King Midas

* Light
* Dark

**King Midas** is the third episode of the second season of American McGee's Grimm and is based on the Greek mythological story, *King Midas and the Golden Touch*.

## Characters

**NOTE** This list only includes the characters that played an active role in the story and does not include side characters or Grimm.

* Midas
* Apollo
* Silenus Marsyas
* Midas' Barber
* Dionysus
* Zeus
* Ares
* Midas' Son
* Midas' Daughter
* Midas' Wife

## Plot

### Light Version

Apollo and Silenus Marsyas engage in a "flute off" competition with King Midas as the judge. After the music is played, Midas gives the win to Silenus Marsyas, which upsets Apollo who claims he actually won and curses Midas with donkey ears. Midas hides his ears with a large hat but his hair becomes long and needs cutting as such his barber is hired to cut it, which in turn reveals his secret. Some time after, Midas' Barber couldn't contain himself and digs a hole where he whispers "The King has grown the ears of an ass!", however, the discretion is foiled when reeds spring up echoing what the barber has said. Midas becomes a laughing stock. Meanwhile, Dionysus and Silenus Marsyas walk in Midas' garden, only for Silenus Marsyas to get lost. Midas catches him in his garden decides to and takes him back to Dionysus, he then grants Midas a wish, to which Midas asks to have the "golden touch" However, Midas ends up turning everything into gold, including his wife and children. Midas realises that turning everything, including food and drink into gold is bad and runs back to Dionysus, begging to have his powers removed. Dionysus is upset at first but for the sake of Midas' wife and children he allows Midas to get rid of his wish, by "washing away his wish in the river Pactolus" which involves dipping his family into the river to turn back to normal, ridding the wish and saving his family. As all this happens, Zeus and Ares witness the whole fiasco, debating over what happened.

### Dark Version

Midas finds Apollo and Silenus Marsyas having a party near his property, which angers him, he complains but Apollo punishes him by forcing him to have donkey ears, as Apollo always wins every argument. Midas hides his ears under his hat and forces his kingdom to fear him to never speak or discuss what has happened to him. Eventually, Midas' hair gets too long and he hires his barber to help cut it. Any one the barber knew was killed by Midas as to prevent him from every discussing what was under the hat, however, the barber, being unable to keep his mouth shut goes and digs a hole where he whispers about the king. But the hole echoes the secrets. Silenus Marsyas and Dionysus go drinking one day and argue, causing Silenus Marsyas to storm away. Midas meets Silenus Marsyas but is insulted, Midas goes to Dionysus who wants to keep everything at peace, as such he tells Midas that he can have anything he wants. Midas asks for the golden touch. However, Midas ends up turning everything into gold, including his wife and children. Midas realises that turning everything, including food and drink into gold is bad and runs back to Dionysus, begging to have his powers removed. Dionysus tells Midas to go wash his wish away in the river Pactolus. Midas goes to the river, but the river turns to gold to teach Midas a lesson. As all this happens, Zeus and Ares witness the whole fiasco, debating over what happened, however both are drunk and begin to fight with Ares killing Zeus.

## Levels

### Scene 1

Grimm starts off in Midas' kingdom, having to make his way up top where Apollo and Silenus Marsyas are about to challenge one another.

### Scene 2

Midas hides his ears behind the hat as Grimm goes through his courtyard and eventually inside his castle. The scene moves on to the Barber cutting Midas' hair, which Grimm goes to convert. The barber is kicked to the hole in the ground, which Grimm must go to as well

### Scene 3

Now with Dionysus and Silenus Marsyas, Grimm goes through the land to try and make them both more drunk than they already are. Grimm uses the converted Dionysus to blast away an opening which he goes through to meet Midas finding and helping Silenus Marsyas, annoying Grimm who thinks Midas should be bitter.

### Scene 4

Midas finally gets the golden touch...as does Grimm, who uniquely doesn't dark things up but rather goldens everything up. Grimm turns people into golden statues, sinks ships and all around cause chaos. Grimm ends the scene by goldening Midas' family and Zeus becoming angry.

### Scene 5

Grimm continues to gold everything up, turning the whole village into gold before aiming towards the river, believing, Midas should be punished for his selfishness and stupidity. He turns the river gold and floods the place.

### Scene 6

Grimm is literally on top of the world, as Zeus and his son argue over the events that transpired. Grimm gets toss about as Zeus and Ares become more violent, Grimm essentially ends the world.

## Trivia

* King Midas was a real individual, however, this story is not.
* This is the only Greek Mythology story in the series.
* The events of the story are the wrong way round, as in the original myth, Midas got the "golden touch" first and then had the donkey ears.