Emmaline Willis, age 16, of Annapolis, Md., for her question:

WHAT IS THE MIDAS TOUCH?

When you say that a person "has the Midas touch," you are describing a person who seems to have the ability to make money in everything he does.

Midas was a character in Greek mythology. He was the king of an old country in central Asia Minor. The god Dionysus gave him the power to turn everying he touched into gold because he had helped Dionysus' teacher Silenus.

At first Midas was happy over his miraculous power. But he soon saw that the power was actually a curse. Everything he touched turned to gold    including the food he picked up to eat.

He prayed to Dionysus to help him and the god told him to bathe in the river Pactolus. As Midas washed himself, the magic touch left him. But the sands of the river turned to gold.

A Midas, the dictionary will tell you, is a man of great wealth or great moneymaking ability.