King Midas - The donkey-eared emperor

Long ago, reigning over the country of Phrygie was a king who wholeheartedly admired Dionysos, the god of wine. The king is very rich and lives in a very splendid palace. Furthermore, he considered himself intelligent, knowledgeable and decided things better than anyone in the world. And because he was the king, no one could challenge his arrogance.

One day, some farmers brought an old man who could barely stand on his feet to meet the king. They said they saw him stealing the biggest and most beautiful bunches of grapes from the king's vineyard. And sure enough, the old wolf-headed man was swollen from wine, his chin and hands were covered with ripe grape juice, even the green bracelet swaying on his head was dripping with dark drops.

Midas immediately recognized it as Silène, Dionysos' old friend. He was the one who raised the god from childhood, so King Midas was very happy to welcome him and ordered a lavish banquet for him. The king brought scrumptious dishes and jars full of the best and most fragrant wine. He also called musicians and singers to entertain.

For 10 days and 10 nights, Silène partied with the king and guests. When a party is taking place, the cups are never left empty. The servants kept the fire burning continuously and the embers constantly heated the rotating skewers. Tables buckled and creaked under the weight of overflowing plates of food. The whole palace was as bustling as a beehive, and day and night the sounds of flutes, zithers and merry songs rang out in the palace.

On the 11th day, the king organized a procession with cheerful guests. The king ordered Silène to bring a donkey because he knew Silène liked riding donkeys the most. Everyone followed the honored guest on horseback, in chariots or on foot, and sang with great enthusiasm, all heading to the neighboring country where the god of wine Dionysos lived.

They met the god on a golden chariot pulled by a tiger. He is looking for his guardian. Happy to see Silène again, the god said to the king:

- In return for your kindness, I will satisfy any of your wishes. What gift would you like to receive?

Midas bowed before Dionysos and tried to look smart.

- I want everything I touch to turn into gold. - The king said. Wish to make the genie smile:

- You could have chosen better, but it's okay your wish will be fulfilled.

Overjoyed, Midas hurried back. He was proud of his intelligence: there would never be a king richer than him. Along the way, he wanted to test the gods' gift. The king broke a tree branch and almost couldn't believe his eyes: the tree's trunk and leaves shone with a sparkling light, they turned into gold. He picked up a pebble, in his two hands, the pebble turned into gold. He touched a clod of soil, and the clod also turned into gold. He walked along the field, he reached out to pluck a few ears of ripe rice, and the gold crunched between his fingers. The apple grave in the royal garden also suffered the same fate.

Crazy with joy, Midas rushed into the palace. As soon as he touched a door, the door became bright. He pulled a curtain, it immediately became stiff, and was replaced by a bright yellow wall. To celebrate his good fortune, the king ordered a grand party to be held. He washed his hands and looked, with a pleasant smile, at the water turning into liquid gold. But when I took a piece of bread, it hardened and turned into a piece of gold. The grilled meat also became dazzling when the king picked it up. He immediately called his servants and ordered them to bring him food. However, despite his precautions, as soon as the food touched his mouth, it all turned to gold, and the wine solidified in his mouth.

Surrounded by the precious metal, the king was terrified and began to loathe his wish: he would die of hunger and thirst. Trembling with fear, he quickly saddled his horse and galloped to find the god Dionysos. He couldn't help but be horrified when he saw that the reins in his hand had turned into gold.

The bustling songs let him know he had arrived at the residence of the god and his admirers. He got off his horse and bowed:

- Dear Dionysos, please forgive my foolish wish - he groaned - Please make the wish invalid.

The god forgives the wretched man and advises:

- You should dive into the Pactole River. Thanks to that you wash away the traces of your foolish wish.

Without hesitation, Midas dove into the river to bathe and wash his face and hair. From that day, the sand where the Midas River bathed became golden. Happy to be freed from that terrible gift, the king no longer even wanted to see the gold.

From then on, the king only liked to walk in the meadows and beside the trees, listening to Pan - the god of the grass, who protected the sheep, playing the seven-pipe flute made of reeds. The musician has goat horns and legs, and is covered with hair. He jumped through the forests, chasing the river and mountain nymphs. Under the shade of the tree, he only played cheerful tunes