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 TECH GIRLS
TITLES IN THIS SERIES

Careers for
TECH GIRLS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

Careers for
TECH GIRLS IN ENGINEERING

Careers for
Careers for
TECH GIRLS IN MATH

TECH GIRLS IN
Careers for
TECH GIRLS IN SCIENCE

Careers for

TECHNOLOGY
TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY
Careers for
TECH GIRLS IN VIDEO GAME

DEVELOPMENT
HAND
ROSEN
New York
Published in 2016 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.
29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010

Copyright © 2016 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in

any form without permission in writing from the publisher,
except by a reviewer.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hand, Carol, 1945–

Careers for tech girls in technology/Carol Hand.—First edition.
pages cm.—(Tech girls)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4994-6099-5 (library bound)
1. Technology—Vocational guidance—Juvenile literature.
2. Women in engineering—Juvenile literature. I. Title.
TA157.5.H35 2016
602.3—dc23
2014044519

Manufactured in the United States of America

 CONTENTS
introduction
.............................................................................................. 4

C hapter one
THE T IN “STEM”: WHAT ARE TECHNOLOGY CAREERS?........... 8

C hapter two
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY: CHATTING ’ROUND
THE WORLD......................................................................... 16

C hapter three
AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY: TO EXPLORE
AND PROTECT ..................................................................... 25

C hapter four
GREEN TECHNOLOGY: SAVING NATURE THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY....................................................................... 35
C hapter five
HEALTH AND BIOTECHNOLOGY: SAVING LIVES
THROUGH TECHNOLOGY....................................................... 44

C hapter six
GETTING YOUR FIRST TECHNOLOGY JOB............................... 53

C hapter seven
MEETING CHALLENGES AS A FEMALE TECHNOLOGIST .......... 61
GLOSSARY........................................................................... 70
FOR MORE INFORMATION..................................................... 72
FOR FURTHER READING........................................................ 74
BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................... 76
INDEX.................................................................................. 78
Introduction
J
errie Cobb flew her first airplane at age twelve.
At age twenty-eight, she was a record-breaking
pilot. She had broken the world altitude record
and the world speed record for light planes.
She had ferried fighter jets around the world,
transporting them to war zones. She had
logged more than 7,000 flying hours—compared to
5,000 for John Glenn and 2,900 for Scott Carpenter,
two of NASA’s seven Mercury astronauts. Cobb would
have been thrilled to become an astronaut, but in 1959,
women were not only barred from being astronauts,
they were also barred from the only position that would
qualify them to be considered—that of military test
pilot. Female pilots had trouble getting any meaningful
flying jobs. Few qualified women were allowed to fly
passengers—they were told no one would fly with a
female pilot. Many settled for being cargo transporters
or crop dusters. Others flew smaller planes than they
were qualified for or became flight instructors.
Early in the space program, NASA refused to con-
sider women as astronaut candidates. When a letter
that suggested enrolling female astronauts crossed
his desk, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson wrote
across the letter, “Let’s Stop This Now!” Alan Shep-
ard and Deke Slayton, two of the original Mercury
7 astronauts, wrote a book in which they described
the qualities required to be an astronaut. They ended
their description with the words, “…and, of course,
no women, thank you.”

4
 INTRODUCTION

Jerrie Cobb views a rocket display at a 1961 space

conference. Cobb was denied the chance to become an
astronaut, but her tireless lobbying efforts paved the
way for other women to come.

5
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

But one man was not bound by such prejudice. Dr.

Randolph Lovelace was the chairman of NASA’s Life
Sciences Committee and a designer of the medical
tests taken by all astronaut candidates. He took a prac-
tical approach. He reasoned that because women, on
average, had an anatomically smaller and lighter build
than men, they would fit more easily into cramped
spacecraft, use less oxygen, and require less fuel to
achieve orbit. Lovelace also thought women had the
necessary physical and psychological toughness. Nev-
ertheless, he understood that he would meet resistance
and need proof. His friend Donald Flickinger, a U.S. Air
Force general and NASA adviser, had air force funds
and agreed to sponsor astronaut tests on women. Jerrie
Cobb was their first candidate. The air force shot down
the idea before Cobb could even begin.
Undeterred, Lovelace tested Cobb in secret.
In February 1960, she completed all eighty-seven
physical and psychological tests taken by astronaut
candidates. She passed them all. Lovelace identified
eighteen more candidates, and in 1961, he ran them
through the same tests. Thirteen women passed.
Several, including Cobb, equaled or exceeded the
scores of successful male candidates. Doctors fur-
thermore commented that the women complained
much less about the tests than the men had. Love-
lace arranged to do the second phase of testing at a
naval facility in Pensacola, Florida. Cobb completed
the tests in May 1961 and again passed with flying
colors. Then, the navy—informed officially by NASA
that no program for female astronauts existed—re-
fused to proceed. Tests on the other women were
cancelled, and the thirteen women never became
astronauts.

6
 INTRODUCTION

Although Cobb and others lobbied tirelessly,

nothing happened until 1978, when the United
States finally began to recruit women astronauts. In
June 1983, Sally Ride became the first U.S. woman
in space. In 1995, Eileen Collins became the first
woman to pilot a space shuttle, and in June 1999,
Collins commanded STS-93—becoming the first
woman to command a space shuttle. Attending the
launch, at Collins’s invitation, were Jerrie Cobb and
seven of the original “Mercury 13”—the “almost
astronauts.” Although these women never made
it into the astronaut program, their daring and
determination helped pave the way for today’s female
astronauts—and for women in all technology careers.

7
 C hapter one

THE T IN STEM: WHAT

ARE TECHNOLOGY
CAREERS?
S
TEM careers are those that involve the fields
of science, technology, engineering, and math.
People pursuing STEM careers give us a cutting-
edge society, with new and exciting inventions and
changes. They make our lives easier and push us
forward into the future.
Technology careers are one of four types of STEM
careers. Technology is the “application of knowledge
to the practical aims of human life or to changing
and manipulating the human environment.” More
simply, it is the practical application of knowledge.
Technology has been around since people began
using tools. It began as a way to replace human or
animal labor with machines. Over the centuries, tools
have become more and more complex. Technology
is now an essential part of our culture.

WHAT ARE STEM CAREERS?

Careers in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics often overlap, but they have slightly

8
 THE T IN “STEM”: WHAT ARE TECHNOLOGY CAREERS?

different aims or objectives. Science and mathematics

are considered “pure” areas of knowledge; they deal
with problems that—at least at first—have no prac-
tical value or “real-world” application. People tackle
these problems because the problems are interesting
and because they want to understand better how the
world works. Engineering and technology, in contrast,

Careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and

mathematics) fields are interrelated and often overlap. A
solid understanding of concepts in math and science is
essential for any STEM career.

9
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

focus on practical applications; they are forms of

“applied” science. Applied scientists use known
scientific concepts to solve specific problems. Engi-
neers use scientific principles to design structures,
equipment, or materials. They may design computers,
buildings, medicines, or spacecraft. If the problem is
getting from one side of a river to the other, engineers
design a bridge. Technologists use the structures,
equipment, or materials designed by engineers. They
build structures such as bridges. They assemble and

INVENTOR AS
TECHNOLOGIST
Alabama-born Mary Anderson was visiting New York City in
1903. During a rainstorm, she noticed that streetcar drivers had
to open their windows and stick their heads out to see the street
clearly. Anderson saw a problem, and she decided to solve it.
She invented a swinging metal arm with a rubber blade that
attached to the outside of the car. Drivers could operate it from
inside their vehicle by using a lever. She called it the “windshield
wiper.” By 1916, it was standard equipment on most vehicles.
In 1917, another woman, Charlotte Bridgwood, improved
Anderson’s invention by making the windshield wiper automatic.
Inventors such as Anderson and Bridgwood illustrate technology
at its best—applying science to solve problems.

10
 THE T IN “STEM”: WHAT ARE TECHNOLOGY CAREERS?

install equipment, run it, maintain and repair it, or

otherwise integrate it into our technological society.
Inevitably, someone quickly figures out practi-
cal applications for discoveries in basic science.
To make an application usable, people from all four
STEM areas often work together. Before an engi-
neer can design a spacecraft, or a technologist can
launch it, both must understand the principles of
mathematics and physics that make space flight
possible. The genetic engineering of a new plant
species requires scientists, including geneticists and
biochemists. Scientists with mathematical skills
determine required DNA manipulations. Technol-
ogists carry out laboratory techniques to cut and
splice the DNA and to produce and grow the new
organism.

A STEM OVERVIEW
An online search for technology careers often yields lists
of job titles suggesting that technology is equivalent to
computer science. In one article, nine of eleven jobs
listed as “best technology jobs” are in information
technology (IT); they include web developer, computer
systems analyst, and computer support specialist.
Nearly all tech careers require an understanding of com-
puters, the Internet, and computer control of systems.
However, computer use is often just a means to an end.
The ultimate goal might be long-distance control of a
satellite or robot, or analysis of the function of a medical
implant.
Technology jobs exist in any field that uses
machines—and that is nearly every field. A person
interested in transportation might go into automotive

11
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

More and more women are entering green technology

and engineering careers. One green career is the building
of solar, or photovoltaic, energy farms such as this one.

technology, working on engines for gas, diesel, elec-

tric, or hybrid vehicles. Collision repair, truck and heavy
equipment repair, and use of computerized diagnostic
equipment are other transportation-related careers.
Electrical power plants must be operated and main-
tained by highly skilled technologists who specialize in
specific power sources—for example, fossil fuels,
hydropower, nuclear energy, or solar or wind power.
Many construction careers use technology. These
include basic construction careers, such as framing,
carpentry, or plumbing. Construction technicians may
specialize in construction management, drafting, or

12
 THE T IN “STEM”: WHAT ARE TECHNOLOGY CAREERS?

inspection technology and typically work under

engineers. Technologists are also vital in manufactur-
ing. Recently, both automation and demand for
precision have increased in manufacturing. Manu-
facturing technicians maintain and repair production
equipment that keeps the manufacturing process
running smoothly.

BECOMING A TECHNOLOGIST
Early preparation for careers in all four STEM areas
is the same. A girl in middle or high school should
take all available courses in science, mathematics,
and computer science, plus any specialized courses
in technology and engineering. She should become
comfortable using computers, tablets, and other
electronic devices. This means more than typing in
assignments, conducting Google searches, and tex-
ting friends. She should become comfortable using
basic software, such as word processors, spread-
sheets, and graphics programs. Extracurricular
activities are important, too. Technology clubs, sci-
ence fairs and contests, and technological hobbies
(building a robot or solar car, designing a method to
prevent pollution, or inventing a new medical device)
can immerse girls early into the world of technology.
Girls in high school and college should also look
for summer jobs or internships in STEM areas. They
should find a mentor—a woman who has “made it”
in a technology field and who can provide advice on
how to succeed in a STEM career. Finally, they should
apply for grants and scholarships especially for
women. Most important, they should not close
any doors! Before and during college, girls should

13
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

prepare for any potential technology career by getting

a thorough education and taking advantage of the
best extracurricular opportunities available.

CAN GIRLS BE TECHNOLOGISTS?

The short answer is: of course they can! This is an
excellent time for girls and women to enter technol-
ogy fields because people now realize women are
underrepresented in many STEM careers, and many
companies are actively seeking female employees.
Women in the United States hold 57 percent of all
bachelor’s degrees and more than 60 percent of mas-
ter’s degrees—triple the number in 1970. More than
half of all women (57.7 percent) are in the workforce.
However, women’s participation in most STEM
careers is much lower than their participation in, for
example, the fields of teaching, psychology, and
public relations. Only 22 percent of environmental
scientists and 17 percent of chemical engineers are
women. Some engineering fields have as few as 5.5
percent women. Very few women currently follow
technology careers relating to “hard” sciences such
as physics. Many more go into “soft” sciences such
as biology. For example, 46 percent of biological sci-
entists, 78 percent of clinical laboratory technicians,
and 91 percent of nurses are women.
Should girls limit themselves to career paths in
which women are already strongly represented—
nursing or laboratory technicians, for example?
Definitely not! Every girl should follow her passion.
A girl who loves tinkering with engines might aim for
a career as an airplane mechanic. If running elec-
tronic equipment for a television studio excites her,

14
 THE T IN “STEM”: WHAT ARE TECHNOLOGY CAREERS?

A college degree is the first step toward most technology

careers. Women are especially needed in what are
called “hard sciences,” such as physics, engineering,
and computer technology.

she should go for it! If she wants to, she should get
her hands dirty working with sanitation equipment
designed to reduce waste. Such jobs are both nec-
essary and increasingly important. In short, any girl
or woman can strive for—and achieve—any tech-
nology career goal that appeals to her. Women will
be a large part of the solution for many of today’s
(and tomorrow’s) technological problems.

15
 C hapter two

COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGY: CHATTING
’ROUND THE WORLD
A
nyone who has watched a movie or tele-
vision and thought, “Wow, that’s a great
camera angle!” or, “How exactly do satellites
transfer images halfway around the world?” has the
mind-set of a communication technologist. Anyone
whose friends call her to troubleshoot their software
problems is already using her communication tech-
nology abilities. The person who installs equipment
and software to run a cell tower is a technologist.
The person who sets up a sound system for a media
performance is a technologist. So is the Geek Squad
member who, with a few deft keystrokes, brings a
dead computer back to life. Careers in communica-
tion technology are almost endless and should only
improve in the future.
According to the organization QFINANCE, “Commu-
nication technology facilitates communication between
individuals or groups who are not physically present at
the same location. Systems such as telephones, telex,
fax, radio, television, and video are included, as well as
more recent computer-based technologies, including

16
 COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY: CHATTING ’ROUND THE WORLD

electronic data interchange and e-mail.” Communica-

tion technology is also called telecommunications,
or telecom. Information technology (IT) deals specifi-
cally with the functions and abilities of computers.
Because most modern communication uses digital
data transfer—that is, computers—the two technolo-
gies overlap considerably.

MEDIA COMMUNICATION JOBS

Many people working in media (radio, television, film,
and electronic media) have careers in the spotlight,
for example, as actors or news anchors. However,

Being a camerawoman in television, film, or video

production is an exciting technology career. Camera
operators must be creative, visual, and technical
experts—they must know camera equipment plus
editing software.

17
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

those most skilled in technology often work behind the

scenes, as broadcast technicians, camera operators,
directors, producers, or animators. These people make
sure the show goes on without a hitch. Others work in
publishing of print or electronic media. Communica-
tion technologists find careers in publication houses,
television studios, radio stations, or corporate media
departments. They might specialize in news, sports,
entertainment, education, science, or business. Most
people in writing-based careers—authors, bloggers,

CAREERS IN MEDIA
COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGY
Communication technology careers are not limited to television,
movies, and the Internet. Nearly all companies employ technolo-
gists in careers such as the following:
• Audio and video equipment technicians
• Broadcast technicians
• Camera operators
• Camera and photographic equipment repairers
• Desktop publishers
• Film and video editors
• Graphic designers
• Multimedia artists and animators
• Sound engineering technicians
• Station programmers

18
 COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY: CHATTING ’ROUND THE WORLD

copywriters, and reporters, for example—use commu-

nication technology as a major tool.

WORLDWIDE TELECOMMUNICATIONS
JOBS
Telecommunication carries digital information around
the world, and the jobs associated with this technology
are exciting and varied. Telecommunication careers
include the people who provide services such as high-
speed Internet, wireless communication, and cable
television. They may install, maintain, or repair equip-
ment supplying such services. Typical jobs include
network systems analyst, data communication analyst,
and communication equipment operator.
A key feature of the telecom industry is rapid
change. Since the Telecom Act of 1996, boundaries
between various providers have blurred. Before this leg-
islation, each type of telecommunication was provided
separately. The Telecom Act of 1996 made it legal for
a single firm to offer local, long-distance, wireless, and
Internet services. As technology advances, future tech-
nologists must be able to adapt quickly and fearlessly
to changes and constantly learn new technologies.
They must know the products and be able to speak the
correct technical jargon. Often, a technologist will spe-
cialize in one particular aspect—for example, fiber
optics or wireless technology—but a general knowl-
edge of the entire field is essential. While many people
in the telecom field will do fieldwork—such as installing
and repairing telecom systems, for example—others
may work in office jobs such as network planning,
equipment sales, or management. These areas require

19
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

less specific technological knowledge, but they do

require a strong general understanding of the field.

SERVICE-RELATED
COMMUNICATION JOBS
A little recognized field in communication technology
is the customer support staff. These technicians
answer telephone calls or e-mails when people have
questions about their computers or other electronic
devices. They answer questions and talk callers step-
by-step through simple fixes. They make house calls

The customer support representative who fields calls

when someone’s computer crashes must be an expert
at fixing computers, sight unseen. She must also be
polite, friendly, and helpful.

20
 COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY: CHATTING ’ROUND THE WORLD

when cable or satellite service goes out. They work

behind the service desk at electronics stores to set
up or repair individuals’ computers or printers.
Customer service technicians need both excellent
communication skills and technical know-how. Because
they work directly with the public, they must always
project a pleasant, helpful attitude. According to the
American Management Association, when a company
loses business, 68 percent of the time it is because of
poor customer service—usually because the service
representative is either rude or indifferent. Patience,
good listening skills, simple and accurate communica-
tion, and knowledge of products are among the many
skills required of a customer service representative.
Their salaries do not necessarily match those of other
careers in the technology sector, but customer service
representatives are an indispensable part of the tele-
communications industry.

PREPARING FOR COMMUNICATION

TECHNOLOGY JOBS
Girls interested in communication technology careers
can obtain valuable experience before college by
seeking out activities related to their field of interest.
Someone interested in an entertainment or media
career might join a theater or musical group or work
on a stage crew. Someone interested in news, pub-
lications, or electronic media might intern at a radio
or television station, at a web venture, or for a news-
paper. One planning to go into a customer service
career in the technology sector might seek a job at a

21
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

TELECOM ORGANIZATIONS
FOR GIRLS AND WOMEN
Many organizations provide information and mentoring for girls
and women interested in careers in information and communi-
cation technology. Some of those organizations include:
• The Association for Women in Technology (AWT): http://
www.awtsocal.org
• Braincake Girls, Math and Science Partnership, Carnegie Science
Centre Program: http://www.braincake.org/whoweare.aspx
• Canadian Coalition of Women in Engineering, Science, Trades,
and Technology: http://www.ccwestt.org
• Feminist Approach to Technology (FAT): http://www.fat-net.org/
content/about-us
• Girls Excelling in Math and Science (GEMS) clubs: http://
www.gemsclub.org/index.html
• Girls in ICT: http://girlsinict.org/trends-analysis-and-profiles
• Girls in Tech (GIT): http://www.girlsintech.org
• MentorNet: http://www.mentornet.net
• The Wired Woman: http://www.thewiredwoman.com
• Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT): http://
www.wict.org/about/Pages/default.aspx

local electronics store and help friends and neighbors

with their electronics problems.
Education for telecom careers varies. On-the-
job training through internships, apprenticeships, or

22
 COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY: CHATTING ’ROUND THE WORLD

entry-level jobs might be sufficient for customer service

technicians, but many people obtain bachelor’s degrees
in communications with an emphasis on digital film
or motion picture production. A broadcast and sound
engineering technician typically needs either an asso-
ciate’s degree or a non-degreed training course. Film
and video editors and camera operators usually require
a bachelor’s degree in audio and video technology and
film. This would also qualify the holder to sell, install,
operate, or repair audio-visual equipment. People
interested in news production usually obtain a degree
in journalism and broadcasting. This qualifies them to
research, write, and produce news stories, as well as
install, operate, and repair the digital and electronic
equipment used in news production.
Anyone seeking a career involving installation,
repair, replacement, or operation of electrical or elec-
tronic equipment will need an associate’s degree from
a technical college. Obtaining certification, in addition
to a degree, is helpful in landing a job. Because digital
communication is so widespread, people with this kind
of training can work in telecommunications, transpor-
tation, or utilities, or find a relevant job in almost any
industry.

WOMEN IN COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGY
Currently, women account for about 25 percent of
information and communication technology (ICT)
workers in Europe and about 20 percent in the United
States. Women also make up most of the low-paying,
temporary workers in the field, while men occupy the
most of the high-level “knowledge worker” positions.

23
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

Vice President Joe Biden speaks at Renton Technical

College in Renton, Washington, in 2014. Federal
government funding supports technical colleges such
as Renton, which train much-needed technologists.

Some women may be intimidated by the require-

ments for these careers or by working in often
male-dominated fields.
But times are changing, and the upcoming gener-
ation can help make this change happen. Women are
recognizing the employment gap and beginning to seek
out these careers. Technology scholarships are becom-
ing increasingly available for women, and helpful groups
are springing up to aid and encourage women who
want to enter telecommunications careers. It is likely
that the percentage of girls and women in telecommuni-
cations will continue to rise in the coming years.

24
 C hapter three

AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE

TECHNOLOGY: TO
EXPLORE AND PROTECT

T
he aerospace and defense industries are excit-
ing fields for girls and women. The technologies
of these two industries are similar, but not all
aerospace technologies have military applications.
After the fall of communism in 1989 and the sub-
sequent end of the Cold War, the U.S. government
began research projects to develop civilian uses for
defense technologies, and defense companies
expanded into commercial markets. Thus, an aero-
space technologist might help produce a satellite or
support the next mission to the International Space
Station (ISS). One of NASA’s specific goals is to
develop one non-aerospace or non-defense applica-
tion for each new technology that it produces.

AN ARRAY OF CAREERS
The vast array of careers available in aerospace and
defense enables technology specialists to work with
commercial or private jets; spy, weather, or communi-
cation satellites; flight simulators; submarines; aircraft

25
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

SECTORS IN AEROSPACE AND

DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY
According to the website Military.com, the military and aero-
space industry builds and services various types of equipment:
• Commercial (non-military) airplanes and helicopters
• Military aircraft such as the F-15 Eagle and F-117 Stealth
Fighter
• Missiles and components for the International Space Station
• Armored vehicles, such as the M1 Abrams tank
• Satellite-based technologies that are used for weather
forecasting; traffic control and GPS systems; worldwide
communications; infrared, radar, and sonar technologies;
avionics and missile-guidance systems; and information
systems such as NASA’s Mission Control
• Aircraft carriers, destroyers, and submarines

Small armies of highly trained technologists and technicians

operate, maintain, and repair all this equipment.

carriers; missiles; or tanks and munitions. Many of the

largest firms that manufacture these technologies—
Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Raytheon—are based in
the United States. There are also hundreds of smaller
companies that manufacture the thousands of smaller
pieces required to put together a jet or a satellite. All
these companies are potential employers for tomor-
row’s aerospace and defense technologists.
Aerospace and defense is a massive industry
that employs perhaps more technologists than any

26
 AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY: TO EXPLORE AND PROTECT

In 2014, approximately 1,100 working satellites orbited

Earth, working in telecommunications, broadcast,
weather observations, national defense, science, and
agriculture. Technologists monitor these satellites.

other. Some participants in this field will work on

cutting-edge technologies that are decades ahead
of those available to the public. One of the greatest
expansions has been in the area of satellite commu-
nications. However, many companies—particularly
the very large ones—change slowly. While a segment
of aerospace and defense workers develop incred-
ibly advanced technology, much of the technology
still in use was introduced in the 1970s and 1980s.
Technology development is extremely expensive, and
if a technology works, there is little need or incen-
tive to change it. Thus, a woman hoping to enter the

27
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

field should consider whether she wants to work on

cutting-edge or tried-and-true technologies and then
focus her efforts in the right area.

THE FUTURE OF SPACE TECHNOLOGY

Much of the next generation of space technology
may happen in private industry. NASA’s space shut-
tle program ended in 2011 after thirty years, leaving
NASA without a space-going vehicle. The California-
based space transport services company SpaceX
is filling that vacuum. SpaceX has developed both
the Falcon rocket and the Dragon spacecraft. The

On March 1, 2013, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched

from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying supplies to the
International Space Station. There are plans for SpaceX
rockets to someday carry people into space.

28
 AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY: TO EXPLORE AND PROTECT

ALYSSA CARSON, FUTURE

ASTRONAUT
Alyssa Carson, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is thirteen years old,
and her goal is to be the first person on Mars. In an October
2014 profile by NPR, Alyssa said, “I want to go to Mars because
it’s a place no one has been. It’s completely deserted right now.
So I want to take that first step.” According to NASA spokesman
Paul Foreman, “She is doing the right things, taking the right
training, following the right steps to actually become an astro-
naut.” At the time of her interview, Alyssa had already attended
all three of NASA’s world space camps and was studying sci-
ence, math, and several foreign languages. She declared, “Fail-
ure is not an option.”

Dragon, which is launched with the aid of the Falcon

rocket, has already delivered cargo to the International
Space Station.
The ultimate goal of SpaceX is to carry people to
the moon and to Mars. To that end, the company is
currently refining the Falcon and the Dragon for
human passengers. Projects such as this mean that
space technology companies are always seeking the
top talent in the technology sector to build new vehi-
cles and equipment. Expert technologists are needed
to build rockets, spacecraft, and propulsion systems;
to launch, test, and fly vehicles; and to carry out qual-
ity control tests and procedures that ensure the safest

29
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

possible vehicles. Girls excited about space may find

careers at SpaceX, other private space contractors,
or NASA, which plans to send humans to Mars by
2025. Skilled technologists may find space-related
opportunities working as communications special-
ists, electricians, laser technicians, radar technicians,
robotic technicians, or satellite technologists. Deter-
mined ones may end up using their skills in space.

CAREERS IN THE MILITARY

One way to enter the aerospace and defense industry
is by joining the military. Enlisted military members
do not need college training. After basic training, they
undertake Advanced Individual Training (AIT) to learn
specific skills. Each military branch offers its own set
of career fields, many of them technology-related.
For example, army recruits in the Air Defense Artillery
School learn about high-tech missile systems. Those
in the Transportation School learn to operate and
maintain army trucks, material-handling equipment,
and watercraft. Each military branch has similar train-
ing schools. Enlisted recruits can earn college credits
while developing skills for their military career. Many
young people join the military partly because of its
educational benefits.
Officers are military leaders involved in decision
making, planning, organizing, and directing opera-
tions. They must complete a four-year college degree
before entering the military and then complete Officer
Candidate School (OCS). All marine officer candi-
dates complete training in a Military Occupational
Specialty (MOS) and serve as leaders within this spe-
cialty. Many MOS areas—for example, intelligence,

30
 AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY: TO EXPLORE AND PROTECT

A female marine works at Fox Camp, a marine

logistics base in the desert of Kuwait. Women are
vital to the military, and many military positions are
technology oriented.

communications, and field artillery—have a strong

technology orientation.

WOMEN IN THE MILITARY

In 2013, more than 200,000 women were enlisted in
the military, compared to 40,000 in 1965. All com-
bat jobs remained officially off-limits for women, but
many women—including those serving as medics,
military police, and intelligence officers—often found
themselves in combat roles in places such as
Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2013, defense secretary

31
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

A WOMAN IN COMBAT
In 2004, Cassandra Partee was stationed in Iraq. Partee had trained
for combat artillery, but once in Iraq, she did whatever job was
needed. She drove trucks and participated in house-to-house raids
with combat patrols because the military wanted female officers
present to search female Iraqis. At 1:00 am, returning from an
eleven-hour patrol, Partee saw something attached to a guardrail
ahead. She had no choice except to proceed, so she stepped on the
gas. A bomb went off, injuring both Partee and her commander. The
two women had not been assigned to combat roles but still faced
many of the dangers of combat. Partee received a Purple Heart
for her injuries and is now a staff sergeant. She is pleased that the
combat ban was lifted, but she says, “That is what I’ve known. It just
seems normal to me.”

Leon Panetta opened up more than 230,000 combat

positions to women in the army and marines. A year
later, there had been little progress in integrating women
into the new jobs. According to Greg Jacob, a former
marine and current policy director for Service Wom-
en’s Action Network, job-testing procedures focus on
strength-based measures rather than on the skills
needed for each task. This focus often puts women at
a disadvantage. In the time since, the army has worked
on developing and improving gender-neutral standards
for each army job, based on the skills and abilities
needed for that specific job.

32
 AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY: TO EXPLORE AND PROTECT

While women are still

underrepresented in the
military, their numbers are
growing and opportunities
for technology training and
experience are great.

Historically, there have been sexual harassment

problems in the military, just as in civilian life. Many
of these issues continue today. Most offenders have
been male coworkers in the same unit who held higher
ranks than the complainant. The problem is real, and
female military members should be aware of it. Cases
of sexual harassment are often underreported, but any
person who has suffered sexual harassment should
report the incident to her commanding officer or
another trusted official. Not all female soldiers suffer
harassment or discrimination. Some have safe, pos-
itive experiences with their fellow unit members. Iraq
veteran Cassandra Partee says, “There wasn’t any
discrimination. The majority of my battalion was male,
but they didn’t treat us any different.” As for dealing
with sexual harassment and assault, in March 2014 a

33
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

Department of Defense official stated, “We aren’t leav-

ing any options off the table to prevent sexual harass-
ment.” The D.O.D. plans to emphasize improvement of
oversight and training, as well as strengthening proce-
dures for managing sexual harassment incidents.

GETTING INTO AEROSPACE AND

DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY
The education required for a career in aerospace
and defense depends on the career. A military career
will provide education and allow service members to
continue their education after their service, paying the
complete cost of education through graduate school.
Jobs in the private sector, or in aerospace outside the
military, usually require at least a bachelor’s degree.
Some grants and scholarships in these areas are
related to specific universities and are available for
both men and women. For example, the Virginia
Space Grant Consortium provides scholarships to
students pursuing degrees at affiliated Virginia col-
leges. Similar scholarships are available in other
states. NASA offers fellowships for undergraduate,
graduate, and postgraduate students. It also has
opportunities for high school and college summer
programs and research studies. The Interdisciplinary
National Science Project Incorporating Research and
Education Experience (INSPIRE) is a year-round
program targeting students in grades 9–12 with an
interest in STEM careers. In INSPIRE’s Online Learn-
ing Community (OLC), participants interact with
likeminded students around the nation.

34
 C hapter four

GREEN TECHNOLOGY:
SAVING NATURE
THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

T
he Bureau of Labor Statistics defines green
jobs as jobs “that produce goods or provide
services that benefit the environment or con-
serve natural resources,” or that make “production
processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer
natural resources.” Some technology jobs (for exam-
ple, electricians) already exist but will require workers
with more knowledge of environmental issues in the
future. Other green careers are relatively new and will
become increasingly important. These include such
jobs as biomass plant technicians, climate change
analysts, and geothermal technicians.

WHAT IS GREEN TECHNOLOGY?

Green technology, or environmental technology,
refers to methods involved in living without
destroying or damaging Earth, its organisms, or
its ecosystems, and without overexploiting its
resources. Major goals of green technology include

35
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

This BigBelly Solar Compactor, a trash compactor that

runs on solar power, is an example of green technology.
Its capacity is five times greater than a normal trash bin.

sustainability, “cradle-to-cradle” design, source

reduction, innovation, and viability.
Sustainability means using resources to provide
for this generation’s needs without compromis-
ing the resources needed for coming generations.
“Cradle-to-cradle” design involves manufacturing
processes that enable every manufactured product
to be completely reused or recycled, in contrast to
our current “cradle-to-grave” or throwaway society.
Source reduction involves decreasing waste and
pollution by using fewer raw materials and pro-
ducing less waste when producing and consuming

36
 GREEN TECHNOLOGY: SAVING NATURE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

THE GREEN ECONOMY

The U.S. Department of Labor has identified twelve sectors of the
economy that are sources of present and future green careers:

• Agriculture and forestry

• Energy and carbon capture
• Energy efficiency
• Energy trading
• Environmental protection
• Governmental and regulatory administration
• Green construction
• Manufacturing
• Recycling and waste reduction
• Renewable energy generation
• Research, design, and consulting services
• Transportation

manufactured items. Innovation and viability center

around the development of alternatives to damag-
ing technologies and the creation of economically
viable products and careers that benefit the planet.

GREEN TECHNOLOGY CAREERS

Trends are converging to make environmental
careers a key direction for women of the future.
World energy consumption will increase by almost

37
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

50 percent between 2015 and 2035. Increased electri-

cal demand will foster a need for new technologies to
produce and transport energy efficiently. Rapid climate
change will require people to search for new ways to
reduce carbon emissions, including a transition from
fossil fuels to renewable energy sources such as wind
and solar energy. Finally, many current mining and
manufacturing practices must become more environ-
mentally friendly. In short, future green technologists
must find creative methods of using resources that will
also protect the environment.
Businesses around
the country are adopting
a “triple bottom line”—an
accounting framework
that emphasizes a bal-
ance of economical,
ecological, and social
values. Many of the cre-
ative people involved in
implementing these new
ideas and attitudes will be
women. Three green job
areas almost guaranteed
to grow in the near future
are in renewable energy,
environmental protection,
and green building and
energy efficiency.

A major challenge in green technology in the coming

decades will be dealing with climate change. This will
require many technologists trained in biology and
environmental protection.
38
 GREEN TECHNOLOGY: SAVING NATURE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

EDUCATION FOR GREEN CAREERS

Many green technology careers are still considered
nontraditional for women. However, these are just the
careers that today’s young women should consider
entering. Most pay more than so-called traditional
female jobs such as secretary or teacher. Many have
opportunities for advancement even without a college
degree, although a degree always helps. The jobs
require diverse skills, and there are green jobs that
will appeal to almost everyone. Some green jobs are
physically demanding, but no more so than jobs such
as nursing or waitressing. Finally, green jobs are
rewarding. A woman in a green career has the satis-
faction of knowing that she is performing a vital
service, one that will improve society, the environ-
ment, and the planet.
A woman in the renewable energy field might work
as a wind turbine service technician, maintaining and
repairing huge turbines on wind farms. She might
learn these skills on the job or in an apprenticeship
program. As the field advances, formal training and
certification through a technical school or community
college will likely be required. Windmill technicians
should be mechanically inclined, physically fit, and
comfortable working at great heights. Solar photo-
voltaic (PV) installers, or solar panel installers, need
electrical training and experience in construction,
particularly roofing. This can be on-the-job training,
apprenticeships, or attendance at technical schools
or community colleges. The position requires strong
math and problem-solving skills.
A second growth area in the green economy is
environmental protection. One example of a position

39
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

TARA WEBB: APPRENTICE

ELECTRICIAN
After completing a pre-apprenticeship training course for wom-
en in trades, Tara Webb earned a certification and obtained her
first trade job, as an electric materials handler. A year later, she
.

entered the highly competitive apprenticeship program of the

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 48.
On a project employing one hundred people to build seventy
windmills, Tara was the only woman. At first, she says, “They
weren’t sure I was going to be able to do some of the work and
climb the towers.” She quickly proved herself, climbing three-
hundred-foot (ninety-one-meter) towers to wire windmills. Tara
believes strongly in protecting the environment and hopes to
specialize in green-related work. “If you enjoy using your hands,
if you enjoy using your mind, the trades are a wonderful place to
be,” she says.

in this area is recycling coordinator. This person

supervises recycling programs for municipalities
or private firms and sometimes educates the pub-
lic about recycling. A high school education and
possibly technical school or community college is
appropriate for this position. It requires knowledge
of recycling and source reduction practices, plus
excellent communication skills.
Many construction-related jobs are available in
the third growth area—the field of green building
and energy efficiency. A weatherization installer

40
 GREEN TECHNOLOGY: SAVING NATURE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

and technician repairs windows, insulates ducts, or

performs heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning
(HVAC) work to increase a home’s energy efficiency.
A woman in this position might also perform energy
audits for homes or businesses and educate clients
on how to increase their building’s energy efficiency.
After high school, she must obtain certification by

Two workers build a photovoltaic farm by assembling a

grid of photovoltaic cells. Such renewable energy projects
will provide many opportunities for female technologists in
the near future.

41
CAREERS FOR TECH GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY

completing a training program at a community col-

lege or trade school, or by doing an apprenticeship.
She must also have construction-related skills; do
heavy lifting; work in dirty, cramped spaces; and use
hand and power tools safely.
Technologists in green sectors might assist
scientists and engineers such as environmental
scientists or landscape architects. The pay for
entry-level technician jobs is relatively low, but with
increasing experience and education, the pay for
highly skilled jobs can be substantial. For current
pay ranges, consult the U.S. Department of Labor’s
online Occupational Outlook Handbook.

FINDING AND AFFORDING

ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING
Training programs for green jobs are expanding.
These may include nonprofit or federally funded
training or pre-apprenticeship programs in met-
ropolitan areas, such as the Corps Network,
YouthBuild USA, or the U.S. Department of Labor
Job Corps. Registered apprenticeship programs
through employers or labor unions, for-profit
schools with trade programs, community colleges
or technical schools, and four-year colleges and
universities all provide environmental training. Each
candidate must search carefully to find the right
program for her interests. After training is com-
pleted, certification programs are often available
through an employer or independent agency.
Licenses are required to practice in certain trades.

42
 GREEN TECHNOLOGY: SAVING NATURE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

The most valuable certifications are those offered

by independent agencies. For example, the North
American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners
certifies solar panel installers.
Women are poised to make a large contribution
to the growing field of green technology. Some
scholarships and grants specifically for women are
available in environmental fields. These are often
local, for example, through training providers,
civic or religious organizations, women’s groups,
professional associations, or labor unions. Environ-
mentally oriented girls should definitely take
advantage of them.

43
 C hapter five

HEALTH AND
BIOTECHNOLOGY: SAVING
LIVES THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

B
iotechnology is the use of biological and bio-
chemical processes to produce useful products.
It includes everything from using microorganisms
to make cheese to developing vaccines, drugs, and
genetically engineered crop plants. Of all technology
careers, women most often fill those in health and bio-
technology. Overall, biological technician jobs will grow
by about 10 percent between 2014 and 2022, with the
greatest need in biotechnology and medical research.
Although jobs in biotechnology are highly competitive,
any girl who loves laboratory work in biology, chemistry,
or related sciences should be able to find her niche in
the biotechnology industry.

GENERAL BIOTECHNOLOGY CAREERS

Many types of scientists and engineers employ
technicians and technologists as assistants. They
work in university laboratories, private industry,
government agencies, or blood banks. A typical
example is the medical or clinical laboratory

44
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 But she laughed in their faces. “He who courts death may race
with me at daybreak, and at sunset he shall drink the poison-cup
without fail, and look neither on my face again nor the face of any
living thing. Have I spoken plainly now?”
The next day there was great confusion in the halls of King
Schœnus. There was shouting and bustling, and attendants ran this
way and that. Chariots clattered through the gateway and drew up
in the court, and baggage was piled high behind the horses. And
Atalanta laughed aloud at the success of her scheme; for suitor after
suitor came and kissed her hand and bade her farewell.
That night the gathering about the board was scantier than it had
been for many a long day. Yet a few of the suitors remained, and
seemed in no haste to be gone.
“They are waiting for thee to fulfil thy condition,” said the king.
Then Atalanta herself went and pleaded with them.
But they replied, “Lady, thou hast given the condition of thy
marrying, and we are waiting to fulfil it.”
Thus was she forced to keep her word, and the lists were made
ready for the race, and the lots were cast among the suitors as to
which of them should be the first to run against her. In the early
morning, before the sun was strong, the race was run, and all the
city crowded to the course to watch it. The man ran well and
bravely, but his speed was as child’s play to Atalanta. She put forth
her strength like a greyhound that is content to run for a while
before the horses, but when he scents a hare, can leave them far
behind. Even so did Atalanta run, and came in cool and fresh at the
goal, whilst her rival ran in hot and panting behind her.
Thus did it come to pass that the first man drank the poison cup
because of his love for Atalanta. With a smiling face did he drink it,
as a man drinks at a feast.
And now a time of darkness and mourning fell upon the land, and
many a day in the year the city was hung with black for the sake of
some noble suitor who had chosen death rather than life without
Atalanta. And Atalanta’s heart was sore within her, because of the
rash condition she had made in her ignorance. When she would fain
have recalled her words it was too late, for the suitors bound her to
her promise.
“Either give thyself of thine own free will to one of us, or else let
us take our chance of winning thee or death,” they said.
And she was forced to run with them. For in her heart she knew
that even death was happier for a man than to win her without her
love.
Thus were the words of Diana fulfilled when she said, “In time she
shall return to her own folk, and bring joy and sorrow to their
hearts.”
One day it chanced that a stranger came to the city on a morning
that a race was to be run. The night before he had slept in a village
near by, and the people had told him the tale of Atalanta, and how
on the morrow another suitor was to run to his death. But he scoffed
at their words.
“No man would run to certain death,” he said, “were the maid as
fair as Venus.”
“Go and see for thyself,” they replied. “Soon we shall hear that
thou too wilt run in the race.”
“Never,” he said; “no woman can cheat my life from me.”
But they shook their heads unconvinced. “Many before thee have
spoken likewise,” said they, “and yet they have run.”
“If I run, I will run to win,” he answered.
“Can a snail outstrip a deer?” they asked.
“It might so chance,” said he.
“Thou art mad,” they cried.
“Better to be mad on earth than sane in Hades,” he replied.
 But they shook their heads the more, and tapped wisely with their
fingers on their foreheads, to show that he was mad and spoke at
random.
“Well, well,” he said, with a laugh, “we shall see what we shall
see.”
The next morning he set forth early for the city, and, mingling with
the crowd, he made his way to the race-course, and found for
himself a place where he could watch the whole sight with ease. The
race was run, and ended as it always ended; and once again the city
was hung with black. But in the mind of the stranger an image
remained which had not been there before—the image of a maid
whose white feet flashed in the sunlight and her tunic swung to and
fro as a flag swings in the breeze.
“Great Hercules!” he thought within himself, “to run shoulder to
shoulder with her for a moment, even in a race for death, might be
worth the while after all. I will make myself known at the palace,
and see what the gods will give me.”
For some days he lay hid in the city, till he thought the time was
ripe for him to go up to the palace of the king. Then he went for a
walk along the highway, and when he was covered with dust and
grime, he returned to the city and made his way at once to the
palace.
When Atalanta saw a stranger at the board her heart sank within
her, and she kept her eyes turned away, as though she had not seen
him, for she made sure that he too had come to run in the race with
her. It chanced that night that the company was scanty, and no man
talked in private to his neighbor, but the conversation leapt from one
end of the board to the other, as each one took his share in it and
said his say. The stranger, too, took his part with the rest of them, in
nowise abashed; and so shrewd were his words, and so full of wit,
that soon he had a smile upon the face of each one at the table. For
many a long day the talk had not been so merry nor the laughter so
loud at the table of King Schœnus. Atalanta, too, forgot her
constraint, and talked and laughed freely with the stranger; and he
answered her back, as though it had been man to man, and showed
no more deference to her than to the others of the company.
When the meal was over, the king approached the stranger, and
Atalanta stood beside him.
“Sir,” said the king, “thy name and thy country are still hid from us,
but we are grateful for thy coming, and would be fain for thee to
stay as long as it shall please thee.”
“I thank thee, sire,” said the stranger, “but I am bound by a
strange vow. I may not reveal my name, nor accept hospitality for
more than one night from any man, till I come to a house where
none other than the king’s daughter shall promise me her hand in
marriage. From the tales I have heard in the neighboring country, I
have learnt that I may not hope to end my vow beneath this roof—
though indeed,” he said, turning to Atalanta, “I would fain press my
suit if there were any chance of success.”
But Atalanta threw back her head at his words. “Thou hast
doubtless heard the condition,” she said, “by the fulfilment of which
alone a man may win my hand.”
“Alas, sir!” said the king, “I would press no man to try his luck in
that venture.”
“Since that is so,” said the stranger, “I will go forth once more
upon my journey at break of day, and see what luck the gods will
give me. I thank thee for thy kindly hospitality this night, and beg
thee to excuse me. I have travelled far, and would fain rest now, as I
must go a long distance ere I can rest again.”
Thereupon he took his leave of King Schœnus and his daughter.
But she, for all her pride, could not forget the man who seemed to
bid her farewell with so light a heart.
It was her custom to rise early in the morning, before the rest of
the household was stirring, and to go forth alone into the woods;
and it was the lot of one of the slaves to rouse himself betimes to
give her food ere she went, so that when she appeared, as was her
wont, he thought nothing of it. The stranger had risen even earlier
than she, and the slave was waiting upon him.
“Good-morrow, sir,” she said. “It is not often I have a companion
when I break my fast.” Then she turned to the slave, “Thou mayest
get thee back to thy bed,” she said, “and sleep out thy sleep in
peace. I will see to the wants of our guest and speed him on his
way.”
Thereupon Atalanta sat down at the board beside the stranger,
and they fell to with all the appetite of youth and health; and as
they ate they laughed and joked, and talked of strange lands they
both had seen and adventures that had befallen them. In the space
of one-half hour they were as good friends as though they had
known each other all their lives.
When they had finished their meal the stranger rose. “I must bid
thee farewell, lady,” he said.
“Nay, not yet,” she replied; “I will set thee on thy way, and show
thee a road through the forest that will bring thee to the city thou
seekest. I know every track and path as well as the wild deer know
them.”
He tried to dissuade her, but she would not listen, and led him out
from the palace by a side gate, which she unbarred with her own
hands. Down through the sleeping streets they went, where the
shadows of the houses lay long upon the ground, and out across the
open downs into the shade of the forest. At length they came to a
broad track that crossed the path they were in, and Atalanta stopped
short and pointed to the right.
“From here,” she said, “thou canst not miss thy way. Follow the
track till it lead thee to the highroad, and when thou strikest the
highroad, turn to the left, and thou wilt come to the city thou
seekest.”
Then she held out her hand to him. “I must bid thee farewell,” she
said, “and good luck to the ending of thy vow.”
 “Lady,” he said, and took her hand in his, “if thou wilt, thou canst
release me now from my vow.”
But she drew her hand away sharply and tossed back her head.
“Many kings have daughters besides King Schœnus,” she said, “and
any one of them could release thee from thy vow as well as I.”
“Atalanta,” he said, “no king’s daughter save thee shall ever
release me from my vow. From the first moment that I saw thee I
loved thee.”
“Thou knowest how thou mayest win me. Art thou willing to run in
the race?”
“Much good will my love do me if I had to drink the poison cup.
Nay, nay,” he said; “I love thee too well to put my death at thy door.
When I have some chance of winning the race, I will come back and
claim thee. In the meantime, lady, farewell.”
And, bowing to her, he turned and went his way, without so much
as looking back at her, as she stood trembling with astonishment
and anger.
Day after day passed by, and he came not. “He is a man of his
word,” she thought at last. “Till he has some chance of winning he
will not come back. And he is no fool. He knows he can never run as
I can run. He will never come back.”
Yet for all this she watched for him. When she went forth into the
road, or into the forest, she looked for his form at every turn of the
way. The weeks and months passed by, and still he returned not;
winter came and went, and once again the dewdrops shone in the
summer sunlight as Atalanta walked in the forest at break of day.
When by chance she raised her eyes, there at the parting of the
ways, he stood, as though in answer to her thoughts.
“I have come back, lady,” he said.
“Oh!” she cried from her heart, “I am glad thou hast come back.”
 Then he bent and kissed her hand. So once more they walked in
silence side by side along the path they had walked before. As they
drew near to the edge of the forest, Atalanta was the first to speak.
“And thy vow,” she asked—“hast thou found release from it?”
“Not yet,” he answered. “I am come back to run the race, that I
may win release.”
Once again the spirit of perversity came upon her. “Where hast
thou learnt to run like the wind?” she asked.
“I have not learnt to run like the wind,” he replied. “I have learnt
something better than that.”
“Few things are better in a race than swiftness,” she said.
“True,” he answered; “yet I have found the one thing better.”
“What is this strange thing?” she asked.
“When we have run the race, thou wilt know,” he said.
“I have grown no sluggard,” she said, with a toss of her head, as
though to warn him that her speed was not a thing to be despised.
So they came to the palace, and from the lowest to the highest the
inmates greeted the stranger with joy. For he had won the hearts of
them all by his wit and his genial smile. But they sighed when they
heard that he too had come to run in the fatal race.
“Alas!” said the old king, shaking his head, “I had rather not have
looked upon thy face again than see thee back on such an errand.”
The young man laughed. “He who runs with a fair hope of winning
runs swiftly,” he said. “The others were dragged down by the
shackles of their own despair.”
“Thou dost not know my daughter,” said the king.
“Mayhap I know her better than thou thinkest, and better than
thou knowest her thyself,” said the stranger.
No arguments or entreaties would turn him from his purpose. “I
must win release from my vow,” he said. “I cannot live all my life a
nameless wanderer. Yet will I not wed any woman I love not, for the
sake of my release. Atalanta alone can save me, for I love none
other.”
So the lists once again were prepared, and the course made
smooth for the race. The folk were gathered together round the
course, and Atalanta and the stranger stood ready and waiting for
the word to be given. She had made it a condition of the race that
her rivals should have a good start of her, and she stood with her
eyes upon the stranger’s back, as he waited many paces before her.
All too soon the word was given, and he sprang forward from his
place, like a dog which has been straining at his leash springs
forward when the hook is unloosed. And Atalanta, too, sprang
forward; but whereas the man ran like a hunted thing that strains
every muscle to save its life, she ran with the swinging grace of a
wild deer that, far away from the hunters and hounds, crosses the
springing turf of the lonely moor, fearless and proud, as he throws
back his antlers in the breeze. Thus did Atalanta run, as though she
had no thought of the race, or of the man who ran for his life. Yet,
though she seemed to make no effort, she gained upon her rival at
every step, and now she was running close behind him, and now she
was almost shoulder to shoulder, and out of the corner of his eye he
could see the gleam of her tunic. Then for a moment he slackened
his pace, and it seemed that she would pass him, and on every side
the people shouted out to him, “Run, run! Faster, faster! She will
pass thee.”
But he put his hand into the opening of his tunic, and drew forth
something from his breast. Then his hand swung up above his head,
and from it there flashed a dazzling fiery apple. Up and down
through the air it flashed like a meteor, and rolled along the grass,
till it stopped far away in the center of the course, and lay shining
like a jewel in the rays of the sun. Every eye was turned from the
race to watch its gleaming flight, and Atalanta stopped short and
watched it too. When she saw it stop still in the middle of the
course, flashing and sparkling in the grass, a great desire sprang up
in her heart to have it—a desire that she could not resist. And she
darted aside out of the path of the race and went and picked up the
shining golden apple and put it in the bosom of her tunic. Meanwhile
the stranger had lost no time, and when Atalanta came back to the
spot she had left, he was far ahead upon the course, and she had to
run with a will if she wished to overtake him. But once again she
gained upon him, and the space between them grew less and less,
till they were running well nigh shoulder to shoulder. And once again
he saw the gleam of her tunic beside him; and again he slackened
his speed for a moment, and sent a second gleaming apple into the
air. Once more the desire sprang up in Atalanta’s heart, and, leaving
the course, she picked up the second apple and put it in the bosom
of her tunic beside the first. By the time she had returned to the
path the stranger had rounded the turning-point and was well on his
way towards the goal, and she put forth all her strength to overtake
him. But the ease of her running was gone. She ran as one who runs
bearing a burden, yet she would not cast away the golden apples in
her bosom; for though they hampered her, she gained upon her
rival, and for the third time they were running almost shoulder to
shoulder. And again, the third time, the same thing happened, and
Atalanta left the course to pick up the shining fruit. This time when
she returned to her place the stranger was close upon the goal, and
all around the people were shouting and waving their hands. With all
the strength that was left in her she made a great spurt to overtake
him. If she would cast away the golden apples, she might yet win
the race; but the same mad desire which had spurred her to pick
them up forbade her now to let them go. As she ran they seemed to
grow heavier and heavier in her bosom; yet she struggled and
panted on, and step by step did she gain upon him, though her eyes
were darkened to all but his form and the goal ahead. On every side
the people shouted louder than before, for they knew not now which
of them would win. As they drew near to the goal they were again
almost shoulder to shoulder, and the stranger saw once more the
flash of Atalanta’s tunic beside him, while there were yet some paces
to run. Then he gave a great spurt forward, and leapt away from her
side. She tried to do likewise, but her strength was gone. She had
made her last effort before. Thus did it come to pass that the
stranger ran in first to the goal, and, running close upon his heels,
Atalanta fell breathless into his arms as he turned to catch her. She
had run twice as far as he, but what matter if he had not outsped
her. He had won the race. The tears shone in her eyes, but he knew
they were not tears of grief; and in the face of all the people he
kissed her.
Thus was Atalanta, the swiftest of all mortals, beaten in the race
by the stranger, and learnt from his lips what it was that he had
found on his travels that had made speed of no avail in the race.
For after they had come back to the city, surrounded by the joyous
folk, and had passed hand in hand beneath the gateway; after he
had revealed to them all that he was Milanion, the son of
Amphidamas, and the old king had fallen on his neck and given him
his blessing, because he proved to be the son of his own boyhood’s
friend, and the man of all others he would have chosen for his son-
in-law—after all this, when the speeches and the merrymaking were
over, they two walked on the moonlit court of the palace.
“Tell me their secret,” she said, and held out the fruit in her hands.
“Their secret lies in thy heart, Atalanta,” he answered.
“What meanest thou?” she asked.
“When I left thee at the parting of the ways,” he said, “I travelled
many a weary league by land, and on the road I passed many a
shrine of Venus. But I never passed them by without lifting up my
hands in prayer to the goddess, for I knew that she could help me if
she would, and I knew that to them that love truly she is ever kind
in the end. But I wandered till I was footsore and weary, and yet I
had no sign. At length I came to the seashore, and took ship for the
pleasant isle of Cyprus, which is her home. There at last she came to
me, walking on the waves of the sea. As I lay on the shore in the
night-time, I saw her as a great light afar, and she drew near to me
with the foam playing white about her feet. In her hand she bore
three shining golden apples.
 “‘Fear not, Milanion,’ she said; ‘I have heard the cry of thy heart.
Here are three apples from mine own apple-tree. If she whom thou
lovest loves thee in return, she cannot resist the spell of their golden
brightness. When thou runnest against her, cast them one by one
into the middle of the course. If she love thee she will turn aside to
pick them up. For her they will be heavy as the gold they seem
made of. For thee they will be light as the fruit whose form they
wear. Farewell and good luck to thy race.’
“Thereupon darkness came over my eyes, and I could find no
words to thank her. When I awoke I thought it had been a dream,
but lo! by my side upon the sand lay the apples, shining in the
sunlight.”
“And thy vow?” asked Atalanta. “How camest thou to make such a
vow?”
He laughed at her words. “Long ago in my father’s house I heard
of thee and how thou couldst cast such a spell upon the hearts of
men that for thy sake they would fling away their lives. And a great
desire came upon me to see this thing for myself, for I could scarce
believe it. So I set forth alone to find thee, and hid my name from all
men as I journeyed, for thus could I be more free to act as seemed
best in mine own eyes. And I saw thee run in a race, and that
glimpse was enough to tell me that I too one day must run with
thee. Yet was I more wary than my rivals. I knew that to come as a
suitor was the way to turn thy heart to stone. Wherefore I pretended
to be bound by a vow, which would bring me as a passing stranger
before thee. Deep in my heart I felt that when a man desires one
thing on earth above every other—when he loves that thing better
than life itself, he is likely to win it in the end, if he walk patiently
step by step in faith. He will win that thing, or death, in his struggle
for it; and he is content that so it should be.”
 TURNING EVERYTHING INTO GOLD
By Nathaniel Hawthorne

O
nce upon a time, there lived a very rich man, and a king
besides, whose name was Midas; and he had a little daughter,
whom nobody but myself ever heard of, and whose name I either
never knew, or have entirely forgotten. So, because I love odd
names for little girls, I choose to call her Marygold.
This King Midas was fonder of gold than of anything else in the
world. He valued his royal crown chiefly because it was composed of
that precious metal. If he loved anything better, or half so well, it
was the one little maiden who played so merrily around her father’s
footstool. But the more Midas loved his daughter, the more did he
desire and seek for wealth. He thought, foolish man! that the best
thing he could possibly do for this dear child would be to bequeath
her the immensest pile of yellow, glistening coin that had ever been
heaped together since the world was made. Thus, he gave all his
thoughts and all his time to this one purpose. If ever he happened
to gaze for an instant at the gold-tinted clouds of sunset, he wished
that they were real gold, and that they could be squeezed safely into
his strong box. When little Marygold ran to meet him, with a bunch
of buttercups and dandelions, he used to say, “Poh, poh, child! If
these flowers were as golden as they look, they would be worth the
plucking!”
And yet, in his earlier days, before he was so entirely possessed of
this insane desire for riches, King Midas had shown a great taste for
flowers. He had planted a garden, in which grew the biggest and
beautifulest and sweetest roses that any mortal ever saw or smelt.
These roses were still growing in the garden, as large, as lovely, and
as fragrant, as when Midas used to pass whole hours in gazing at
them, and inhaling their perfume. But now, if he looked at them at
all, it was only to calculate how much the garden would be worth if
each of the innumerable rose petals were a thin plate of gold. And
though he once was fond of music (in spite of an idle story about his
ears, which were said to resemble those of an ass), the only music
for poor Midas, now, was the chink of one coin against another.
At length (as people always grow more and more foolish, unless
they take care to grow wiser and wiser), Midas had got to be so
exceedingly unreasonable that he could scarcely bear to see or
touch any object that was not gold. He made it his custom,
therefore, to pass a large portion of every day in a dark and dreary
apartment, under ground, at the basement of his palace. It was here
that he kept his wealth. To this dismal hole—for it was little better
than a dungeon—Midas betook himself whenever he wanted to be
particularly happy. Here, after carefully locking the door, he would
take a bag of gold coin, or a gold cup as big as a washbowl, or a
heavy golden bar, or a peck-measure of gold-dust, and bring them
from the obscure corners of the room into the one bright and narrow
sunbeam that fell from the dungeon-like window. He valued the
sunbeam for no other reason but that his treasure would not shine
without its help. And then would he reckon over the coins in the
bag; toss up the bar, and catch it as it came down; sift the gold-dust
through his fingers; look at the funny image of his own face, as
reflected in the burnished circumference of the cup; and whisper to
himself, “O Midas, rich King Midas, what a happy man art thou!” But
it was laughable to see how the image of his face kept grinning at
him, out of the polished surface of the cup. It seemed to be aware
of his foolish behavior, and to have a naughty inclination to make fun
of him.
Midas called himself a happy man, but felt that he was not yet
quite so happy as he might be. The very tiptop of enjoyment would
never be reached, unless the whole world were to become his
treasure-room, and be filled with yellow metal which should be all
his own.
Now, I need hardly remind such wise little people as you are, that
in the old, old times, when King Midas was alive, a great many
things came to pass which we should consider wonderful if they
were to happen in our own day and country. And, on the other hand,
a great many things take place nowadays, which seem not only
wonderful to us, but at which the people of old times would have
stared their eyes out. On the whole, I regard our own times as the
strangest of the two; but, however that may be, I must go on with
my story.
Midas was enjoying himself in his treasure-room, one day, as
usual, when he perceived a shadow fall over the heaps of gold, and,
looking suddenly up, what should he behold but the figure of a
stranger, standing in the bright and narrow sunbeam! It was a young
man, with a cheerful and ruddy face. Whether it was that the
imagination of King Midas threw a yellow tinge over everything, or
whatever the cause might be, he could not help fancying that the
smile with which the stranger regarded him had a kind of golden
radiance in it. Certainly, although his figure intercepted the sunshine,
there was now a brighter gleam upon all the piled-up treasures than
before. Even the remotest corners had their share of it, and were
lighted up, when the stranger smiled, as with tips of flame and
sparkles of fire.
As Midas knew that he had carefully turned the key in the lock,
and that no mortal strength could possibly break into his treasure-
room, he, of course, concluded that his visitor must be something
more than mortal. It is no matter about telling you who he was. In
those days, when the earth was comparatively a new affair, it was
supposed to be often the resort of beings endowed with
supernatural power, and who used to interest themselves in the joys
and sorrows of men, women, and children, half playfully and half
seriously. Midas had met such beings before now, and was not sorry
to meet one of them again. The stranger’s aspect, indeed, was so
good-humored and kindly, if not beneficent, that it would have been
unreasonable to suspect him of intending any mischief. It was far
more probable that he came to do Midas a favor. And what could
that favor be, unless to multiply his heaps of treasure?
 The stranger gazed about the room; and when his lustrous smile
had glistened upon all the golden objects that were there, he turned
again to Midas.
“You are a wealthy man, friend Midas!” he observed. “I doubt
whether any other four walls, on earth, contain so much gold as you
have contrived to pile up in this room.”
“I have done pretty well—pretty well,” answered Midas in a
discontented tone. “But, after all, it is but a trifle, when you consider
that it has taken me my whole life to get it together. If one could live
a thousand years, he might have time to grow rich!”
“What!” exclaimed the stranger. “Then you are not satisfied?”
Midas shook his head.
“And pray what would satisfy you?” asked the stranger. “Merely for
the curiosity of the thing, I should be glad to know.”
Midas paused and meditated. He felt a presentiment that this
stranger, with such a golden luster in his good-humored smile, had
come hither with both the power and the purpose of gratifying his
utmost wishes. Now, therefore, was the fortunate moment, when he
had but to speak, and obtain whatever possible, or seemingly
impossible thing, it might come into his head to ask. So he thought,
and thought, and thought, and heaped up one golden mountain
upon another, in his imagination, without being able to imagine them
big enough. At last, a bright idea occurred to King Midas. It seemed
really as bright as the glistening metal which he loved so much.
Raising his head, he looked the lustrous stranger in the face.
“Well, Midas,” observed his visitor, “I see that you have at length
hit upon something that will satisfy you. Tell me your wish.”
“It is only this,” replied Midas. “I am weary of collecting my
treasures with so much trouble, and beholding the heap so
diminutive, after I have done my best. I wish everything that I touch
to be changed to gold!”
 The stranger’s smile grew so very broad, that it seemed to fill the
room like an outburst of the sun, gleaming into a shadowy dell,
where the yellow autumnal leaves—for so looked the lumps and
particles of gold—lie strewn in the glow of light.
“The Golden Touch!” exclaimed he. “You certainly deserve credit,
friend Midas, for striking out so brilliant a conception. But are you
quite sure that this will satisfy you?”
“How could it fail?” said Midas.
“And will you never regret the possession of it?”
“What could induce me?” asked Midas. “I ask nothing else, to
render me perfectly happy.”
“Be it as you wish, then,” replied the stranger, waving his hand in
token of farewell. “To-morrow at sunrise, you will find yourself gifted
with the Golden Touch.”
The figure of the stranger then became exceedingly bright, and
Midas involuntarily closed his eyes. On opening them again, he
beheld only one yellow sunbeam in the room, and, all around him,
the glistening of the precious metal which he had spent his life in
hoarding up.
Whether Midas slept as usual that night, the story does not say.
Asleep or awake, however, his mind was probably in the state of a
child’s, to whom a beautiful new plaything has been promised in the
morning. At any rate, day had hardly peeped over the hills, when
King Midas was broad awake, and, stretching his arms out of bed,
began to touch the objects that were within reach. He was anxious
to prove whether the Golden Touch had really come, according to
the stranger’s promise. So he laid his finger on a chair by the
bedside, and on various other things, but was grievously
disappointed to perceive that they remained of exactly the same
substance as before. Indeed, he felt very much afraid that he had
only dreamed about the lustrous stranger, or else that the latter had
been making game of him. And what a miserable affair would it be,
if, after all his hopes, Midas must content himself with what little
gold he could scrape together by ordinary means, instead of creating
it by a touch!
All this while, it was only the gray of the morning, with but a
streak of brightness along the edge of the sky, where Midas could
not see it. He lay in a very disconsolate mood, regretting the
downfall of his hopes, and kept growing sadder and sadder, until the
earliest sunbeam shone through the window, and gilded the ceiling
over his head. It seemed to Midas that this bright yellow sunbeam
was reflected in rather a singular way on the white covering of the
bed. Looking more closely, what was his astonishment and delight,
when he found that his linen fabric had been transmuted to what
seemed a woven texture of the purest and brightest gold! The
Golden Touch had come to him with the first sunbeam!
Midas started up, in a kind of joyful frenzy, and ran about the
room, grasping at everything that happened to be in his way. He
seized one of the bed-posts, and it became immediately a fluted
golden pillar. He pulled aside a window curtain, in order to admit a
clear spectacle of the wonders which he was performing; and the
tassel grew heavy in his hand—a mass of gold. He took up a book
from the table. At his first touch, it assumed the appearance of such
a splendidly bound and gilt-edged volume as one often meets with
nowadays; but, on running his fingers through the leaves, behold! it
was a bundle of thin golden plates, in which all the wisdom of the
book had grown illegible. He hurriedly put on his clothes, and was
enraptured to see himself in a magnificent suit of gold cloth, which
retained its flexibility and softness, although it burdened him a little
with its weight. He drew out his handkerchief, which little Marygold
had hemmed for him. That was likewise gold, with the dear child’s
neat and pretty stitches running all along the border, in gold thread!
Somehow or other, this last transformation did not quite please
King Midas. He would rather that his little daughter’s handiwork
should have remained just the same as when she climbed his knee
and put it into his hand.
 But it was not worth while to vex himself about a trifle. Midas now
took his spectacles from his pocket, and put them on his nose, in
order that he might see more distinctly what he was about. In those
days, spectacles for common people had not been invented, but
were already worn by kings; else, how could Midas have had any?
To his great perplexity, however, excellent as the glasses were, he
discovered that he could not possibly see through them. But this was
the most natural thing in the world; for, on taking them off, the
transparent crystals turned out to be plates of yellow metal, and, of
course, were worthless as spectacles, though valuable as gold. It
struck Midas as rather inconvenient that, with all his wealth, he
could never again be rich enough to own a pair of serviceable
spectacles.
“It is no great matter, nevertheless,” said he to himself, very
philosophically. “We cannot expect any great good, without its being
accompanied with some small inconvenience. The Golden Touch is
worth the sacrifice of a pair of spectacles, at least, if not of one’s
very eyesight. My own eyes will serve for ordinary purposes, and
little Marygold will soon be old enough to read to me.”
Wise King Midas was so exalted by his good fortune, that the
palace seemed not sufficiently spacious to contain him. He therefore
went down stairs, and smiled, on observing that the balustrade of
the staircase became a bar of burnished gold, as his hand passed
over it, in his descent. He lifted the door-latch (it was brass only a
moment ago, but golden when his fingers quitted it), and emerged
into the garden. Here, as it happened, he found a great number of
beautiful roses in full bloom, and others in all the stages of lovely
bud and blossom. Very delicious was their fragrance in the morning
breeze. Their delicate blush was one of the fairest sights in the
world; so gentle, so modest, and so full of sweet tranquillity, did
these roses seem to be.
But Midas knew a way to make them far more precious, according
to his way of thinking, than roses had ever been before. So he took
great pains in going from bush to bush, and exercised his magic
touch most indefatigably; until every individual flower and bud, and
even the worms at the heart of some of them, were changed to
gold. By the time this good work was completed, King Midas was
summoned to breakfast; and as the morning air had given him an
excellent appetite, he made haste back to the palace.
What was usually a king’s breakfast in the days of Midas, I really
do not know, and cannot stop now to investigate. To the best of my
belief, however, on this particular morning, the breakfast consisted of
hot cakes, some nice little brook trout, roasted potatoes, fresh boiled
eggs, and coffee, for King Midas himself, and a bowl of bread and
milk for his daughter Marygold. At all events, this is a breakfast fit to
set before a king; and, whether he had it or not, King Midas could
not have had a better.
Little Marygold had not yet made her appearance. Her father
ordered her to be called, and, seating himself at table, awaited the
child’s coming, in order to begin his own breakfast. To do Midas
justice, he really loved his daughter, and loved her so much the
more this morning, on account of the good fortune which had
befallen him. It was not a great while before he heard her coming
along the passageway crying bitterly. This circumstance surprised
him, because Marygold was one of the cheerfullest little people
whom you would see in a summer’s day, and hardly shed a
thimbleful of tears in a twelvemonth. When Midas heard her sobs,
he determined to put little Marygold into better spirits, by an
agreeable surprise; so, leaning across the table, he touched his
daughter’s bowl (which was a china one, with pretty figures all
around it), and transmuted it to gleaming gold.
Meanwhile, Marygold slowly and disconsolately opened the door,
and showed herself with her apron at her eyes, still sobbing as if her
heart would break.
“How now, my little lady!” cried Midas. “Pray what is the matter
with you, this bright morning?”
 Marygold, without taking the apron from her eyes, held out her
hand, in which was one of the roses which Midas had so recently
transmuted.
“Beautiful!” exclaimed her father. “And what is there in this
magnificent golden rose to make you cry?”
“Ah, dear father!” answered the child, as well as her sobs would
let her; “it is not beautiful, but the ugliest flower that ever grew! As
soon as I was dressed I ran into the garden to gather some roses for
you; because I know you like them, and like them the better when
gathered by your little daughter. But, oh dear, dear me! What do you
think has happened? Such a misfortune! All the beautiful roses, that
smelled so sweetly and had so many lovely blushes, are blighted and
spoilt! They are grown quite yellow, as you see this one, and have
no longer any fragrance! What can have been the matter with
them?”
“Poh, my dear little girl—pray don’t cry about it!” said Midas, who
was ashamed to confess that he himself had wrought the change
which so greatly afflicted her. “Sit down and eat your bread and
milk! You will find it easy enough to exchange a golden rose like that
(which will last hundreds of years) for an ordinary one which would
wither in a day.”
“I don’t care for such roses as this!” cried Marygold, tossing it
contemptuously away. “It has no smell, and the hard petals prick my
nose!”
The child now sat down to table, but was so occupied with her
grief for the blighted roses that she did not even notice the
wonderful transmutation of her china bowl. Perhaps this was all the
better; for Marygold was accustomed to take pleasure in looking at
the queer figures, and strange trees and houses, that were painted
on the circumference of the bowl; and these ornaments were now
entirely lost in the yellow hue of the metal.
Midas, meanwhile, had poured out a cup of coffee, and, as a
matter of course, the coffee-pot, whatever metal it may have been
when he took it up, was gold when he set it down. He thought to
himself, that it was rather an extravagant style of splendor, in a king
of his simple habits, to breakfast off a service of gold, and began to
be puzzled with the difficulty of keeping his treasures safe. The
cupboard and the kitchen would no longer be a secure place of
deposit for articles so valuable as golden bowls and coffee-pots.
Amid these thoughts, he lifted a spoonful of coffee to his lips, and,
sipping it, was astonished to perceive that, the instant his lips
touched the liquid, it became molten gold, and, the next moment
hardened into a lump!
“Ha!” exclaimed Midas, rather aghast.
“What is the matter, father?” asked little Marygold, gazing at him,
with the tears still standing in her eyes.
“Nothing, child, nothing!” said Midas. “Eat your milk, before it gets
quite cold.”
He took one of the nice little trouts on his plate, and, by way of
experiment, touched its tail with his finger. To his horror, it was
immediately transmuted from an admirably fried brook-trout into a
gold-fish, though not one of those gold-fishes which people often
keep in glass globes, as ornaments for the parlor. No; but it was
really a metallic fish, and looked as if it had been very cunningly
made by the nicest goldsmith in the world. Its little bones were now
golden wires; its fins and tail were thin plates of gold; and there
were the marks of the fork in it, and all the delicate, frothy
appearance of a nicely fried fish, exactly imitated in metal. A very
pretty piece of work, as you may suppose; only King Midas, just at
that moment, would much rather have had a real trout in his dish
than this elaborate and valuable imitation of one.
“I don’t quite see,” thought he to himself, “how I am to get any
breakfast!”
He took one of the smoking-hot cakes, and had scarcely broken it,
when, to his cruel mortification, though, a moment before, it had
been of the whitest wheat, it assumed the yellow hue of Indian
meal. To say the truth, if it had really been a hot Indian cake, Midas
would have prized it a good deal more than he now did, when its
solidity and increased weight made him too bitterly sensible that it
was gold. Almost in despair, he helped himself to a boiled egg, which
immediately underwent a change similar to those of the trout and
the cake. The egg, indeed, might have been mistaken for one of
those which the famous goose, in the story-book, was in the habit of
laying; but King Midas was the only goose that had had anything to
do with the matter.
“Well, this is a quandary!” thought he, leaning back in his chair,
and looking quite enviously at little Marygold, who was not eating
her bread and milk with great satisfaction. “Such a costly breakfast
before me, and nothing that can be eaten!”
Hoping that, by dint of great dispatch, he might avoid what he
now felt to be a considerable inconvenience, King Midas next
snatched a hot potato, and attempted to cram it into his mouth, and
swallow it in a hurry. But the Golden Touch was too nimble for him.
He found his mouth full, not of mealy potato, but of solid metal,
which so burnt his tongue that he roared aloud, and, jumping up
from the table, began to dance and stamp about the room both with
pain and affright.
“Father, dear father!” cried little Marygold, who was a very
affectionate child, “pray what is the matter? Have you burnt your
mouth?”
“Ah, dear child,” groaned Midas, dolefully, “I don’t know what is to
become of your poor father!”
And, truly, my dear little folks, did you ever hear of such a pitiable
case in all your lives? Here was literally the richest breakfast that
could be set before a king, and its very richness made it absolutely
good for nothing. The poorest laborer, sitting down to his crust of
bread and cup of water, was far better off than King Midas, whose
delicate food was really worth its weight in gold. And what was to be
done? Already, at breakfast, Midas was excessively hungry. Would he
be less so by dinner-time? And how ravenous would be his appetite
for supper, which must undoubtedly consist of the same sort of
indigestible dishes as those now before him! How many days, think
you, would he survive a continuance of this rich fare?
These reflections so troubled wise King Midas, that he began to
doubt whether, after all, riches are the one desirable thing in the
world, or even the most desirable. But this was only a passing
thought. So fascinated was Midas with the glitter of the yellow
metal, that he would still have refused to give up the Golden Touch
for so paltry a consideration as a breakfast. Just imagine what a
price for one meal’s victuals. It would have been the same as paying
millions and millions of money (and as many millions more as would
take forever to reckon up) for some fried trout, an egg, a potato, a
hot cake, and a cup of coffee!
“It would be quite too dear,” thought Midas.
Nevertheless, so great was his hunger, and the perplexity of his
situation, that he again groaned aloud, and very grievously, too. Our
pretty Marygold could endure it no longer. She sat, a moment,
gazing at her father, and trying, with all the might of her little wits,
to find out what was the matter with him. Then, with a sweet and
sorrowful impulse to comfort him, she started from her chair, and,
running to Midas, threw her arms affectionately about his knees. He
bent down and kissed her. He felt that his little daughter’s love was
worth a thousand times more than he had gained by the Golden
Touch.
“My precious, precious Marygold!” cried he.
But Marygold made no answer.
Alas, what had he done? How fatal was the gift which the stranger
bestowed! The moment the lips of Midas touched Marygold’s
forehead, a change had taken place. Her sweet, rosy face, so full of
affection as it had been, assumed a glittering yellow color, with
yellow tear-drops, congealing on her cheeks. Her beautiful brown
ringlets took the same tint. Her soft and tender little form grew hard
and inflexible within her father’s encircling arms. Oh, terrible
misfortune! The victim of his insatiable desire for wealth, little
Marygold was a human child no longer, but a golden statue!
Yes, there she was, with the questioning look of love, grief, and
pity, hardened into her face. It was the prettiest and most woeful
sight that ever mortal saw. All the features and tokens of Marygold
were there; even the beloved little dimple remained in her gold chin.
But, the more perfect was the resemblance, the greater was the
father’s agony at beholding this golden image, which was all that
was left him of a daughter. It had been a favorite phrase of Midas,
whenever he felt particularly fond of the child, to say that she was
worth her weight in gold. And now the phrase had become literally
true. And now, at last, when it was too late, he felt how infinitely a
warm and tender heart that loved him, exceeded in value all the
wealth that could be piled up betwixt the earth and sky!
It would be too sad a story, if I were to tell you how Midas, in the
fulness of all his gratified desires, began to wring his hands and
bemoan himself; and how he could neither bear to look at Marygold,
nor yet to look away from her. Except when his eyes were fixed on
the image, he could not possibly believe that she was changed to
gold. But, stealing another glance, there was the precious little
figure, with a yellow tear-drop on its yellow cheek, and a look so
piteous and tender, that it seemed as if that very expression must
needs soften the gold and make it flesh again. This, however, could
not be. So Midas had only to wring his hands, and to wish that he
were the poorest man in the wide world, if the loss of all his wealth
might bring back the faintest rose-color to his dear child’s face.
While he was in this tumult of despair, he suddenly beheld a
stranger standing near the door. Midas bent down his head, without
speaking; for he recognized the same figure which had appeared to
him, the day before, in the treasure-room, and had bestowed on him
this disastrous faculty of the Golden Touch. The stranger’s
countenance still wore a smile, which seemed to shed a yellow luster
all about the room, and gleamed on little Marygold’s image, and on
the other objects that had been transmuted by the touch of Midas.
“Well, friend Midas,” said the stranger, “pray how do you succeed
with the Golden Touch?”
Midas shook his head.
“I am very miserable,” said he.
“Very miserable, indeed!” exclaimed the stranger. “And how
happens that? Have I not faithfully kept my promise with you? Have
you not everything that your heart desired?”
“Gold is not everything,” answered Midas. “And I have lost all that
my heart really cared for.”
“Ah! So you have made a discovery, since yesterday?” observed
the stranger. “Let us see, then. Which of these two things do you
think is really worth the most—the gift of the Golden Touch, or one
cup of clear cold water?”
“O blessed water!” exclaimed Midas. “It will never moisten my
parched throat again!”
“The Golden Touch,” continued the stranger, “or a crust of bread?”
“A piece of bread,” answered Midas, “is worth all the gold on
earth!”
“The Golden Touch,” asked the stranger, “or your own little
Marygold, warm, soft and loving as she was an hour ago?”
“Oh my child, my dear child!” cried poor Midas, wringing his
hands. “I would not have given that one small dimple in her chin for
the power of changing this whole big earth into a solid lump of
gold!”
“You are wiser than you were, King Midas!” said the stranger,
looking seriously at him. “Your own heart, I perceive, has not been
entirely changed from flesh to gold. Were it so, your case would
indeed be desperate. But you appear to be still capable of
understanding that the commonest things, such as lie within
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