First published in 1889, The King of the Golden River tells the story of young Gluck, a headstrong boy with two dreadful brothers who consistently mistreat him. One day, Gluck and his brothers go off to find the Golden River's source. When they do, they discover the King of the Golden River, who teaches them how to turn the Golden River into real gold. A popular children story which went through several printings in the 19th century and was translated into several languages, The King of the Golden River dramatizes the moral that loving money more than other human beings leads only to destruction.