Midas didn't realize that the price had already come due.
He still went to the olive grove every day, pretending nothing was wrong. He greeted his neighbors as usual and came home on time for dinner.
Everything was perfectly normal. At least, that's what he thought.
He was also very careful to control the amount of gold he sold to avoid drawing attention.
He always found different buyers.
Sometimes, he would even sell to discerning tourists visiting the island, claiming his family had fallen on hard times and offering it at a low price.
At home, he told his family the money was from tips he earned doing part-time equipment repairs for people, and he gradually used it to supplement their household income.
Of course, the easiest way was to spend the money directly. He replaced all the equipment in his olive grove and even put a new engine in his old clunker.
He often felt proud of his caution, but this only caused the price to compound...
