We all know the story of the greedy King Midas. He was not short of gold, but as gold increased he wanted to sleep more.
He had taken gold in the treasury and used to count it every day.
One day while he was counting the gold, a stranger came from somewhere and said, Can you ask me any such boon that will give you the most happiness in the world.
The king was pleased and said that I want that whatever I touch, it should turn into gold. The stranger asked the king, is this what you really want?
The king said yes, then the stranger said tomorrow with the first ray of the sun, you will get the power to touch anything and turn it into gold.
The king thought that he must be dreaming, it cannot come true.
The next day when the king woke up, he touched his bed and it became gold. That boon was true.
Everything the king touched turned into gold. He looked out the window and found his little girl playing. He wanted to show this wonder to his daughter and thought that she would be happy. But before going to the garden, he thought of reading a book. As soon as he touched it, it turned to gold.
He could not read the book. Then he sat down to have breakfast, as soon as he touched the fruit and the glass of water, they also turned to gold. His appetite started increasing and he spoke to himself. I can’t eat or drink gold.
Just then his daughter came running there and he took her in his arms. She became an idol of gold. Now the happiness disappeared from the king’s face.
The king started crying holding his head. The stranger who gave the boon came again and asked the king if he was happy with his power to turn everything into gold.
The king told that he is the saddest person in the world.
The king told him everything. The stranger asked, what would you like now, your food and your beloved daughter or a pile of gold and a gold idol of the daughter. The king begged for forgiveness and said, I will give up all my gold, please return my daughter to me because without her everything has become worthless.
The stranger said to the king that you are already wise and he withdrew his boon. The king got his daughter back again and got a lesson that he could not forget for the rest of his life.