Name: Laura Lwen

School: SK Nanga Ngungun

King Midas and the Golden Touch

Good morning honorable judges, teachers and my fellow friends. The title
of my story today is King Midas and the Golden Touch.

Once upon a time, there lived a king named Midas who loved being rich.
King Midas had a daughter named Goldie, whom he loved with all his
heart.

One day, King Midas was strolling through his garden when he a saw a
creature asleep in the flowerbeds. It was a satyr, a half man half goat.
The satyr, a servant of the God Dionysus, who is sick.

Midas bathed the satyr and dressed him in clean clothes and then sent
him back safely to Dionysus in his temple on the mountaintop.

Dionysus was grateful that Midas had taken such good care of his
servant. He offered to grant the king any wish he desired. Midas needed
only a second before he answered, “I wish that everything I touch would
turn to gold.” The God, Dionysus thought this was the most foolish wish
but he made a promise and couldn’t argue. “Your wish is granted.”
King Midas rushed back to his palace. He was eager to test out his new
power. In his beautiful garden, he reached to touch a flower and it
instantly turned to gold. King Midas laughed with delight.

He danced through his palace touching every object, every chair, every
carpet soon glittered with shinning gold. His eyes lit up with excitement.

He decided to celebrate his great fortune. “Bring me food and drink,” said
the king. Servants filled the long golden table with many delicious dishes
and wine. But when Midas took a piece of bread and put it in the mouth,
it turned into a chunk of gold. When he tipped up a pitcher of wine, all
that flowed into his cup was liquid gold.

There was nothing on the table he could eat or drink. With a roar of
frustration, Midas threw the golden feast from the table. He had no idea
what to do. He couldn’t play with his dog because he turned into gold. He
couldn’t sleep on his bed because it was now a hard golden rock.

The king’s little daughter came running towards him. “Father, why do you
look so angry?” Midas smiled, “Of course!” His delightful girl would cheer
him up. “My darling one.” He reached out his arm and instantly his
daughter too had turned to gold. She is now a cold statue that couldn’t
laugh or embrace him. King Midas was distraught. Not only was he
hungry and thirsty but he also lost his precious daughter.

In desperation, Midas returned to the mountain and threw himself at the

feet of Dionysus. “Please set me free from this terrible curse.”

Dionysus took pity on the miserable king, “Go and bath at the river of
Pactolus.”
King Midas went to the river. He stepped carefully into the water afraid it
might turn into gold and kill him but he was relieved to see that the gold
was washing off his boot. Midas grabbed a jug and pour the river water
all over himself.

He carried jug after jug of water back to his palace to wash his daughter,
his servants, his dog and he did not stop until everything in his palace is
back to normal.

King Midas laughed with delight as he embraced his daughter. Midas now
understood that it was much more important to feel rich than to be rich.
From this story, we learnt that greed can be destructive and there are
many things in life more important and precious than gold or riches.

Thank you.