He
seized one of the bedposts, and it became immediately a fluted
golden pillar. He pulled aside a window curtain in order to admit
a clear spectacle of the wonders which he was performing, and the
tassel grew heavy in his hand, a mass of gold. He took up a book
from the table; at his first touch, it assumed the appearance of
such a splendidly bound and gilt-edged volume as one often meets
with nowadays; but on running his fingers through the leaves,
behold! it was a bundle of thin golden plates, in which all the
wisdom of the book had grown illegible.
He hurriedly put on his clothes, and was enraptured to see
himself in a magnificent suit of gold cloth, which retained its
flexibility and softness,although it burdened him a little with
its weight. He drew out his handkerchief, which little Marygold
had hemmed for him; that was likewise gold, with the dear child's
neat and pretty stitches running all along the border, in gold
thread!
Somehow or other, this last transformation did not quite please
King Midas. He would rather that his little daughter's handiwork
should have remained just the same as when she climbed his knee
and put it into his hand.
Pages:
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218