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  • Hello, I'm Mariam. Today I'm going to tell you a story from Greek mythology about tragedy

  • caused by greed. It shows us what happens when true happiness is not recognised. This

  • is the famous story of King Midas.

  • We start the story with Dionysus - the God of Wine - someone who likes to 'let himself

  • go' a bit. One day he and his friends are at the foot of Mount Tmolus enjoying themselves.

  • Suddenly they realise that Silenus isn't with them. Silenus is a strange type of creature

  • - half man, half goat - and he's a special friend of Dionysus as he was once his tutor.

  • The friends look for him but it's touch and go as to whether they will ever find him.

  • Earlier that day Silenus had fallen off his donkey because he'd had a touch too much to

  • drink - and now he's lying asleep by the side of the road, snoring. He's woken when

  • a king - King Midas - and his soldiers come riding by. Midas has a special longing to

  • see Dionysus and Silenus agrees to take him to see the god in exchange for the loan of

  • a horse.

  • So now, Dionysus is touched that Midas has brought Silenus safely home. As a reward he

  • offers Midas a wish - he may have whatever he desires. Midas thinks about it and then

  • he asks for the power to make everything he touches turn to gold. His wish is granted.

  • But what is King Midas going to do with this special gift and what trouble will it lead

  • to? Join me again in part 2 to find out. Bye for now.

Hello, I'm Mariam. Today I'm going to tell you a story from Greek mythology about tragedy

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