The Midas Touch !!HOT!!
"Well of course a god like you has no use for money," said Midas, "but we mortals can never have enough of it. I wish that everything I touched turned to gold."Although Dionysus thought it was a foolish wish, he granted it with the words, "Midas, all that you touch shall turn to gold."The god disappeared, and King Midas rejoiced in his curse. He reached out and touched a rose blossom and it turned to gold. He picked up a stone, and that too became golden. Even a clod of earth became gold.He plucked an apple from a low branch, and it immediately became cold and shiny. He held it in his hand and said,"Oh, how pure and perfect it is."Then he tossed the golden apple over his shoulder, and hurried into the palace to try his touch on random objects: columns, statues, furniture and doorknobs.The servants heard his voice laughing and shouting, "Gold, glorious gold!" And they wondered what had gotten into the king.Princess Zoe heard him too. She found him turning peas into little golden nuggets."Father, what has happened?" she asked."The most wonderful thing," he replied, and he hugged her.But this was not what he had expected. He was holding not his daughter in his arms, but a cold, still statue.Distraught, he went to the fountain to wash his hot tears from his face. But as he scooped up the water in his hands, it turned into liquid gold.Now he realised the cruelty of his gift. He called out, "Lord Dionysus, save me from this cursed metal!"Dionysus heard him and took pity on the foolish King. He appeared sitting on the edge of the fountain and said,"Go to the river that flows by the great city of Sardis. Make your way upstream until you come to the source. Plunge your head and body at the same moment into the foaming fountain, where it gushes out, and wash away your foolishness."Midas did as he was told, and when he plunged into the stream the banks and the flowers that grew on them became yellow and golden. But Midas emerged from the waters free of his wish for riches and gold. So as long as he lived, he rejoiced in all that was simple and natural.Text Copyright Hugh Fraser 2009 -
The Midas Touch
The story of King Midas is a myth about the tragedy of avarice and narrates what happens when true happiness is not recognized. Midas was a man who wished that everything he touched would turn into gold. However, he had not thought that this wish was not actually a blessing, but a curse. His greed invites us to think and realize the consequences that may lead us to become slaves of our own desires. The phrase the Midas touch comes from this myth and is used to say that somebody has a good fortune.
One day, Dionyssus, the god of wine and revelry, passed through the kingdom of Midas. One of his companions, a satyr named Silenus, got delayed along the way. Silenus got tired and decided to take a nap in the famous rose gardens surrounding the palace of king Midas. There, he was found by the king, who recognized him instantly and invited him to spend a few days at his palace. After that, Midas took him to Dionyssus. The god of celebration, very grateful to Midas for his kindness, promised Midas to satisfy any wish of him. Midas though for a while and then he said: I hope that everything I touch becomes gold. Dionyssus warned the king to think well about his wish, but Midas was positive. Dionyssus could do nothing else and promised the king that from that following day everything he touched would turn into gold.
The next day, Midas, woke up eager to see if his wish would become true. He extended his arm touching a small table that immediately turned into gold. Midas jumped with happiness! He then touched a chair, the carpet, the door, his bathtub, a table and so he kept on running in his madness all over his palace until he got exhausted and happy at the same time! He sat at the table to have breakfast and took a rose between his hands to smell its fragrance. When he touched it, the rose became gold. I will have to absorb the fragrance without touching the roses, I suppose, he thought in disappointment.
The god heard Midas and felt sorry for him. He told Midas to go to river Pactolus and wash his hands. Midas did so: he ran to the river and was astonished to see gold flowing from his hands. The ancient Greeks said they had found gold on the banks of the river Pactolus. When he turned home, everything Midas had touched had become normal again.
A person who always seems to be able to make anything into a success is said to have the Midas touch, as in Kathy must have the Midas touch because her team wins every game she plays in. The phrase is almost always meant as glowing praise or a big compliment.
The first records of the phrase Midas touch come from around 1880. It is a reference to the Greek mythology figure King Midas, who was given the ability to turn anything into gold just by touching it. A person who has the Midas touch can figuratively turn anything they touch into a success. The phrase ignores the fact that King Midas eventually saw his power as a curse.
Midas touch is used to mean a person is so successful at anything they do that it seems like a superpower or a blessing. Usually, Midas touch is used to mean someone is good at making money, helping businesses make money, or creating things that make a lot of money. 041b061a72