3.31.2008
The Richest Man in Babylon - Part Ten
The Clay Tablets From Babylon
Professor Franklin Caldwell,
Care of British Scientific Expedition,
Hillah, Mesopotamia.
October 21, 1934.
My dear Professor:
The five clay tablets from your recent
excavation in the ruins of Babylon arrived
on the same boat with your letter. I have
been fascinated no end, and have spent
many pleasant hours translating their
inscriptions. I should have answered your
letter at once but delayed until I could
complete the translations which are
attached.
The tablets arrived without damage, thanks
to your careful use of preservatives and
excellent packing.
You will be as astonished as we in the
laboratory at the story they relate. One
expects the dim and distant past to speak
of romance and adventure. "Arabian Nights"
sort of things, you know. When instead it
discloses the problem of a person named
Dabasir to pay off his debts, one realizes
that conditions upon this old world have
not changed as much in five thousand years
as one might expect.
Tablet No. I
Now, when the moon becometh full, I, Dabasir, who am
but recently returned from slavery in Syria, with the
determination to pay my many just debts and become a
man of means worthy of respect in my native city of
Babylon, do here engrave upon the clay a permanent record
of my affairs to guide and assist me in carrying through my
high desires.
Under the wise advice of my good friend Mathon, the gold
lender, I am determined to follow an exact plan that he doth
--
It's odd, you know, but these old
inscriptions rather "rag" me, as the
students say. Being a college professor, I
am supposed to be a thinking human being
possessing a working knowledge of most
subjects. Yet, here comes this old chap
out of the dust-covered ruins of Babylon
to offer a way I had never heard of to
pay off my debts and at the same time
acquire gold to jingle in my wallet.
Pleasant thought, I say, and interesting
to prove whether it will work as well
nowadays as it did in old Babylon. Mrs.
Shrewsbury and myself are planning to try
out his plan upon our own affairs which
could be much improved.
Wishing you the best of luck in your
worthy undertaking and waiting eagerly
another opportunity to assist, I am,
Yours sincerely,
Alfred H. Shrewsbury,
Department of Archaeology.
--
say will lead any honorable man out of debt into means and
self respect.
This plan includeth three purposes which are my hope and
desire.
First, the plan doth provide for my future prosperity.
Therefore one-tenth of all I earn shall be set aside as my
own to keep. For Mathon speaketh wisely when he saith:
"That man who keepeth in his purse both gold and silver
that he need not spend is good to his family and loyal to his
king.
"The man who hath but a few coppers in his purse is
indifferent to his family and indifferent to his king.
"But the man who hath naught in his purse is unkind to his
family and is disloyal to his king, for his own heart is bitter.
"Therefore, the man who wisheth to achieve must have
coin that he may keep to jingle in his purse, that he have in
his heart love for his family and loyalty to his king."
Second, the plan doth provide that I shall support and
clothe my good wife who hath returned to me with loyalty
from the house of her father. For Mathon doth say that to
take good care of a faithful wife putteth self-respect into the
heart of a man and addeth strength and determination to his
purposes.
Therefore seven-tenths of all I earn shall be used to provide
a home, clothes to wear, and food to eat, with a bit extra to
spend, that our lives be not lacking in pleasure and
enjoyment. But he doth further enjoin the greatest care that
we spend not greater than seven-tenths of what I earn for
these worthy purposes. Herein lieth the success of the plan.
I must live upon this portion and never use more nor buy
what I may not pay for out of this portion.
Tablet No. II
Third, the plan doth provide that out of my earnings my
debts shall be paid.
Therefore each time the moon is full, two-tenths of all I
have earned shall be divided honorably and fairly among
those who have trusted me and to whom I am indebted.
Thus in due time will all my indebtedness be surely paid.
Therefore, do I here engrave the name of every man to
whom I am indebted and the honest amount of my debt.
Fahru, the cloth weaver, 2 silver, 6 copper.
Sinjar, the couch maker, 1 silver.
Ahmar, my friend, 3 silver, 1 copper.
Zankar, my friend, 4 silver, 7 copper,
Askamir, my friend, 1 silver, 3 copper.
Harinsir, the Jewelmaker, 6 silver, 2 copper.
Diarbeker, my father's friend, 4 silver, 1 copper.
Alkahad, the house owner, 14 silver.
Mathon, the gold lender, 9 silver.
Birejik, the farmer, 1 silver, 7 copper.
(From here on, disintegrated. Cannot be deciphered.)
Tablet No. III
To these creditors do I owe in total one hundred and
nineteen pieces of silver and one hundred and forty-one
pieces of copper. Because I did owe these sums and saw no
way to repay, in my folly I did permit my wife to return to
her father and didst leave my native city and seek easy
wealth elsewhere, only to find disaster and to see myself
sold into the degradation of slavery.
Now that Mathon doth show me how I can repay my debts
in small sums of my earnings, do I realize the great extent
of my folly in running away from the results of my
extravagances.
Therefore have I visited my creditors and explained to them
that I have no resources with which to pay except my
ability to earn, and that I intent to apply two tenths of all I
earn upon my indebtedness evenly and honestly. This much
can I pay but no more. Therefore if they be patient, in time
my obligations will be paid in full.
Ahmar, whom I thought my best friend, reviled me bitterly
and I left him in humiliation. Birejik, the farmer, pleaded
that I pay him first as he didst badly need help. Alkahad,
the house owner, was indeed disagreeable and insisted that
he would make me trouble unless I didst soon settle in full
with him.
All the rest willingly accepted my proposal. Therefore am I
more determined than ever to carry through, being
convinced that it is easier to pay one's just debts than to
avoid them. Even though I cannot meet the needs and
demands of a few of my creditors I will deal impartially
with all.
Tablet No. IV
Again the moon shines full. I have worked hard with a free
mind. My good wife hath supported my intentions to pay
my creditors. Because of our wise determination, I have
earned during the past moon, buying camels of sound wind
and good legs, for Nebatur, the sum of nineteen pieces of
silver.
This I have divided according to the plan. One-tenth have I
set aside to keep as my own, seven-tenths have I divided
with my good wife to pay for our living. Two-tenths have I
divided among my creditors as evenly as could be done in
coppers.
I did not see Ahmar but left it with his wife. Birejik was so
pleased he would kiss my hand. Old Alkahad alone was
grouchy and said I must pay faster. To which I replied that
if I were permitted to be well fed and not worried, that
alone would enable me to pay faster. All the others thanked
me and spoke well of my efforts.
Therefore, at the end of one moon, my indebtedness is
reduced by almost four pieces of silver and I possess
almost two pieces of silver besides, upon which no man
hath claim. My heart is lighter than it hath been for a long
time.
Again the moon shines full. I have worked hard but with
poor success. Few camels have I been able to buy. Only
eleven pieces of silver have I earned. Nevertheless my good
wife and I have stood by the plan even though we have
bought no new raiment and eaten little but herbs. Again I
paid ourselves one-tenth of the eleven pieces, while we
lived upon seven-tenths. I was surprised when Ahmar
commended my payment, even though small. So did
Birejik. Alkahad flew into a rage but when told to give
back his portion if he did not wish it, he became reconciled.
The others, as before, were content
Again the moon shines full and I am greatly rejoiced. I
intercepted a fine herd of camels and bought many sound
ones, therefore my earnings were forty-two pieces of silver.
This moon my wife and myself have bought much needed
sandals and raiment Also we have dined well on meat and
fowl.
More than eight pieces of silver we have paid to our
creditors. Even Alkahad did not protest.
Great is the plan for it leadeth us out of debt and giveth us
wealth which is ours to keep.
Three times the moon had been full since I last carved upon
this clay. Each time I paid to myself one-tenth of all I
earned. Each time my good wife and I have lived upon
seven-tenths even though at times it was difficult. Each
time have I paid to my creditors two-tenths.
In my purse I now have twenty one pieces of silver that are
mine. It maketh my head to stand straight upon my
shoulders and maketh me proud to walk among my friends.
My wife keepeth well our home and is becomingly
gowned. We are happy to live together.
The plan is of untold value. Hath it not made an honorable
man of an ex-slave?
Tablet No. V
Again the moon shines full and I remember that it is long
since I carved upon the clay. Twelve moons in truth have
come and gone. But this day I will not neglect my record
because upon this day I have paid the last of my debts. This
is the day upon which my good wife and my thankful self
celebrate with great feasting that our determination hath
been achieved.
Many things occurred upon my final visit to my creditors
that I shall long remember. Ahmar begged my forgiveness
for his unkind words and said that I was one of all others he
most desired for a friend.
Old Alkahad is not so bad after all, for he said, "Thou wert
once a piece of soft clay to be pressed and moulded by any
hand that touched thee, but now thou art a piece of bronze
capable of holding an edge. If thou needst silver or gold at
any time come to me."
Nor is he the only one who holdeth me in high regard.
Many others speak deferentially to me. My good wife
looketh upon me with a light in her eyes that doth make a
man have confidence in himself.
Yet it is the plan that hath made my success. It hath enabled
me to pay all my debts and to jingle both gold and silver in
my purse. I do commend it to all who wish to get ahead.
For truly if it will enable an ex-slave to pay his debts and
have gold in his purse, will it not aid any man to find
independence? Nor am I, myself, finished with it, for I am
convinced that if I follow it further it will make me rich
among men.
Professor Franklin Caldwell,
Care of British Scientific Expedition,
Hillah, Mesopotamia.
November 7th, 1936.
My dear professor:
If, in your further digging into those
ruins of Babylon, you encounter the ghost
of a former resident, an old camel trader
named Dabasir, do me a favor. Tell him
that his scribbling upon those clay
tablets, so long ago, has earned for him
the life long gratitude of a couple of
college folks back here in England.
You will possibly remember my writing a
year ago that Mrs. Shrewsbury and myself
intended to try his plan for getting out
of debt and at the same time having gold
to jingle. You may have guessed, even
though we tried to keep it from our
friends, our desperate straits.
We were frightfully humiliated for years
by a lot of old debts and worried sick for
fear some of the tradespeople might start
a scandal that would force me out of the
college. We paid and paid—every shilling
we could squeeze out of income—but it was
hardly enough to hold things even. Besides
we were forced to do all our buying where
we could get further credit regardless of
higher costs.
It developed into one of those vicious
circles that grow worse instead of better.
Our struggles were getting hopeless. We
could not move to less costly rooms
because we owed the landlord. There did
not appear to be anything we could do to
improve our situation.
Then, here comes your acquaintance, the
old camel trader from Babylon, with a plan
to do just what we wished to accomplish.
He jolly well stirred us up to follow his
system. We made a list of all our debts
and I took it around and showed it to
everyone we owed.
I explained how it was simply impossible
for me to ever pay them the way things
were going along. They could readily see
this themselves from the figures. Then I
explained that the only way I saw to pay
in full was to set aside twenty percent of
my income each month to be divided pro
rata, which would pay them in full in a
little over two years. That, in the
meantime, we would go on a cash basis and
give them the further benefit of our cash
purchases.
They were really quite decent. Our
greengrocer, a wise old chap, put it in a
way that helped to bring around the rest.
"If you pay for all you buy and then pay
some on what you owe, that is better than
you have done, for ye ain't paid down the
account none in three years."
Finally I secured all their names to an
agreement binding them not to molest us as
long as the twenty percent of income was
paid regularly. Then we began scheming on
how to live upon seventy percent. We were
determined to keep that extra ten percent
to jingle. The thought of silver and
possibly gold was most alluring.
It was like having an adventure to make
the change. We enjoyed figuring this way
and that, to live comfortably upon that
remaining seventy percent. We started with
rent and managed to secure a fair
reduction. Next we put our favorite brands
of tea and such under suspicion and were
agreeably surprised how often we could
purchase superior qualities at less cost.
It is too long a story for a letter but
anyhow it did not prove difficult. We
managed and right cheerfully at that. What
a relief it proved to have our affairs in
such a shape we were no longer persecuted
by past due accounts.
I must not neglect, however, to tell you
about that extra ten percent we were
supposed to jingle. Well, we did jingle it
for some time. Now don't laugh too soon.
You see, that is the sporty part. It is
the real fun, to start accumulating money
that you do not want to spend. There is
more pleasure in running up such a surplus
than there could be in spending it.
After we had jingled to our hearts'
content, we found a more profitable use
for it. We took up an investment upon
which we could pay that ten percent each
month. This is proving to be the most
satisfying part of our regeneration. It is
the first thing we pay out of my check.
There is a most gratifying sense of
security to know our investment is growing
steadily. By the time my teaching days are
over it should be a snug sum, large enough
so the income will take care of us from
then on.
All this out of my same old check.
Difficult to believe, yet absolutely true.
All our debts being gradually paid and at
the same time our investment increasing.
Besides we get along, financially, even
better than before. Who would believe
there could be such a difference in
results between following a financial plan
and just drifting along.
At the end of the next year, when all our
old bills shall have been paid, we will
have more to pay upon our investment
besides some extra for travel.
We are determined never again to permit
our living expenses to exceed seventy
percent of our income.
Now you can understand why we would like
to extend our personal thanks to that old
chap whose plan saved us from our "Hell on
Earth."
He knew. He had been through it all. He
wanted others to benefit from his own
bitter experiences. That is why he spent
tedious hours carving his message upon the
clay.
He had a real message for fellow
sufferers, a message so important that
after five thousand years it has risen out
of the ruins of Babylon, just as true and
just as vital as the day it was buried.
Yours sincerely,
Alfred H. Shrewsbury,
Department of Archaeology.
Part Ten is Over. Next is Part Eleven - The End.
Part: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, The End.
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