The Golden Curse

King Midas’s Treasure Room

N1: Long, long ago in the city of Gordium, in the country that’s now called Turkey . . .

N2: . . . there was a king named Midas. 

N3: He was the richest man in all the land.

N1: But that wasn’t enough for him. He wanted to be even richer.

N2: And that’s what got him into trouble.

N3: Every day, King Midas sat in his treasure room counting his gold coins.

Midas: One billion four hundred million and one . . . 

N1: He loved gold more than anything.

Midas: One billion four hundred million and two . . . 

N2: More than ice cream?

N3: Yes. Even more than his own daughter, Marigold.

N1: Here she comes now.

Marigold: Father, come see my garden. The roses are blooming.

Midas: One billion four hundred—oh, Marigold! You made me lose my count!

Marigold: That’s all you care about. You hardly ever leave this room.

Midas: Everything I love is here.

Marigold: Then I’ll leave you to your treasure.

N2: Marigold runs back to her garden, hiding her tears.

N3: And King Midas goes back to his gold.

Midas: Oh, my precious golden treasure. You shine brighter than the sun!

N1: The god Dionysus is watching Midas from Mount Olympus. He decides to pay the king a visit.

Dionysus: This greedy king must be taught a lesson!

The Treasure Room 

N2: Later that afternoon, Midas is still counting his treasure. Dionysus appears.

Midas: Who are you?

Dionysus: Someone who could offer you enough gold to be happy.

Midas: No one can ever have enough!

Dionysus: What if you could share your gold with everyone in the land and still be very rich?

Midas: Share? But then I wouldn’t be as rich.

Dionysus: Will nothing satisfy you? 

Midas: The only way I’ll be happy is if everything I touch turns to gold.

N3: Dionysus has a plan to teach Midas a lesson.

Dionysus: It is a wish I will grant you—and one you truly deserve.

N1: Dionysus places his hand on the king’s head and chants.

Dionysus: King Midas, whose heart is cold, I hereby grant you all the gold.

N2: Dionysus snaps his fingers and disappears.

N3: King Midas climbs over piles of gold as he leaves his treasure room.

N1: He touches the door. 

Midas: Gold! It turned to gold!

N2: He touches the wall.

Midas: More gold!

N3: Midas runs through the halls of the castle, touching everything. It all turns to gold.

Midas: I will be the richest man who ever lived!

The Garden 

N1: King Midas races to the garden to find his daughter.

Midas: Marigold!

Marigold: Father, look at my lovely roses. They’re so red and fragrant! 

Midas: I have a surprise for you. If you think your flowers are lovely now, just wait.

Marigold: What could possibly make them more beautiful?

N2: Midas touches a rosebush. It turns to gold.

Midas: See how beautiful your roses are?

Marigold: Father, how could you? They’re horrible! They’ve lost their color. Their lovely scent is gone.

Midas: But now they’re worth a fortune!

Marigold: My roses are ruined. Please don’t touch another flower.

N3: Midas ignores his daughter’s wishes. He runs around the garden, touching all the flowers and trees.

N1: His servant arrives and sees that the garden is all gold.

Servant: Your Majesty, can this be real?

Midas: This is only the start! I will hold a banquet in honor of my new power.

Servant: Shall we go get all the lords and ladies of Gordium?

Midas: Yes, at once!

The Banquet Room 

N2: That night, the lords and ladies of Gordium gather at the castle of King Midas.

N3: They are dressed in their finest gowns and jewels.

Servant: My lady, would you care for some pigeon pie or roasted peacock?

Lady Caraway: Roasted peacock, please.

Servant: Yes, of course!

Lord Elderberry: And I would like some of that pudding with rose water. Did the petals come from your roses, Marigold?

Marigold: Yes, Lord Elderberry. But I fear it may be the last of them.

Lord Elderberry: Why?

Marigold: Only my father can answer that.

Midas: Yes, I have something to show you. Lady Caraway, hand me your dish.

N1: The moment the king touches the dish, it turns to gold.

Lady Caraway: Wow! Is this solid gold?

Midas: It sure is.

Lady Laurel: Your Majesty, touch my plate!

Lord Elderberry: Mine too! 

N2: King Midas transforms all the dishes into gold right before their eyes.

Lord Sage: A toast! A toast to our host!

N3: The servant fills their glasses with the finest wine.

Lady Caraway: Soon Gordium will be the richest country in the world!

Lord Elderberry: Thanks to your golden touch.

Lady Caraway: The Midas touch!

Midas: It’s quite astounding, isn’t it?

N1: King Midas puts the wine to his lips.

N2: The liquid hardens into solid gold.

N3: His face turns pale. His hand shakes as he reaches for bread.

N1: As his finger touches the loaf, it becomes a golden brick.

N2: Marigold sees the worried look on her father’s face.

Marigold: What’s wrong?

N3: She rushes to his arms. The moment she touches him, she turns to solid gold.

Midas: Noooooooo!

Lord Sage: Marigold has become a golden statue!

Lady Caraway: We must leave before King Midas reaches for one of us.

N1: King Midas falls beside the statue of his daughter.

Midas: Dionysus, how wrong I was. This blessing is a curse!

From the Palace to the River

N2: Hours later, Midas still kneels beside his daughter.

Midas: Dionysus, help me. Please!

N3: Finally, Dionysus appears before them.

Dionysus: What will happen if I do?

Midas: I will share my treasure with the poor. My daughter is more important to me than gold.

Dionysus: I see you’ve learned your lesson. Come with me to the river. Bathing in it will reverse the spell.

N1: As Midas steps into the river, tiny pieces of gold wash off him.

N2: He races back to the castle.

N3: In the garden, the roses are once again red and fragrant.

N1: Marigold rushes out to meet him.

Midas: Marigold!

Marigold: Father!

N2: They hug.

Midas: You are so precious to me.

Marigold: More than gold?

Midas: More than anything.

N3: After that, King Midas was a changed man.

N1: He even shared his gold with his kingdom.

Midas: That’s right. I never want to touch it again!