The Richest Man in Babylon

A professional spear-maker named Rodan is thrilled to have 50 pieces of gold and imagines all the different things he can buy with his money. Days later, Rodan goes to a gold and jewel dealer named Mathon and asks for his advice. Mathon agrees to hear Rodan’s problem and serves him dinner while he listens. Rodan shares that the king has given him 50 pieces of gold for his work, and now his friends and family are asking him to share it. Rodan feels ambivalent about giving away some of his earnings but does not want to reject his family’s requests. Mathon acknowledges Rodan’s dilemma and says that increased wealth gives people more responsibilities and “a changed position with his fellow men” (56). To help Rodan learn more about lending money, he tells him a story about a farmer who could understand animals.

The farmer heard the ox complain to the donkey that he works too hard and cannot relax and eat grass like the donkey does. The donkey tells him to pretend to be ill so he does not have to work. The ox follows this advice, and the farmer uses the donkey to pull his plow instead of the ox.