Classicsness ❧ Classical Culture

But after that day, the chief butler kept away from the tavern and shunned even greetings in the marketplace when he went there, which was as seldom as he could. His fellow servants remarked that, from the most talkative and sociable of men, he had suddenly become the most silent and morose.

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📚 Source: Evergreen Stories (1920?) by W. M. L. Hutchinson (1868-1936).

“What is this outlandish cap,” said one of his tavern friends to the chief butler, “that the king has taken to wearing?”

“What is it? Why, it is a cap, to be sure,” replied he, testily. “Other men wear caps, I believe. Cannot the king wear one, but all the idle tongues in the city must begin wagging?”

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📚 Source: Evergreen Stories (1920?) by W. M. L. Hutchinson (1868-1936).

Whether Midas ever met Silenus again or not is unknown to the teller of this tale. But another —and an even stranger— adventure was in store for him, as you shall hear.

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📚 Source: Evergreen Stories (1920?) by W. M. L. Hutchinson (1868-1936).

A very singular change in the temper and habits of King Midas was indeed observable from that time, and one which gave great satisfaction to his subjects. From the most avaricious and grasping of rulers, he suddenly became indifferent to gain and open-handed to the point of lavishness. It was said, moreover, that his fondness for gold, which had been proverbial, had turned to such an aversion that he could not endure the very sight of that metal. This was scarcely believed in the city until a surprising discovery was made, a few months after the memorable coming of Silenus.

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📚 Source: Evergreen Stories (1920?) by W. M. L. Hutchinson (1868-1936).

The amazing sequel to the visit of the old man called Silenus was quickly bruited in the city, and the most incredulous now agreed that the king had suffered some powerful enchantment. But a rumor soon prevailed, to the great indignation of the chief butler, that he and his fellow servants had been likewise under some kind of spell or glamour when they saw, as they declared, the king’s food and drink turning to gold at his touch, so that he could swallow neither bite nor sup.

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📚 Source: Evergreen Stories (1920?) by W. M. L. Hutchinson (1868-1936).

Sleep, the merciful, came over the exhausted king; and as he slept, he dreamed a dream. He dreamed he was standing on the grassy bank of the river Pactolus, near his city, and looking with longing and despair at the cool, flowing water. Suddenly, a voice hailed him from across the stream; he looked and saw Silenus sitting on the opposite bank, dabbling his bare feet in a shallow, and gravely regarding him.

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📚 Source: Evergreen Stories (1920?) by W. M. L. Hutchinson (1868-1936).

Night had fallen once more, and once more the feast was spread in the palace hall of Midas. A great and goodly supper loaded the table before him; and he had need of it, having tasted nothing since breaking his fast at sunrise in the Valley of the Roses. From thence he had hurried back to the palace, silent, and with a strange, rapt countenance; he went straight to his underground treasure chamber and remained shut up there, alone. His servants supposed him to be counting over his piles of gold and silver, which was often his pastime for hours; little could they dream that he was putting forth a miraculous power which changed the silver, the treasure jars, the very walls of the vault to gold before he quitted it…

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📚 Source: Evergreen Stories (1920?) by W. M. L. Hutchinson (1868-1936).

The huntsmen and beaters of King Midas had gone questing through every covert, every nook, of the Valley of Roses, until the long, golden afternoon had faded into twilight. But he whom the shepherds had yesterday surprised among the rose thickets was nowhere to be found. It could not be hither, as the king fancied, that his strange guest had retreated to sleep off last night’s carouse.

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📚 Source: Evergreen Stories (1920?) by W. M. L. Hutchinson (1868-1936).

Next day, nothing was talked of in the city but the extraordinary old man who had bewitched King Midas in his own palace hall. Bewitched was the word used by eyewitnesses — slaves of the royal household who had brought the tale with them to the morning market and few of their listeners could doubt that it was the right word. A little group of elderly townsmen, given to argument and wine bibbing, professed indeed to see nothing marvelous in the matter. The king, they said, being in a favorable stage of liquor, had taken a whim to admit this tipsy trespasser to his drinking party, instead of killing him; the old fellow’s ludicrous aspect and behavior had saved his skin, and this was the only witchcraft he had used. No wonder the king was tickled; who could choose but laugh when the mad wag seized the Lord Axius’s cup and nearly sat down atop of him?… Well, it was wine had put courage in his heart and mercy in the king’s; great were the virtues of the grape, so let them all bless Bacchus for his gift of it, and be moving on to the tavern, now the market was emptying…

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📚 Source: Evergreen Stories (1920?) by W. M. L. Hutchinson (1868-1936).

The old man called Silenus said not another word on the road to the city. The shepherds told him cheerfully that the king would assuredly put him to death, for the Valley of Roses was holy ground. They were sorry for him, but so it would be. They thought it most likely he would be flayed alive; however, he might only have his throat cut. Either way, he would not be able, unluckily, to join them in the carouse they meant to have with the handsome reward they expected for catching him. But the old man lurched along at a good round pace, saying nothing, and now and then laughing softly; so that they thought he was still too mazed with drink to understand them.

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📚 Source: Evergreen Stories (1920?) by W. M. L. Hutchinson (1868-1936).