King Midas
Midas was the king of Phrygia. Recognizing an old drunk as the satyr (nature spirit) Silenus, companion of Dionysos (God of wine and ecstasy), Midas entertained him royally, and in return Dionysos granted him a wish. Midas wished that everything he touched turned to gold. And so it did – including his daughter. Soon the desperate king was begging Dionysos to remove the gift. The God told him to bathe in the river Pactolus, which washed away his golden touch, turning the sands of the river golden ever after.
Later, Midas witnessed a musical contest between the gods Apollo (god of the sun and arts) and Pan (god of the wild), judged by the mountain god Tmolus. When Tmolus awarded the prize to Apollo, Midas objected, saying that Pan deserved it. Apollo cursed Midas with asses’ (donkey) ears. The king kept his shameful ears covered up, but could not hide them from his barber who, sworn to secrecy, just had to share what he knew. He dug a hole in the ground and whispered the secret into it. A bed of reeds grew there, and every time the wind blew through them, they too whispered, ‘king Midas has asses’ ears.’
Myths in Minutes – Neil Philip
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Giuseppe Gillespie Writing 