The Richest Man in Babylon (book) - The Luckiest Man in Babylon

The Luckiest Man in Babylon

This story begins by introducing Sharru Nada, a merchant prince of Babylon who is guiding a carvan in. Sharru has long been business partners with Arad Gula (now deceased) and is riding with Arad's grandson, Hadan Gula. Sharru asks Hadan how a rich man should live. Hadan scornfully replies that he would live as richly as he could and that "Work was made for slaves." Hadan then bemoans that neither he nor his father have their grandfather's gift for "attracting the golden shekels." Sharru notices some men plowing a field, pointing them out and asks Sharru if he would like to learn how he and Arad first became partners.

Sharru relates that he was once a slave and that as followed the slave masters down this very road, a fellow slave Megiddo pointed out how the farmers weren't plowing deeply enough and consequently wouldn't get a very good yield for their crops. Another slave named Zabado spoke up and said that the farmers were wise because who wanted to work hard for someone else? Megiddo replied that he liked to work and he liked to do good work, that work had brought him all the good things in his life that he'd ever had. Zabado scoffed at this, pointing out that Megiddo was now a slave just like the rest of them. That night, Sharru crept to the edge of the slave pens and asked Godoso, one of the guards for advice. Godoso told Sharru to make the people at the slave auction want to buy Sharru as a slave, to avoid being sold to the king as a brick carrier to build the walls of Babylon. Sharru relates this to Megiddo the next morning and they resolve to try to make people want to buy them as a slave at the auction that day.

The famous works of ancient Babylon, its walls, temples hanging gardens and great canals, were built by slave labor, mainly prisoners of war, which explains the inhuman treatment they received. This force of workmen also included many citizens of Babylon and its provinces who had been sold into slavery because of crimes or financial troubles. It was a common custom for men to put themselves, their wives or their children up as a bond to guarantee payment of loans, legal judgments or other obligations. In case of default, those so bonded were sold into slavery.

— George S. Clason

Just before the auction, Megiddo counseled Sharru to "treat like a friend, to make thyself like it. Don't mind because it is hard." A farmer then came up to him and Megiddo inquired of the farmer's "farm and crops, soon convincing him that he would be a valuable man." Upon hearing that a man was looking for a baker, Sharru spoke up and asked, "Why should a good baker like thyself seek another baker of inferior ways? Would it not be easier to teach a willing man like myself thy skilled ways? Look at me, I am young, strong and like to work. Give me a chance and I will do my best to earn gold and silver for thy purse." The baker then purchased Sharru. After learning diligently all that he could about baking, Sharru began to take over more and more of the duties of running the bakery. He created a plan to market baked goods throughout the city and thus bring his master, named Nana-naid, even more money. Nana-naid was so impressed by Sharru's diligence and willingness to work that he let Sharru keep a portion of the extra money that was being made. Sharru soon acquired a set of loyal customers, including a man named Arad Gula, who praised Sharru's industrious spirit and ability to market baked goods. In his daily journeys around the city for his master, Sharru ran into Megiddo who was also earning more money for the farmer and had been promoted to foreman. Megiddo was about to buy his freedom and bring his family to live with him as he continued working for the farmer as a free man. Sharru confided that Arad Gula, at that time, was also a slave who was about to buy his freedom.