I hope this is more in line with what you want.
Maybe you could both look over it first and discuss it beforehand.
Single voice and minimal directions for sound etc, but wanted you to read it first – can happily slip some further ideas in, in this regard….
Note: Midas is cheerful to begin with and should be characterised like that but grows more and more unhappy as the story progresses. And Dyonisus should sound like a true authoritative voice of reason.
Give me a bell as and when you would like.
C
Midas
A cash register sounds – ( similar to that at the start of Pink Floyd’s ‘Money’, or the theme to ‘Are you Being Served’ )
After showing great kindness to his friend Dyonisus, a young man in Ancient Greece – called Midas became king.
Dyonisus granted Midas a special wish.
His wish was to choose whatever he wanted.
Midas had been poor. As a young boy he had had to seek out food for himself. His clothes had been poorly made and he could not treat his friends to gifts or presents. His home was untidy and cold. His mother could not afford to keep it clean. She was lonely and sad that Midas had to live this way.
So King Midas did not take long to think about what his wish would be. Looking at a stone on the path he thought, “Were that stone made of gold , I cuold exchange it, and the money could buy me things of great value”, he thought.
“Those things of great value could make me happy”, he continued.
He wanted to be rich.
And so he told his friend Dyonisus, ” I would like you to grant me the wish of being able to turn every thing I touch into the purest, most beautiful gold”.
At that time he wanted simply to provide plenty for his family and friends. “Gold is a treasure and people pay good money for it”, he said.
Sound of cash clinking and people poring over treasure
And soon the wish of King Midas had been granted by Dyonisus. Everything he touched turned into the most purest, beautiful gold.
Were he to pick up a flower as a gift to his mother – a daisy, buttuercup or poppy perhaps, there would be a glistening fizz in front of his eyes and the sound of beautiful music in his ears, as the flower transformed into gold.
( Cue appropriate SFX )
Should he want to give a birthday present to one of his friends, he would simply ask what they would like to receive, choose it for them and after a shimmering fizz in front of his eyes, and the sound of beautiful music in his ears, he would give it to them, knowing they would be happy.
( Cue appropriate SFX )
At first all was well. Midas was rich beyond measure and his family and friends were wealthy too. Everyone seemed happy.
But soon King Midas realised he had a problem.
Everything
he touched turned to gold.It was all very well giving people gifts and becoming rich, but at the dinner table he had to make sure that only his golden fork touched his food – what use is a apple made of gold to someone hungry? You can’t eat gold !
He could not give his mother a hug – he certainly didn’t want her to turn into gold…
And above all he could not thank his friend Dyonisus for granting Midas his wish. Not only because at the touch of King Midas Dyonisus would turn to gold – beautiful as it was – but because by now Midas had realised something very important.
When everything is gold, it becomes worthless.
“Dyonisus”, he said, “I wanted the best but I have lost that which most I love. Through my thoughtless greed I cannot touch the precious things I enjoy in my life. You granted my wish, but now I realise I did not need it. I became greedy.”
The two sat down together on a pair of rocks in the bright heat of Ancient Greece; King Midas’s turning instantly with a shimmering fizz into purest beuatiful gold – now worthless to Midas. He already had a palace of golden things to sit on.
“Let this be a lesson, King Midas”, said Dyonisus. Be careful and mindful what you wish for, for it may become true.”
King Midas was unhappy. But spent the rest of his days telling others about the lesson he had learned;
All that glitters is not gold.
