Midas

I'd also heard a different version of this myth before, and I think the one I heard was better.

Midas was a king who did a favor to a schoolmaster. In return, he said he'd grant him one wish. Midas wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. It is done, and Midas has fun touching everything and making lots of gold.

Then when he tries to eat at a feast he prepared to celebrate his new gift, he realizes that even his food turns to gold, which makes it rather difficult to eat.

He gets rid of his gift, then goes live in the country, becoming a faithful worshiper of Pan, the god of fields.

One day Pan challenges Apollo to a music contest, and of course Apollo wins. However, Midas insists that Pan is better, so Apollo gives him donkey ears.

Midas is very ashamed, and always wear a turban to hide his ears. Only his barber knows his secret, and it's such a huge one that he tells the grass, which tells everyone (which is why it makes a whispery noise whenever the wind goes through it).

The version I heard of Midas was that when he tried to touch his daughter, she turned to gold, and he was so horrified at what he'd done that he killed himself. Way to take the easy way out.

I'd also seen a movie based on a modern Midas, except it was about a teenager who helped a neighborhood witch, in return for that gift. Like Midas, the boy quickly realizes that his awesome new gift isn't all gold (if you'll excuse my pun) when he tries to eat a hamburger that turned to gold (my favorite part in the movie. A gold hamburger! What a sight), and when he also turns his friend to gold.

However, the witch tells him how to get rid of the "gift" and he does so. And they lived happily ever after.