3.31.2008
The Richest Man in Babylon - Part Five
Meet the Goddess of Good Luck
"If a man be lucky, there is no foretelling the possible
extent of his good fortune. Pitch him into the Euphrates and
like as not he will swim out with a pearl in his hand."
—Babylonian Proverb.
The desire to be lucky is universal. It was just as strong in
the breasts of men four thousand years ago in ancient
Babylon as it is in the hearts of men today. We all hope to
be favored by the whimsical Goddess of Good Luck. Is
there some way we can meet her and attract, not only her
favorable attention, but her generous favors?
Is there a way to attract good luck?
That is just what the men of ancient Babylon wished to
know. It is exactly what they decided to find out. They
were shrewd men and keen thinkers. That explains why
their city became the richest and most powerful city of their
time.
In that distant past, they had no schools or colleges.
Nevertheless they had a center of learning and a very
practical one it was. Among the towered buildings in
Babylon was one that ranked in importance with the Palace
of the King, the Hanging Gardens and the temples of the
Gods. You will find scant mention of it in the history
books, more likely no mention at all, yet it exerted a
powerful influence upon the thought of that time.
This building was the Temple of Learning where the
wisdom of the past was expounded by voluntary teachers
and where subjects of popular interest were discussed in
open forums. Within its walls all men met as equals. The
humblest of slaves could dispute with impunity the
opinions of a prince of the royal house.
Among the many who frequented the Temple of Learning,
was a wise rich man named Arkad, called the richest man
in Babylon. He had his own special hall where almost any
evening a large group of men, some old, some very young,
but mostly middle-aged, gathered to discuss and argue
interesting subjects. Suppose we listen in to see whether
they knew how to attract good luck.
The sun had just set like a great red ball of fire shining
through the haze of desert dust when Arkad strolled to his
accustomed platform. Already full four score men were
awaiting his arrival, reclining on their small rugs spread
upon the floor. More were still arriving.
"What shall we discuss this night?" Arkad inquired.
After a brief hesitation, a tall cloth weaver addressed him,
arising as was the custom. "I have a subject I would like to
hear discussed yet hesitate to offer lest it seem ridiculous to
you, Arkad, and my good friends here."
Upon being urged to offer it, both by Arkad and by calls
from the others, he continued: "This day I have been lucky,
for I have found a purse in which there are pieces of gold.
To continue to be lucky is my great desire. Feeling that all
men share with me this desire, I do suggest we debate how
to attract good luck that we may discover ways it can be
enticed to one."
"A most interesting subject has been offered, Arkad
commented, "one most worthy of our discussion. To some
men, good luck bespeaks but a chance happening that, like
an accident, may befall one without purpose or reason.
Others do believe that the instigator of all good fortune is
our most bounteous goddess, Ashtar, ever anxious to
reward with generous gifts those who please her. Speak up,
my friends, what say you, shall we seek to find if there be
means by which good luck may be enticed to visit each and
all of us?"
"Yea! Yea! And much of it!" responded the growing group
of eager listeners.
Thereupon Arkad continued, "To start our discussion, let us
first hear from those among us who have enjoyed
experiences similar to that of the cloth weaver in finding or
receiving, without effort upon their part, valuable treasures
or jewels."
There was a pause in which all looked about expecting
someone to reply but no one did.
"What, no one?" Arkad said, "then rare indeed must be this
kind of good luck. Who now will offer a suggestion as to
where we shall continue our search?"
That I will do," spoke a well-robed young man, arising.
"When a man speaketh of luck is it not natural that his
thoughts turn to the gaining tables? Is it not there we find
many men courting the favor of the goddess in hope she
will bless them with rich winnings?"
As he resumed his seat a voice called, "Do not stop!
Continue thy story! Tell us, didst thou find favor with the
goddess at the gaming tables? Did she turn the cubes with
red side up so thou filled thy purse at the dealer's expense
or did she permit the blue sides to come up so the dealer
raked in thy hard-earned pieces of silver?"
The young man joined the good-natured laughter, then
replied, "I am not averse to admitting she seemed not to
know I was even there. But how about the rest of you?
Have you found her waiting about such places to roll the
cubes, in your favor? We are eager to hear as well as to
learn."
"A wise start," broke in Arkad. "We meet here to consider
all sides of each question. To ignore the gaming table
would be to overlook an instinct common to most men, the
love of taking a chance with a small amount of silver in the
hope of winning much gold."
"That doth remind me of the races but yesterday," called
out another listener. "If the goddess frequents the gaming
tables, certainly she dost not overlook the races where the
gilded chariots and the foaming horses offer far more
excitement. Tell us honestly, Arkad, didst she whisper to
you to place your bet upon those grey horses from Nineveh
yesterday? I was standing just behind thee and could scarce
believe my ears when I heard thee place thy bet upon the
greys. Thou knowest as well as any of us that no team in all
Assyria can beat our beloved bays in a fair race.
"Didst the goddess whisper in thy ear to bet upon the greys
because at the last turn the inside black would stumble and
so interfere with our bays that the greys would win the race
and score an unearned victory?"
Arkad smiled indulgently at the banter. "What reason have
we to feel the good goddess would take that much interest
in any man's bet upon a horse race? To me she is a goddess
of love and dignity whose pleasure it is to aid those who
are in need and to reward those who are deserving. I look to
find her, not at the gaming tables or the races where men
lose more gold than they win but in other places where the
doings of men are more worthwhile and more worthy of
reward.
"In tilling the soil, in honest trading, in all of man's
occupations, there is opportunity to make a profit upon his
efforts and his transactions. Perhaps not all the time will he
be rewarded because sometimes his judgment may be
faulty and other times the winds and the weather may
defeat his efforts. Yet, if he persists, he may usually expect
to realize his profit. This is so because the chances of profit
are always in his favor.
"But, when a man playeth the games, the situation is
reversed for the chances of profit are always against him
and always in favor of the game keeper. The game is so
arranged that it will always favor the keeper. It is his
business at which he plans to make a liberal profit for
himself from the coins bet by the players. Few players
realize how certain are the game keeper's profits and how
uncertain are their own chances to win.
"For example, let us consider wagers placed upon the cube.
Each time it is cast we bet which side will be uppermost. If
it be the red side the game master pays to us four times our
bet. But if any other of the five sides come uppermost, we
lose our bet. Thus the figures show that for each cast we
have five chances to lose, but because the red pays four for
one, we have four chances to win. In a night's play the
game master can expect to keep for his profit one-fifth of
all the coins wagered. Can a man expect to win more than
occasionally against odds so arranged that he should lose
one-fifth of all his bets?"
"Yet some men do win large sums at times," volunteered
one of the listeners.
"Quite so, they do," Arkad continued. "Realizing this, the
question comes to me whether money secured in such ways
brings permanent value to those who are thus lucky.
Among my acquaintances are many of the successful men
of Babylon, yet among them I am unable to name a single
one who started his success from such a source.
"You who are gathered here tonight know many more of
our substantial citizens. To me it would be of much interest
to learn how many of our successful citizens can credit the
gaming tables with their start to success. Suppose each of
you tell of those you know. What say you?"
After a prolonged silence, a wag ventured, 'Wouldst thy
inquiry include the game keepers?"
"If you think of no one else," Arkad responded. "If not one
of you can think of anyone else, then how about
yourselves? Are there any consistent winners with us who
hesitate to advise such a source for their incomes?"
His challenge was answered by a series of groans from the
rear taken up and spread amid much laughter.
"It would seem we are not seeking good luck in such places
as the goddess frequents," he continued. "Therefore let us
explore other fields. We have not found it in picking up lost
wallets. Neither have we found it haunting the gaming
tables. As to the races, I must confess to have lost far more
coins there than I have ever won.
"Now, suppose we consider our trades and businesses. Is it
not natural if we conclude a profitable transaction to
consider it not good luck but a just reward for our efforts? I
am inclined to think we may be overlooking the gifts of the
goddess. Perhaps she really does assist us when we do not
appreciate her generosity. Who can suggest further
discussion?"
Thereupon an elderly merchant arose, smoothing his
genteel white robe. "With thy permission, most honorable
Arkad and my friends, I offer a suggestion. If, as you have
said, we take credit to our own industry and ability for our
business success, why not consider the successes we almost
enjoyed but which escaped us, happenings which would
have been most profitable. They would have been rare
examples of good luck if they had actually happened.
Because they were not brought to fulfillment we cannot
consider them as our just rewards. Surely many men here
have such experiences to relate."
"Here is a wise approach," Arkad approved. "Who among
you have had good luck within your grasp only to see it
escape?"
Many hands were raised, among them that of the merchant.
Arkad motioned to him to speak. "As you suggested this
approach, we should like to hear first from you."
"I will gladly relate a tale," he resumed, "that doth illustrate
how closely unto a man good luck may approach and how
blindly he may permit it to escape, much to his loss and
later regret.
"Many years ago, when I was a young man, just married
and well-started to earning, my father did come one day
and urge most strongly that I enter in an investment. The
son of one of his good friends had taken notice of a barren
tract of land not far beyond the outer walls of our city. It
lay high above the canal where no water could reach it.
"The son of my father's friend devised a plan to purchase
this land, build three large water wheels that could be
operated by oxen and thereby raise the life-giving waters to
the fertile soil. This accomplished, he planned to divide
into small tracts and sell to the residents of the city for herb
patches.
"The son of my father's friend did not possess sufficient
gold to complete such an undertaking. Like myself, he was
a young man earning a fair sum. His father, like mine, was
a man of large family and small means. He, therefore,
decided to interest a group of men to enter the enterprise
with him. The group was to comprise twelve, each of
whom must be a money earner and agree to pay one-tenth
of his earnings into the enterprise until the land was made
ready for sale. All would then share justly in the profits in
proportion to their investment.
" 'Thou, my son,' bespoke my father unto me, 'art now in
thy young manhood. It is my deep desire that thou begin
the building of a valuable estate for myself that thou mayest
become respected among men. I desire to see thou profit
from a knowledge of the thoughtless mistakes of thy
father.'
" 'This do I most ardently desire, my father,' I replied.
" 'Then, this do I advise. Do what I should have done at thy
age. From thy earnings keep out one-tenth to put into
favorable investments. With this one-tenth of thy earnings
and what it will also earn, thou canst, before thou art my
age, accumulate for thyself a valuable estate.'
" 'Thy words are words of wisdom, my father. Greatly do I
desire riches. Yet there are many uses to which my
earnings are called. Therefore, do I hesitate to do as thou
dost advise. I am young. There is plenty of time.'
" 'So I thought at thy age, yet behold, many years have
passed and I have not yet made the beginning.'
" 'We live in a different age, my father. I shall avoid thy
mistakes.'
" 'Opportunity stands before thee, my son. It is offering a
chance that may lead to wealth. I beg of thee, do not delay.
Go upon the morrow to the son of my friend and bargain
with him to pay ten percent of thy earnings into this
investment. Go promptly upon the morrow. Opportunity
waits for no man. Today it is here; soon it is gone.
Therefore, delay not!'
"In spite of the advice of my father, I did hesitate. There
were beautiful new robes just brought by the tradesmen
from the East, robes of such richness and beauty my good
wife and I felt we must each possess one. Should I agree to
pay one-tenth of my earnings into the enterprise, we must
deprive ourselves of these and other pleasures we dearly
desired. I delayed making a decision until it was too late,
much to my subsequent regret. The enterprise did prove to
be more profitable than any man had prophesied. This is
my tale, showing how I did permit good luck to escape."
"In this tale we see how good luck waits to come to that
man who accepts opportunity," commented a swarthy man
of the desert. "To the building of an estate there must
always be the beginning. That start may be a few pieces of
gold or silver which a man diverts from his earnings to his
first investment. I, myself, am the owner of many herds.
The start of my herds I did begin when I was a mere boy
and did purchase with one piece of silver a young calf.
This, being the beginning of my wealth, was of great
importance to me.
"To take his first start to building an estate is as good luck
as can come to any man. With all men, that first step, which
changes them from men who earn from their own labor to
men who draw dividends from the earnings of their gold, is
important. Some, fortunately, take it when young and
thereby outstrip in financial success those who do take it
later or those unfortunate men, like the father of this
merchant, who never take it.
"Had our friend, the merchant, taken this step in his early
manhood when this opportunity came to him, this day he
would be blessed with much more of this world's goods.
Should the good luck of our friend, the cloth weaver, cause
him to take such a step at this time, it will indeed be but the
beginning of much greater good fortune."
"Thank you! I like to speak, also." A stranger from another
country arose. "I am a Syrian. Not so well do I speak your
tongue. I wish to call this friend, the merchant, a name.
Maybe you think it not polite, this name. Yet I wish to call
him that. But, alas, I not know your word for it. If I do call
it in Syrian, you will not understand. Therefore, please
some good gentlemen, tell me that right name you call man
who puts off doing those things that mighty good for him."
"Procrastinator," called a voice.
"That's him," shouted the Syrian, waving his hands
excitedly, "he accepts not opportunity when she comes. He
waits. He says I have much business right now. Bye and
bye I talk to you. Opportunity, she will not wait for such
slow fellow. She thinks if a man desires to be lucky he will
step quick. Any man not step quick when opportunity
comes, he big procrastinator like our friend, this merchant."
The merchant arose and bowed good naturedly in response
to the laughter. "My admiration to thee, stranger within our
gates, who hesitates not to speak the truth."
"And now let us hear another tale of opportunity. Who has
for us another experience?" demanded Arkad.
"I have," responded a red-robed man of middle age. "I am a
buyer of animals, mostly camels and horses. Sometimes I
do also buy the sheep and goats. The tale I am about to
relate will tell truthfully how opportunity came one night
when I did least expect it. Perhaps for this reason I did let it
escape. Of this you shall be the judge.
"Returning to the city one evening after a disheartening tendays'
journey in search of camels, I was much angered to
find the gates of the city closed and locked. While my
slaves spread our tent for the night, which we looked to
spend with little food and no I water, I was approached by
an elderly farmer who, like ourselves, found himself locked
outside.
" 'Honored sir,' he addressed me, 'from thy appearance, I do
judge thee to be a buyer. If this be so, much would I like to
sell to thee the most excellent flock of sheep just driven up.
Alas, my good wife lies very sick with the fever. I must
return with all haste. Buy thou my sheep that I and my
slaves may mount our camels and travel back without
delay."
"So dark it was that I could not see his flock, but from the
bleating I did know it must be large. Having wasted ten
days searching for camels I could not find, I was glad to
bargain with him. In his anxiety, he did set a most
reasonable price. I accepted, well knowing my slaves could
drive the flock through the city gates in the morning and
sell at a substantial profit.
The bargain concluded, I called my slaves to bring torches
that we might count the flock which the farmer declared to
contain nine hundred. I shall not burden you, my friends,
with a description of our difficulty in attempting to count
so many thirsty, restless, milling sheep. It proved to be an
impossible task. Therefore, I bluntly informed the farmer I
would count them at daylight and pay him then.
" 'Please, most honorable sir,' he pleaded, 'pay me but two-
thirds of the price tonight that I may be on my way. I will
leave my most intelligent and educated slave to assist to
make the count in the morning. He is trustworthy and to
him thou canst pay the balance.'
"But I was stubborn and refused to make payment that
night. Next morning, before I awoke, the city gates opened
and four buyers rushed out in search of flocks. They were
most eager and willing to pay high prices because the city
was threatened with siege, and food was not plentiful.
Nearly three times the price at which he had offered the
flock to me did the old farmer receive for it. Thus was rare
good luck allowed to escape."
"Here is a tale most unusual," commented Arkad. "What
wisdom doth it suggest?"
"The wisdom of making a payment immediately when we
are convinced our bargain is wise," suggested a venerable
saddle maker. "If the bargain be good, then dost thou need
protection against thy own weaknesses as much as against
any other man. We mortals are changeable. Alas, I must
say more apt to change our minds when right than wrong.
Wrong, we are stubborn indeed. Right, we are prone to
vacillate and let opportunity escape. My first judgment is
my best. Yet always have I found it difficult to compel
myself to proceed with a good bargain when made.
Therefore, as a protection against my own weaknesses, I do
make a prompt deposit thereon. This doth save me from
later regrets for the good luck that should have been mine."
"Thank you! Again I like to speak." The Syrian was upon
his feet once more. "These tales much alike. Each time
opportunity fly away for same reason. Each time she come
to procrastinator, bringing good plan. Each time they
hesitate, not say, right now best time, I do it quick. How
can men succeed that way?"
"Wise are thy words, my friend," responded the buyer.
"Good luck fled from procrastination in both these tales.
Yet, this is not unusual. The spirit of procrastination is
within all men. We desire riches; yet, how often when
opportunity doth appear before us, that spirit of
procrastination from within doth urge various delays in our
acceptance. In listening to it we do become our own worst
enemies.
"In my younger days I did not know it by this long word
our friend from Syria doth enjoy. I did think at first it was
my own poor judgment that did cause me loss of many
profitable trades. Later, I did credit it to my stubborn
disposition. At last, I did recognize it for what it was—a
habit of needless delaying where action was required,
action prompt and decisive. How I did hate it when its true
character stood revealed. With the bitterness of a wild ass
hitched to a chariot, I did break loose from this enemy to
my success."
"Thank you! I like ask question from Mr. Merchant." The
Syrian was speaking. "You wear fine robes, not like those
of poor man. You speak like successful man. Tell us, do
you listen now when procrastination whispers in your ear?"
"Like our friend the buyer, I also had to recognize and
conquer procrastination," responded the merchant. "To me,
it proved to be an enemy, ever watching and waiting to
thwart my accomplishments. The tale I did relate is but one
of many similar instances I could tell to show how it drove
away my opportunities. Tis not difficult to conquer, once
understood. No man willingly permits the thief to rob his
bins of grain. Nor does any man willingly permit an enemy
to drive away his customers and rob him of his profits.
When once I did recognize that such acts as these my
enemy was committing, with determination I conquered
him. So must every man master his own spirit of
procrastination before he can expect to share in the rich
treasures of Babylon.
"What sayest, Arkad? Because thou art the richest man in
Babylon, many do proclaim thee to be the luckiest. Dost
agree with me that no man can arrive at a full measure of
success until he hath completely crushed the spirit of
procrastination within him?"
"It is even as thou sayest," Arkad admitted. "During my
long life I have watched generation following generation,
marching forward along those avenues of trade, science and
learning that lead to success in life. Opportunities came to
all these men. Some grasped theirs and moved steadily to
the gratification of their deepest desires, but the majority
hesitated, faltered and fell behind."
Arkad turned to the cloth weaver. Thou didst suggest that
we debate good luck. Let us hear what thou now thinkest
upon the subject."
"I do see good luck in a different light. I had thought of it
as something most desirable that might happen to a man
without effort upon his part. Now, I do realize such
happenings are not the sort of thing one may attract to
himself. From our discussion have I learned that to attract
good luck to oneself, it is necessary to take advantage of
opportunities. Therefore, in the future, I shall endeavor to
make the best of such opportunities as do come to me."
"Thou hast well grasped the truths brought forth in our
discussion," Arkad replied. "Good luck, we do find, often
follows opportunity but seldom comes otherwise. Our
merchant friend would have found great good luck had he
accepted the opportunity the good goddess did present to
him. Our friend the buyer, likewise, would have enjoyed
good luck had he completed the purchase of the flock and
sold at such a handsome profit.
"We did pursue this discussion to find a means by which
good luck could be enticed to us. I feel that we have found
the way. Both the tales did illustrate how good luck follows
opportunity. Herein lies a truth that many similar tales of
good luck, won or lost, could not change. The truth is this:
Good luck can be enticed by accepting opportunity.
"Those eager to grasp opportunities for their betterment, do
attract the interest of the good goddess. She is ever anxious
to aid those who please her. Men of action please her best.
"Action will lead thee forward to the successes thou dost
desire."
MEN OF ACTION ARE FAVORED BY
THE GODDESS OF GOOD LUCK
Part Five is Now Over. Next is Part Six.
Part: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, The End.
Nicholas Longo - Entrepreneur. Pioneer. CEO. Founder.
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Nicholas Longo 11:56 PM
