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The Camel Trader Of Babylon
“The hungrier one becomes, the clearer one’s mind works - also, the more sensitive one becomes to the odors of food.”
Tarkad, the son of Azure, was hungry for the past 2 days. He was looking for someone he could borrow a coin from, to have a meal.
Suddenly, he saw Dabasir, a camel merchant, to whom he owed money.
Tarkad and Dabasir then have a conversation where Dabasir asks for his money and Tarkad says he cannot repay him back because he doesn’t have the money.
Dabasir then sits and begins telling a story while Tarkad sits and watches:
Once upon a time, Dabasir spent all his money without thinking about the future. He continuously kept borrowing money without repaying it back. After a while, the total amount he owed to various creditors was huge and he couldn't pay it back. Things went from bad to worse, and soon he left Babylon. He then associated himself with a group of thieves and started stealing from merchants. After getting attacked by the protectors of the merchants he stole from, Dabasir was stripped of everything and was sold as a slave.
His master was a Syrian chief, who brought Dabasir before his 4 wives. The oldest wife spoke to Dabasir and made him understand that she needed a guard for her camels. Sira asked Dabasir whether he had the soul of a free man or the soul of a slave. Dabasir answered the soul of a free man. Sira then allowed Dabasir to escape with 2 of her camels and prove that he can repay his debts. Dabasir, on the way, almost died, but his determination that he had to repay his debts anyhow helped him find the road back to Babylon.
Dabasir came back, worked hard, and repaid all his debts. Dabasir said that the reason he was able to repay all his debts was because of his determination. Dabasir made a plan and followed it till the end.
The lesson that the author wants us to understand from this chapter is that: 'Where there is determination, there is a way'.
