properly hydrate himself this way. He then gets tired of eating chocolate and yearns once again to be able to eat foods with nutrients, viewing ham sandwiches, sliced chicken, cherries and other such prosaic fare as Earth's choicest delicacies, for the first time in his young life preferring "normal food" to candy. The boy also realizes everything he touches with his mouth transforms into chocolate, as evidenced when he turns his trumpet into a chocolate trumpet during band practice. John ruins the birthday party of his friend Susan when a game of bobbing for apples results in everyone being awash in chocolate sauce. John tells his dad he needs help. Under the impression John needs reinforcement with his diet, they go to Dr. Cranium, who prescribes a tonic - John promptly spits out chocolate syrup and a chocolate spoon, exposing John's chocolate transforming ability. Dr. Cranium then turns his attention to his own fame in the medical world, calling this "Cranium's disease", and Mrs. Midas cries when she finds out John is affected by this apparent disease. In order to comfort her, John tries to kiss his mother, but he turns her into a chocolate statue. Horrified, he rushes to the candy store, where the chocolate vendor tells him only greedy people can see the money he spent at the store. He offers John a choice between restoring his mother to normal and removing the chocolate touch and John begs him to help his mother. Recognising that John has repented, the shopkeeper promises that all the things John turned to chocolate have reverted to their original states, his friendship with Susan is repaired, and neither his parents nor Dr. Cranium have any knowledge of the chocolate transforming ability. John returns home to a quiet house and his mom once again a living human woman. Realizing as part of his reformation he ought to thank the shopkeeper for undoing all the damage, he runs back to the candy store, only to see nothing but an empty lot. Themes The Chocolate Touch covers roughly the same narrative as the myth of King Midas, hence the name John Midas, but in changing the object of its protagonist's desire, modifies its target in significant ways. The myth of King Midas, who loved gold above all things, targets greed as its main theme, while The Chocolate Touch highlights another of the Seven Deadly Sins, gluttony.