Pearls Down the Pipes?

I'm sure some of you may have heard some wild stories about Cleopatra. Do you know what I mean? Well, even if you don't you will soon. One of the most interesting ones I found was that Cleopatra SWALLOWED a pearl! Now, I know what you're thinking: "Why in the WORLD would she do that?!" Yep, that's what I thought. But it was a bet, not just for fun. Cleopatra, being rich and famous (having a rich daddy didn't hurt) had the two biggest and most expensive pearls a the time. So she bet Antony that she could hold the most expensive dinner in history. Antony walked into the banquet hall and there were two empty plates and two glasses filled with vinegar. If I were him I would be thinking, "Real funny Cleo. You got the most expensive air in the world. Good for you." Cleopatra appeared, wearing royal robes, and her ears had the two pearls I had mentioned earlier. Don't ask me how she fit them on her ears, she just did. She sat down, not bothering with the greetings. She unclasped the pearls from her ears and placed one on her plate. She smashed it with her palm and dropped it in the glass of vinegar. She than drank down the solution. Yummy! Cleopatra offered the other pearl to Antony. He refused it, and informed Cleopatra that she had won. She grabbed up the remaining pearl, and promptly left. Now, this story isn't as crazy as it sounds. In Egypt at the time, pearls were worth less than the ground Cleopatra had walked on. But in Rome, they were worth more than Caesar's palace. And Cleopatra, being a smart little heiress, knew this and put the knowledge to good use. Weather the story is true or not, that is for you to decide.