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Chapter 41 Literature and Art (6)
Midas, son of the Great Goddess of Ida, by a hero whose name is not remembered, was a pleasure loving King of Macedonian Bromium, where he ruled over the Brigians and planted his famous rose gardens.
One day, the old hero Silenus, Dionysus' former teacher, happened to straggle from the main body of the Dionysian army as it marched out of Thrace into Boeotia, and was found sleeping and drunk in the rose gardens. The gardeners tied him and led him before Midas, to whom he told wonderful tales of a big continent lying beyond the Ocean's stream—altogether separate from the united mass of Europe, Asia, or Africa—where gigantic, happy, and long lived people lived in splendid cities, enjoying a wonderful law system. Midas, delighted with Silenus' fictions, entertained him for five days and nights, and then ordered a guide to lead him to Dionysus' headquarters.
Dionysus, who had been worrying about Silenus, sent to ask how Midas wished to be rewarded. He replied without hesitation. “Please turn all I touch into gold.” However, not only stones, flowers, and the furnishings of his house turned to gold but, when he sat down to table, so did the food he ate and the water he drank. Midas soon begged to be freed from his wish, because he was fast dying of hunger and thirst. Highly amused, Dionysus told him to visit the source of the river Pactolus and there wash himself. He obeyed, and was at once freed from the golden touch, but the sands of the river Pactolus are bright with gold to this day.
Vocabulary
straggle ["str?gl] vi. Scatter, spread, scattered distribution, lagging behind

n. scattered group

Continent ["k? ntin? nt] n. Continent, continent, (the Continent) European continent

gigantic [d? ai"g?ntik] adj. Huge

Splendid ["splendid] adj. Excellent, brilliant, spectacular, outstanding

furnishing n. equipment, clothing, furniture;

v. Supply, display (ing form of furnish)

amused [? "mju: zd] adj. Happy, naughty, amused;
v. to make fun of
Practice
Reading the Golden Touch from Hawthorne N
Translation
Midas was the son of the goddess Idashan and an unknown hero.He was the merry-go-round king of Bromeans in Macedon.He ruled over the people of Brigia, and cultivated the famous roses.

One day, Dionysus and his followers set out from Thrace for Boeotia.The former teacher of Dionysus, the old Silenus, the god of the forest, unfortunately got separated from the team.He was so drunk that he lay down in the garden of Midas and fell asleep soundly.The gardener found him, bound him, and led him to Midas.He told Midas the marvelous story of a continent beyond the Great Ocean, quite detached from the contiguity of Europe, Asia, or Africa.On continents are wondrous cities, inhabited by tall, happy, and long-lived people, with admirable laws.Midas was ecstatic to hear the story of Silenus.He entertained the old mountain god for five days and five nights, and then sent a guide to escort him back to the base camp of Dionysus.

Dionysus was always worried about Silenus.Now, he sent someone to ask Midas what he wanted and how he should repay him.Midas replied without hesitation, "Grace to turn everything I touch into gold." However, it was not only stones, flowers, and the furnishings of the house that turned into gold.When he sat down to eat, the food he ate and the water he drank turned to gold.Not long after, Midas begged Dionysus to release him from his wish, for he was dying of hunger and thirst.Dionysus teased Midas and was very happy.He told Midas to go to the source of the Paktorus River and take a bath in the river.Midas obeyed, and at once dispelled the alchemy, but the sands of the Paktorus River still glisten with gold.

Exercise
I found Hawthorne's fairy tale of the same name "The Alchemy" to read after class.

11 God Bless You

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.
Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened, everything was lost.
He was stunned with grief and anger. “God how could you do this to me!” he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him .
“How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers. “We saw your smoke signal.” they replied.
It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering.
Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God. For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for it.
Vocabulary
Shipwreck ["?iprek] n. Shipwreck, shipwreck;

vt. to cause trouble, to destroy

Feverishly ["fi: v? ri? li] adv. Frantically, excitedly

Driftwood ["driftwud] n. Driftwood, drift board, waste
adj. Driftwood
scavenging ["sk? vind? i?] n. Clear, purify;
v. Clean up, get rid of exhaust gas (present participle form of scavenge)
awake [? "weik? n] vt. wake up, make... aware;

vi. wake up, realize
summons ["s? m? nz] n. Summons, summons, summons;

vt. call out, summon to court
Practice
Why we shouldn't discourage when things are going bad?

Translation
In a shipwreck, the only survivor drifted to an uninhabited island with the tide.

He prayed excitedly every day that God would save him to leave here as soon as possible and return to his hometown.

He also watched the sea every day to see if there was anyone who could rescue him, but there was nothing but the vast ocean.

Later, he decided to use the piece of wood that brought him to the island to build a simple cabin to protect him from the harsh environment and to preserve all his remaining things.But one day, when he was about to go back to the hut after catching food, he suddenly found that his hut was caught in a raging fire, and the thick smoke caused by the fire kept rushing into the sky.

The most tragic thing is that everything he owned disappeared at this moment.In grief, he shouted angrily to the sky: "God! How could you treat me like this!" Suddenly, tears flowed from the corners of his eyes.Early the next morning, he was awakened by the whistle of a ship approaching the island.Yes, someone came to save him.When he got to the ship, he asked the crew, "How do you know I'm here?"

"Because we saw smoke like a signal," they replied.

When people encounter difficulties, it is easy to get frustrated.But no matter you are suffering or suffering, you don’t need to lose faith because God is always doing wonderful work in our hearts.

Remember: the next time your cabin catches fire, it might just be a sign of God's wonderful grace.God has a positive answer to everything we think is negative.

Exercise
Why don't we have to be depressed when we encounter difficulties?

Because for all the negative things we have to say to ourselves,

God has a positive answer for it.

12 Why the Water of the Sea is Salty
A long time ago, far, far away, there lived two brothers. One of them was quite rich: the other was very poor. The rich brother lived on a little island; years and had got a great deal of money. The other brother was so poor that he had not got enough food for his wife and children.
His wife said: "What will happen to us? Do you want me and the children to die? There is nothing to eat. Why don't you go and ask your brother for some money."

“My brother loves his money very much. I'm sure that he will not give me any. Perhaps he will want to give me a handful of salt. But I will go and see him.”

He got into his boat and sailed across to the island where his brother lived.
He found his rich brother at home, counting his money.
"What is the matter? Why have you come here?"

“Please, brother, I have no food in my house. Please give me one of those gold pieces you are counting.”

"No. These are mine. You are very lazy. Why do you not go and work?"

“I have tried to find some work, but I cannot. Now there is no bread in my house for my children.”

"I will not give you any money, but I'll give you some bread. If I give you a loaf of bread, will you go away and not come back?"

"Yes. Please give me the bread."

The rich man threw a loaf of bread to him, and he went away.
While he was on his way to his house, he came to an old man sitting by the side of the road.
"What is that you are carrying?" said the old man. "Is it bread? I have not had any thing to eat for two days."

(End of this chapter)