When we want more than we need, we are being greedy. Let us read the story of greedy king who was very rich. The king had a lot of money but he wanted more and more. And then what happened?

Long ago there lived a king called Midas. He was very rich. He had pots and pots of gold, silver and jewels. But he was very greedy. He still wanted more and more gold.

Every evening he sat in a big hall and counted all his gold coins.

One day, when he was counting his gold in his big hall, a fairy appeared before him. The fairy said to him, `Midas, what are you doing? What do you want?’ Midas cried, `I am still short of money. I need more gold. I want my palace, its walls, its pillars and its ceilings to be made of god’.

`Will it make you happy if you get the golden touch?’ asked the fairy.

`Yes, I want the golden touch. Oh, fairy, please grant my wish.’

`Yes, if you say,’ said the fairy. `from this time, everything you touch will turn into gold,’ said the fairly.

So saying, the fairy vanished.

King Midas was full of joy. His lifelong wish has been granted. Quickly he touched the great pillars in the hall. They turned into golden pillars. He touched the floor. It turned into a golden floor. He then touched the lights and everything else in the hall. Everything

That he touched turned to gold. Midas was very happy.

After some time he felt hungry. He ordered some food. Food was served. He touched the dishes one by one. All the dishes, frocks and spoons were becoming gold. He was mad with joy. He then picked up a piece of bread to eat but it turned into gold. He touched the oranges, grapes and they were no longer sweet fruits but solid gold now. How could he eat the gold? He was very hungry now. The food was in front of him. But he could not eat.

He tried to put a glass of milk to his lips. The milk turned into gold. He tried other things on the table. Butter, cheese meat, bread, and even water and whatever he touched became gold. How can a man eat gold? It is possible, and satisfies his hunger? Midas was a sad man now. He did not know what to do.

Just then his little daughter walked in. Midas loved his daughter very much. But when he touched her, then the lovely young girl turned into a golden statue. Midas was shocked and began to cry.

He cried for a long time. He prayed to God to take away his golden touch. He wanted his daughter back. He requested kindly. The fairy came again. Midas was still crying. Seeing that he was really sorry, she took pity on him. She took away the golden touch from Midas, restored his daughter to life and changed everything in the hall to what it was before.

Midas became a different man now. His greed for gold and wealth was there no more.

He understood that a greedy person could never stay happy.