King Midas and the Golden Touch

## Stats

***King Midas and the Golden Touch*** (aka *King Midas*) is the twelfth episode of the second season of Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, and the twenty-fifth episode in total. It aired on June 29, 1997.

## Summary

Once in an African kingdom, there lived a triumph of brave warriors. These warriors had leaders that were great, but one particular leader, King Midas, was considered the greediest person to be ever born. Even his first words were "Mine! Mine!". As he grew up, Midas appreciated drums and also collected masks, but when he became the king, Midas only had love for one thing: gold. Midas went above and beyond to get it, especially becoming a master at athletics to get gold medals. One day when he marvels at his collection in a private room, his assistant Illunga knocks on the door. Midas scolds him for interrupting him and only do that when there is important news, such as when gold is brought to him. That's what Illunga had came to exactly say. Suddenly, Midas' daughter runs into the room with her monkey pet and jumps into his arms. Midas says to not do that or else she might scratch his gold. She wants a story read to her but Midas doesn't want to and is more concerned about the treasure.

In his throne room an explorer with his men show him the rarest of treasures they had found. Midas and Illunga are shown a box of matches which they consider "twigs", as well as magical water that turns an elder into a baby. Midas doesn't care and only wants the one thing best for him. His daughter Goldeena plays jump rope with her monkey, when Midas comes with gold jewelry for her. When Goldeena jumps Midas gets out of her way and she falls into water. Goldeena asks him what he cares most about and would likely save in a sinking ship - his own living child, or shiny gold. Midas could only think but Goldeena runs off crying. That night in his gold-filled room, a magical woman calling herself The Dream Diva appears. She claims to Midas that she is there to teach him some respect. She asks him a question if he is happy. Midas says he is happier than ever with all the gold he has, in fact, he wishes had more gold, wishing even more he has a golden touch, then he'd be the happiest man in the world with lots of gold. The Dream Diva says the golden touch is real but wants him that he should be careful what he wishes for. Midas doesn't care and wants it.

The next morning, Midas is woken up by Goldeena's monkey tickling him with a leaf branch. Convinced that his encounter with The Dream Diva was just, well, a dream, he tries poking the monkey thinking it would turn into gold, but it doesn't. Midas is angered, but in reality the Diva said the touch would affect him when the golden sun rays shine. The sun then comes up and Midas now finds out he is able to turn  anything into gold that his hands get on. Midas even tries to grab the monkey but he is unsuccessful, so he tells him he'll be "in touch" with him later. While looking at gold flowers he had made, Illunga sees this and thinks someone vandalized them. Midas shows him what really happened by turning him into gold. He can't help himself but to also turn the entirety of the kingdom into gold.

Midas then gets ready to eat some breakfast prepared for him. Goldeena enters the dining room crying that her garden was ruined, but Midas seats her and says it'll be okay. He bites into some foods but everything his teeth touch turns into hard gold. Even a drink of juice turns from liquid to solid. Midas starts crying that he will starve, which worries Goldeena who is oblivious of Midas' curse. She tries to hug him but she turns into a golden statue. Midas is depressed that he lost someone truly more valuable than gold. The Dream Diva returns and tells him that he should've been careful on what he asked for. Midas would trade in all the gold in the world to get his daughter back, so the Diva tells him that any gold that touches water will get rid of the curse. Midas dives into a river and the golden touch washes away, and also revives Goldeena after he gets her wet. Goldeena is confused, but she agrees to help her father return everything back to normal. And from that day forward, King Midas had learned his lesson that gold isn't everything, and he lived happily ever after.