With a guard on either side the Sibyl was shown into the presence
of the king.
The burden proved to be nine large books closely written. She offered
them for sale at an enormous price. The king refused to pay it. The
Sibyl only smiled and threw three of the books into the open fire. The
king had wished to own those three, for he knew that future events were
written in them.
"I have now six books and the price is the same as for the nine. Does
the king want them?" The king hesitated. While he was thinking what to
do, the little old woman threw three more into the fire.
"I have now three books and the price is the same as for the nine. Does
the king want them?" And the king said, "Yes," without a minute's
waiting, and took the books.
The little old woman vanished. Her thousand years were nearly gone, but
her voice was still heard when people visited her cave.
The king searched the three books and found that all things concerning
his city, Rome, were foretold in them for hundreds of years. Perhaps
many wars and troubles would have been saved if he had bought all the
books instead of only three.
It is usually best to decide a matter quickly when one knows that
nothing can be gained by waiting.
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