Midas

Midas was the son of Gordius. When Gordius died, Midas became King of Phrygia. Midas was a kind but unwise king. One day one of Midas's servants found Silenus, the wine god Dionysus's favorite companion drunk in the flowerbed. Midas entertained Silenus for nine days, and then Dionysus appeared and thanked Midas. Then Dionysus said he would grant any wish Midas asked.

Midas was also greedy, and he wished that every thing he touched would turn to gold. Dionysus granted it, but not after trying to persuade him to change his wish. Immediately Midas ran around the castle, touching every rose, every wall, every table. Soon it was time for lunch. Midas sat at his royal table, but could not eat or drink for the wine and the food turned to gold. Even his daughter turned to gold when she gave him a hug. Midas cried and tore at his hair, and Dionysus showed up, and told Midas how to free him of the gift. Dionysus said, "Go to the Pactolus River and wash yourself in it."

Midas did just that, and even today the river's soil has little specks of gold in it. After that, Midas became a follower of Pan, a god of nature. Pan challenged Apollo to a music contest, and Midas was chosen as judge. Both gods played beautifully, but Apollo was the god of music and better than Pan. Midas would not admit this, and he chose Pan as the winner. Apollo, angered, said, "Your ears are not good enough to be in the shape of a human's! They are only fit to be a donkey's ears!" And he gave Midas donkey ears.

He kept this secret though, and he wore long hats. His subjects all thought he had started a fashion, and they too wore long, tall hats. Only Midas's barber knew about the ears, and he had to keep it secret or Midas would make him headless.

He just could not keep that a secret, so he dug a hole whispered "Midas has donkey ears!" into it, and reburied the hole. Soon though, reeds grew there, and when the wind blew they said, "Midas has donkey ears!" and the secret was out. Midas then ran away from Phrygia, never to be heard from again.