The richest man in Babylon!

Part 8: The Luckiest Man in Babylon

Sharru Nada, the merchant king,

was sitting majestically on the back of a camel leading a caravan returning

to Babylon after a long trading trip.

He was a man who enjoyed luxurious,

aristocratic clothes made from the finest fabrics.

He also enjoyed riding beautiful,

healthy Arabian purebred horses.

Mr. Sharru Nada is quite old,

but he is still sensitive and always cheerful and gentle with everyone.

But looking at him now,

those close to him can sense

that he has some anxiety in his heart.

The long journey from Damascus with many hardships

in the desert did not bother him.

The ferocious Arab tribes that stalked rich caravans did not frighten him,

for he had a large cavalry escort.

It was only for the young man walking next to him,

whom he had brought back from Damascus,

that worried him.

He was Hadan Gula,

the grandson of one of his business partners,

Arad Gula, and to whom he was forever indebted.

Now, he wants to repay a part of Arad Gula’s favor

by teaching Hadan Gula to be a man

and become a good merchant.

But perhaps,

the work he intends to do will face many difficulties.

Looking at Hadan’s fancy dress

and cumbersome jewelry,

Sharru Nada thought:

“His tough face is no different

from Mr. Arad Gula in the past,

but the important thing is will,

patience,

tolerance.

The difficulty of a merchant does not seem to exist in him.

Teaching him to work is difficult,

but how to shape his mind,

adjust his habits of play,

wasteful spending is even more difficult.

What should I do to help him restore the family business,

which was destroyed by his father?”

Suddenly, Hadan Gula spoke up,

interrupting Mr. Sharru’s train of thought:

-Why do you always have to work so hard with the caravan?

Do you ever take the time to enjoy life’s pleasures?

Sharru Nada smiled and did not answer,

but asked Hadan Gula:

– Enjoy life?

How would you enjoy life

if you were in my place?

“If I were as rich as you,

I would live like a prince.

I will never ride a camel across the hot desert

and work hard and hard.

I will feel free to spend my money.

I will wear the most luxurious clothes

and the most precious jewelry.

It’s a life worth living

– a life I’ve always wanted.

Mr. Sharru Nada laughed and blurted out:

– My grandfather never did that.

You really don’t want to work at all?

– Jobs are only for slaves!

Hadan Gula replied without thinking.

The young man’s statement made Mr. Sharru clearly see

that his worries were well-founded.

He thought thoughtfully,

as the camel strode down the gentle slope.

Down the slope,

he stopped the animal and pointed forward:

– Look, over there is the valley.

Look a little further

and you will see the walls of Babylon dimly.

A prominent little white dot is the tower of the Bell Temple.

If you have a keen eye,

you can see the smoke rising

from the eternal fire at the top of its roof.

– Is that really Babylon?

I have long wished to see this rich kingdom.

Babylon is where my grandfather once started his career.

I wish grandpa was still alive.

If it were you,

we wouldn’t have to face the hardships we have today.

“Why do you wish your grandfather was still alive,

when he has fulfilled his responsibilities in this world?”

You and your father can still do your grandfather’s job well.

– Alas! Me and my father don’t have the talent

to make gold like my grandfather.

And so that has destroyed all the inheritance left by my grandfather.

Sharru Nada did not answer,

but steered the camel to continue towards the valley.

Behind him, the caravan moved slowly through the red dust.

Moments later,

they passed the farms of Babylonian peasants.

Mr. Sharru Nada suddenly noticed three old men plowing fields

by the roadside.

A scene so familiar and also so funny!

An old man was holding a plow handle,

but his hands were shaking so the plow swayed with it.

The other two were busy manipulating the two cows,

but the whips didn’t seem to have anything

to do with their thick skin,

so the cows still didn’t move much.

After a while,

all three of them stopped and gasped.

Forty years ago,

Sharru Nada used to envy these people!

He wished he could take their place!

But after forty years,

his status and theirs were quite different.

These three people are still working hard on their land.

As for him,

he proudly turned his head to look back at the caravan,

the camels,

and the big, strong donkeys that were carrying loads

of goods back to Babylon.

All of this property is yours and it is only a small part

of the money of the fortune he currently has.

He pointed at the three old men plowing the fields

and said to Hadan Gula:

They have been plowing this field for forty years.

– Really! – Hadan Gula surprised

– Why do you think they are the same people from forty years ago

and not other people?

“I used to know them forty years ago.

Sharru Nada replied.

Images of the past suddenly appeared in Sharru Nada’s mind.

His past is a series of days of hard work and hardship.

But thanks to that,

he learned many valuable lessons to get the results

he is today.

Then he remembered the kind face of Arad Gula,

who had saved his life in those miserable days.

At this point,

his hesitation in accepting the responsibility

of training Hadan Gula suddenly disappeared.

He is determined to help Hadan Gula,

but he doesn’t know how to convince this lazy and wasteful young man.

He has the ability to help people

who are determined to work hard,

be independent

and have the will to progress to become rich;

but for this guy,

trying to influence to change his way

of thinking has been a very difficult thing.

Suddenly a plan popped up in his mind.

But being a cautious person,

he needs to consider

and consider all possible possibilities

before doing it.

In a society

that values ​​the origin of human honor and prestige,

if he divulged the secrets of his

and Arad Gula’s identity to this young man,

what would happen?

Did something bad happen?

But if he did not put his trust in Hadan Gula,

then on the contrary,

he would probably never have his trust,

and he would never be able to reform this guy.

Thinking for a moment, he decided to overcome his apprehension

and spoke softly:

“Would you like to hear me tell the story

of how your honorable grandfather

and I did business together?”

That’s what I’ve been wanting to know for a long time!

Maybe you can learn

and become as rich as your grandfather.

– Hadan Gula answered honestly.

Sharru Nada nodded and continued:

– When I met these plowmen,

I was not older than you now.

He remembers clearly,

he and many others being chained

and approaching the field they were plowing.

Megiddo, who was chained next to him,

mocked them:

– Look at that lazy thing!

The plowman does not try to plow deeply.

And those who herd the oxen do not keep the oxen in line.

They must think that crops can be abundant

without having to cultivate well!

“You said you were chained at the time?”

Hadan Gula asked surprised.

“Yes, everyone has huge copper rings around their necks,

and their feet are chained together

by a long heavy chain.

Next to Megiddo was Zabado,

the sheep thief.

You’ve known him since he was in Harroun.

At the end of the line is a man you call the Pirate.

Because,

he refused to give his name.

We guessed he was a sailor.

Because,

on his chest he has a rather large sea snake tattoo.

“Are you also chained like a slave?”

– Hadan Gula wondered even more.

“So your grandfather didn’t tell you that he was a slave?”

“My grandfather used to talk about him,

but he never revealed it.

“Your grandfather is the one who never disappoints me.

I completely put my trust in him.

Even you, can I put my trust in you?

– Sharru Nada looked Hadan Gula straight in the eye.

– You can count on me completely.

But I still don’t understand why you became a slave?

Sharru Nada shrugged and replied:

– Anyone can be turned into a slave.

In an altercation,

his brother killed his friend.

His father assigned him to take some money

to redeem him from execution.

And then his father then had no way of earning enough money

to redeem him.

The owner eventually sold him to a slave trader.

– It’s so unfair! Hadan Gula exclaimed indignantly.

“But tell me how did you get free?”

“You’ll know then,

but not right now,

let me continue the story.”

When Megiddo said that,

the peasants also mocked them.

One of them took off his torn hat and bowed deeply,

greeting and shouting:

– Kingdom of Babylon greets you,

the king’s distinguished guests.

The king is having a feast on the citadel,

with mud bread and onion soup for you!

After saying that,

they both crawled and laughed.

The pirate guy got mad

and cursed them bluntly.

He didn’t understand anything,

so he asked him:

“What do they mean

when they say the king is waiting

for us on the walls?”

– It means we will have to go in there

to carry bricks and stones

until we break our spines.

But you’ll probably die from their blows

before you die of a broken spine.

But they can’t beat me.

Because if they hit me,

I’ll kill them!

Megiddo, he said:

-I don’t believe that masters want to beat

to death slaves who work hard

and diligently.

Who doesn’t like slaves who work hard

and do many things for them.

“Work hard for what, Megiddo?”

– Zabado interjected.

– In the end, he broke his bones.

– Don’t say that, Zabado!

– Megiddo argued.

– In a day, if you plow a dug of land,

you are a working slave,

and any master would know it.

But if you can only plow half the land,

that means you’re avoiding work.

I don’t shy away from work.

I like to work and want to work hard.

Because work is the best friend I’ve ever known.

It will bring me many things

I need such as farms, cattle, crops…

– Oh wow!

Where are all those things now, Megiddo?

Zabado scoffed.

– I thought it was best to have everything

without having to work at all!

Look at Zabado,

if we’re being sold

there to do heavy work like building the wall,

I’ll go get water or do something easy.

My spine won’t break.

While you’re a workaholic,

you’ll break your spine from carrying bricks!

That night, he was so worried

that he could not sleep.

While the others were fast asleep,

he struggled to make the chain clatter under his feet,

drawing Godoso’s attention.

He was one of the most notorious robbers in Arabia,

often cutting the throats of victims in their own after plundering.

He was captured and sold into slavery a few times,

so he has a lot of experience.

Then he whispered to him:

– Please tell me, Mr. Godoso!

When we get to Babylon,

will we be sold into those walls?

– Why do you want to know that?

He growled back.

– Or do you not know?

– He begged.

– I am still young.

I want to live.

I don’t want to work there and be beaten to death.

Do I have a chance to meet a good boss?

At this point, he calmly replied:

– As far as I know,

like always,

first of all,

we are brought to the market to buy and sell slaves.

There, when someone comes to buy,

you tell them that you are a hard-working,

hardworking and diligent person.

You have to find a way to make them want to buy you.

Otherwise, he would be sold

as a slave to build the wall.

It is a very hard job

and there is no way back alive!

He finished talking and closed his eyes to sleep.

As for him,

lying on the sand,

he looked up at the stars in the sky

and thought about his fate ahead.

He recalled what Megiddo had said about work

and wondered why he thought work was his best friend.

He didn’t quite understand yet,

but he believed what Megiddo said.

Perhaps, this is his only way out of this situation.

When Megiddo awoke,

he whispered the news to him.

A glimmer of hope began to ignite

as they approached Babylon.

By late afternoon he had approached the massive unfinished city wall

and looked at the streams of people,

like swarms of black ants,

strung together on the slanted steps that clung to the wall.

When he arrived,

he was amazed to see thousands of people at work;

some people are digging the dirt under the trench,

others are mixing mud to make bricks;

and the most numerous were carrying heavy baskets of bricks

and climbing the stairs to deliver bricks

to the site under construction.

In addition,

he saw the slave-keepers curse

and beat the bare backs of the slave laborers with their whips,

if they walked slowly or failed to hold their line.

Those slaves who could no longer walk

or tripped due to exhaustion,

would immediately be subjected

to a merciless rain of whips.

If they could no longer get up,

they were immediately pushed aside

and flattened right there,

or dragged to the area for the dying,

on the road leading to the graves.

Witnessing that horrifying scene,

he panicked.

This is what awaits him,

if no one buys him at the slave market.

Godoso was right.

That night they were all locked up in one place

and the next morning the slave owner took them all

to the market to sell.

Here, some people panicked and got excited,

so they pushed each other and caused a commotion.

The servants did not hesitate to lash their heads with whips.

In that situation, in contrast to everyone else,

Megiddo and he were eagerly waiting for the opportunity

to prove their ability to work

with the people who came to buy the slaves.

They are also very worried about the pirates.

He is the strongest protester.

As a result,

the servants beat him so brutally

that they had to pass out

before hauling him over

to the army to buy the king’s slaves.

Megiddo had a feeling

that it would be difficult to see each other again,

so taking advantage of the time

when no one was paying attention,

he hurriedly whispered important things to him:

There are some people who hate working.

They see work as the enemy.

But for us,

it is best to see work as a good friend

Try to love your work

and never shy away from hard work.

To have a spacious house,

a prosperous life,

we cannot help but work.

Promise me that if a boss buys you,

you’ll work hard for him.

If he doesn’t appreciate your abilities,

don’t be discouraged.

Always remember,

need to work,

keep working well and do your best.

That will not only bring you a full life,

but you can also redeem your free life through it.

Megiddo stopped talking

when a burly man approached

and asked if anyone knew how to work in the fields.

Megiddo approached

and asked about his farm work, crops,

and then convinced him

that she was a very skilled person in the field.

After intense negotiation,

the man spent a heavy bag of money to buy Megiddo.

Soon after,

Megiddo followed and disappeared with her new boss.

Several others were also sold that morning.

At noon, Godoso revealed to him

that the slave trader did not stay here

for more than two nights.

Maybe by the end of the afternoon the remaining slaves would be sold

to the king’s slave buyers.

Hearing that, he was really disappointed.

At that moment,

a rather stout man walked over

and asked

if anyone had ever been a baker?

He immediately walked up to him and said:

– Why does a veteran baker like you need another baker?

Can you still teach someone like me how to make a cake?

Look at this me!

I am young,

healthy and eager to work again.

Give me a chance to do my best

and bring you lots of money.

He was immediately impressed with his goodwill

and began to negotiate with the slave trader.

The guy hadn’t paid any attention

to him since he brought him here,

but now he bragged about his abilities,

strength,

and talent in order to demand more money.

He felt like a bull in that negotiation.

Finally, the negotiation ended.

He left with his new owner and consoled himself

that he was lucky anyway.

His new place is pretty good.

Nana-naid,

his new owner,

taught him how to pound wheat in a stone mortar,

then how to light a fire in the oven,

and how to grind sesame seeds to make honey cakes.

He was put to sleep in the grain storage.

Mrs. Swasti, who was Nana-naid’s slave butler,

always fed him well

because he used to help her with the heavy chores.

This was the opportunity he had wanted to work hard,

and to be worthy of his boss.

He hopes the job will enable him

to redeem his freedom in the future.

Indeed, Mr. Nana-naid was delighted to see

that he was willing to learn.

Finally, when he had mastered baking,

he taught him how to make honey cakes.

Before long,

he had mastered the craft of baking.

So Mr. Nana-naid did not need

to get involved in anything in the bakery,

because everything was done by him.

However, Mrs. Swasti shook her head

and whispered to him:

“Nancivi is unwholesome.”

She was worried that her boss was too idle,

because she had seen many people like that.

But he didn’t care what Mrs. Swasti said.

He thought it was time to think about

how he could make money and redeem his freedom.

Normally work at the bakery ended at noon,

so he thought Mr. Nana-naid would probably agree

to let him bake cakes

and sell them in the afternoon.

Because, this job will also bring him some money.

So he presented his intention to Mr. Nana-naid:

– Sir! If I take advantage of my free afternoons to bake cakes

and sell them to earn more money for you,

would you be willing to give me some

to buy the necessary things for my life?

– Share, share! ‘ said Mr. Nana-naid at once.

– This is a really good idea.

You just sell them for two cents each.

Half of the proceeds will be used to pay for flour,

honey and firewood.

The rest we will divide by two.

He was delighted with Mr. Nana-naid’s generous disposition

and confidently carried out his plan.

So a quarter of the money earned in a day selling cakes will be yours.

That night, he stayed up very late

to make a cake tray to go for a walk.

Mr. Nana-naid gave him an old shirt

and he asked Mrs. Swasti to mend the torn spots

and wash them clean,

so that he could wear them tomorrow afternoon and sell cakes.

The next afternoon,

he walked along the streets with a large tray of honey cakes

that looked delicious and very eye-catching.

At first, seeing no one paying attention,

he felt frustrated but kept trying to sell.

In the late afternoon,

people started to get hungry,

so they bought a lot.

Soon, the whole tray of cakes was sold out.

Mr. Nana-naid was very pleased

with the results of his work

and happily extracted a portion

for him amount

as previously agreed.

He was overjoyed,

for from now on he had his own coins.

Megiddo was right

when he said

that the master would appreciate the results of the slaves’ work.

That night he could not sleep.

On the one hand, he was elated by the unexpected success.

On the other hand,

he was busy calculating how much money he would earn in a year

with such results and how many years

it would take him to redeem his freedom.

After that, every day he continued to bring the tray of cakes to sell,

and soon he had a number of regular customers.

And one of those guests is none other than my grandfather,

Mr. Arad Gula.

At that time, my grandfather was a carpet merchant,

often carrying loads of goods on the back of a donkey

around the city

with a black slave who followed him to lead the donkey

and carry the carpet.

Arad bought two loaves of bread each day,

one for himself and the other for the slave,

and would linger with him while eating.

One day,

my grandfather said to him a sentence

that he will probably never forget

for the rest of his life.

He told:

– I really like your cake,

but I like it more than your lovely way of selling.

If you always use this method,

it can help you achieve more success.

Do you understand Hadan Gula?

Such words were very meaningful to a slave boy,

living alone in the midst of a vast

and unfamiliar kingdom at that time.

It gives him strength,

strong faith

so that he can strive to get out of his doldrums.

As the days went by,

the amount of money he accumulated increased more

and more.

Work proved to be his best friend.

However, while he was very happy,

Mrs. Swasti was anxious:

“I’m just afraid that the boss will get caught up in red

and black games!”.

That’s what she used to tell him.

Until one day, he was overjoyed to see Megiddo again on the street.

He was leading three donkeys loaded

with vegetables to the market.

– I am very good now! – He said.

– My boss appreciated my ability,

so he let me be the manager.

Look here,

he has entrusted me

with the job of bringing goods

to the market to sell.

Work has helped me get up after the adversities of life.

One day, it will help me redeem my freedom,

then I too will have my own ranch, my own herd…

He and Megiddo talked for a long time and then parted.

He still did not forget to remind him to work hard.

Megiddo was indeed a wise and kind friend to him.

His life was still going on,

but it seemed that Nana-naid more

and more impatiently waited for him to sell.

He waited for you to return to split the money.

In addition, he also urged him to go to many places to sell goods

and make more money.

So he began to go outside the city

to invite the slave rulers to buy bread.

Honestly,

he didn’t like to deal with these rude and brutal people,

but he also found them to be big customers,

often buying a lot of cakes at once,

not just a few like others.

One day, he suddenly met Zabado in the crowd

of slaves waiting in line

to get bricks on the city.

He looked pitiful, emaciated, shriveled,

his back covered with the whips of the guards.

He felt so sorry that he gave him a cake.

Zabado hastily stuffed it into his mouth,

devouring it like a hungry animal for a long time.

Seeing the lust in his eyes,

he felt scared and ran away

before Zabado grabbed the cake tray.

– Why do you have to work so hard?

One day, Arad Gula asked him so.

This is the same question you asked me just now, right?

He answered everything

that Megiddo had told him

before and proudly showed Arad Gula the heavy bag of money

that always hung at his waist,

explaining that he was saving money to redeem his freedom,

by his own.

– When you are free, what will you do?

– My grandfather asked him.

– I am planning to become a merchant.

– In my opinion, in the future,

you will be a successful

and rich businessman.

My grandfather continued:

“You probably don’t know,

now I’m a slave myself.

However, I am doing business with my boss,

so I have better conditions to make a lot of money.

– Please don’t say more! – Hadan Gula interrupted

– I don’t want you to shame my grandfather with such lies.

Grandpa was not a slave at all!

Hadan Gula’s eyes showed anger.

Sharru Nada still kept her calm voice:

– I respect your grandfather very much.

Because, he overcame the fate of slavery

and became the most exemplary citizen in Damascus.

I am Arad Gula’s grandson,

but have I inherited my grandfather’s superior qualities?

Do you have the courage to face the truth

or just want to live in delusional and false thoughts?

Hadan Gula sat up straight on the camel’s back

and responded with emotion:

– Everyone loves my grandfather very much.

He did a lot of good deeds.

When there was a famine,

he bought grain from Egypt and brought it

to Damascus to distribute to the people,

so that no one starved to death.

And now you say,

you are a miserable slave in Babylon!

– The fact that Mr. Arad Gula was a slave while in Babylon.

This time, he worked very hard.

However,

through extraordinary efforts,

Arad Gula became a man respected

and admired by everyone in Damascus.

Hearing Sharru Nada’s calm voice,

Hadan Gula fell silent,

but did not quite believe what he had just said.

Sharru Nada continued:

– After revealing himself as a slave,

Mr. Arad Gula said

that he is worried about his upcoming free life.

He had enough money to redeem his freedom,

but he was confused.

Because for a long time,

Arad Gula only did business with his boss,

now if he separates,

he feels scared and not confident enough.

He objected to his grandson’s hesitation:

“You shouldn’t depend on your boss forever.”

Take back the feelings and thoughts of a free man,

and act like a free man and achieve the same success!

Decide according to what you feel most like and must try to do.

This will help him achieve many higher goals!

Mr. Arad Gula was delighted to hear his encouragement

and said that he felt ashamed of the inferiority of his words.

My grandfather told me at

that moment that he would soon redeem his freedom

and become an independent businessman.

One day, also while selling bread outside the city,

he was surprised to see a large number of people flocking to an empty area,

as if waiting for something to happen there.

He grabbed someone and asked, who replied:

– Aren’t you good at anything?

A slave killed one of the king’s soldiers and fled.

But they caught that slave

and today will bring him to death

by whipping to death.

The king was there too!

Crowds surrounded the execution site.

He was afraid that if he got close,

the honey cake tray would be overturned,

so he climbed up the unfinished city wall to look down.

He saw King Nebuchadnezzar sitting in a splendid chariot

to watch the execution.

It is true that he never knew true wealth until he saw

with his own eyes King Nebuchadnezzar wearing a gold-plated hat,

a luxurious brocade robe,

and even the curtains of the carriage were

of yellow cloth. rare.

He couldn’t see them beating the slave,

though he could clearly hear the man’s anguished screams.

He wondered why such an aristocratic,

luxurious prince could bear to watch such dire punishment,

and joke happily with the others.

They saw these inhuman acts

as the proper punishment for slaves

who dared to rebel against the king.

After the slave died,

the body was hung upside down on a pole for all to see.

When the crowd dispersed,

he approached.

Covered with blood and mud, the poor slave’s chest

still had a tattoo of the sea snake he had known.

He was shocked to realize

that it was the Pirate from the day before.

The next day,

I ran into my grandpa again

and found him completely changed.

He greeted him very enthusiastically:

– The slave you knew

before is now a free man.

Indeed, when I was free,

I found life much better.

My wife is very happy.

She is a free woman

and the granddaughter of my previous boss.

We decided to move to another place to live and work.

And there no one will know that I was a slave.

Thus, our descendants will not be despised

by anyone about the misfortunes of their ancestors.

Now that I am very fluent in trading,

I will definitely try to work to earn a lot of money.

Because, I need to take care of my family and children later.

Hearing that,

he was very happy and full of hope.

Because,

in a way,

he himself contributed to encouraging

and encouraging Arad Gula,

just as he has encouraged and encouraged him many times.

On the other hand,

he saw his future would be similar

to the life of Arad Gula at that time.

One afternoon,

Mrs. Swasti frantically looked for him and said:

– The boss is in crisis.

I am very worried.

For several months now,

he has always lost money at the casino.

The master had no money left to buy grain and honey,

nor did he have money to repay the moneylender.

They’re coming to collect his debt.

“Why are you so worried about his crazy things?”

We are not his patrons!

He replied without thinking.

“You idiot,

you don’t understand anything.

As for the lender,

he used you as evidence to borrow money.

By law,

he can sell you as a commodity to pay off a debt.

I do not know what to do anymore!

Before, he was a good boss.

And now, why is he addicted to gambling?

that’s it!

Mrs. Swasti’s worries are correct.

The next morning, he was baking a cake

when the moneylender and a man named Sasi walked in.

The man looked all over him and ordered him to follow.

The moneylender didn’t wait to see Mr. Nana-naid,

but instead told Mrs. Swasti to tell the owner that he had come

and taken him away.

So with only the coat on his back and the bag of precious coins.

The rack was securely fastened to his belt,

his life turned a new page.

But this time,

what awaits him ahead

– luck or misfortune,

uncertainty – he cannot predict at all.

Soon, however,

he vaguely realized

that bad things were about to happen to him.

Sasi is a rough and rude guy.

He stated bluntly:

– I don’t like what you’re doing.

My boss doesn’t like it either.

The king told the master to build a big canal,

so he sent me to buy more slaves to work quickly.

Huh! With limited human strength,

who could do this arduous work quickly?

Hearing this information,

he was really shocked and understood

that he had just been knocked out of hopes,

cherished dreams

and continued to be thrown into the storms of life.

Imagine we had to work on a parched land,

dry as a desert,

without a shadow of a tree,

just low bushes and a burning sun.

Their throats burned with thirst,

but they still could not drink water,

because the water was always hot as if it had just been boiled.

Then imagine groups of people walking down the deep pits,

shoveling a basket full of dirt,

carrying it over their shoulders,

climbing up the slippery sides of the hole to fill the canal.

One after another worked hard like ants,

from dawn to dusk.

In addition, the food was put in open-air troughs

and left to people to feed themselves like a herd of pigs.

At night, instead of having a hut or a haystack to rest,

we just lay bare on the ground,

despite the wind and sand and the cold torturing our bodies.

That was the situation he had to live in those days.

He buried his wallet in a carefully marked place,

and day and night anxiously wondered

if there would be a day when he would dig it up.

At first, he worked very hard.

But then, as time dragged on,

he felt his spirit and strength decrease.

Fevers began to take over his worn-out body.

He could not eat much,

only swallowed a little to hold his breath through the day.

As for the night,

illness and cold wind constantly tormented him,

making it impossible for him to sleep.

In that wretched state,

he wished he could carry out Zabado’s plan

to give his body a little rest.

But then, thinking back to his tragic meeting

with Zabado on the wall the day before,

he knew that plan was impossible.

He thought of the Pirate

with all his bitterness,

and wished he had the strength to destroy the brutality.

But his soulless corpse reminded him of a tragic outcome.

Then he remembered the last time he had seen Megiddo.

His hands were calloused from hard work,

but he was always cheerful and happy,

proving that Megiddo’s plan was the best plan.

It was because of that thought that he tried to work.

But why doesn’t work bring him joy

and happiness as it did Megiddo?

Why does his life always meet such unfortunate events,

despite his efforts?

Those questions kept coming back to him,

making it impossible for him to sleep.

It seems his life has come to a standstill.

A few days later,

Sasi suddenly sent someone to call him

and tell him that his old master had sent him back to Babylon.

He was overjoyed

and secretly dug up his precious bag of money,

wrapping it up in a piece of torn robe before setting off.

After the initial jubilation,

despite being able to ride a camel back to Mr. Nana-naid’s house,

he couldn’t get rid of his anxiety.

Why was he called back to Babylon?

Is he about to receive the new storms of life?

What did he do to be punished so much?

Have you had any other misfortunes?

When his camel drove straight into Mr. Nana-naid’s yard,

he was surprised to see Mr. Arad Gula waiting there.

He helped him climb down

and hugged him like a younger brother

who has been separated for a long time.

When the two entered the house together,

he purposely followed in the footsteps

of Mr. Arad Gula like a slave following his master,

but he refused. Mr. Arad put his hand on his shoulder and said:

– I sent people to look for you everywhere.

When I was completely disappointed,

I met Mrs. Swasti.

She pointed me to the moneylender

and asked him to take me to the owner who owned him.

I paid a very high price for your freedom,

but you totally deserved it.

I am very grateful to you for the philosophy of life

and the art of selling that you once told me.

It has helped me get to where I am today.

That philosophy belongs to Megiddo,

not mine. ‘

He said confusedly to Mr. Arad.

– Megiddo’s and yours too.

Thank you both,

let’s go to Damascus,

I would love to invite you to do business with me.

Because right now,

you are a free human being!

After saying that, Mr. Arad pulled out a piece

of clay from his cloak,

on which was clearly engraved the amount of his ransom,

then lifted it from his head and threw it down.

The clay card broke into a hundred pieces.

Mr. Arad even trampled on those debris

until they turned to dust.

He was very emotional

and couldn’t hold back his tears.

He never forgot that moment!

Your grandfather is a benefactor,

someone he respects all his life.

You see, even in the most tragic times of his life,

work has always proved to be his best friend.

His passion for work saved him from slavery.

It also helped him make a good impression on my grandfather,

making him choose him as his future business partner.

Hadan Gula interjected:

– What is my grandfather’s secret to making a lot of money?

– The secret is to love to work!

– Sharru Nada answered every word clearly.

– And it is this secret

that has brought him many well-deserved rewards.

– I’m starting to understand.

– Hadan Gula said sincerely.

– The job has helped my grandfather meet many friends.

They are also admirers of their grandfather’s talent and success.

Work also creates many valuable assets,

enabling grandparents to do useful work for society

and be respected by everyone.

Yet in the past,

I used to think that work was only for slaves.

Life brings many interesting things to people.

– Sharru Nada commented.

– Everyone has their own place,

and work is certainly not just for slaves.

If you don’t work, you won’t find joy in life.

Nor did he make friends with many wise men.

Nor did he cultivate such good qualities as patience,

industriousness,

and hard work.

And of course,

his life would never be what it is today.

Sharru Nada and Hadan Gula rode on camels

under the shade of soaring walls leading to the massive bronze gates

of the Babylonian kingdom.

As they entered the gate,

the gatekeepers stomped their heels

and respectfully saluted Sharru Nada,

an honorary citizen of the kingdom.

– I always wanted to be someone like my grandfather.

Hadan Gula assured Sharru Nada. – Before,

I did not properly perceive my grandfather.

Thanks to you, I now understand and admire

and love my grandfather even more.

I think I will never fully repay him

when he told me his secret of success

and wholeheartedly helped me.

From today onwards,

I will use that secret to start a business like my grandfather did before.

It fits my current situation better

than these flashy jewelry and clothes.

After saying that, Hadan Gula took off the ear rings,

then the rings on his fingers one by one,

and threw them back.

Strong and resolute,

he spurred his camel to stride

after the majestic man leading the caravan.