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EATING THE WEALTH OF A NATION

Cleopatra made a bet with Mark Antony. She said, "I bet you, I can eat the wealth of an entire nation in one meal." And Mark Antony said, "Okay, I will take you up on the bet. Let me see you take the wealth of an entire nation in one meal." According to Plyne, he tells the story, Cleopatra had two of the most valuable pearls in the world of that day. She wore them as earrings. So she took out one of the earrings, removed the pearl, dropped it in her wine glass and the wine was acidy enough that it actually dissolved the pearl, and she simply had to drink it. And she won the bet with Mark Anthony -- in one meal she actually had the wealth of the entire nation, because that pearl was valuable in that day as some nation's entire wealth.

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