every day, King Midas sat in his treasure room counting gold coins. He loved gold more than anything. He loved gold even more than his own daughter, Marigold, whom he named for the golden flower.

One day, as Midas was counting his gold, Marigold entered his treasure room and said, “Father, come see my garden. The roses are blooming.”

“Marigold, you made me lose count!”

“That’s all you care about, Father. You hardly ever leave this room!” Marigold responded.

“Everything I love is here. Why should I leave?” King Midas snapped.

“Then I’ll leave you to your treasure,” Marigold replied as she hid her tears and ran back to her garden.

King Midas went back to counting his gold. “Oh my precious golden treasure, you shine brighter than the sun.”

Watching from Mount Olympus, where all the greek gods and goddesses lived, Bacchus saw how King Midas treated his daughter and decided that the greedy King Midas might need to be taught a lesson.

Scene 2

That afternoon, Midas was still counting his treasure when Bacchus appeared before him.

“Who are you?” Midas asked.

Bacchus replied, “Someone who can offer you enough gold to be happy.”

“Enough gold to be happy? No one could ever have enough gold,” Midas chuckled.

“What if you could share your gold with everyone in the land and still live the life of a very rich man?” Bacchus asked.

“Share? But then I wouldn’t be the richest,” Midas replied.

“Will nothing satisfy you?” Baccus questioned.

“Yes, something could. If everything I touched turned to gold, then I’d be happy.”

Bacchus said, “It is a wish I will grant you, and one that you truly deserve.”

Bacchus snapped his fingers and vanished. Midas looked around and thought he must have been dreaming. He decided that he had been in his treasure room too long. Climbing over piles of gold, Midas began to stumble toward the door, and just as he touched it…

“Gold!” he shouted. “The door has turned to gold!”

He touched a wall, and it also turned to gold. He began running through his castle touching everything in sight, torches, windows, tapestries, and each item turned to gold.

“I will be the wealthiest man who ever lived!”

Scene 3

King Midas raced into the garden to find his daughter.

“Father,” Marigold said with surprise, “look at my lovely roses! They’re so red, and the scent is glorious!”

“Marigold, I have a surprise for you. If you think your flowers are lovely now, just wait.”

“What could possibly make them any more beautiful?” Marigold asked.

As Marigold watched, Midas touched one of the rose bushes, and it immediately turned to gold.

“Look how beautiful it is now!” Midas said excitedly.

“Father, how could you? They’re horrible. They’ve lost their color. They smell like metal. Ow! And the petals are so hard.”

Midas replied, “But now they’re worth a fortune!”

Sadly, Marigold responded, “My roses are ruined. Please don’t touch another flower.”

Midas sent Marigold to fetch the servants so he could speak to them. While she was gone, Midas rushed around the garden turning all the flowers and trees to gold. By the time the servants arrived, the entire garden was made of gold.

Midas explained to his servants that he wanted to hold a banquet in honor of his new power. He sent the servants out to summon all the lords and ladies of Gordium to attend the banquet.

Scene 4

That night, the lords and ladies of ancient Gordium gathered at the castle of King Midas. They were dressed in their finest gowns, trimmed with fur and jewels. They ate delicious delicacies and drank the finest wine. As he made his way around the banquet greeting his guests, King Midas came across his daughter speaking with Lord Elderberry and Lady Caroline.

“Lady Caroline,” King Midas said, “hand me your earthenware plate.”

The moment King Midas touched the plate, it turned to gold.

“Gadzooks! Is this solid gold?” Lady Caroline asked.

“Indeed it is,” replied King Midas with a smile. As his guests gathered around, King Midas began turning items into gold. He turned Lady Elderberry’s plate a fork to gold. He dishes even turned the flames on the candles to gold. The guests toasted King Midas and his golden touch.

As Midas put his cup to his lips to take a sip of wine, the wine turned to gold. When he reached for bread to eat, it also turned to gold. Midas’s face turned pale and he began to tremble. Noticing the look of dread on her father’s face, Marigold rushed toward him.

“Father, what’s wro…..”

Just as reached her father’s arms, Marigold was turned to gold.

“No!” Midas wailed as he fell to his knees on the ground. “Bacchus, I was so wrong to wish for this curse.”

Scene 5

Hours later, Midas still knelt on the ground by the golden statue of his daughter. He looked to the sky and asked, “Bacchus, have pity on me.”

Bacchus appeared before him and asked, “What will happen if I do show you mercy?”

“I will open up my treasure room and share it with the poor. To have my daughter again, and to eat and drink, these are the things that matter to me more than wealth,” Midas replied.

“I see you have learned your lesson. To reverse the spell, come with me and bathe in the River Pactolus, just beyond the garden.”

Midas stepped into the river and flakes of gold washed away from him and mingled with the sand. He raced back to the castle and discovered that the roses were once again as red and fragrant as before and Marigold was no longer a statue made of gold.

“Marigold, you are so precious to me,” Midas said as he hugged his daughter.

“More precious than gold?” she asked.

“More precious than anything,” he replied. And so, as promised, King Midas shared his gold with his kingdom which prospered for many years.

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