The Quest for Gold
Gold! One reason that men try to find brand new land is that they hope to find gold. When bold men try to find an old city with a lot of gold, they hope that they will be rich. The quest for gold and land can make even a kind man go wild. The quest for gold and land can give even a kind man a cold, cold heart.
An old book from the past tells of a rich king who has a lust for gold. He would grind his gold until it became dust. He would mix the gold dust with mud and rub the wet stuff on his skin. Then, he would bolt into a big, cold pond. All the people thought that he had lost his mind!
That tale of the gold king became a tale about a golden city with thick gold walls. A long brick path winds through this golden city. In the city, an adult or a child can stroll past golden homes, hop on top of golden posts, and ride in rigs down long golden streets.
You cannot tell men on a quest for gold that golden cities do not exist and never have. In the past, those men did not see that they could go to the end of the map, but they would not find a land of gold. So, the king, his pond, and the golden city can only be found in books and in rich minds.