[PDF]The Richest Man In Babylon

Money is the medium by which earthly suc¬
cess is measured.

Money makes possible the enjoyment of the
best the earth affords.

Money is plentiful for those who understand
the simple laws which govern its acquisition.

Money is governed today by the same laws
which controlled it when prosperous men
thronged the streets of Babylon, six thousand
years ago.



Lo, Money is Plentiful
for Those Who Understand
the Simple Rules of its Acquisition


1. Start thy purse to fattening

2. Control thy expenditures

3. Make thy gold multiply

4. Guard thy treasures from loss

5. Make of thy dwelling a profitable investment

6. Insure a future income

7. Increase thy ability to earn

—The Richest Man in Babylon


Read on for More!



"What can a book written in the 1920s tell modern
investors about their finances? A whole lot if it's
George Clason's delightful set of parables that ex¬
plain the basics of money. This is a great gift for a
graduate or anyone who seems baffled by the world
of finance and a wonderful, refreshing read for even
the most experienced investor ."—Los Angeles Times

Ahead of you stretches your future, like a road
leading into the distance. Along that road are ambi¬
tions you wish to accomplish . . . desires you wish
to gratify.

To bring your ambitions and desires to fulfilment,
you must be successful with money. Use the financial
principles made clear in the pages that follow. Let
them guide you away from the stringency of a lean
purse to that fuller, happier life a full purse makes
possible.

Like the law of gravity, these laws of money are
universal and unchanging. May they prove to be for
you, as they have proven to so many others, a sure
key to a fat purse, larger bank balances and gratify¬
ing financial progress.




THE
Richest
Man in

BABYLON

George S. Clason


ay

A SIGNET BOOK





SIGNET

Published by New American Library, a division of
Penguin Putnam Inc., 375 Hudson Street,

New York, New York 10014, U.S.A.

Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand,

London WC2R ORL, England

Penguin Books Australia Ltd, 250 Camberweil Road,

Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia
Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 10 Alcorn Avenue,

Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 3B2

Penguin Books (N.Z.) Ltd, 182-190 Wairau Road,

Auckland 10, New Zealand

Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices:

Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England

Published by Signet, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Putnam Inc. Previously published in a Dutton edition.

First Signet Printing, February 1988
10 9876543

Copyright George S. Clason, 1926, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1940, 1946,

1947,1954, 1955
All rights reserved

(J) REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REG1STRADA

Printed in the United States of America

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of
this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written
permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this
book.

BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE AT QUANTITY DISCOUNTS WHEN USED TO
PROMOTE

PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. FOR INFORMATION PLEASE WRITE TO
PREMIUM

MARKETING DIVISION, PENGUIN PUTNAM INC., 375 HUDSON STREET, NEW
YORK, NEW YORK 10014.

If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this
book is stolen property. It was reported as "unsold and destroyed"
to the publisher and neither the author nor the publisher has received
any payment for this "stripped book."



Contents


Foreword ix

The Man Who Desired Gold 1

The Richest Man in Babylon 9

Seven Cures for a Lean Purse 22

Meet the Goddess of Good Luck 43

The Five Laws of Gold 59

The Gold Lender of Babylon 74

The Walls of Babylon 89

The Camel Trader of Babylon 94

The Clay Tablets from Babylon 106

The Luckiest Man in Babylon 118

An Historical Sketch of Babylon 138




Foreword


Our prosperity as a nation depends upon the personal
financial prosperity of each of us as individuals.

This book deals with the personal successes of each
of us. Success means accomplishments as the result
of our own efforts and abilities. Proper preparation
is the key to our success. Our acts can be no wiser
than our thoughts. Our thinking can be no wiser than
our understanding.

This book of cures for lean purses has been termed
a guide to financial understanding. That, indeed, is
its purpose: to offer those who are ambitious for fi¬
nancial success an insight which will aid them to
acquire money, to keep money and to make their
surpluses earn more money.

In the pages which follow, we are taken back to
Babylon, the cradle in which was nurtured the basic
principles of finance now recognized and used, the
world over.

To new readers the author is happy to extend the
wish that its pages may contain for them the same



x Foreword


inspiration for growing bank accounts, greater fi¬
nancial successes and the solution of difficult per¬
sonal financial problems so enthusiastically reported
by readers from coast to coast.

To the business executives who have distributed
these tales in such generous quantities to friends, rel¬
atives, employees and associates, the author takes
this opportunity to express his gratitude. No en¬
dorsement could be higher than that of practical men
who appreciate its teachings because they, them¬
selves, have worked up to important successes by
applying the very principles it advocates.

Babylon became the wealthiest city of the ancient
world because its citizens were the richest people of
their time. They appreciated the value of money.
They practiced sound financial principles in acquir¬
ing money, keeping money and making their money
earn more money. They provided for themselves
what we all desire . . . incomes for the future.


G. S. C.



THE

Richest

Man in
Babylon




The Man Who
Desired Gold


Bansir, the chariot builder of Babylon, was thor¬
oughly discouraged. From his seat upon the low wall
surrounding his property, he gazed sadly at his sim¬
ple home and the open workshop in which stood a
partially completed chariot.

His wife frequently appeared at the open door. Her
furtive glances in his direction reminded him that the
meal bag was almost empty and he should be at
work finishing the chariot, hammering and hewing,
polishing and painting, stretching taut the leather
over the wheel rims, preparing it for delivery so he
could collect from his wealthy customer.

Nevertheless,' his fat, muscular body sat stolidly
upon the wall. His slow mind was struggling pa¬
tiently with a problem for which he could find no
answer. The hot, tropical sun, so typical of this valley
of the Euphrates, beat down upon him mercilessly.
Beads of perspiration formed upon his brow and
trickled down unnoticed to lose themselves in the
hairy jungle on his chest.


1



2 The Richest Man in Babylon

Beyond his home towered the high terraced walls
surrounding the king's palace. Nearby, cleaving the
blue heavens, was the painted tower of the Temple
of Bel. In the shadow of such grandeur was his sim¬
ple home and many others far less neat and well
cared for. Babylon was like this—a mixture of gran¬
deur and squalor, of dazzling wealth and direst pov¬
erty, crowded together without plan or system within
the protecting walls of the city.

Behind him, had he cared to turn and look, the
noisy chariots of the rich jostled and crowded aside
the sandaled tradesmen as well as the barefooted
beggars. Even the rich were forced to turn into the
gutters to clear the way for the long lines of slave
water carriers, on the "king's business," each bearing
a heavy goatskin of water to be poured upon the
hanging gardens.

Bansir was too engrossed in his own problem to
hear or heed the confused hubbub of the busy city.
It was the unexpected twanging of the strings from
a familiar lyre that aroused him from his reverie. He
turned and looked into the sensitive, smiling face of
his best friend—Kobbi, the musician.

"May the Gods bless thee with great liberality, my
good friend," began Kobbi with an elabourate salute.
"Yet, it does appear they have already been so gener¬
ous thou needest not to labour. 1 rejoice with thee in
thy good fortune. More, 1 would even share it with
thee. Pray, from thy purse which must be bulging
else thou wouldst be busy in yon shop, extract but
two humble shekels and lend them to me until after
the noblemen's feast this night. Thou wilt not miss
them ere they are returned."

"If 1 did have two shekels," Bansir responded
gloomily, "to no one could I lend them—not even to



The Man Who Desired Gold 3


you, my best of friends; for they would be my for¬
tune—my entire fortune. No one lends his entire for¬
tune, not even to his best friend."

"What," exclaimed Kobbi with genuine surprise.
"Thou hast not one shekel in thy purse, yet sit like
a statue upon a wall! Why not complete that chariot?
How else canst thou provide for thy noble appetite?
'Tis not like thee, my friend. Where is thy endless
energy? Doth something distress thee? Have the
Gods brought to thee troubles?"

"A torment from the Gods it must be," Bansir
agreed. "It began with a dream, a senseless dream,
in which I thought I was a man of means. From my
belt hung a handsome purse, heavy with coins. There
were shekels which 1 cast with careless freedom to
the beggars; there were pieces of silver with which I
did buy finery for my wife and whatever I did desire
for myself; there were pieces of gold which made me
feel assured of the future and unafraid to spend the
silver. A glorious feeling of contentment was within
me! You would not have known me for thy hard¬
working friend. Nor wouldst have known my wife,
so free from wrinkles was her face and shining with
happiness. She was again the smiling maiden of our
early married days.”

"A pleasant dream, indeed," commented Kobbi,
"but why should such pleasant feelings as it aroused
turn thee into a glum statue upon the wall?"

"Why, indeed! Because when I awoke and remem¬
bered how empty was my purse, a feeling of rebel¬
lion swept over me. Let us talk it over together, for,
as the sailors do say, we ride in the same boat, we
two. As youngsters, we went together to the priests
to learn wisdom. As young men, we shared each oth¬
er's pleasures. As grown men, we have always been



4 The Richest Man in Babylon


close friends. We have been contented subjects of our
kind. We have been satisfied to work long hours and
spend our earnings freely. We have earned much
coin in the years that have passed, yet to know the
joys that come from wealth, we must dream about
them. Bah! Are we more than dumb sheep? We live
in the richest city in all the world. The travellers do
say none equals it in wealth. About us is much dis¬
play of wealth, but of it we ourselves have naught.
After half a lifetime of hard labour, thou, my best of
friends, hast an empty purse and sayest to me, 'May
1 borrow such a trifle as two shekels until after the
noblemen's feast this night?' Then, what do 1 reply?
Do 1 say, 'Here is my purse; its contents will 1 gladly
share?' No, 1 admit that my purse is as empty as
thine. What is the matter? Why cannot we acquire
silver and gold—more than enough for food and
robes?

"Consider, also, our sons," Bansir continued, "are
they not following in the footsteps of their fathers?
Need they and their families and their sons and their
sons' families live all their lives in the midst of such
treasurers of gold, and yet, like us, be content to ban¬
quet upon sour goat's milk and porridge?"

"Never, in all the years of our friendship, didst
thou talk like this before, Bansir.” Kobbi was
puzzled.

"Never in all those years did 1 think like this be¬
fore. From early dawn until darkness stopped me, 1
have laboured to build the finest chariots any man
could make, soft-heartedly hoping some day the
Gods would recognize my worthy deeds and bestow
upon me great prosperity. This they have never done.
At last, 1 realize this they will never do. Therefore,
my heart is sad. I wish to be a man of means. 1 wish



The Man Who Desired Gold 5


to own lands and cattle, to have fine robes and coins
in my purse. 1 am willing to work for these things
with all the strength in my back, with all the skill in
my hands, with all the cunning in my mind, but 1
wish my labours to be fairly rewarded. What is the
matter with us? Again 1 ask you! Why cannot we
have our just share of the good things so plentiful for
those who have the gold with which to buy them?"

"Would 1 know an answer!" Kobbi replied. "No
better than thou am 1 satisfied. My earnings from my
lyre are quickly gone. Often must 1 plan and scheme
that my family be not hungry. Also, within my breast
is a deep longing for a lyre large enough that it may
truly sing the strains of music that do surge through
my mind. With such an instrument could 1 make
music finer than even the king has heard before?"

"Such a lyre thou shouldst have. No man in all
Babylon could make it sing more sweetly; could
make it sing so sweetly, not only the king but the
Gods themselves would be delighted. But how may-
est thou secure it while we both of us are as poor as
the king's slaves? Listen to the bell! Here they come.”
He pointed to the long column of half-naked, sweat¬
ing water bearers plodding labouriously up the nar¬
row street from the river. Five abreast they marched,
each bent under a heavy goatskin of water.

"A fine figure of a man, he who doth lead them.”
Kobbi indicated the wearer of the bell who marched
in front without a load. "A prominent man in his
own country, 'tis easy to see:"

"There are many good figures in the line,” Bansir
agreed, "as good men as we. Tall, blond men from
the north, laughing black men from the south, little
brown men from the nearer countries. All marching
together from the river to the gardens, back and



6 The Richest Man in Babylon


forth, day after day, year after year. Naught of happi¬
ness to look forward to. Beds of straw upon which
to sleep—hard grain porridge to eat. Pity the poor
brutes, Kobbi!"

"Pity them 1 do. Yet, thou dost make me see how
little better off are we, free men though we call
ourselves."

"That is truth, Kobbi, unpleasant thought though it
be. We do not wish to go on year after year living slavish
lives. Working, working, working! Getting nowhere."

"Might we not find out how others acquire gold
and do as they do?" Kobbi inquired.

"Perhaps there is some secret we might learn if we
but sought from those who knew," replied Bansir
>>>