Mahmoud, a merchant of Baghdad so rich his opinions move the markets of the Euphrates, refuses to leave his poor brother a penny but does agree to tell his nephews how he grew wealthy. Chapter by chapter, from the Kick and the Pearls to the Lawyers and the Sheep, he recounts a career of sharp dealing he credits entirely to divine favour.
Belloc’s Arabian Nights pastiche is a sly satire on modern finance and the piety of the rich. Download the free EPUB.