An illustration from an 1893 version of
A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys by
Nathaniel Hawthorne, which recounted the tale of
King Midas. In
Greek mythology, Midas was given ability to turn everything he touched into
gold by the god
Bacchus. However, he soon discovered that he was unable to even eat. Bacchus told him to wash in the river
Pactolus, and the power flowed in the river, which was supposedly the reason for why the river was so rich in gold in later years. In Hawthorne's version, Midas' touch even turned his daughter to gold (pictured here).
Artist: Walter Crane; Restoration: Lise Broer