In old Babylon there once lived a certain very rich man named Arkad . Far and wide he was famed
for his great wealth . Also was be famed for his liberality . He was generous in his charities . He was
generous with his family. He was liberal in his own expenses . But nevertheless each year his wealth
increased more rapidly than he spent it.
And there were certain friends of younger days who came to him and said : " You , Arkad , are more
fortunate than we. You have become the richest man in all Babylon while we struggle for existence . You
can wear the finest garments and you can enjoy the rarest foods , while we must be content if we can
clothes our families in raiment than is presentable and feed them as best we can ."
"Yet , once we were equal . We studies under the same master . We played the same games. And in
neither the studies the nor the games did you outshine us . And in the years since , you have been no
more an honorable citizen than we ."
"Nor have you worked harder or more faithfully , insofar as we can judge . Why , should a fickle fate
single you out to enjoy all the good things of life and ignore us who are equally deserving ?"
Thereupon Arkad remonstrated with them , saying , "If you have not acquired more than a bare
existence in the years since we were youths , it is become you either have field to learn the laws that
govern the building of wealth , or else you do not observed them ."
' Fickle Fate ' is a vicious goddess who brings no permanent good to anyone . On the contrary , she
brings ruin to almost every man upon whom she showers unearned gold . She makes wanton spenders ,
who soon dissipate all they receive and are left beset by overwhelming appetites and desires they have
not the ability to gratify . Yet others whom she favors become misers and hoard their wealth , fearing to
spend what they have , knowing they do not possess the ability to replace it. They further are beset by
fear of robbers and doom themselves to lives of emptiness and secret misery .
"Others there probably are , who can take unearned gold and add to it and continue to be happy and
contented citizens. But so few are they , I know of them but by hearsay . think you of the men who
have inherited sudden wealth , and see if these things are not so ."
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