The Golden Touch Oger oie te King Midas King M idas we i ome hak as a very kind man who ruled his kingdom fairly, but he was not hink ve seply i i ery deeply about what he said. One day, while walking in hisUnit ty introduction to literature | 25 arden, he saw an elderly satyr asleep in the flowers. Taking pity on the old fatiow, King Midas tet him go without punishment. When the god Dionysus heard about it, he rewarded King Midas by granting him one wish. The king thought for only a second and then said | wish for everything touch to turn to gold.” And so it was. The beautiful flowers in his garden turned toward the sun for light, but when Midas approached and touched them, they stood rigid and gold. The king grew hungry and thin, for each time he tried to eat, he found that his meal had turned to gold, His lovely daughter, at his loving touch, turned hard and fast to gold. His water, his bed, his clothes, his friends, and eventually the whole palace were gold. King Midas saw that soon his whole kingdom would turn to gold unless he did something right away. He asked Dionysus to turn everything back to the way it had been and take back his golden touch. Because the king was ashamed and very sad, Dionysus toak pity on him and granted his request. Instantly, King Midas was poorer that he had been, but richer, he felt, in the things that really count. Retrieved from: www. hipark.austinisd. tenet.edu/mythology/midas.huml retrieved 30, 7, 2012/ 2:40pm Questions 1. Why did Dionysus reward King Midas? 2. King Midas was which: thoughtful, stingy, kind and fair, or wicked and cruel. 3. Which of the following did not turn to gold? a. His daughter b. His castle moat © The flowers in the garden d. Midas’ food 4. In the end what did King Midas ask Dionysus to do? 5. What did King Midas wish for when Dionysus granted him one wisht 6. What does "the Midas touch” mean?26 | Elements of Literature (Literatur part 1) 7. When everything went back to the way it was before the Midas touch, did King Midas feel that, though he had lost wealth, he had gained what y counted? “hy tally Critical Consideration 8, How will you apply this story’s massage to your own life? 9. In the next part of the story, Midas makes some bad decisions, Since we know his character flews, we are not surprised at the king's selfish actions 10. What will Midas do with his golden touch? Here are the complications in Midas story, Notice the worlds the storyteller uses to describe gold. Also, notice the words used to describe nature and the king’s little daughter. Practice 1. The lesson a character learns can often be stated as a theme. Always state a them as a complete sentence. Which of these themes do you think is revealed in the Midas story? A story may have several themes. * Gold * Nothing is as important as love * Do not ignore wise advice, * Be careful what you wish for. 2. Find at least three words that describe nature life and beauty, Then, find other words that des How does this use of language help support on and human beings as full of cribe gold as hard and lifeless. of the story’s themes? 3. Reading skill and strategies When you read be careful, stop in every Paragraph then ask a question Practice the following short story: