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As you see, he answered. Well then, said the other, I will make you a present of this horse. What for? asked Pheraulas. Then the Sacian related the circumstances and finally said: And in my opinion, at least, I have not failed to hit a brave man.

But you would give him to a richer man than I, if you were wise, answered Pheraulas. Still, even as it is, I will accept him. And I pray the gods, who have caused me to receive your blow, to grant me to see that you never regret your gift to me. And now, said he, mount my horse and ride away; I will join you presently. Thus they made the exchange. Of the Cadusians, Rhathines was the winner.

The chariots also he allowed to race by[*](The chariot race) divisions; to all the winners he gave cups and cattle, so that they might sacrifice and have a banquet. He himself, then, took the ox as his prize, but his share of the cups he gave to Pheraulas because he thought that that officer, as grand marshal, had managed the procession from the palace admirably.

The procession of the king, therefore, as thus instituted by Cyrus, continues even so unto this day, except that the victims are omitted when the king does not offer sacrifice. When it was all over, they went back to the[*](The procession comes to an end) city to their lodgings—those to whom houses had been given, to their homes; those who had none, to their company’s quarters.

Pheraulas invited to his house the Sacian[*](Pheraulas entertains the Sacian) also, who had given him his horse, and entertained his new friend there and made bountiful provision for him in every way; and when they had dined, he filled up the cups that he had received from Cyrus, drank to his health, and then gave him the cups.

And when the Sacian saw the many beautiful coverlets, the many beautiful pieces of furniture, and the large number of servants, he said: Pray tell me, Pheraulas, were you a rich man at home, too?

Rich, indeed! answered Pheraulas; nay rather, as everybody knows, one of those who lived by the labour of their hands. To be sure, my father, who supported us by hard labour and close economy on his own part, managed to give me the education of the boys; but when I became a young man, he could not support me in idleness, and so he took me off to the farm and put me to work.

And there, as long as he lived, I, in turn, supported him by digging and planting a very little plot of ground. It was really not such a very bad plot of ground, but, on the contrary, the most honest; for all the seed that[*](Cf. Vergil, Georgics i. 4 Menander, Georgos 35) it received it returned fairly and honestly, and yet with no very great amount of interest. And sometimes, in a fit of generosity, it would even return to me twice as much as it received. Thus, then, I used to live at home; but now everything that you see has been given to me by Cyrus.

What a happy fellow you must be, said the Sacian, for every reason, but particularly because from being poor you have become rich. For you must enjoy your riches much more, I think, for the very reason that it was only after being hungry for wealth that you became rich.

Why, do you actually suppose, my Sacian[*](He complains of the burden of riches) friend, answered Pheraulas, that the more I own, the more happily I live? You are not aware, he went on, that it gives me not one whit more pleasure to eat and drink and sleep now than it did when I was poor. My only gain from having so much is that I am obliged to take care of more, distribute more to others, and have the trouble of looking after more than I used to have.

For now many domestics look to me for food, many for drink, and many for clothes, while some need doctors; and one comes to me with a tale about sheep attacked by wolves, or of oxen killed by falling over a precipice, or to say that some disease has broken out among the cattle. And so it looks to me, said Pheraulas, as if I had more trouble now through possessing much than I used to have from possessing little.

But still, by Zeus, said the Sacian, when everything is going well, you must at the sight of so many blessings be many times as happy as I. The pleasure that the possession of wealth gives, my good Sacian, said Pheraulas, is not nearly so great as the pain that is caused by its loss. And you shall be convinced that what I say is true: for not one of those who are rich is made sleepless for joy, but of those who lose anything you will not see one who is able to sleep for grief.

Not so, by Zeus, said the Sacian; but of those who get anything not one could you see who gets a wink of sleep for very joy.

True said the other; for, you see, if having were as pleasant as getting, the rich would be incomparably happier than the poor. But, you see, my good Sacian, it is also a matter of course that he who has much should also spend much both in the service of the gods and for his friends and for the strangers within his gates. Let me assure you, therefore, that any one who takes inordinate pleasure in the possession of money is also inordinately distressed at having to part with it.

Aye, by Zeus, answered the Sacian; but I am not one of that sort; my idea of happiness is both to have much and also to spend much.

In the name of the gods, then, said[*](Pheraulas gets rid of his burden of wealth) Pheraulas, please make yourself happy at once and make me happy, too! Take all this and own it and use it as you wish. And as for me, you need do no more than keep me as a guest—aye, even more sparingly than a guest, for I shall be content to share whatever you have.

You are joking, said the Sacian.But Pheraulas assured him with an oath that he was really in earnest in what he proposed. And I will get you other favours besides from Cyrus, my Sacian—exemption from attending at court and from serving in the field; you may just stay at home with your wealth. I will attend to those other duties for you as well as for myself; and if I secure anything more of value either through my attendance upon Cyrus or from some campaign, I will bring it to you, so that you may have still more wealth at your command. Only deliver me from this care. For if you will relieve me of its burden, I think you will do a great service also to Cyrus as well as to myself.

When they had thus talked things over together, they came to an agreement according to this last suggestion and proceeded to act upon it. And the one thought that he had been made a happy man because he had command of great riches, while the other considered himself most blessed because he was to have a steward who would give him leisure to do only whatever was pleasant to him.

Now, Pheraulas was naturally a good fellow,[*](He delights to serve others) and nothing seemed to him so pleasant or so useful as to serve other people. For he held man to be the best and most grateful of all creatures, since he saw that when people are praised by any one they are very glad to praise him in turn; and when any one does them a favour, they try to do him one in return; when they recognize that any one is kindly disposed toward them they return his good-will; and when they know that any one loves them they cannot dislike him; and he noticed especially that they strive more earnestly than any other creature to return the loving care of parents both during their parents’ lifetime and after their death; whereas all other creatures, he knew, were both more thankless and more unfeeling than man.

And so Pheraulas was[*](An unusual partnership) greatly delighted to think that he could be rid of the care of all his worldly goods and devote himself to his friends; and the Sacian, on his part, was delighted to think that he was to have much and enjoy much. And the Sacian loved Pheraulas because he was always bringing him something more; and Pheraulas loved the Sacian because he was willing to take charge of everything; and though the Sacian had continually more in his charge, none the more did he trouble Pheraulas about it. Thus these two continued to live.