Chapter 3, Seven Cures for a Lean Purse Summary

The third chapter turns to a discussion of how Babylon came to be the richest nation in the world. After many years of prosperity Babylon finds itself suffering from economic down turn. A select few citizens have acquired all the wealth leaving the majority of the townspeople in poverty. The king calls for Arkad to be brought before him in order to explain how the situation can be improved. Arkad puts forth seven cures for a lean purse and challenges the councilmen to discuss his cures amongst themselves to determine if he speaks falsely.

The first cure is the same bit of advice Arkad gave his friends in chapter two: keep one-tenth of your earnings for yourself and learn to survive off the other nine-tenths. The second cure involves formulating a...