Part 13 (1/2)

As soon as the sun arose he tried the gift by touching the bed lightly with his hand.

The bed turned to gold.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

He touched the chair and table.

Upon the instant they were turned to solid gold.

The king was wild with joy.

He ran around the room, touching everything he could see. His magic gift turned all to s.h.i.+ning, yellow gold.

The king soon felt hungry and went down to eat his breakfast. Now a strange thing happened. When he raised a gla.s.s of clear cold water to drink, it became solid gold.

Not a drop of water could pa.s.s his lips.

The bread turned to gold under his fingers.

The meat was hard, and yellow, and s.h.i.+ny.

Not a thing could he get to eat.

All was gold, gold, gold.

His little daughter came running in from the garden.

Of all living creatures she was the dearest to him.

He touched her hair with his lips.

At once the little girl was changed to a golden statue.

A great fear crept into the king's heart, sweeping all the joy out of his life.

In his grief he called and called upon the fairy who had given him the gift of the golden touch.

”O fairy,” he begged, ”take away this horrible golden gift! Take all my lands. Take all my gold. Take everything, only give me back my little daughter.”

[Ill.u.s.tration]

In a moment the beautiful fairy was standing before him.

”Do you still think that gold is the greatest thing in the world?” asked the fairy.

”No! no!” cried the king. ”I hate the very sight of the yellow stuff.”

”Are you sure that you no longer wish the golden touch?” asked the fairy.

”I have learned my lesson,” said the king. ”I no longer think gold the greatest thing in the world.”