Vocabulary - four uses of 'touch' - King Midas and his golden touch part 1

20,005 views ・ 2017-01-12

BBC Learning English


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

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Hello, I'm Mariam. Today I'm going to tell you a story from Greek mythology about tragedy
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caused by greed. It shows us what happens when true happiness is not recognised. This
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is the famous story of King Midas.
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We start the story with Dionysus - the God of Wine - someone who likes to 'let himself
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go' a bit. One day he and his friends are at the foot of Mount Tmolus enjoying themselves.
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Suddenly they realise that Silenus isn't with them. Silenus is a strange type of creature
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- half man, half goat - and he's a special friend of Dionysus as he was once his tutor.
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The friends look for him but it's touch and go as to whether they will ever find him.
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Earlier that day Silenus had fallen off his donkey because he'd had a touch too much to
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drink - and now he's lying asleep by the side of the road, snoring. He's woken when
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a king - King Midas - and his soldiers come riding by. Midas has a special longing to
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see Dionysus and Silenus agrees to take him to see the god in exchange for the loan of
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a horse.
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So now, Dionysus is touched that Midas has brought Silenus safely home. As a reward he
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offers Midas a wish - he may have whatever he desires. Midas thinks about it and then
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he asks for the power to make everything he touches turn to gold. His wish is granted.
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But what is King Midas going to do with this special gift and what trouble will it lead
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to? Join me again in part 2 to find out. Bye for now.
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