Jennifer Price, age 12, of Orlando, Fla., for her question:

WAS MIDAS A REAL PERSON?

Everything that Midas touched turned into gold. Midas wasn't a real person. He was a character in Greek mythology.

The god Dionysus gave Midas the power to turn everything he touched into gold because he had helped Dionysus' teacher, Silenus.

At first Midas' miraculous power pleased him. But he soon saw that the gift was a curse. Even the food he wanted to eat turned to gold.

Midas prayed to Dionysus to help him and the god told him to bathe

in the river Pactolus. Midas washed himself and the magic touch left him. But the sands of the river turned to gold.

The expression "to have the Midas touch" is used to describe a person who makes money in everything he does. A Midas is a wealthy person.