{"id":44,"date":"2024-06-09T19:36:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-09T19:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jessesalu.com\/?p=44"},"modified":"2024-06-10T00:54:26","modified_gmt":"2024-06-10T00:54:26","slug":"the-merchants-cat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jessesalu.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/09\/the-merchants-cat\/","title":{"rendered":"The Merchant’s Cat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6 am, the merchant wakes up,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small cabin covered by thickets,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the dead end of forest Angea<\/p>\n\n\n\n

——-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He Tosses and turns in his bed, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Squeaky sound it produces<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Timber gasping for breath<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Squinted eyes, he checks his watch. 
——-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 minutes remaining to jump out of his bed<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suspended by two sisal shoals,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One corner of the roof to another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ceiling is halfway in,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sagging in and periodically producing an eerie sound,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swinging right as the wind blows hither,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And left when thither. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

——-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reminding the merchant, apart from rent being due.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His ceiling was overdue for repair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And just like his cabin, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He thought his life was in shambles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He lays with his back facing the roof, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

———<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He notices cobwebs and a small hole <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That allowed only two lucky rays of sunlight <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He thought of how he would make a sale, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the sun goes down<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or he would come back to a crumbling celing, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And will have nothing to feed his cat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

———-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The calendar on 13th August 1457<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let it be a lucky day, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He muttered silently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

—–<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201813th is never a lucky day in Babylon\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wife interrupted\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tea awaits for breakfast <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And 20 kilos of Gold to sell<\/p>\n\n\n\n

——-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we don\u2019t get lucky today.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She continued<\/em>…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emperor Michaelson though sent the army<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To slay those who owe him more than fifty denaris<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And we owe him hundred and twenty. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

—–<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Merchant’s cat comes and wobbles its tail <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And jumps on his shoulders, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It meows to wake him up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He jumps off bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His footsteps Echoing through the small cabin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

———<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe market, what perceiveth of it today?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He rings his friend on a phone booth, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That hung on the left side, almost touching the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And swinging like a pendulum<\/p>\n\n\n\n

—–<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBuyers, not many. Sellers unlimited in number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comest though with a strategy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today Oust win not without it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His friend groans<\/p>\n\n\n\n

—–<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to you my learned friend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He hung up, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wondering how he could make a grand sale, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To offset of all his debts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Impossible!

He resolved he would stay in the house<\/p>\n\n\n\n

————<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For five days now he went and not made a sale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The merchant’s cat beckoned, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wagging its tail as it led the man out of the house. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you my cat, I\u2019ll try one more time <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time I\u2019ll let you go with me . <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Good omen, you may bring today.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He muttered <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014————<\/p>\n\n\n\n

————–<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Richest man in Babylon wakes up, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stares at his magnificent ceiling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full of Gold and allowing zero rays of sunshine<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps we need a new roof. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He whispers to his wife<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go out and buy gold from the market .\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

—————-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He left for the market with his two majestic horses,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And hundreds of soldiers on horsebacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paving the way and pushing aside sellers and beggars, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who lined up at the front gate <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of his magnificent palace, that stood at the center of forest Angea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

————-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This market is just the same, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

No one would ever buy from us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too many sellers and only one man to buy Gold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The merchant thought as he took his cat<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And placed him on his shoulders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watching the king’s chariots leave the Palace, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people coming to see the King’s chariots,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But most standing outside sell him their gold,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

———-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whips can be heard as soldiers charge the horses to speed, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And wails as some of them lash the sellers, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who tried obstructing the carriage, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trying to show the king they had the gold he needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

————-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The King suddenly orders the chariots to stop<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he spots the merchant,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hopelessly carrying kilos of gold on the left,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the cat on his shoulder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

————<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You valueth the cat as much as gold<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will though buy your gold, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And giveth you fifty kilos more,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And ten of my best chariots will go with you<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To go sell to King Asdak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who ordereth for one hundred kilos, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep thy profits to oneself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He told him and rode back to the palace

————<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As he went back that evening, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The merchant thought of his cat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resilience, determination and grit, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes is what could get you out of bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To a lucky day full of serendipity,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And cover up for the unlucky days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

———–<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He renamed his cat Resilience<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And thought its the best sales strategy <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The merchant\u2019s cat can help you achieve anything<\/p>\n\n\n\n

—–<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Especially in the face of adversity.

And this was written in the archives of Babylon <\/p>\n\n\n\n

13th August 1497<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well encrypted.
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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