Midas

Midas, a king who loved gold very much, lived in a large and glittering palace.

Silinos

One day, his servants found in his garden an old man with white hair and eyes full of wisdom. He was Silinos, the teacher and friend of the god Dionysus. Silenus was lost and exhausted.

Hospitality

Midas hosted him with kindness and care for ten days and nights, offering him the best food and drinks of his palace.

Silinos was regaining his strength and the two of them were having a good time, talking and laughing.

The wish

When Dionysus learned that Silinos was safe and well, he came to Midas' palace to take him back. Dionysus, grateful for Midas' kindness and hospitality, offered him a wish.

Midas, his eyes shining with joy, asked to have the ability to turn everything he touched into gold. Dionysus granted him this ability, but warned him to be careful with his wish.

Joy

At first, Midas was excited. He touched the flowers, the stones, even the furniture, and everything turned golden. Every corner of his palace glowed with the gold he loved so much.

Error understanding

But he soon realized his mistake. When he tried to eat, the food turned to gold and he could not eat it. The rich delicacies of the royal table became useless, and hunger tightened his grip.

The worst came when his daughter, with her big, bright eyes and laughing lips, ran to hug him. As soon as he touched her, she became a statue of gold. Sadness and despair overwhelmed Midas. His wealth could no longer help him.

Request

With tears in her eyes, she begged Dionysus to take back the gift. Dionysus, understanding Midas' difficulty, told him to bathe in a certain river

Midas followed the instructions and when he did, the river washed away the golden touch and everything returned to normal.

His daughter came back to life, and Midas embraced her with love. From that day on, she learned to appreciate the simple things in life and not to ask for more than she really needed. His palace was now filled with laughter and joy instead of lifeless gold.