Midas

My name is Midas. King of Phrygia, I have, or rather had, the power of the Golden Touch. When Dionysus lost his mentor, I kept him for ten days, and on the eleventh I brought him back. Dionysus granted my wish, whatever I wanted, and being myself, I wished that all I touched should turn to gold. I was like a child in a room full of toys, I bounced from room to room, touching everything I could see. All the running was making me hungry, so I had my servants prepare a feast. When I raised a cup of wine to my mouth, the wine and cup both turned to gold. I tried to eat several different foods, and when all turned to gold, I was quite flustered. I came across my daughter, and without thinking I hugged her, turning her into lifeless statue. I was fraught with fear as soon as she changed, and I immediately prayed to Dionysus to have my "gift" removed. He told me that I should wash myself and my daughter/statue in the River Pactolus. This I did, and the water has glittered with gold ever since. Rejoicing in having my daughter alive once more, I removed myself from my wealth of before, and moved into the country. Of course, that did not stop my troubles, as later, in a disagreement between Apollo and Pan. When Apollo was judged as the best musician of the two, I resented the decision, and voiced my concerns that Pan, my tutor in music, was the better. Apollo did not like that, and gave me the ears of a donkey. My hairdresser helped me to hide them, but he could not keep the secret. He dug a hole in the ground and whispered the secret into it. The reeds heard, and spread the story until people heard it. However, except for a small incident involving Apollo and my daughter, my difficulties in life had finally ended there. As for myself, I have a split personality, alternating between fearful paranoia, carefree country lifestyle, and greedy kings demeanor, which can be quite confusing to those who know me.