Greek Myths · chapter 2 of 6
The Golden Touch
变成金子
King Midas wishes that everything he touches turns to gold. The wish comes true, and at breakfast he learns what it really costs.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 迈达斯是国王。他有很多金子，可是他还想要更多。
Màidásī shì guówáng. Tā yǒu hěn duō jīnzi, kěshì tā hái xiǎng yào gèng duō.
Midas was a king. He had lots of gold, but he wanted even more.
- King Midas 金子！金子！我爱金子！
Jīnzi! Jīnzi! Wǒ ài jīnzi!
Gold! Gold! I love gold!
- Midas's Daughter 爸爸，来吃饭吧！饭好了！
Bàba, lái chīfàn ba! Fàn hǎo le!
Daddy, come and eat! Dinner is ready!
Chapter 2 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Greek Myths is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- King Midas 不吃，不吃。爸爸在看我的金子。
Bù chī, bù chī. Bàba zài kàn wǒ de jīnzi.
Not now, not now. Daddy is looking at his gold.
- Midas's Daughter 爸爸，金子不会和我玩。
Bàba, jīnzi bú huì hé wǒ wán.
Daddy, gold can't play with me.
- King Midas 啊，好，好。爸爸还要更多金子！
Ā, hǎo, hǎo. Bàba hái yào gèng duō jīnzi!
Oh, yes, yes. Daddy wants even more gold!
- Dionysus 迈达斯！你对我的老朋友很好。
Màidásī! Nǐ duì wǒ de lǎo péngyou hěn hǎo.
Midas! You were kind to my old friend.
- Dionysus 我可以给你一样东西。你想要什么？
Wǒ kěyǐ gěi nǐ yí yàng dōngxi. Nǐ xiǎng yào shénme?
I can give you one thing. What do you want?
- King Midas 我的手摸到的东西，都变成金子！
Wǒ de shǒu mō dào de dōngxi, dōu biànchéng jīnzi!
Everything my hand touches, let it turn to gold!
- Dionysus 你想好了吗？
Nǐ xiǎnghǎo le ma?
Are you sure about that?
- King Midas 想好了！快给我！
Xiǎnghǎo le! Kuài gěi wǒ!
Sure! Give it to me now!
- Dionysus 好。明天早上，太阳出来，你就有了。
Hǎo. Míngtiān zǎoshang, tàiyáng chūlái, nǐ jiù yǒu le.
Fine. Tomorrow morning, when the sun comes up, you'll have it.
- King Midas 树是金子！花是金子！桌子也是金子！我一摸，都是金子！
Shù shì jīnzi! Huā shì jīnzi! Zhuōzi yě shì jīnzi! Wǒ yì mō, dōu shì jīnzi!
The tree is gold! The flowers are gold! The table is gold! I touch it and it's all gold!
- King Midas 好饿。我要吃苹果。
Hǎo è. Wǒ yào chī píngguǒ.
I'm starving. I'll eat an apple.
- King Midas 苹果……也是金子！我不能吃！
Píngguǒ… yě shì jīnzi! Wǒ bù néng chī!
The apple... is gold too! I can't eat it!
- King Midas 水！我要喝水！……水也是金子！我不能喝！
Shuǐ! Wǒ yào hē shuǐ! … Shuǐ yě shì jīnzi! Wǒ bù néng hē!
Water! I need water! ... The water is gold too! I can't drink it!
- Midas's Daughter 爸爸！你怎么了？我来帮你！
Bàba! Nǐ zěnme le? Wǒ lái bāng nǐ!
Daddy! What's wrong? I'll help you!
- King Midas 不要过来！我不能摸你！
Bú yào guòlái! Wǒ bù néng mō nǐ!
Stay back! I can't touch you!
- Midas's Daughter 我不怕，爸爸！给我你的手！
Wǒ bú pà, bàba! Gěi wǒ nǐ de shǒu!
I'm not scared, Daddy! Give me your hand!
- King Midas 啊！你……你怎么不说话了？
Ā! Nǐ… nǐ zěnme bù shuōhuà le?
Ah! You... why don't you say anything?
- King Midas 我不要金子！我要我的女儿！
Wǒ bú yào jīnzi! Wǒ yào wǒ de nǚ'ér!
I don't want gold! I want my daughter!
- King Midas 请你来！请你帮帮我！我错了！
Qǐng nǐ lái! Qǐng nǐ bāngbang wǒ! Wǒ cuò le!
Please come! Please help me! I was wrong!
- Dionysus 迈达斯，你现在知道了吗？
Màidásī, nǐ xiànzài zhīdào le ma?
Midas, do you understand now?
- King Midas 知道了！我爱女儿，不爱金子！请你拿走它！
Zhīdào le! Wǒ ài nǚ'ér, bú ài jīnzi! Qǐng nǐ názǒu tā!
Yes! I love my daughter, not gold! Please take it away!
- Dionysus 去河里洗手吧。
Qù hé lǐ xǐ shǒu ba.
Go wash your hands in the river.
- King Midas 洗手……金子，回到水里去了！
Xǐ shǒu… jīnzi, huídào shuǐ lǐ qù le!
Washing... the gold is going back into the water!
- Midas's Daughter 爸爸？我刚才睡觉了吗？
Bàba? Wǒ gāngcái shuìjiào le ma?
Daddy? Did I just fall asleep?
- King Midas 我的女儿！爸爸不要金子了！我只要你！
Wǒ de nǚ'ér! Bàba bú yào jīnzi le! Wǒ zhǐ yào nǐ!
My daughter! Daddy doesn't want gold anymore! I only want you!
- Midas's Daughter 爸爸，你听！山里有人在学我们说话！
Bàba, nǐ tīng! Shān lǐ yǒu rén zài xué wǒmen shuōhuà!
Daddy, listen! Someone in the mountains is copying what we say!
- Echo 说话……说话……
Shuōhuà… shuōhuà…
Speak... speak...
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why is the little princess sad at the start?
“爸爸在看我的金子。”……“金子不会和我玩。”
- What wish does Midas make?
“我的手摸到的东西，都变成金子！”
- What goes wrong with the apple?
“苹果……也是金子！”
- What happens when the daughter hugs Midas?
“你怎么不说话了？”
- How does Midas get rid of the golden touch?
“去河里洗手吧。”