Long ago, in a land of rolling hills and quiet rivers, there lived a king named Midas.
King Midas had everything a ruler could wish for — fine clothes, a grand palace, and gardens filled with flowers that bloomed in every colour of the rainbow. His people respected him, and his kingdom was peaceful and prosperous.
And yet… King Midas loved one thing more than all the rest.
He loved gold.
He loved the way it shone in the sunlight, warm and bright. His halls were filled with golden cups and plates, golden ornaments and statues. In the evenings, he would sit and count his gold coins, letting them run through his fingers like drops of sunshine.
“Nothing in the world is more wonderful than gold,” he would say.
But there was one thing he loved even more — though he did not always realise it.
His young daughter.
She would run through the palace gardens, laughing as she gathered flowers, her hands full of daisies and bright blossoms. She did not care for gold at all. To her, a simple flower was far more beautiful.
“Look, Father!” she would call, holding out her little bouquet. “Isn’t it lovely?”
Midas would smile and nod — but often, his eyes would drift back to the glitter of gold.
One evening, as the palace grew quiet, something unusual happened.
A stranger arrived — tired from travel, yet with an air of something… more than ordinary.
King Midas, who could be very kind, welcomed him warmly and offered him food, rest, and a place by the fire.
And because of this kindness, the stranger said:
“You have shown generosity when you did not have to. Tell me, King Midas — what is it that you most desire? I will grant you one wish.”
Midas did not hesitate. He thought of his glittering treasures, and of how wonderful it would be if everything around him shone like gold.
“If it pleases you,” he said, his voice full of longing, “I wish that everything I touch should turn to gold.”
The stranger paused — just for a moment.
“Are you quite certain?” he asked gently.
But Midas, already dreaming of endless treasure, smiled.
“I am certain.”
At first, Midas could hardly believe the gift was real.
He reached out and snapped a small twig from a nearby branch. At once, it gleamed and became a perfect piece of gold.
Midas laughed aloud.
He touched a pebble — it shimmered and turned to gold. He brushed his hand against a flower — its soft petals stiffened into bright metal. Everywhere he walked, the world glittered at his fingertips.
He felt like the happiest man on earth.
But when he sat down to eat, still smiling at his good fortune, something strange happened.
As soon as he picked up a piece of bread, it hardened in his hand, turning to gold. He tried a grape — but it became a tiny golden bead. Even the wine in his cup grew still and solid.
For the first time, Midas felt a flicker of worry.
He set the cup down slowly.
Just then, his daughter came running to him. She had been playing nearby and had noticed the troubled look on his face.
“Father,” she asked softly, “what’s wrong? Why won’t you eat?”
Midas opened his mouth to answer — but before he could speak, she threw her arms around him in a loving embrace.
And in that moment, everything changed.
Her soft hands grew still. Her warm cheek turned cold against his robe.
When Midas looked down, the daughter he loved more than all his treasure stood frozen in his arms — a perfect, shining statue of gold.
Midas staggered back, his heart breaking.
The gift he had wished for — the gift he had been so delighted with — had taken from him the one thing he loved most.
With tears in his eyes, he lifted his face to the sky and cried out:
“I was foolish. I did not understand. Please take this gift away. I would give up all the gold in the world to have my daughter back.”
The god heard him.
And because Midas had once shown kindness, he took pity on him.
A warm breeze stirred the air, and a gentle voice said:
“Go to the river. Wash your hands in its waters, and the gift will leave you.”
Midas did not hesitate.
He ran from the palace, down through fields and olive groves, until he reached the river’s edge. Falling to his knees, he plunged his hands into the cool, flowing water.
At once, he felt the magic slip away.
The water shimmered with a faint golden glow, and the sand beneath it sparkled with tiny flecks — the last traces of his wish.
Midas rose and hurried back to the palace, his heart full of hope.
And there, waiting for him, was his daughter.
She ran to him with warm arms and bright eyes, laughing just as she always had. This time, when she embraced him, nothing turned to gold.
He held her close — and felt a joy far greater than any treasure.
From that day on, King Midas was grateful for every simple moment.
For he had learned, more deeply than any king before him, that the greatest riches are not the ones that shine…
but the ones we love.