The wealthiest man in Babylon
In ancient Babylon lived a very rich man whose name was Arkad. His immense fortune made him admired throughout the world. He was also known for his prodigality. He gave generously to the poor. He was splendid with his family. He spent a lot on himself. But his fortune increased every year more than he could spend.
One day, some childhood friends went to see him and said:
"You, Arkad, are luckier than us." You have become the richest man in Babylon while we still struggle to survive. You can wear the most beautiful clothes and give yourself with the rarest delicacies, while we have to settle for dressing our families just decently and feed them as well as we can.
»However, we were equal in a while. We study with the same teacher. We play the same games. You didn't beat us in games or in studios. And during those years you were not a better citizen than ... His friends thought that these words were true, because they knew men who had inherited fortunes. They asked him to explain how he had become such a prosperous man.
"In my youth," he continued, "I looked around and saw all the good things that could give me happiness and satisfaction, and I realized that wealth increased the power of those goods."
»Wealth is a power, wealth makes many things possible.
»It allows to furnish a house with the most beautiful furniture.
»Allows sailing through distant seas.
»Allows you to taste fine delicacies from distant countries.
»Allows you to buy the ornaments of the goldsmith and the jeweler.
»It allows even to build great temples for the gods.
»It allows all those things and even many others that provide pleasure to the senses and satisfaction to the soul. “When I understood all that, I promised myself that I would have my share of the good things in life. That he would not be one of those who stand aside, watching with envy how others enjoy their fortune. I wouldn't settle for less expensive clothes that would only be respectable. I would not be content with the life of a poor man. On the contrary, I would be invited to the banquet of good things.
“Being, as you know, the son of a humble merchant, and a member of a large family, had no hope of inheriting, and was not especially endowed with strength or wisdom, as you have said so frankly; so I decided that if I wanted to get what I wanted, I would need to spend time and study.
»As for time, all men have it in abundance. You have let the necessary time pass to get rich.
»And yet you admit that you have no other goods to show than your good families, of which you are right to be proud. »Regarding the study. Didn't our wise teacher teach us that he has two levels? The things that we have already learned and that we already know; and the training that shows us how to discover the ones we don't know.
“So I decided to look for what had to be done to accumulate wealth, and when I found it, I believed in the obligation to do it and to do it well. Well, is it not wise to want to take advantage of life while the sun illuminates us, since misfortune will soon be brought upon us at the moment we leave for the blackness of the spirit world?
»I found a scribe post in the file room, where for long hours every day, I worked on the clay tablets, week after week, month after month; However, nothing was left of what I earned. The food, the dress, what corresponded to the gods and other things that I no longer remember, absorbed all my benefits. But I was still determined. “And one day, Algamish the lender came to the house of the city lord and commissioned a copy of the ninth law; he told me:
"" I have to have it in my possession in two days; If the work is done on time I will give you two copper coins.
“So I worked hard, but the law was long and when Algamish returned, he had not finished the job. He was angry, if he had been his slave he would have hit me. But since I knew that my master would not have allowed it, I was not afraid and asked him:
"—Algamish, you are a rich man. Tell me how I can get rich and I will work all night writing on the tablets so that when the sun rises the law is already recorded.
»He smiled at me and replied:
"You are a cunning young man, I accept the deal." »I spent the whole night writing, although my back hurt and the bad smell of the lamp gave me a headache, until I could hardly see. But when he returned at dawn, the tablets were finished.
"Now," I said, "keep your promise."
"You have done your part of the deal, my son," he told me kindly, "and I am willing to fulfill mine." I will tell you what you want to know because I get old and old languages like to speak, and when a young man turns to an old man for advice, he drinks from the source of the wisdom that experience gives. Too many times, young people believe that old people only know the wisdom of times gone by and thus do not take advantage of it. But remember this: the sun that shines now is the same one that shone when your father was born and the same one that will shine when the last of your grandchildren dies. "" The ideas of young people, "he continued," are glowing lights that shine like meteors that illuminate the sky; but the wisdom of the old man is like the stars ranks that always look the same way, so that sailors can trust them.
»” Keep these words well if you want to grasp the truth of what I am going to tell you and not think that you have worked in vain all night.
“Then, he lowered his bushy eyebrows, his eyes stared at me and said in a low but firm voice:
"I found the path of wealth when I decided that a part of everything I earned had to belong to me. The same will be true for you. “Then he continued looking at me and his gaze pierced me; Giro added nothing more.
"-That is all? -I asked for.
»—It was enough to make a pastor a gold lender! -answered.
"" But I can keep everything I earn, right? -said.
"" Not at all, "he replied. Don't you pay the shoemaker? Don't you pay the tailor? Don't you pay for food? Can you live in Babylon without spending? What do you have left of everything you earned during the past year? Moron! You pay everyone but you. You work for others. It would be the same if you were a slave and worked for your owner, who would give you what you need to eat and dress.
»” If you save one tenth of what you earn in a year, how much would you have in ten years?
»My knowledge of calculation allowed me to answer:
»—As much as I win in a year. »He replied:
"—What you say is half true. Every gold coin you save is a slave that works for you. Each of the small coins that this will provide you, will generate others that will also work for you. If you want to get rich, your savings should yield to you and these returns will yield to you! All this will help you get the abundance that you are avid.
"" You think I pay you badly for the long night at work, "he continued," but I really pay you a thousand times; you just need to capture the truth of what I have presented to you.
»” A part of what you earn is yours and you can keep it. It should not be less than one tenth, whatever the amount you earn. It can be much more when you can afford it. First pay yourself. Do not buy the shoemaker or the tailor more than you can afford with what you have left, so that you have enough for food, charity and devotion to the gods. »" Wealth, like the tree, is born from a seed. The first currency you save will be the seed that will grow the tree of your wealth. The sooner you plant your seed, the sooner the tree will grow. The more faithfully you water and fertilize your tree, the sooner you will refresh yourself, satisfied, under its shadow.
»Having said this, he took his tablets and left.
»I thought a lot about what he had told me and it seemed reasonable. So I decided that I would try. Every time they paid me, I took a copper coin out of ten and kept it. And oddly enough, I didn't need more money than before. After getting used to it, I almost didn't realize it, but I was often tempted to spend my treasure, which was beginning to grow, to buy some of the good things merchants showed, things brought by camels and the Phoenician country ships. But he held me prudently.
»Twelve months after Algamish's visit, he came back and said: »—My son, have you paid yourself with one tenth of what you have earned this year?
»I responded proudly:
"-Yes Master.
"Well," he replied happily, "what have you done with her?"
"" I gave it to Azmur the brick maker. He told me that he would travel across distant seas and buy rare jewels from the Phoenicians in Tire, then sell them here at high prices, and that we would share the profits. "You learn with blows," he growled, "how could you trust a brick maker on a matter of jewelry?" Would you go see the baker for a matter of the stars? Surely not, if you thought a little you would go to see an astronomer. You have lost your savings, my young friend; You have cut your tree of root wealth. But plant another. And next time, if you want advice on jewelry, go see a jeweler. If you want to know the truth about lambs, go see the pastor. The advice is one thing that is given for free, but take only the good ones. Anyone who asks for advice on their savings from someone who is not understood in the matter will have to pay with their economies the price of the falsehood of the councils. »After saying this, he left.
“And it happened as he had predicted, because the Phoenicians turned out to be scoundrels, and they had sold worthless pieces of glass to Azmur that looked like precious stones. But, as Algamish had indicated to me, I returned to save a copper coin of every ten that I earned since I had become accustomed and it was not difficult for me.
“Twelve months later, Algamish returned to the room of the scribes and addressed me.
»—What progress have you made since the last time I saw you?
"I have paid myself regularly," I replied, "and have entrusted my savings to Ager, the shield maker, to buy bronze, and he pays me interest every four months." "-Very well. And what do you do with those interests?
"I have a big feast with honey, good wine and spice cake." I also bought a scarlet robe. And one day I will buy a young ass to be able to walk.
»Upon hearing that, Algamish laughed:
»—You eat the benefits of your savings. So, how do you want them to work for you? How can they in turn produce more benefits that work for you? Get yourself an army of gold slaves first, and then you can enjoy the banquets without worrying.
»After this, I never saw him again in two years. When he returned, his face was covered with wrinkles and his eyes were sunk, as he was getting old. He told me:
»—Arkad, are you already rich, just as you dreamed? "And I answered:
"" No, I still don't have everything I want, only part, but I get benefits that are multiplying.
"And you still ask the brick makers for advice?"
"Regarding the way of making bricks, they give good advice," I replied.
"Arkad," he continued, "you have learned the lesson well." First you learned to live with less than what you earned, then you learned to ask for advice from men who were competent thanks to the experience gained and who wanted to share it, and finally you have learned to make your money work for you. »” You have learned for yourself only how to get money, keep it and use it. So you are competent and prepared to assume a position of responsibility. I grow old, my children only think about spending and never winning. My businesses are very large and I am afraid of not being able to handle them. If you want to go to Nippur to take care of my land there, I will make you my partner and share the benefits.
“So I went to Nippur and took care of important business, and since I was full of ambition and had learned the three rules of wealth management, I could greatly increase the value of your assets. So when Algamish's spirit went to the world of darkness, I was entitled to a portion of his property, as he had agreed according to the law.
This is how Arkad spoke, and when he had finished telling his story, one of the friends spoke.
"You were very lucky that Algamish made you his heir." "I only had the good fortune of wanting to prosper before I found him." Didn't I prove my determination for four years by saving a tenth of what I earned? Would you say that the fisherman is lucky that spends long years studying the behavior of the fish and manages to catch them thanks to a change of the wind, pulling their nets just at the right time? The opportunity is an arrogant goddess who does not waste time with those who are not prepared.
"You did a lot of willingness test when you continued after losing your first year's savings." You were extraordinary! Said another.
-Will! Arkad replied. How absurd! Do you think that the will gives man the strength to lift a bundle that cannot carry a camel or cannot throw an ox? The will is nothing more than the uncompromising determination to carry out what has been imposed. »When I impose a job, however small, I finish it. Otherwise, how could I trust myself to do important work? If I propose that for a hundred days, every time I pass the bridge that leads to the city I will take a stone and throw it into the river, I will. If the seventh day passed without remembering, I do not tell myself that I will spend the next day, I will throw two stones, and it will be the same. Instead I will turn around and throw the stone into the river. On the 20th day I will not tell myself that all this is useless, nor will I ask myself what is the use of throwing stones into the river every day: "you could throw a handful of stones and you would have finished everything." No, I will not say that nor will I do it, when I impose a job I do it, so I try not to start difficult or impossible jobs because I like to have free time. Then, another of the friends raised his voice.
"If what you say is true, and if, as you have said, it is reasonable, then all men could do it, and if everyone did, there would not be enough wealth for everyone."
"Wealth increases every time men spend their energies," Arkad replied. If a rich man builds a new palace, does he lose the gold with which he pays? No, the brick maker has one part, the worker another, the artist his. And all who work, in the construction of the palace receive a share. And when the palace is finished, does it not have the value of what it cost? And the land on which it is built does not acquire more value? Wealth grows magically. No man can predict his limit. Have not the Phoenicians built large cities on arid coasts thanks to the wealth brought by their merchant ships? "What do you advise us to get rich too?" Asked one of the friends. The years have passed, we are no longer young and we have no money to save.
»Secure an income for the future, look at the elders and don't forget that you will be one of them. Invest your assets with the utmost caution not to lose it. The interests of the usurers are irresistible siren songs that attract the reckless towards the rocks of perdition and remorse. »Watch that your family does not need if the gods call you to their kingdom. To ensure this protection, small amounts can always be disbursed at regular intervals. The prudent man does not trust receiving a large sum of money if he has not seen it before.
»Consult the wise men. Seek the advice of those who handle money every day. Allow them to save you mistakes like the one I made by trusting my money to the judgment of Azmur, the brick maker. A small secure interest is preferable to a large risk. »Take advantage of life while you are in this world, do not make too many economies. If a tenth of what you earn is a reasonable amount you can save, be content with that portion. Apart from this, live in a manner consistent with your income and do not become stubborn or afraid to spend. Life is beautiful and full of good things that you can enjoy.
After saying this, his friends thanked him and left. Some remained silent because they had no imagination and could not understand, others felt resentment because they thought someone so rich had been able to share their money with them, but some third parties had a new sparkle in their eyes. They had understood that Algamish had returned to the room of the scribes to look closely at a man who was drawing a path to the light. Once he had found the light, he would already have a position. They knew that no one could occupy this place without first having come to understand all this for themselves and without being willing to take advantage of the occasion when it was presented.
The latter were those who, during the following years, regularly visited Arkad, who received them with joy. He advised them and gave them their wisdom for free, as they always like to make men of long experience. It helped them invest their savings so that they were given a secure interest and not wasted on bad investments that would not have given any benefit.
The day they became aware of the truth that had been transmitted from Algamish to Arkad and from Arkad to them, was a milestone in their lives.
A part of what you earn reverts in you, keep it
