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Amber Boyette/ Alexyss Taylor

ENC 1101

Professor S. C. McGriff

September 24, 2019

King Midas and the Golden Touch

Long ago lived the great King Midas who ruled over the vast, beautiful land of Phrygia.

His kingdom was so grand with its green grassy fields that seemed to stretch to the ends of the

earth. Along those fields stood modestly, yet respectable, little homes of those who resided under

his reign. The castle was magnificently built by the strongest stone and brick and boasted twenty

stories high with pointy roofs that touched the sky. This was truly a land any king would be

proud to rule, but as always it was just not quite enough. This is the story of how King Midas

was granted his wish, turned everything he touched into gold, and ultimately payed for his wish.

"King Midas, I would be honored to grant you any wish you desire for your great favor.

Now speak and I will present you with your wish." Dionysus sat before King Midas on his

throne, surrounded by servants and wine. Dionysus, the God of Wine, had asked King Midas for

a hefty favor and in return he gave his promise to grant any wish King Midas asked for.

Unknowingly to Dionysus, the wish King Midas would request would be one that he wouldn't

like the grant. "Dionysus, God of Wine, I ask for the power of a golden touch. I want to turn

everything I touch into gold so I can become even richer and more powerful than I already am.".

Dionysus studied his face for a moment, taking in a slow breath before speaking, "King Midas,
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are you sure this is your one and only wish? I'm not sure you're considering the consequences

that will follow your decisions.” “Of course. This is what I want. Please grant my wish

Dionysus." King Midas stood even taller. "Alright then, very well." Dionysus reluctantly agreed

and granted his wish.

King Midas awoke early the next morning, excited to the point of having anxiety about

being able to turn anything he touched into gold. However, when he hurried out of bed and

swiftly grabbed onto the nearest flower vase. The overwhelming excited he once felt fled quickly

as he sighed in annoyance. 'I knew I should not have trusted him to grant my wish.' King Midas

let his hand slide down the vase, slowly pivoting on his left foot before heading back to bed for a

bit more sleep. Throughout that day and the following two, Midas began to grow more and more

frustrated as the wish he had asked for still hadn't been granted. Finally, he woke up on the

fourth day. As he grabbed his slippers, rearranging them so he could slide each foot in easily, a

golden wave spread over them, starting from the spot where he touched all the way through

them. He fell back onto his bed, shocked before reaching over the flower vase he had touched

days earlier. He watched the gold spread from the rim of the vase to the bottom in awe. He

couldn't believe this was happening, he thought Dionysus had tricked him, but alas, here was his

wish.

King Midas waltzed through his palace caressing flower vases, table stands, and

everything else he could brush his hands against. He made his way through the kitchen, touching

each and every piece of cutlery, and all the plates and glasses. The satisfaction he felt after

watching everything turn to gold grew and subsided with every new item he grabbed, but soon

enough he began to feel tingly inside. He pondered for a moment on whether it was just from
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being so ecstatic about his new power, or if it was something more. Not wanting to ruin his fun,

he decided it was just joy and continued to change everything to gold. Only a week had passed

before the royal doctor paid a visit to King Midas. He had been complaining of his vision getting

drastically worse to the point that he was worried he may be going blind. The doctor reluctantly

confirmed that he would soon be blind, and asked if there was anything else he was worried

about. Just as King Midas began to answer, he felt a whirl in his stomach and rushed to the

restroom. After he lifted his head from the toilet, he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. When

he pulled his hand from his mouth, he was shocked by the large amount of blood on the white

cotton square. King Midas stood up carefully and took a step towards the large mahogany door,

barely able to make it out of the restroom.

The once great ruler of Phrygia sat slumped in his golden throne, well-aware of death

coming for him. Surrounded by golden treasures in every direction, King Midas suddenly felt no

attachment to any of it. With every marvelous touch, his health deteriorated. He could not allow

himself to believe that the very thing killing him was his own selfish greed. His need for more

gold had come at his own expense and he'd allowed it. He could no longer reach out, his hands

gnarled and bones cracking. He sighed regretfully and closed his eyes for the last time, alone, in

his golden fortress.