There was once a millionaire who loved money more than anything else in the world. He didn t know exactly how much money he had, so he took on a little girl to count all his money for him.
It took the little girl six days to count all the money. When she told the millionaire that he had forty-two million dollars, he was full of joy and asked, "How much pay do you want?" The little girl said, "Well, I worked for six days, so I think you ought to pay for six days. Give me two pennies for the first day. Each day after that, just give me the amount you gave me the day before, multiplied by itself." The millionaire thought that in this way he would only have to give her a few dollars. What a foolish little girl! So he immediately had his lawyer write up a contract, fearing that she would change her mind.
On the first day, the millionaire paid her two pennies, on the second day, two pennies times two-four pennies. Each day after that, he gave her the number of the pennies he had given her the day before, multiplied by itself. And by the sixth day, the millionaire had to give the little girl all his money.