consoled.

"Is it your voice, Syrinx?" he said. "Shall we sing together?"

He bound a number of the reeds side by side; to this day, shepherds
know how. He blew across the hollow pipes and they made music!




THE JUDGMENT OF MIDAS


Pan came at length to be such a wonderful piper with his syrinx (for so
he named his flute) that he challenged Apollo to make better music if
he could. Now the sun-god was also the greatest of divine musicians,
and he resolved to punish the vanity of the country-god, and so
consented to the test. For judge they chose the mountain Tmolus, since
no one is so old and wise as the hills. And, since Tmolus could not
leave his home, to him went Pan and Apollo, each with his followers,
oreads and dryads, fauns, satyrs, and centaurs.

Among the worshippers of Pan was a certain Midas, who had a strange
story. Once a king of great wealth, he had chanced to befriend
Dionysus, god of the vine; and when he was asked to choose some good
gift in return, he prayed that everything he touched might be turned
into gold. Dionysus smiled a little when he heard this foolish prayer,
but he granted it. Within two days, King Midas learned the secret of
that smile, and begged the god to take away the gift that was a curse.
He had touched everything that belonged to him, and little joy did he