Paulo Coelho - The Alchemist.doc

7/27/2019 Paulo Coelho - The Alchemist.doc

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The Alchemist

Paulo Coelho

PART ONE

The boy’s name was Santiago. Dusk was falling as the boy arrie! with his her! at anaban!one! "hur"h. The roof ha! fallen in long ago# an! an enormous sy"amore ha!grown on the s$ot where the sa"risty ha! on"e stoo!.

%e !e"i!e! to s$en! the night there. %e saw to it that all the shee$ entere! through

the ruine! gate# an! then lai! some $lanks a"ross it to $reent the flo"k from wan!eringaway !uring the night. There were no woles in the region# but on"e an animal ha!straye! !uring the night# an! the boy ha! ha! to s$en! the entire ne&t !ay sear"hing for

it.

%e swe$t the floor with his 'a"ket an! lay !own# using the book he ha! 'ust finishe!rea!ing as a $illow. %e tol! himself that he woul! hae to start rea!ing thi"ker books(they laste! longer# an! ma!e more "omfortable $illows.

)t was still !ark when he awoke# an!# looking u$# he "oul! see the stars through thehalf*!estroye! roof.

) wante! to slee$ a little longer# he thought. %e ha! ha! the same !ream that night asa week ago# an! on"e again he ha! awakene! before it en!e!.

%e arose an!# taking u$ his "rook# began to awaken the shee$ that still sle$t. %e ha!noti"e! that# as soon as he awoke# most of his animals also began to stir. )t was as ifsome mysterious energy boun! his life to that of the shee$# with whom he ha! s$ent the$ast two years# lea!ing them through the "ountrysi!e in sear"h of foo! an! water. +Theyare so use! to me that they know my s"he!ule#, he muttere!. Thinking about that for amoment# he reali-e! that it "oul! be the other way aroun!( that it was he who ha!

be"ome a""ustome! to their s"he!ule.

ut there were "ertain of them who took a bit longer to awaken. The boy $ro!!e!

them# one by one# with his "rook# "alling ea"h by name. %e ha! always beliee! that theshee$ were able to un!erstan! what he sai!. So there were times when he rea! them$arts of his books that ha! ma!e an im$ression on him# or when he woul! tell them ofthe loneliness or the ha$$iness of a she$her! in the fiel!s. Sometimes he woul!"omment to them on the things he ha! seen in the illages they $asse!.

ut for the $ast few !ays he ha! s$oken to them about only one thing( the girl# the

!aughter of a mer"hant who lie! in the illage they woul! rea"h in about four !ays. %eha! been to the illage only on"e# the year before. The mer"hant was the $ro$rietor of a

!ry goo!s sho$# an! he always !eman!e! that the shee$ be sheare! in his $resen"e# sothat he woul! not be "heate!. A frien! ha! tol! the boy about the sho$# an! he ha!

taken his shee$ there.

1



/ / /

+) nee! to sell some wool#, the boy tol! the mer"hant.

The sho$ was busy# an! the man aske! the she$her! to wait until the afternoon. Sothe boy sat on the ste$s of the sho$ an! took a book from his bag.

+) !i!n’t know she$her!s knew how to rea!#, sai! a girl’s oi"e behin! him.

The girl was ty$i"al of the region of An!alusia# with flowing bla"k hair# an! eyes thataguely re"alle! the 0oorish "on1uerors.

+2ell# usually ) learn more from my shee$ than from books#, he answere!. During the

two hours that they talke!# she tol! him she was the mer"hant’s !aughter# an! s$oke of

life in the illage# where ea"h !ay was like all the others. The she$her! tol! her of theAn!alusian "ountrysi!e# an! relate! the news from the other towns where he ha!sto$$e!. )t was a $leasant "hange from talking to his shee$.

+%ow !i! you learn to rea!3, the girl aske! at one $oint.

+4ike eerybo!y learns#, he sai!. +)n s"hool.,

+2ell# if you know how to rea!# why are you 'ust a she$her!3,

The boy mumble! an answer that allowe! him to aoi! res$on!ing to her 1uestion. %e

was sure the girl woul! neer un!erstan!. %e went on telling stories about his traels#

an! her bright# 0oorish eyes went wi!e with fear an! sur$rise. As the time $asse!# theboy foun! himself wishing that the !ay woul! neer en!# that her father woul! stay busyan! kee$ him waiting for three !ays. %e re"ogni-e! that he was feeling something heha! neer e&$erien"e! before( the !esire to lie in one $la"e foreer. 2ith the girl withthe raen hair# his !ays woul! neer be the same again.

ut finally the mer"hant a$$eare!# an! aske! the boy to shear four shee$. %e $ai! forthe wool an! aske! the she$her! to "ome ba"k the following year.

/ / /

An! now it was only four !ays before he woul! be ba"k in that same illage. %e wase&"ite!# an! at the same time uneasy( maybe the girl ha! alrea!y forgotten him. 4ots of

she$her!s $asse! through# selling their wool.

+)t !oesn’t matter#, he sai! to his shee$. +) know other girls in other $la"es.,

ut in his heart he knew that it !i! matter. An! he knew that she$her!s# like seamenan! like traeling salesmen# always foun! a town where there was someone who "oul!

make them forget the 'oys of "arefree wan!ering.

2



The !ay was !awning# an! the she$her! urge! his shee$ in the !ire"tion of the sun.They neer hae to make any !e"isions# he thought. 0aybe that’s why they always stay"lose to me.

The only things that "on"erne! the shee$ were foo! an! water. As long as the boyknew how to fin! the best $astures in An!alusia# they woul! be his frien!s. 5es# their!ays were all the same# with the seemingly en!less hours between sunrise an! !usk6 an!

they ha! neer rea! a book in their young lies# an! !i!n’t un!erstan! when the boy tol!them about the sights of the "ities. They were "ontent with 'ust foo! an! water# an!# in

e&"hange# they generously gae of their wool# their "om$any# an!7on"e in a while7theirmeat.

)f ) be"ame a monster to!ay# an! !e"i!e! to kill them# one by one# they woul!be"ome aware only after most of the flo"k ha! been slaughtere!# thought the boy. Theytrust me# an! they’e forgotten how to rely on their own instin"ts# be"ause ) lea! themto nourishment.

The boy was sur$rise! at his thoughts. 0aybe the "hur"h# with the sy"amore growingfrom within# ha! been haunte!. )t ha! "ause! him to hae the same !ream for a se"on!

time# an! it was "ausing him to feel anger towar! his faithful "om$anions. %e !rank a bitfrom the wine that remaine! from his !inner of the night before# an! he gathere! his

'a"ket "loser to his bo!y. %e knew that a few hours from now# with the sun at its -enith#the heat woul! be so great that he woul! not be able to lea! his flo"k a"ross the fiel!s. )twas the time of !ay when all of S$ain sle$t !uring the summer. The heat laste! untilnightfall# an! all that time he ha! to "arry his 'a"ket. ut when he thought to "om$lainabout the bur!en of its weight# he remembere! that# be"ause he ha! the 'a"ket# he ha!withstoo! the "ol! of the !awn.

2e hae to be $re$are! for "hange# he thought# an! he was grateful for the 'a"ket’sweight an! warmth.

The 'a"ket ha! a $ur$ose# an! so !i! the boy. %is $ur$ose in life was to trael# an!# aftertwo years of walking the An!alusian terrain# he knew all the "ities of the region. %e was$lanning# on this isit# to e&$lain to the girl how it was that a sim$le she$her! knew howto rea!. That he ha! atten!e! a seminary until he was si&teen. %is $arents ha! wante!him to be"ome a $riest# an! thereby a sour"e of $ri!e for a sim$le farm family. Theyworke! har! 'ust to hae foo! an! water# like the shee$. %e ha! stu!ie! 4atin# S$anish#

an! theology. ut eer sin"e he ha! been a "hil!# he ha! wante! to know the worl!# an!this was mu"h more im$ortant to him than knowing 8o! an! learning about man’s sins.

One afternoon# on a isit to his family# he ha! summone! u$ the "ourage to tell hisfather that he !i!n’t want to be"ome a $riest. That he wante! to trael.

/ / /

+Peo$le from all oer the worl! hae $asse! through this illage# son#, sai! his father. +They "ome in sear"h of new things# but when they leae they are basi"ally the same$eo$le they were when they arrie!. They "limb the mountain to see the "astle# an! theywin! u$ thinking that the $ast was better than what we hae now. They hae blon! hair#

or !ark skin# but basi"ally they’re the same as the $eo$le who lie right here.,

+ut )’! like to see the "astles in the towns where they lie#, the boy e&$laine!.

3



+Those $eo$le# when they see our lan!# say that they woul! like to lie here foreer#,his father "ontinue!.

+2ell# )’! like to see their lan!# an! see how they lie#, sai! his son.

+The $eo$le who "ome here hae a lot of money to s$en!# so they "an affor! totrael#, his father sai!. +Amongst us# the only ones who trael are the she$her!s.,

+2ell# then )’ll be a she$her!9,

%is father sai! no more. The ne&t !ay# he gae his son a $ou"h that hel! three an"ientS$anish gol! "oins.

+) foun! these one !ay in the fiel!s. ) wante! them to be a $art of your inheritan"e.ut use them to buy your flo"k. Take to the fiel!s# an! some!ay you’ll learn that our"ountrysi!e is the best# an! our women the most beautiful.,

An! he gae the boy his blessing. The boy "oul! see in his father’s ga-e a !esire to be

able# himself# to trael the worl!7a !esire that was still alie# !es$ite his father’s haingha! to bury it# oer !o-ens of years# un!er the bur!en of struggling for water to !rink#

foo! to eat# an! the same $la"e to slee$ eery night of his life.

/ / /

The hori-on was tinge! with re!# an! su!!enly the sun a$$eare!. The boy thoughtba"k to that "onersation with his father# an! felt ha$$y6 he ha! alrea!y seen many"astles an! met many women :but none the e1ual of the one who awaite! him seeral!ays hen"e;. %e owne! a 'a"ket# a book that he "oul! tra!e for another# an! a flo"k ofshee$. ut# most im$ortant# he was able eery !ay to lie out his !ream. )f he were totire of the An!alusian fiel!s# he "oul! sell his shee$ an! go to sea. y the time he ha!ha! enough of the sea# he woul! alrea!y hae known other "ities# other women# an!

other "han"es to be ha$$y. ) "oul!n’t hae foun! 8o! in the seminary# he thought# as helooke! at the sunrise.

2heneer he "oul!# he sought out a new roa! to trael. %e ha! neer been to thatruine! "hur"h before# in s$ite of haing traele! through those $arts many times. The

worl! was huge an! ine&haustible6 he ha! only to allow his shee$ to set the route for awhile# an! he woul! !is"oer other interesting things. The $roblem is that they !on’teen reali-e that they’re walking a new roa! eery !ay. They !on’t see that the fiel!s arenew an! the seasons "hange. All they think about is foo! an! water.

0aybe we’re all that way# the boy muse!. Een me7) haen’t thought of other womensin"e ) met the mer"hant’s !aughter. 4ooking at the sun# he "al"ulate! that he woul!

rea"h Tarifa before mi!!ay. There# he "oul! e&"hange his book for a thi"ker one# fill hiswine bottle# shae# an! hae a hair"ut6 he ha! to $re$are himself for his meeting withthe girl# an! he !i!n’t want to think about the $ossibility that some other she$her!# witha larger flo"k of shee$# ha! arrie! there before him an! aske! for her han!.

)t’s the $ossibility of haing a !ream "ome true that makes life interesting# he thought#as he looke! again at the $osition of the sun# an! hurrie! his $a"e. %e ha! su!!enly

remembere! that# in Tarifa# there was an ol! woman who inter$rete! !reams.

4



/ / /

The ol! woman le! the boy to a room at the ba"k of her house6 it was se$arate! fromher liing room by a "urtain of "olore! bea!s. The room’s furnishings "onsiste! of a table#

an image of the Sa"re! %eart of <esus# an! two "hairs.

The woman sat !own# an! tol! him to be seate! as well. Then she took both of hishan!s in hers# an! began 1uietly to $ray.

)t soun!e! like a 8y$sy $rayer. The boy ha! alrea!y ha! e&$erien"e on the roa! with

8y$sies6 they also traele!# but they ha! no flo"ks of shee$. Peo$le sai! that 8y$siess$ent their lies tri"king others. )t was also sai! that they ha! a $a"t with the !eil# an!

that they ki!na$$e! "hil!ren an!# taking them away to their mysterious "am$s# ma!ethem their slaes. As a "hil!# the boy ha! always been frightene! to !eath that he woul!

be "a$ture! by 8y$sies# an! this "hil!hoo! fear returne! when the ol! woman took hishan!s in hers.

ut she has the Sa"re! %eart of <esus there# he thought# trying to reassure himself.%e !i!n’t want his han! to begin trembling# showing the ol! woman that he was fearful.%e re"ite! an Our =ather silently.

+>ery interesting#, sai! the woman# neer taking her eyes from the boy’s han!s# an!

then she fell silent.

The boy was be"oming nerous. %is han!s began to tremble# an! the woman sense!it. %e 1ui"kly $ulle! his han!s away.

+) !i!n’t "ome here to hae you rea! my $alm#, he sai!# alrea!y regretting haing"ome. %e thought for a moment that it woul! be better to $ay her fee an! leae withoutlearning a thing# that he was giing too mu"h im$ortan"e to his re"urrent !ream.

+5ou "ame so that you "oul! learn about your !reams#, sai! the ol! woman. +An!!reams are the language of 8o!. 2hen he s$eaks in our language# ) "an inter$ret what

he has sai!. ut if he s$eaks in the language of the soul# it is only you who "anun!erstan!. ut# whi"heer it is# )’m going to "harge you for the "onsultation.,

Another tri"k# the boy thought. ut he !e"i!e! to take a "han"e. A she$her! alwaystakes his "han"es with woles an! with !rought# an! that’s what makes a she$her!’s lifee&"iting.

+) hae ha! the same !ream twi"e#, he sai!. +) !reame! that ) was in a fiel! with my

shee$# when a "hil! a$$eare! an! began to $lay with the animals. ) !on’t like $eo$le to!o that# be"ause the shee$ are afrai! of strangers. ut "hil!ren always seem to be able

to $lay with them without frightening them. ) !on’t know why. ) !on’t know how animalsknow the age of human beings.,

+Tell me more about your !ream#, sai! the woman. +) hae to get ba"k to my "ooking#an!# sin"e you !on’t hae mu"h money# ) "an’t gie you a lot of time.,

5



+The "hil! went on $laying with my shee$ for 1uite a while#, "ontinue! the boy# a bitu$set. +An! su!!enly# the "hil! took me by both han!s an! trans$orte! me to theEgy$tian $yrami!s.,

%e $ause! for a moment to see if the woman knew what the Egy$tian $yrami!s were.ut she sai! nothing.

+Then# at the Egy$tian $yrami!s#,7he sai! the last three wor!s slowly# so that the ol!woman woul! un!erstan!7?the "hil! sai! to me# )f you "ome here# you will fin! a hi!!entreasure.’ An!# 'ust as she was about to show me the e&a"t lo"ation# ) woke u$. oth

times.,

The woman was silent for some time. Then she again took his han!s an! stu!ie! them"arefully.

+)’m not going to "harge you anything now#, she sai!. +ut ) want one*tenth of thetreasure# if you fin! it.,

The boy laughe!7out of ha$$iness. %e was going to be able to sae the little money

he ha! be"ause of a !ream about hi!!en treasure9

+2ell# inter$ret the !ream#, he sai!.

+=irst# swear to me. Swear that you will gie me one*tenth of your treasure ine&"hange for what ) am going to tell you.,

The she$her! swore that he woul!. The ol! woman aske! him to swear again whilelooking at the image of the Sa"re! %eart of <esus.

+)t’s a !ream in the language of the worl!#, she sai!. +) "an inter$ret it# but the

inter$retation is ery !iffi"ult. That’s why ) feel that ) !esere a $art of what you fin!.

+An! this is my inter$retation( you must go to the Pyrami!s in Egy$t. ) hae neerhear! of them# but# if it was a "hil! who showe! them to you# they e&ist. There you willfin! a treasure that will make you a ri"h man.,

The boy was sur$rise!# an! then irritate!. %e !i!n’t nee! to seek out the ol! woman

for this9 ut then he remembere! that he wasn’t going to hae to $ay anything.

+) !i!n’t nee! to waste my time 'ust for this#, he sai!.

+) tol! you that your !ream was a !iffi"ult one. )t’s the sim$le things in life that are

the most e&traor!inary6 only wise men are able to un!erstan! them. An! sin"e ) am notwise# ) hae ha! to learn other arts# su"h as the rea!ing of $alms.,

+2ell# how am ) going to get to Egy$t3,

+) only inter$ret !reams. ) !on’t know how to turn them into reality. That’s why ) haeto lie off what my !aughters $roi!e me with.,

+An! what if ) neer get to Egy$t3,

+Then ) !on’t get $ai!. )t woul!n’t be the first time.,

An! the woman tol! the boy to leae# saying she ha! alrea!y waste! too mu"h timewith him.

6



So the boy was !isa$$ointe!6 he !e"i!e! that he woul! neer again beliee in !reams.%e remembere! that he ha! a number of things he ha! to take "are of( he went to themarket for something to eat# he tra!e! his book for one that was thi"ker# an! he foun! aben"h in the $la-a where he "oul! sam$le the new wine he ha! bought. The !ay was hot#an! the wine was refreshing. The shee$ were at the gates of the "ity# in a stable thatbelonge! to a frien!. The boy knew a lot of $eo$le in the "ity. That was what ma!etraeling a$$eal to him7he always ma!e new frien!s# an! he !i!n’t nee! to s$en! all of

his time with them. 2hen someone sees the same $eo$le eery !ay# as ha! ha$$ene!with him at the seminary# they win! u$ be"oming a $art of that $erson’s life. An! thenthey want the $erson to "hange. )f someone isn’t what others want them to be# the

others be"ome angry. Eeryone seems to hae a "lear i!ea of how other $eo$le shoul!lea! their lies# but none about his or her own.

%e !e"i!e! to wait until the sun ha! sunk a bit lower in the sky before following hisflo"k ba"k through the fiel!s. Three !ays from now# he woul! be with the mer"hant’s!aughter.

%e starte! to rea! the book he ha! bought. On the ery first $age it !es"ribe! a burial

"eremony. An! the names of the $eo$le inole! were ery !iffi"ult to $ronoun"e. )f he

eer wrote a book# he thought# he woul! $resent one $erson at a time# so that therea!er woul!n’t hae to worry about memori-ing a lot of names.

2hen he was finally able to "on"entrate on what he was rea!ing# he like! the bookbetter6 the burial was on a snowy !ay# an! he wel"ome! the feeling of being "ol!. As herea! on# an ol! man sat !own at his si!e an! trie! to strike u$ a "onersation.

+2hat are they !oing3, the ol! man aske!# $ointing at the $eo$le in the $la-a.

+2orking#, the boy answere! !ryly# making it look as if he wante! to "on"entrate on

his rea!ing.

A"tually# he was thinking about shearing his shee$ in front of the mer"hant’s!aughter# so that she "oul! see that he was someone who was "a$able of !oing !iffi"ultthings. %e ha! alrea!y imagine! the s"ene many times6 eery time# the girl be"amefas"inate! when he e&$laine! that the shee$ ha! to be sheare! from ba"k to front. %ealso trie! to remember some goo! stories to relate as he sheare! the shee$. 0ost ofthem he ha! rea! in books# but he woul! tell them as if they were from his $ersonale&$erien"e. She woul! neer know the !ifferen"e# be"ause she !i!n’t know how to rea!.

0eanwhile# the ol! man $ersiste! in his attem$t to strike u$ a "onersation. %e sai!that he was tire! an! thirsty# an! aske! if he might hae a si$ of the boy’s wine. The boy

offere! his bottle# ho$ing that the ol! man woul! leae him alone.

ut the ol! man wante! to talk# an! he aske! the boy what book he was rea!ing. Theboy was tem$te! to be ru!e# an! moe to another ben"h# but his father ha! taught himto be res$e"tful of the el!erly. So he hel! out the book to the man7for two reasons(first# that he# himself# wasn’t sure how to $ronoun"e the title6 an! se"on!# that if the ol!man !i!n’t know how to rea!# he woul! $robably feel ashame! an! !e"i!e of his own

a""or! to "hange ben"hes.

+%mm@, sai! the ol! man# looking at all si!es of the book# as if it were some strange

ob'e"t. +This is an im$ortant book# but it’s really irritating.,

The boy was sho"ke!. The ol! man knew how to rea!# an! ha! alrea!y rea! the book.

An! if the book was irritating# as the ol! man ha! sai!# the boy still ha! time to "hange itfor another.

7



+)t’s a book that says the same thing almost all the other books in the worl! say#,"ontinue! the ol! man. +)t !es"ribes $eo$le’s inability to "hoose their own !estinies. An!it en!s u$ saying that eeryone beliees the worl!’s greatest lie.,

+2hat’s the worl!’s greatest lie3, the boy aske!# "om$letely sur$rise!.

+)t’s this( that at a "ertain $oint in our lies# we lose "ontrol of what’s ha$$ening to us#

an! our lies be"ome "ontrolle! by fate. That’s the worl!’s greatest lie.,

+That’s neer ha$$ene! to me#, the boy sai!. +They wante! me to be a $riest# but )!e"i!e! to be"ome a she$her!.,

+0u"h better#, sai! the ol! man. +e"ause you really like to trael.,

+%e knew what ) was thinking#, the boy sai! to himself. The ol! man# meanwhile# wasleafing through the book# without seeming to want to return it at all. The boy noti"e!that the man’s "lothing was strange. %e looke! like an Arab# whi"h was not unusual in

those $arts. Afri"a was only a few hours from Tarifa6 one ha! only to "ross the narrowstraits by boat. Arabs often a$$eare! in the "ity# sho$$ing an! "hanting their strange

$rayers seeral times a !ay.

+2here are you from3, the boy aske!.

+=rom many $la"es.,

+No one "an be from many $la"es#, the boy sai!. +)’m a she$her!# an! ) hae been to

many $la"es# but ) "ome from only one $la"e7from a "ity near an an"ient "astle. That’swhere ) was born.,

+2ell then# we "oul! say that ) was born in Salem.,

The boy !i!n’t know where Salem was# but he !i!n’t want to ask# fearing that hewoul! a$$ear ignorant. %e looke! at the $eo$le in the $la-a for a while6 they were"oming an! going# an! all of them seeme! to be ery busy.

+So# what is Salem like3, he aske!# trying to get some sort of "lue.

+)t’s like it always has been.,

No "lue yet. ut he knew that Salem wasn’t in An!alusia. )f it were# he woul! alrea!yhae hear! of it.

+An! what !o you !o in Salem3, he insiste!.

+2hat !o ) !o in Salem3, The ol! man laughe!. +2ell# )’m the king of Salem9,

Peo$le say strange things# the boy thought. Sometimes it’s better to be with theshee$# who !on’t say anything. An! better still to be alone with one’s books. They tell

their in"re!ible stories at the time when you want to hear them. ut when you’re talkingto $eo$le# they say some things that are so strange that you !on’t know how to "ontinuethe "onersation.

+0y name is 0el"hi-e!ek#, sai! the ol! man. +%ow many shee$ !o you hae3,

+Enough#, sai! the boy. %e "oul! see that the ol! man wante! to know more about hislife.

8



+2ell# then# we’e got a $roblem. ) "an’t hel$ you if you feel you’e got enoughshee$.,

The boy was getting irritate!. %e wasn’t asking for hel$. )t was the ol! man who ha!aske! for a !rink of his wine# an! ha! starte! the "onersation.

+8ie me my book#, the boy sai!. +) hae to go an! gather my shee$ an! get going.,

+8ie me one*tenth of your shee$#, sai! the ol! man# +an! )’ll tell you how to fin! the

hi!!en treasure.,

The boy remembere! his !ream# an! su!!enly eerything was "lear to him. The ol!woman ha!n’t "harge! him anything# but the ol! man7maybe he was her husban!7wasgoing to fin! a way to get mu"h more money in e&"hange for information aboutsomething that !i!n’t een e&ist. The ol! man was $robably a 8y$sy# too.

ut before the boy "oul! say anything# the ol! man leane! oer# $i"ke! u$ a sti"k#

an! began to write in the san! of the $la-a. Something bright refle"te! from his "hestwith su"h intensity that the boy was momentarily blin!e!. 2ith a moement that was too

1ui"k for someone his age# the man "oere! whateer it was with his "a$e. 2hen hisision returne! to normal# the boy was able to rea! what the ol! man ha! written in thesan!.

There# in the san! of the $la-a of that small "ity# the boy rea! the names of his fatheran! his mother an! the name of the seminary he ha! atten!e!. %e rea! the name of themer"hant’s !aughter# whi"h he ha!n’t een known# an! he rea! things he ha! neer tol!anyone.

/ / /

+)’m the king of Salem#, the ol! man ha! sai!.

+2hy woul! a king be talking with a she$her!3, the boy aske!# awe! an!embarrasse!.

+=or seeral reasons. ut let’s say that the most im$ortant is that you hae su""ee!e!

in !is"oering your !estiny.,

The boy !i!n’t know what a $erson’s +!estiny, was.

+)t’s what you hae always wante! to a""om$lish. Eeryone# when they are young#

knows what their !estiny is.

+At that $oint in their lies# eerything is "lear an! eerything is $ossible. They are notafrai! to !ream# an! to yearn for eerything they woul! like to see ha$$en to them intheir lies. ut# as time $asses# a mysterious for"e begins to "onin"e them that it will beim$ossible for them to reali-e their !estiny.,

None of what the ol! man was saying ma!e mu"h sense to the boy. ut he wante! toknow what the +mysterious for"e, was6 the mer"hant’s !aughter woul! be im$resse!when he tol! her about that9

9



+)t’s a for"e that a$$ears to be negatie# but a"tually shows you how to reali-e your!estiny. )t $re$ares your s$irit an! your will# be"ause there is one great truth on this$lanet( whoeer you are# or whateer it is that you !o# when you really want something#it’s be"ause that !esire originate! in the soul of the unierse. )t’s your mission on earth.,

+Een when all you want to !o is trael3 Or marry the !aughter of a te&tilemer"hant3,

+5es# or een sear"h for treasure. The Soul of the 2orl! is nourishe! by $eo$le’sha$$iness. An! also by unha$$iness# eny# an! 'ealousy. To reali-e one’s !estiny is a

$erson’s only real obligation. All things are one.

+An!# when you want something# all the unierse "ons$ires in hel$ing you to a"hieeit.,

They were both silent for a time# obsering the $la-a an! the towns$eo$le. )t was theol! man who s$oke first.

+2hy !o you ten! a flo"k of shee$3,

+e"ause ) like to trael.,

The ol! man $ointe! to a baker stan!ing in his sho$ win!ow at one "orner of the$la-a. +2hen he was a "hil!# that man wante! to trael# too. ut he !e"i!e! first to buyhis bakery an! $ut some money asi!e. 2hen he’s an ol! man# he’s going to s$en! amonth in Afri"a. %e neer reali-e! that $eo$le are "a$able# at any time in their lies# of!oing what they !ream of.,

+%e shoul! hae !e"i!e! to be"ome a she$her!#, the boy sai!.

+2ell# he thought about that#, the ol! man sai!. +ut bakers are more im$ortant$eo$le than she$her!s. akers hae homes# while she$her!s slee$ out in the o$en.Parents woul! rather see their "hil!ren marry bakers than she$her!s.,

The boy felt a $ang in his heart# thinking about the mer"hant’s !aughter. There wassurely a baker in her town.

The ol! man "ontinue!# +)n the long run# what $eo$le think about she$her!s an!bakers be"omes more im$ortant for them than their own !estinies.,

The ol! man leafe! through the book# an! fell to rea!ing a $age he "ame to. The boywaite!# an! then interru$te! the ol! man 'ust as he himself ha! been interru$te!. +2hy

are you telling me all this3,

+e"ause you are trying to reali-e your !estiny. An! you are at the $oint where you’reabout to gie it all u$.,

+An! that’s when you always a$$ear on the s"ene3,

+Not always in this way# but ) always a$$ear in one form or another. Sometimes )a$$ear in the form of a solution# or a goo! i!ea. At other times# at a "ru"ial moment# )make it easier for things to ha$$en. There are other things ) !o# too# but most of thetime $eo$le !on’t reali-e )’e !one them.,

The ol! man relate! that# the week before# he ha! been for"e! to a$$ear before aminer# an! ha! taken the form of a stone. The miner ha! aban!one! eerything to go

mining for emeral!s. =or fie years he ha! been working a "ertain rier# an! ha!

10



e&amine! hun!re!s of thousan!s of stones looking for an emeral!. The miner was aboutto gie it all u$# right at the $oint when# if he were to e&amine 'ust one more stone7'ustone more7he woul! fin! his emeral!. Sin"e the miner ha! sa"rifi"e! eerything to his!estiny# the ol! man !e"i!e! to be"ome inole!. %e transforme! himself into a stonethat rolle! u$ to the miner’s foot. The miner# with all the anger an! frustration of his fiefruitless years# $i"ke! u$ the stone an! threw it asi!e. ut he ha! thrown it with su"hfor"e that it broke the stone it fell u$on# an! there# embe!!e! in the broken stone# was

the most beautiful emeral! in the worl!.

+Peo$le learn# early in their lies# what is their reason for being#, sai! the ol! man#with a "ertain bitterness. +0aybe that’s why they gie u$ on it so early# too. ut that’s

the way it is.,

The boy remin!e! the ol! man that he ha! sai! something about hi!!en treasure.

+Treasure is un"oere! by the for"e of flowing water# an! it is burie! by the same"urrents#, sai! the ol! man. +)f you want to learn about your own treasure# you will hae

to gie me one*tenth of your flo"k.,

+2hat about one*tenth of my treasure3,

The ol! man looke! !isa$$ointe!. +)f you start out by $romising what you !on’t eenhae yet# you’ll lose your !esire to work towar! getting it.,

The boy tol! him that he ha! alrea!y $romise! to gie one*tenth of his treasure to the8y$sy.

+8y$sies are e&$erts at getting $eo$le to !o that#, sighe! the ol! man. +)n any "ase#it’s goo! that you’e learne! that eerything in life has its $ri"e. This is what the 2arriors

of the 4ight try to tea"h.,

The ol! man returne! the book to the boy.

+Tomorrow# at this same time# bring me a tenth of your flo"k. An! ) will tell you howto fin! the hi!!en treasure. 8oo! afternoon.,

An! he anishe! aroun! the "orner of the $la-a.

/ / /

The boy began again to rea! his book# but he was no longer able to "on"entrate. %e

was tense an! u$set# be"ause he knew that the ol! man was right. %e went oer to thebakery an! bought a loaf of brea!# thinking about whether or not he shoul! tell the baker

what the ol! man ha! sai! about him. Sometimes it’s better to leae things as they are#he thought to himself# an! !e"i!e! to say nothing. )f he were to say anything# the bakerwoul! s$en! three !ays thinking about giing it all u$# een though he ha! gotten use!to the way things were. The boy "oul! "ertainly resist "ausing that kin! of an&iety for thebaker. So he began to wan!er through the "ity# an! foun! himself at the gates. Therewas a small buil!ing there# with a win!ow at whi"h $eo$le bought ti"kets to Afri"a. An!he knew that Egy$t was in Afri"a.

11



+Can ) hel$ you3, aske! the man behin! the win!ow.

+0aybe tomorrow#, sai! the boy# moing away. )f he sol! 'ust one of his shee$# he’!hae enough to get to the other shore of the strait. The i!ea frightene! him.

+Another !reamer#, sai! the ti"ket seller to his assistant# wat"hing the boy walk away. +%e !oesn’t hae enough money to trael.,

2hile stan!ing at the ti"ket win!ow# the boy ha! remembere! his flo"k# an! !e"i!e!

he shoul! go ba"k to being a she$her!. )n two years he ha! learne! eerything aboutshe$her!ing( he knew how to shear shee$# how to "are for $regnant ewes# an! how to$rote"t the shee$ from woles. %e knew all the fiel!s an! $astures of An!alusia. An! heknew what was the fair $ri"e for eery one of his animals.

%e !e"i!e! to return to his frien!’s stable by the longest route $ossible. As he walke!$ast the "ity’s "astle# he interru$te! his return# an! "limbe! the stone ram$ that le! tothe to$ of the wall. =rom there# he "oul! see Afri"a in the !istan"e. Someone ha! on"etol! him that it was from there that the 0oors ha! "ome# to o""u$y all of S$ain.

%e "oul! see almost the entire "ity from where he sat# in"lu!ing the $la-a where heha! talke! with the ol! man. Curse the moment ) met that ol! man# he thought. %e ha!"ome to the town only to fin! a woman who "oul! inter$ret his !ream. Neither thewoman nor the ol! man were at all im$resse! by the fa"t that he was a she$her!. Theywere solitary in!ii!uals who no longer beliee! in things# an! !i!n’t un!erstan! thatshe$her!s be"ome atta"he! to their shee$. %e knew eerything about ea"h member ofhis flo"k( he knew whi"h ones were lame# whi"h one was to gie birth two months fromnow# an! whi"h were the la-iest. %e knew how to shear them# an! how to slaughter

them. )f he eer !e"i!e! to leae them# they woul! suffer.

The win! began to $i"k u$. %e knew that win!( $eo$le "alle! it the leanter# be"ause

on it the 0oors ha! "ome from the 4eant at the eastern en! of the 0e!iterranean.

The leanter in"rease! in intensity. %ere ) am# between my flo"k an! my treasure# theboy thought. %e ha! to "hoose between something he ha! be"ome a""ustome! to an!something he wante! to hae. There was also the mer"hant’s !aughter# but she wasn’tas im$ortant as his flo"k# be"ause she !i!n’t !e$en! on him. 0aybe she !i!n’t eenremember him. %e was sure that it ma!e no !ifferen"e to her on whi"h !ay he a$$eare!(

for her# eery !ay was the same# an! when ea"h !ay is the same as the ne&t# it’sbe"ause $eo$le fail to re"ogni-e the goo! things that ha$$en in their lies eery !ay that

the sun rises.

) left my father# my mother# an! the town "astle behin!. They hae gotten use! to mybeing away# an! so hae ). The shee$ will get use! to my not being there# too# the boythought.

=rom where he sat# he "oul! obsere the $la-a. Peo$le "ontinue! to "ome an! go fromthe baker’s sho$. A young "ou$le sat on the ben"h where he ha! talke! with the ol!

man# an! they kisse!.

+That baker@, he sai! to himself# without "om$leting the thought. The leanter was

still getting stronger# an! he felt its for"e on his fa"e. That win! ha! brought the 0oors#yes# but it ha! also brought the smell of the !esert an! of eile! women. )t ha! broughtwith it the sweat an! the !reams of men who ha! on"e left to sear"h for the unknown#an! for gol! an! a!enture7an! for the Pyrami!s. The boy felt 'ealous of the free!om of

the win!# an! saw that he "oul! hae the same free!om. There was nothing to hol! himba"k e&"e$t himself. The shee$# the mer"hant’s !aughter# an! the fiel!s of An!alusiawere only ste$s along the way to his !estiny.

12



The ne&t !ay# the boy met the ol! man at noon. %e brought si& shee$ with him.

+)’m sur$rise!#, the boy sai!. +0y frien! bought all the other shee$ imme!iately. %esai! that he ha! always !reame! of being a she$her!# an! that it was a goo! omen.,

+That’s the way it always is#, sai! the ol! man. +)t’s "alle! the $rin"i$le of faorability.2hen you $lay "ar!s the first time# you are almost sure to win. eginner’s lu"k.,

+2hy is that3,

+e"ause there is a for"e that wants you to reali-e your !estiny6 it whets your a$$etitewith a taste of su""ess.,

Then the ol! man began to ins$e"t the shee$# an! he saw that one was lame. The boye&$laine! that it wasn’t im$ortant# sin"e that shee$ was the most intelligent of the flo"k#an! $ro!u"e! the most wool.

+2here is the treasure3, he aske!.

+)t’s in Egy$t# near the Pyrami!s.,

The boy was startle!. The ol! woman ha! sai! the same thing. ut she ha!n’t "harge!him anything.

+)n or!er to fin! the treasure# you will hae to follow the omens. 8o! has $re$are! a$ath for eeryone to follow. 5ou 'ust hae to rea! the omens that he left for you.,

efore the boy "oul! re$ly# a butterfly a$$eare! an! fluttere! between him an! the

ol! man. %e remembere! something his gran!father ha! on"e tol! him( that butterflieswere a goo! omen. 4ike "ri"kets# an! like e&$e"tations6 like li-ar!s an! four*leaf "loers.

+That’s right#, sai! the ol! man# able to rea! the boy’s thoughts. +<ust as yourgran!father taught you. These are goo! omens.,

The ol! man o$ene! his "a$e# an! the boy was stru"k by what he saw. The ol! manwore a breast$late of heay gol!# "oere! with $re"ious stones. The boy re"alle! the

brillian"e he ha! noti"e! on the $reious !ay.

%e really was a king9 %e must be !isguise! to aoi! en"ounters with thiees.

+Take these#, sai! the ol! man# hol!ing out a white stone an! a bla"k stone that ha!been embe!!e! at the "enter of the breast$late. +They are "alle! rim an! Thummim.The bla"k signifies Byes#’ an! the white Bno.’ 2hen you are unable to rea! the omens#they will hel$ you to !o so. Always ask an ob'e"tie 1uestion.

+ut# if you "an# try to make your own !e"isions. The treasure is at the Pyrami!s6 thatyou alrea!y knew. ut ) ha! to insist on the $ayment of si& shee$ be"ause ) hel$e! you

to make your !e"ision.,

The boy $ut the stones in his $ou"h. =rom then on# he woul! make his own !e"isions.

+Don’t forget that eerything you !eal with is only one thing an! nothing else. An!!on’t forget the language of omens. An!# aboe all# !on’t forget to follow your !estiny

through to its "on"lusion.

+ut before ) go# ) want to tell you a little story.

13



+A "ertain sho$kee$er sent his son to learn about the se"ret of ha$$iness from thewisest man in the worl!. The la! wan!ere! through the !esert for forty !ays# an! finally"ame u$on a beautiful "astle# high ato$ a mountain. )t was there that the wise man lie!.

+Rather than fin!ing a saintly man# though# our hero# on entering the main room ofthe "astle# saw a hie of a"tiity( tra!esmen "ame an! went# $eo$le were "onersing inthe "orners# a small or"hestra was $laying soft musi"# an! there was a table "oere! with

$latters of the most !eli"ious foo! in that $art of the worl!. The wise man "onerse! witheeryone# an! the boy ha! to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be gien the

man’s attention.

+The wise man listene! attentiely to the boy’s e&$lanation of why he ha! "ome# buttol! him that he !i!n’t hae time 'ust then to e&$lain the se"ret of ha$$iness. %esuggeste! that the boy look aroun! the $ala"e an! return in two hours.

+B0eanwhile# ) want to ask you to !o something#’ sai! the wise man# han!ing the boya teas$oon that hel! two !ro$s of oil. BAs you wan!er aroun!# "arry this s$oon with you

without allowing the oil to s$ill.’

+The boy began "limbing an! !es"en!ing the many stairways of the $ala"e# kee$ing

his eyes fi&e! on the s$oon. After two hours# he returne! to the room where the wiseman was.

+B2ell#’ aske! the wise man# B!i! you see the Persian ta$estries that are hanging in my!ining hall3 Di! you see the gar!en that it took the master gar!ener ten years to "reate3Di! you noti"e the beautiful $ar"hments in my library3’,

+The boy was embarrasse!# an! "onfesse! that he ha! obsere! nothing. %is only

"on"ern ha! been not to s$ill the oil that the wise man ha! entruste! to him.

+BThen go ba"k an! obsere the marels of my worl!#’ sai! the wise man. B5ou "annottrust a man if you !on’t know his house.’,

+Reliee!# the boy $i"ke! u$ the s$oon an! returne! to his e&$loration of the $ala"e#this time obsering all of the works of art on the "eilings an! the walls. %e saw thegar!ens# the mountains all aroun! him# the beauty of the flowers# an! the taste withwhi"h eerything ha! been sele"te!. $on returning to the wise man# he relate! in !etaileerything he ha! seen.

+But where are the !ro$s of oil ) entruste! to you3’ aske! the wise man.

+4ooking !own at the s$oon he hel!# the boy saw that the oil was gone.

+B2ell# there is only one $ie"e of a!i"e ) "an gie you#’ sai! the wisest of wise men. BThe se"ret of ha$$iness is to see all the marels of the worl!# an! neer to forget the!ro$s of oil on the s$oon.’,

The she$her! sai! nothing. %e ha! un!erstoo! the story the ol! king ha! tol! him. A

she$her! may like to trael# but he shoul! neer forget about his shee$.

The ol! man looke! at the boy an!# with his han!s hel! together# ma!e seeral strangegestures oer the boy’s hea!. Then# taking his shee$# he walke! away.

14



/ / /

At the highest $oint in Tarifa there is an ol! fort# built by the 0oors. =rom ato$ itswalls# one "an "at"h a glim$se of Afri"a. 0el"hi-e!ek# the king of Salem# sat on the wallof the fort that afternoon# an! felt the leanter blowing in his fa"e. The shee$ fi!gete!

nearby# uneasy with their new owner an! e&"ite! by so mu"h "hange. All they wante!was foo! an! water.

0el"hi-e!ek wat"he! a small shi$ that was $lowing its way out of the $ort. %e woul!neer again see the boy# 'ust as he ha! neer seen Abraham again after haing "harge!him his one*tenth fee. That was his work.

The go!s shoul! not hae !esires# be"ause they !on’t hae !estinies. ut the king ofSalem ho$e! !es$erately that the boy woul! be su""essful.

)t’s too ba! that he’s 1ui"kly going to forget my name# he thought. ) shoul! haere$eate! it for him. Then when he s$oke about me he woul! say that ) am 0el"hi-e!ek#

the king of Salem.

%e looke! to the skies# feeling a bit abashe!# an! sai!# +) know it’s the anity of anities#as you sai!# my 4or!. ut an ol! king sometimes has to take some $ri!e in himself.,

/ / /

%ow strange Afri"a is# thought the boy.

%e was sitting in a bar ery mu"h like the other bars he ha! seen along the narrowstreets of Tangier. Some men were smoking from a giganti" $i$e that they $asse! from

one to the other. )n 'ust a few hours he ha! seen men walking han! in han!# womenwith their fa"es "oere!# an! $riests that "limbe! to the to$s of towers an! "hante!7as

eeryone about him went to their knees an! $la"e! their forehea!s on the groun!.

+A $ra"ti"e of infi!els#, he sai! to himself. As a "hil! in "hur"h# he ha! always looke!at the image of Saint Santiago 0atamoros on his white horse# his swor! unsheathe!# an!

figures su"h as these kneeling at his feet. The boy felt ill an! terribly alone. The infi!elsha! an eil look about them.

esi!es this# in the rush of his traels he ha! forgotten a !etail# 'ust one !etail# whi"h

"oul! kee$ him from his treasure for a long time( only Arabi" was s$oken in this "ountry.

The owner of the bar a$$roa"he! him# an! the boy $ointe! to a !rink that ha! been

sere! at the ne&t table. )t turne! out to be a bitter tea. The boy $referre! wine.

ut he !i!n’t nee! to worry about that right now. 2hat he ha! to be "on"erne! aboutwas his treasure# an! how he was going to go about getting it. The sale of his shee$ ha!left him with enough money in his $ou"h# an! the boy knew that in money there wasmagi"6 whoeer has money is neer really alone. efore long# maybe in 'ust a few !ays#he woul! be at the Pyrami!s. An ol! man# with a breast$late of gol!# woul!n’t hae lie!

'ust to a"1uire si& shee$.

15



The ol! man ha! s$oken about signs an! omens# an!# as the boy was "rossing thestrait# he ha! thought about omens. 5es# the ol! man ha! known what he was talkingabout( !uring the time the boy ha! s$ent in the fiel!s of An!alusia# he ha! be"ome use!to learning whi"h $ath he shoul! take by obsering the groun! an! the sky. %e ha!!is"oere! that the $resen"e of a "ertain bir! meant that a snake was nearby# an! that a"ertain shrub was a sign that there was water in the area. The shee$ ha! taught himthat.

)f 8o! lea!s the shee$ so well# he will also lea! a man# he thought# an! that ma!e

him feel better. The tea seeme! less bitter.

+2ho are you3, he hear! a oi"e ask him in S$anish.

The boy was reliee!. %e was thinking about omens# an! someone ha! a$$eare!.

+%ow "ome you s$eak S$anish3, he aske!. The new arrial was a young man in2estern !ress# but the "olor of his skin suggeste! he was from this "ity. %e was aboutthe same age an! height as the boy.

+Almost eeryone here s$eaks S$anish. 2e’re only two hours from S$ain.,

+Sit !own# an! let me treat you to something#, sai! the boy. +An! ask for a glass ofwine for me. ) hate this tea.,

+There is no wine in this "ountry#, the young man sai!. +The religion here forbi!s it.,

The boy tol! him then that he nee!e! to get to the Pyrami!s. %e almost began to tellabout his treasure# but !e"i!e! not to !o so. )f he !i!# it was $ossible that the Arab

woul! want a $art of it as $ayment for taking him there. %e remembere! what the ol!man ha! sai! about offering something you !i!n’t een hae yet.

+)’! like you to take me there if you "an. ) "an $ay you to sere as my gui!e.,

+Do you hae any i!ea how to get there3, the new"omer aske!.

The boy noti"e! that the owner of the bar stoo! nearby# listening attentiely to their"onersation. %e felt uneasy at the man’s $resen"e. ut he ha! foun! a gui!e# an! !i!n’t

want to miss out on an o$$ortunity.

+5ou hae to "ross the entire Sahara !esert#, sai! the young man. +An! to !o that#

you nee! money. ) nee! to know whether you hae enough.,

The boy thought it a strange 1uestion. ut he truste! in the ol! man# who ha! sai!that# when you really want something# the unierse always "ons$ires in your faor.

%e took his money from his $ou"h an! showe! it to the young man. The owner of the

bar "ame oer an! looke!# as well. The two men e&"hange! some wor!s in Arabi"# an!the bar owner seeme! irritate!.

+4et’s get out of here, sai! the new arrial. +%e wants us to leae.,

The boy was reliee!. %e got u$ to $ay the bill# but the owner grabbe! him an! beganto s$eak to him in an angry stream of wor!s. The boy was strong# an! wante! toretaliate# but he was in a foreign "ountry. %is new frien! $ushe! the owner asi!e# an!$ulle! the boy outsi!e with him. +%e wante! your money#, he sai!. +Tangier is not likethe rest of Afri"a. This is a $ort# an! eery $ort has its thiees.,

16



The boy truste! his new frien!. %e ha! hel$e! him out in a !angerous situation. %etook out his money an! "ounte! it.

+2e "oul! get to the Pyrami!s by tomorrow#, sai! the other# taking the money. +ut )hae to buy two "amels.,

They walke! together through the narrow streets of Tangier. Eerywhere there were

stalls with items for sale. They rea"he! the "enter of a large $la-a where the market washel!. There were thousan!s of $eo$le there# arguing# selling# an! buying6 egetables forsale amongst !aggers# an! "ar$ets !is$laye! alongsi!e toba""o. ut the boy neer took

his eye off his new frien!. After all# he ha! all his money. %e thought about asking him togie it ba"k# but !e"i!e! that woul! be unfrien!ly. %e knew nothing about the "ustoms ofthe strange lan! he was in.

+)’ll 'ust wat"h him#, he sai! to himself. %e knew he was stronger than his frien!.

Su!!enly# there in the mi!st of all that "onfusion# he saw the most beautiful swor! heha! eer seen. The s"abbar! was embosse! in siler# an! the han!le was bla"k an!

en"ruste! with $re"ious stones. The boy $romise! himself that# when he returne! fromEgy$t# he woul! buy that swor!.

+Ask the owner of that stall how mu"h the swor! "osts#, he sai! to his frien!. Then hereali-e! that he ha! been !istra"te! for a few moments# looking at the swor!. %is hearts1uee-e!# as if his "hest ha! su!!enly "om$resse! it. %e was afrai! to look aroun!#be"ause he knew what he woul! fin!. %e "ontinue! to look at the beautiful swor! for abit longer# until he summone! the "ourage to turn aroun!.

All aroun! him was the market# with $eo$le "oming an! going# shouting an! buying#

an! the aroma of strange foo!s@ but nowhere "oul! he fin! his new "om$anion.

The boy wante! to beliee that his frien! ha! sim$ly be"ome se$arate! from him bya""i!ent. %e !e"i!e! to stay right there an! await his return. As he waite!# a $riest"limbe! to the to$ of a nearby tower an! began his "hant6 eeryone in the market fell totheir knees# tou"he! their forehea!s to the groun!# an! took u$ the "hant. Then# like a"olony of worker ants# they !ismantle! their stalls an! left.

The sun began its !e$arture# as well. The boy wat"he! it through its tra'e"tory forsome time# until it was hi!!en behin! the white houses surroun!ing the $la-a. %e

re"alle! that when the sun ha! risen that morning# he was on another "ontinent# still ashe$her! with si&ty shee$# an! looking forwar! to meeting with a girl. That morning he

ha! known eerything that was going to ha$$en to him as he walke! through the familiarfiel!s. ut now# as the sun began to set# he was in a !ifferent "ountry# a stranger in astrange lan!# where he "oul!n’t een s$eak the language. %e was no longer a she$her!#an! he ha! nothing# not een the money to return an! start eerything oer.

All this ha$$ene! between sunrise an! sunset# the boy thought. %e was feeling sorryfor himself# an! lamenting the fa"t that his life "oul! hae "hange! so su!!enly an! so

!rasti"ally.

%e was so ashame! that he wante! to "ry. %e ha! neer een we$t in front of his own

shee$. ut the market$la"e was em$ty# an! he was far from home# so he we$t. %e we$tbe"ause 8o! was unfair# an! be"ause this was the way 8o! re$ai! those who beliee! intheir !reams.

2hen ) ha! my shee$# ) was ha$$y# an! ) ma!e those aroun! me ha$$y. Peo$le sawme "oming an! wel"ome! me# he thought. ut now )’m sa! an! alone. )’m going tobe"ome bitter an! !istrustful of $eo$le be"ause one $erson betraye! me. )’m going to

17



hate those who hae foun! their treasure be"ause ) neer foun! mine. An! )’m going tohol! on to what little ) hae# be"ause )’m too insignifi"ant to "on1uer the worl!.

%e o$ene! his $ou"h to see what was left of his $ossessions6 maybe there was a bitleft of the san!wi"h he ha! eaten on the shi$. ut all he foun! was the heay book# his

'a"ket# an! the two stones the ol! man ha! gien him.

As he looke! at the stones# he felt reliee! for some reason. %e ha! e&"hange! si&shee$ for two $re"ious stones that ha! been taken from a gol! breast$late. %e "oul! sellthe stones an! buy a return ti"ket. ut this time )’ll be smarter# the boy thought#

remoing them from the $ou"h so he "oul! $ut them in his $o"ket. This was a $ort town#an! the only truthful thing his frien! ha! tol! him was that $ort towns are full of thiees.

Now he un!erstoo! why the owner of the bar ha! been so u$set( he was trying to tellhim not to trust that man. +)’m like eeryone else7) see the worl! in terms of what )woul! like to see ha$$en# not what a"tually !oes.,

%e ran his fingers slowly oer the stones# sensing their tem$erature an! feeling their

surfa"es. They were his treasure. <ust han!ling them ma!e him feel better. Theyremin!e! him of the ol! man.

+2hen you want something# all the unierse "ons$ires in hel$ing you to a"hiee it#, heha! sai!.

The boy was trying to un!erstan! the truth of what the ol! man ha! sai!. There hewas in the em$ty market$la"e# without a "ent to his name# an! with not a shee$ toguar! through the night. ut the stones were $roof that he ha! met with a king7a kingwho knew of the boy’s $ast.

+They’re "alle! rim an! Thummim# an! they "an hel$ you to rea! the omens., The

boy $ut the stones ba"k in the $ou"h an! !e"i!e! to !o an e&$eriment. The ol! man ha!sai! to ask ery "lear 1uestions# an! to !o that# the boy ha! to know what he wante!.So# he aske! if the ol! man’s blessing was still with him.

%e took out one of the stones. )t was +yes.,

+Am ) going to fin! my treasure3, he aske!.

%e stu"k his han! into the $ou"h# an! felt aroun! for one of the stones. As he !i! so#both of them $ushe! through a hole in the $ou"h an! fell to the groun!. The boy ha!

neer een noti"e! that there was a hole in his $ou"h. %e knelt !own to fin! rim an!Thummim an! $ut them ba"k in the $ou"h. ut as he saw them lying there on the

groun!# another $hrase "ame to his min!.

+4earn to re"ogni-e omens# an! follow them#, the ol! king ha! sai!.

An omen. The boy smile! to himself. %e $i"ke! u$ the two stones an! $ut them ba"kin his $ou"h. %e !i!n’t "onsi!er men!ing the hole7the stones "oul! fall through any time

they wante!. %e ha! learne! that there were "ertain things one shoul!n’t ask about# soas not to flee from one’s own !estiny. +) $romise! that ) woul! make my own !e"isions#,

he sai! to himself.

ut the stones ha! tol! him that the ol! man was still with him# an! that ma!e himfeel more "onfi!ent. %e looke! aroun! at the em$ty $la-a again# feeling less !es$erate

than before. This wasn’t a strange $la"e6 it was a new one.

18



After all# what he ha! always wante! was 'ust that( to know new $la"es. Een if heneer got to the Pyrami!s# he ha! alrea!y traele! farther than any she$her! he knew.Oh# if they only knew how !ifferent things are 'ust two hours by shi$ from where theyare# he thought. Although his new worl! at the moment was 'ust an em$ty market$la"e#he ha! alrea!y seen it when it was teeming with life# an! he woul! neer forget it. %eremembere! the swor!. )t hurt him a bit to think about it# but he ha! neer seen one likeit before. As he muse! about these things# he reali-e! that he ha! to "hoose between

thinking of himself as the $oor i"tim of a thief an! as an a!enturer in 1uest of histreasure.

+)’m an a!enturer# looking for treasure#, he sai! to himself.

/ / /

%e was shaken into wakefulness by someone. %e ha! fallen aslee$ in the mi!!le of themarket$la"e# an! life in the $la-a was about to resume.

4ooking aroun!# he sought his shee$# an! then reali-e! that he was in a new worl!.ut instea! of being sa!!ene!# he was ha$$y. %e no longer ha! to seek out foo! an!water for the shee$6 he "oul! go in sear"h of his treasure# instea!. %e ha! not a "ent inhis $o"ket# but he ha! faith. %e ha! !e"i!e!# the night before# that he woul! be as mu"h

an a!enturer as the ones he ha! a!mire! in books.

%e walke! slowly through the market. The mer"hants were assembling their stalls#

an! the boy hel$e! a "an!y seller to !o his. The "an!y seller ha! a smile on his fa"e( hewas ha$$y# aware of what his life was about# an! rea!y to begin a !ay’s work. %is smileremin!e! the boy of the ol! man7the mysterious ol! king he ha! met. +This "an!ymer"hant isn’t making "an!y so that later he "an trael or marry a sho$kee$er’s!aughter. %e’s !oing it be"ause it’s what he wants to !o#, thought the boy. %e reali-e!that he "oul! !o the same thing the ol! man ha! !one7sense whether a $erson wasnear to or far from his !estiny. <ust by looking at them. )t’s easy# an! yet )’e neer!one it before# he thought.

2hen the stall was assemble!# the "an!y seller offere! the boy the first sweet he ha!ma!e for the !ay. The boy thanke! him# ate it# an! went on his way. 2hen he ha! gone

only a short !istan"e# he reali-e! that# while they were ere"ting the stall# one of them

ha! s$oken Arabi" an! the other S$anish.

An! they ha! un!erstoo! ea"h other $erfe"tly well.

There must be a language that !oesn’t !e$en! on wor!s# the boy thought. )’e

alrea!y ha! that e&$erien"e with my shee$# an! now it’s ha$$ening with $eo$le.

%e was learning a lot of new things. Some of them were things that he ha! alrea!y

e&$erien"e!# an! weren’t really new# but that he ha! neer $er"eie! before. An! heha!n’t $er"eie! them be"ause he ha! be"ome a""ustome! to them. %e reali-e!( )f ) "anlearn to un!erstan! this language without wor!s# ) "an learn to un!erstan! the worl!.

Rela&e! an! unhurrie!# he resole! that he woul! walk through the narrow streets ofTangier. Only in that way woul! he be able to rea! the omens. %e knew it woul! re1uire

19



a lot of $atien"e# but she$her!s know all about $atien"e. On"e again he saw that# in thatstrange lan!# he was a$$lying the same lessons he ha! learne! with his shee$.

+All things are one#, the ol! man ha! sai!.

/ / /

The "rystal mer"hant awoke with the !ay# an! felt the same an&iety that he felt eerymorning. %e ha! been in the same $la"e for thirty years( a sho$ at the to$ of a hillystreet where few "ustomers $asse!. Now it was too late to "hange anything7the only

thing he ha! eer learne! to !o was to buy an! sell "rystal glassware. There ha! been atime when many $eo$le knew of his sho$( Arab mer"hants# =ren"h an! English

geologists# 8erman sol!iers who were always well*heele!. )n those !ays it ha! beenwon!erful to be selling "rystal# an! he ha! thought how he woul! be"ome ri"h# an! hae

beautiful women at his si!e as he grew ol!er.

ut# as time $asse!# Tangier ha! "hange!. The nearby "ity of Ceuta ha! grown fasterthan Tangier# an! business ha! fallen off. Neighbors moe! away# an! there remaine!only a few small sho$s on the hill. An! no one was going to "limb the hill 'ust to browsethrough a few small sho$s.

ut the "rystal mer"hant ha! no "hoi"e. %e ha! lie! thirty years of his life buying an!

selling "rystal $ie"es# an! now it was too late to !o anything else.

%e s$ent the entire morning obsering the infre1uent "omings an! goings in the street.%e ha! !one this for years# an! knew the s"he!ule of eeryone who $asse!. ut# 'ustbefore lun"htime# a boy sto$$e! in front of the sho$. %e was !resse! normally# but the$ra"ti"e! eyes of the "rystal mer"hant "oul! see that the boy ha! no money to s$en!.Neertheless# the mer"hant !e"i!e! to !elay his lun"h for a few minutes until the boymoe! on.

/ / /

A "ar! hanging in the !oorway announ"e! that seeral languages were s$oken in the

sho$. The boy saw a man a$$ear behin! the "ounter.

+) "an "lean u$ those glasses in the win!ow# if you want#, sai! the boy. +The way they

look now# nobo!y is going to want to buy them.,

The man looke! at him without res$on!ing.

+)n e&"hange# you "oul! gie me something to eat.,

The man still sai! nothing# an! the boy sense! that he was going to hae to make a

!e"ision. )n his $ou"h# he ha! his 'a"ket7he "ertainly wasn’t going to nee! it in the

20



!esert. Taking the 'a"ket out# he began to "lean the glasses. )n half an hour# he ha!"leane! all the glasses in the win!ow# an!# as he was !oing so# two "ustomers ha!entere! the sho$ an! bought some "rystal.

2hen he ha! "om$lete! the "leaning# he aske! the man for something to eat. +4et’sgo an! hae some lun"h#, sai! the "rystal mer"hant.

%e $ut a sign on the !oor# an! they went to a small "af nearby. As they sat !own atthe only table in the $la"e# the "rystal mer"hant laughe!.

+5ou !i!n’t hae to !o any "leaning#, he sai!. +The oran re1uires me to fee! ahungry $erson.,

+2ell then# why !i! you let me !o it3, the boy aske!.

+e"ause the "rystal was !irty. An! both you an! ) nee!e! to "leanse our min!s ofnegatie thoughts.,

2hen they ha! eaten# the mer"hant turne! to the boy an! sai!# +)’! like you to workin my sho$. Two "ustomers "ame in to!ay while you were working# an! that’s a goo!

omen.,

Peo$le talk a lot about omens# thought the she$her!. ut they really !on’t know whatthey’re saying. <ust as ) ha!n’t reali-e! that for so many years ) ha! been s$eaking alanguage without wor!s to my shee$.

+Do you want to go to work for me3, the mer"hant aske!.

+) "an work for the rest of to!ay#, the boy answere!. +)’ll work all night# until !awn#

an! )’ll "lean eery $ie"e of "rystal in your sho$. )n return# ) nee! money to get to Egy$t

tomorrow.,

The mer"hant laughe!. +Een if you "leane! my "rystal for an entire year@ een if youearne! a goo! "ommission selling eery $ie"e# you woul! still hae to borrow money toget to Egy$t. There are thousan!s of kilometers of !esert between here an! there.,

There was a moment of silen"e so $rofoun! that it seeme! the "ity was aslee$. No

soun! from the ba-aars# no arguments among the mer"hants# no men "limbing to thetowers to "hant. No ho$e# no a!enture# no ol! kings or !estinies# no treasure# an! no

Pyrami!s. )t was as if the worl! ha! fallen silent be"ause the boy’s soul ha!. %e satthere# staring blankly through the !oor of the "af# wishing that he ha! !ie!# an! thateerything woul! en! foreer at that moment.

The mer"hant looke! an&iously at the boy. All the 'oy he ha! seen that morning ha!su!!enly !isa$$eare!.

+) "an gie you the money you nee! to get ba"k to your "ountry# my son#, sai! the

"rystal mer"hant.

The boy sai! nothing. %e got u$# a!'uste! his "lothing# an! $i"ke! u$ his $ou"h.

+)’ll work for you#, he sai!.

An! after another long silen"e# he a!!e!# +) nee! money to buy some shee$.,

21



PART T2O

The boy ha! been working for the "rystal mer"hant for almost a month# an! he "oul!

see that it wasn’t e&a"tly the kin! of 'ob that woul! make him ha$$y. The mer"hants$ent the entire !ay mumbling behin! the "ounter# telling the boy to be "areful with the

$ie"es an! not to break anything.

ut he staye! with the 'ob be"ause the mer"hant# although he was an ol! grou"h#treate! him fairly6 the boy re"eie! a goo! "ommission for ea"h $ie"e he sol!# an! ha!alrea!y been able to $ut some money asi!e. That morning he ha! !one some"al"ulating( if he "ontinue! to work eery !ay as he ha! been# he woul! nee! a wholeyear to be able to buy some shee$.

+)’! like to buil! a !is$lay "ase for the "rystal#, the boy sai! to the mer"hant. +2e"oul! $la"e it outsi!e# an! attra"t those $eo$le who $ass at the bottom of the hill.,

+)’e neer ha! one before#, the mer"hant answere!. +Peo$le will $ass by an! bum$into it# an! $ie"es will be broken.,

+2ell# when ) took my shee$ through the fiel!s some of them might hae !ie! if weha! "ome u$on a snake. ut that’s the way life is with shee$ an! with she$her!s.,

The mer"hant turne! to a "ustomer who wante! three "rystal glasses. %e was sellingbetter than eer@ as if time ha! turne! ba"k to the ol! !ays when the street ha! been

one of Tangier’s ma'or attra"tions.

+usiness has really im$roe!#, he sai! to the boy# after the "ustomer ha! left. +)’m!oing mu"h better# an! soon you’ll be able to return to your shee$. 2hy ask more out oflife3,

+e"ause we hae to res$on! to omens#, the boy sai!# almost without meaning to6then he regrette! what he ha! sai!# be"ause the mer"hant ha! neer met the king.

+)t’s "alle! the $rin"i$le of faorability# beginner’s lu"k. e"ause life wants you toa"hiee your !estiny#, the ol! king ha! sai!.

ut the mer"hant un!erstoo! what the boy ha! sai!. The boy’s ery $resen"e in thesho$ was an omen# an!# as time $asse! an! money was $ouring into the "ash !rawer# he

ha! no regrets about haing hire! the boy. The boy was being $ai! more money than he!esere!# be"ause the mer"hant# thinking that sales woul!n’t amount to mu"h# ha!offere! the boy a high "ommission rate. %e ha! assume! he woul! soon return to hisshee$.

+2hy !i! you want to get to the Pyrami!s3, he aske!# to get away from the businessof the !is$lay.

+e"ause )’e always hear! about them#, the boy answere!# saying nothing about his!ream. The treasure was now nothing but a $ainful memory# an! he trie! to aoi!thinking about it.

+) !on’t know anyone aroun! here who woul! want to "ross the !esert 'ust to see thePyrami!s#, sai! the mer"hant. +They’re 'ust a $ile of stones. 5ou "oul! buil! one in yourba"kyar!.,

22



+5ou’e neer ha! !reams of trael#, sai! the boy# turning to wait on a "ustomer whoha! entere! the sho$.

Two !ays later# the mer"hant s$oke to the boy about the !is$lay.

+) !on’t mu"h like "hange#, he sai!. +5ou an! ) aren’t like %assan# that ri"h mer"hant.)f he makes a buying mistake# it !oesn’t affe"t him mu"h. ut we two hae to lie with

our mistakes.,

That’s true enough# the boy thought# ruefully.

+2hy !i! you think we shoul! hae the !is$lay3,

+) want to get ba"k to my shee$ faster. 2e hae to take a!antage when lu"k is onour si!e# an! !o as mu"h to hel$ it as it’s !oing to hel$ us. )t’s "alle! the $rin"i$le offaorability. Or beginner’s lu"k.,

The mer"hant was silent for a few moments. Then he sai!# +The Pro$het gae us the

oran# an! left us 'ust fie obligations to satisfy !uring our lies. The most im$ortant isto beliee only in the one true 8o!. The others are to $ray fie times a !ay# fast !uring

Rama!an# an! be "haritable to the $oor.,

%e sto$$e! there. %is eyes fille! with tears as he s$oke of the Pro$het. %e was a!eout man# an!# een with all his im$atien"e# he wante! to lie his life in a""or!an"ewith 0uslim law.

+2hat’s the fifth obligation3, the boy aske!.

+Two !ays ago# you sai! that ) ha! neer !reame! of trael#, the mer"hant answere!.

+The fifth obligation of eery 0uslim is a $ilgrimage. 2e are oblige!# at least on"e in our

lies# to isit the holy "ity of 0e""a.

+0e""a is a lot farther away than the Pyrami!s. 2hen ) was young# all ) wante! to !owas $ut together enough money to start this sho$. ) thought that some!ay )’! be ri"h#an! "oul! go to 0e""a. ) began to make some money# but ) "oul! neer bring myself toleae someone in "harge of the sho$6 the "rystals are !eli"ate things. At the same time#

$eo$le were $assing my sho$ all the time# hea!ing for 0e""a. Some of them were ri"h$ilgrims# traeling in "araans with serants an! "amels# but most of the $eo$le making

the $ilgrimage were $oorer than ).

+All who went there were ha$$y at haing !one so. They $la"e! the symbols of the$ilgrimage on the !oors of their houses. One of them# a "obbler who ma!e his liing

men!ing boots# sai! that he ha! traele! for almost a year through the !esert# but thathe got more tire! when he ha! to walk through the streets of Tangier buying his leather.,

+2ell# why !on’t you go to 0e""a now3, aske! the boy.

+e"ause it’s the thought of 0e""a that kee$s me alie. That’s what hel$s me fa"ethese !ays that are all the same# these mute "rystals on the sheles# an! lun"h an!

!inner at that same horrible "af. )’m afrai! that if my !ream is reali-e!# )’ll hae noreason to go on liing.

+5ou !ream about your shee$ an! the Pyrami!s# but you’re !ifferent from me#be"ause you want to reali-e your !reams. ) 'ust want to !ream about 0e""a. )’e alrea!y

imagine! a thousan! times "rossing the !esert# arriing at the Pla-a of the Sa"re! Stone#the seen times ) walk aroun! it before allowing myself to tou"h it. )’e alrea!y imagine!

the $eo$le who woul! be at my si!e# an! those in front of me# an! the "onersations an!

23



$rayers we woul! share. ut )’m afrai! that it woul! all be a !isa$$ointment# so ) $refer 'ust to !ream about it.,

That !ay# the mer"hant gae the boy $ermission to buil! the !is$lay. Not eeryone "ansee his !reams "ome true in the same way.

/ / /

Two more months $asse!# an! the shelf brought many "ustomers into the "rystalsho$. The boy estimate! that# if he worke! for si& more months# he "oul! return to S$ain

an! buy si&ty shee$# an! yet another si&ty. )n less than a year# he woul! hae !ouble!his flo"k# an! he woul! be able to !o business with the Arabs# be"ause he was now able

to s$eak their strange language. Sin"e that morning in the market$la"e# he ha! neeragain ma!e use of rim an! Thummim# be"ause Egy$t was now 'ust as !istant a !ream

for him as was 0e""a for the mer"hant. Anyway# the boy ha! be"ome ha$$y in his work#an! thought all the time about the !ay when he woul! !isembark at Tarifa as a winner.

+5ou must always know what it is that you want#, the ol! king ha! sai!. The boyknew# an! was now working towar! it. 0aybe it was his treasure to hae woun! u$ inthat strange lan!# met u$ with a thief# an! !ouble! the si-e of his flo"k without s$en!inga "ent.

%e was $rou! of himself. %e ha! learne! some im$ortant things# like how to !eal in"rystal# an! about the language without wor!s@ an! about omens. One afternoon he ha!

seen a man at the to$ of the hill# "om$laining that it was im$ossible to fin! a !e"ent$la"e to get something to !rink after su"h a "limb. The boy# a""ustome! to re"ogni-ingomens# s$oke to the mer"hant.

+4et’s sell tea to the $eo$le who "limb the hill.,

+4ots of $la"es sell tea aroun! here#, the mer"hant sai!.

+ut we "oul! sell tea in "rystal glasses. The $eo$le will en'oy the tea an! want to buy

the glasses. ) hae been tol! that beauty is the great se!u"er of men.,

The mer"hant !i!n’t res$on!# but that afternoon# after saying his $rayers an! "losing

the sho$# he inite! the boy to sit with him an! share his hookah# that strange $i$e use!by the Arabs.

+2hat is it you’re looking for3, aske! the ol! mer"hant.

+)’e alrea!y tol! you. ) nee! to buy my shee$ ba"k# so ) hae to earn the money to

!o so.,

The mer"hant $ut some new "oals in the hookah# an! inhale! !ee$ly.

+)’e ha! this sho$ for thirty years. ) know goo! "rystal from ba!# an! eerything elsethere is to know about "rystal. ) know its !imensions an! how it behaes. )f we sere teain "rystal# the sho$ is going to e&$an!. An! then )’ll hae to "hange my way of life.,

+2ell# isn’t that goo!3,

24



+)’m alrea!y use! to the way things are. efore you "ame# ) was thinking about howmu"h time ) ha! waste! in the same $la"e# while my frien!s ha! moe! on# an! eitherwent bankru$t or !i! better than they ha! before. )t ma!e me ery !e$resse!. Now# )"an see that it hasn’t been too ba!. The sho$ is e&a"tly the si-e ) always wante! it to be.) !on’t want to "hange anything# be"ause ) !on’t know how to !eal with "hange. )’m use!to the way ) am.,

The boy !i!n’t know what to say. The ol! man "ontinue!# +5ou hae been a realblessing to me. To!ay# ) un!erstan! something ) !i!n’t see before( eery blessing

ignore! be"omes a "urse. ) !on’t want anything else in life. ut you are for"ing me tolook at wealth an! at hori-ons ) hae neer known. Now that ) hae seen them# an! now

that ) see how immense my $ossibilities are# )’m going to feel worse than ) !i! beforeyou arrie!. e"ause ) know the things ) shoul! be able to a""om$lish# an! ) !on’t wantto !o so.,

)t’s goo! ) refraine! from saying anything to the baker in Tarifa# thought the boy tohimself.

They went on smoking the $i$e for a while as the sun began to set. They were

"onersing in Arabi"# an! the boy was $rou! of himself for being able to !o so. There ha!been a time when he thought that his shee$ "oul! tea"h him eerything he nee!e! to

know about the worl!. ut they "oul! neer hae taught him Arabi".

There are $robably other things in the worl! that the shee$ "an’t tea"h me# thoughtthe boy as he regar!e! the ol! mer"hant. All they eer !o# really# is look for foo! an!water. An! maybe it wasn’t that they were tea"hing me# but that ) was learning fromthem.

+Maktub#, the mer"hant sai!# finally.

+2hat !oes that mean3,

+5ou woul! hae to hae been born an Arab to un!erstan!#, he answere!. +ut inyour language it woul! be something like B)t is written.’,

An!# as he smothere! the "oals in the hookah# he tol! the boy that he "oul! begin to selltea in the "rystal glasses. Sometimes# there’s 'ust no way to hol! ba"k the rier.

/ / /

The men "limbe! the hill# an! they were tire! when they rea"he! the to$. ut there

they saw a "rystal sho$ that offere! refreshing mint tea. They went in to !rink the tea#whi"h was sere! in beautiful "rystal glasses.

+0y wife neer thought of this#, sai! one# an! he bought some "rystal7he wasentertaining guests that night# an! the guests woul! be im$resse! by the beauty of theglassware. The other man remarke! that tea was always more !eli"ious when it wassere! in "rystal# be"ause the aroma was retaine!. The thir! sai! that it was a tra!ition

in the Orient to use "rystal glasses for tea be"ause it ha! magi"al $owers.

25



efore long# the news s$rea!# an! a great many $eo$le began to "limb the hill to seethe sho$ that was !oing something new in a tra!e that was so ol!. Other sho$s wereo$ene! that sere! tea in "rystal# but they weren’t at the to$ of a hill# an! they ha! littlebusiness.

Eentually# the mer"hant ha! to hire two more em$loyees. %e began to im$ortenormous 1uantities of tea# along with his "rystal# an! his sho$ was sought out by men

an! women with a thirst for things new.

An!# in that way# the months $asse!.

/ / /

The boy awoke before !awn. )t ha! been eleen months an! nine !ays sin"e he ha!first set foot on the Afri"an "ontinent.

%e !resse! in his Arabian "lothing of white linen# bought es$e"ially for this !ay. %e $uthis hea!"loth in $la"e an! se"ure! it with a ring ma!e of "amel skin. 2earing his newsan!als# he !es"en!e! the stairs silently.

The "ity was still slee$ing. %e $re$are! himself a san!wi"h an! !rank some hot tea

from a "rystal glass. Then he sat in the sun*fille! !oorway# smoking the hookah.

%e smoke! in silen"e# thinking of nothing# an! listening to the soun! of the win! that

brought the s"ent of the !esert. 2hen he ha! finishe! his smoke# he rea"he! into one ofhis $o"kets# an! sat there for a few moments# regar!ing what he ha! with!rawn.

)t was a bun!le of money. Enough to buy himself a hun!re! an! twenty shee$# areturn ti"ket# an! a li"ense to im$ort $ro!u"ts from Afri"a into his own "ountry.

%e waite! $atiently for the mer"hant to awaken an! o$en the sho$. Then the twowent off to hae some more tea.

+)’m leaing to!ay#, sai! the boy. +) hae the money ) nee! to buy my shee$. An! youhae the money you nee! to go to 0e""a.,

The ol! man sai! nothing.

+2ill you gie me your blessing3, aske! the boy. +5ou hae hel$e! me., The man"ontinue! to $re$are his tea# saying nothing. Then he turne! to the boy.

+) am $rou! of you#, he sai!. +5ou brought a new feeling into my "rystal sho$. ut you

know that )’m not going to go to 0e""a. <ust as you know that you’re not going to buyyour shee$.,

+2ho tol! you that3, aske! the boy# startle!.

+Maktub, sai! the ol! "rystal mer"hant.

An! he gae the boy his blessing.

26



/ / /

The boy went to his room an! $a"ke! his belongings. They fille! three sa"ks. As hewas leaing# he saw# in the "orner of the room# his ol! she$her!’s $ou"h. )t was bun"he!

u$# an! he ha! har!ly thought of it for a long time. As he took his 'a"ket out of the$ou"h# thinking to gie it to someone in the street# the two stones fell to the floor. riman! Thummim.

)t ma!e the boy think of the ol! king# an! it startle! him to reali-e how long it ha!been sin"e he ha! thought of him. =or nearly a year# he ha! been working in"essantly#thinking only of $utting asi!e enough money so that he "oul! return to S$ain with $ri!e.

+Neer sto$ !reaming#, the ol! king ha! sai!. +=ollow the omens.,

The boy $i"ke! u$ rim an! Thummim# an!# on"e again# ha! the strange sensationthat the ol! king was nearby. %e ha! worke! har! for a year# an! the omens were that itwas time to go.

)’m going to go ba"k to !oing 'ust what ) !i! before# the boy thought. Een though theshee$ !i!n’t tea"h me to s$eak Arabi".

ut the shee$ ha! taught him something een more im$ortant( that there was alanguage in the worl! that eeryone un!erstoo!# a language the boy ha! use!

throughout the time that he was trying to im$roe things at the sho$. )t was the

language of enthusiasm# of things a""om$lishe! with loe an! $ur$ose# an! as $art of asear"h for something beliee! in an! !esire!. Tangier was no longer a strange "ity# an!he felt that# 'ust as he ha! "on1uere! this $la"e# he "oul! "on1uer the worl!.

+2hen you want something# all the unierse "ons$ires to hel$ you a"hiee it#, the ol!king ha! sai!.

ut the ol! king ha!n’t sai! anything about being robbe!# or about en!less !eserts# orabout $eo$le who know what their !reams are but !on’t want to reali-e them. The ol!

king ha!n’t tol! him that the Pyrami!s were 'ust a $ile of stones# or that anyone "oul!buil! one in his ba"kyar!. An! he ha! forgotten to mention that# when you hae enoughmoney to buy a flo"k larger than the one you ha! before# you shoul! buy it.

The boy $i"ke! u$ his $ou"h an! $ut it with his other things. %e went !own the stairsan! foun! the mer"hant waiting on a foreign "ou$le# while two other "ustomers walke!about the sho$# !rinking tea from "rystal glasses. )t was more a"tiity than usual for this

time of the morning. =rom where he stoo!# he saw for the first time that the ol!mer"hant’s hair was ery mu"h like the hair of the ol! king. %e remembere! the smile of

the "an!y seller# on his first !ay in Tangier# when he ha! nothing to eat an! nowhere togo7that smile ha! also been like the ol! king’s smile.

)t’s almost as if he ha! been here an! left his mark# he thought. An! yet# none ofthese $eo$le has eer met the ol! king. On the other han!# he sai! that he alwaysa$$eare! to hel$ those who are trying to reali-e their !estiny.

%e left without saying goo!*bye to the "rystal mer"hant. %e !i!n’t want to "ry with

the other $eo$le there. %e was going to miss the $la"e an! all the goo! things he ha!

27



learne!. %e was more "onfi!ent in himself# though# an! felt as though he "oul! "on1uerthe worl!.

+ut )’m going ba"k to the fiel!s that ) know# to take "are of my flo"k again., %e sai!that to himself with "ertainty# but he was no longer ha$$y with his !e"ision. %e ha!worke! for an entire year to make a !ream "ome true# an! that !ream# minute byminute# was be"oming less im$ortant. 0aybe be"ause that wasn’t really his !ream.

2ho knows@ maybe it’s better to be like the "rystal mer"hant( neer go to 0e""a# an! 'ust go through life wanting to !o so# he thought# again trying to "onin"e himself. ut as

he hel! rim an! Thummim in his han!# they ha! transmitte! to him the strength an!will of the ol! king. y "oin"i!en"e7or maybe it was an omen# the boy thought7he "ameto the bar he ha! entere! on his first !ay there. The thief wasn’t there# an! the ownerbrought him a "u$ of tea.

) "an always go ba"k to being a she$her!# the boy thought. ) learne! how to "are forshee$# an! ) haen’t forgotten how that’s !one. ut maybe )’ll neer hae another

"han"e to get to the Pyrami!s in Egy$t. The ol! man wore a breast$late of gol!# an! heknew about my $ast. %e really was a king# a wise king.

The hills of An!alusia were only two hours away# but there was an entire !esertbetween him an! the Pyrami!s. 5et the boy felt that there was another way to regar! hissituation( he was a"tually two hours "loser to his treasure@ the fa"t that the two hoursha! stret"he! into an entire year !i!n’t matter.

) know why ) want to get ba"k to my flo"k# he thought. ) un!erstan! shee$6 they’reno longer a $roblem# an! they "an be goo! frien!s. On the other han!# ) !on’t know if

the !esert "an be a frien!# an! it’s in the !esert that ) hae to sear"h for my treasure. )f) !on’t fin! it# ) "an always go home. ) finally hae enough money# an! all the time )

nee!. 2hy not3

%e su!!enly felt tremen!ously ha$$y. %e "oul! always go ba"k to being a she$her!.%e "oul! always be"ome a "rystal salesman again. 0aybe the worl! ha! other hi!!entreasures# but he ha! a !ream# an! he ha! met with a king. That !oesn’t ha$$en to 'ustanyone9

%e was $lanning as he left the bar. %e ha! remembere! that one of the "rystal

mer"hant’s su$$liers trans$orte! his "rystal by means of "araans that "rosse! the!esert. %e hel! rim an! Thummim in his han!6 be"ause of those two stones# he was

on"e again on the way to his treasure.

+) am always nearby# when someone wants to reali-e their !estiny#, the ol! king ha!tol! him.

2hat "oul! it "ost to go oer to the su$$lier’s warehouse an! fin! out if the Pyrami!swere really that far away3

/ / /

The Englishman was sitting on a ben"h in a stru"ture that smelle! of animals# sweat#

an! !ust6 it was $art warehouse# $art "orral. ) neer thought )’! en! u$ in a $la"e like

28



this# he thought# as he leafe! through the $ages of a "hemi"al 'ournal. Ten years at theuniersity# an! here ) am in a "orral.

ut he ha! to moe on. %e beliee! in omens. All his life an! all his stu!ies wereaime! at fin!ing the one true language of the unierse. =irst he ha! stu!ie! Es$eranto#then the worl!’s religions# an! now it was al"hemy. %e knew how to s$eak Es$eranto# heun!erstoo! all the ma'or religions well# but he wasn’t yet an al"hemist. %e ha! unraele!

the truths behin! im$ortant 1uestions# but his stu!ies ha! taken him to a $oint beyon!whi"h he "oul! not seem to go. %e ha! trie! in ain to establish a relationshi$ with an

al"hemist. ut the al"hemists were strange $eo$le# who thought only about themseles#an! almost always refuse! to hel$ him. 2ho knows# maybe they ha! faile! to !is"oer

the se"ret of the 0aster 2ork7the Philoso$her’s Stone7an! for this reason ke$t theirknowle!ge to themseles.

%e ha! alrea!y s$ent mu"h of the fortune left to him by his father# fruitlessly seekingthe Philoso$her’s Stone. %e ha! s$ent enormous amounts of time at the great libraries ofthe worl!# an! ha! $ur"hase! all the rarest an! most im$ortant olumes on al"hemy. )none he ha! rea! that# many years ago# a famous Arabian al"hemist ha! isite! Euro$e. )t

was sai! that he was more than two hun!re! years ol!# an! that he ha! !is"oere! the

Philoso$her’s Stone an! the Eli&ir of 4ife. The Englishman ha! been $rofoun!ly im$resse!by the story. ut he woul! neer hae thought it more than 'ust a myth# ha! not a frien!of his7returning from an ar"haeologi"al e&$e!ition in the !esert7tol! him about an Arabthat was $ossesse! of e&"e$tional $owers.

+%e lies at the Al*=ayoum oasis#, his frien! ha! sai!. +An! $eo$le say that he is twohun!re! years ol!# an! is able to transform any metal into gol!.,

The Englishman "oul! not "ontain his e&"itement. %e "an"ele! all his "ommitments

an! $ulle! together the most im$ortant of his books# an! now here he was# sitting insi!ea !usty# smelly warehouse. Outsi!e# a huge "araan was being $re$are! for a "rossing of

the Sahara# an! was s"he!ule! to $ass through Al*=ayoum.

)’m going to fin! that !amne! al"hemist# the Englishman thought. An! the o!or of theanimals be"ame a bit more tolerable.

A young Arab# also loa!e! !own with baggage# entere!# an! greete! the Englishman.

+2here are you boun!3, aske! the young Arab.

+)’m going into the !esert#, the man answere!# turning ba"k to his rea!ing. %e !i!n’t

want any "onersation at this $oint. 2hat he nee!e! to !o was reiew all he ha! learne!oer the years# be"ause the al"hemist woul! "ertainly $ut him to the test.

The young Arab took out a book an! began to rea!. The book was written in S$anish.That’s goo!# thought the Englishman. %e s$oke S$anish better than Arabi"# an!# if thisboy was going to Al*=ayoum# there woul! be someone to talk to when there were noother im$ortant things to !o.

/ / /

29



+That’s strange#, sai! the boy# as he trie! on"e again to rea! the burial s"ene thatbegan the book. +)’e been trying for two years to rea! this book# an! ) neer get $astthese first few $ages., Een without a king to $roi!e an interru$tion# he was unable to"on"entrate.

%e still ha! some !oubts about the !e"ision he ha! ma!e. ut he was able toun!erstan! one thing( making a !e"ision was only the beginning of things. 2hen

someone makes a !e"ision# he is really !iing into a strong "urrent that will "arry him to$la"es he ha! neer !reame! of when he first ma!e the !e"ision.

2hen ) !e"i!e! to seek out my treasure# ) neer imagine! that )’! win! u$ working ina "rystal sho$# he thought. An! 'oining this "araan may hae been my !e"ision# butwhere it goes is going to be a mystery to me.

Nearby was the Englishman# rea!ing a book. %e seeme! unfrien!ly# an! ha! looke!irritate! when the boy ha! entere!. They might een hae be"ome frien!s# but theEnglishman "lose! off the "onersation.

The boy "lose! his book. %e felt that he !i!n’t want to !o anything that might makehim look like the Englishman. %e took rim an! Thummim from his $o"ket# an! began

$laying with them.

The stranger shoute!# +rim an! Thummim9,

)n a flash the boy $ut them ba"k in his $o"ket.

+They’re not for sale#, he sai!.

+They’re not worth mu"h#, the Englishman answere!. +They’re only ma!e of ro"k"rystal# an! there are millions of ro"k "rystals in the earth. ut those who know about

su"h things woul! know that those are rim an! Thummim. ) !i!n’t know that they ha!them in this $art of the worl!.,

+They were gien to me as a $resent by a king#, the boy sai!.

The stranger !i!n’t answer6 instea!# he $ut his han! in his $o"ket# an! took out two

stones that were the same as the boy’s.

+Di! you say a king3, he aske!.

+) guess you !on’t beliee that a king woul! talk to someone like me# a she$her!#, hesai!# wanting to en! the "onersation.

+Not at all. )t was she$her!s who were the first to re"ogni-e a king that the rest of theworl! refuse! to a"knowle!ge. So# it’s not sur$rising that kings woul! talk to she$her!s.,

An! he went on# fearing that the boy woul!n’t un!erstan! what he was talking about# +)t’s in the ible. The same book that taught me about rim an! Thummim. These stones

were the only form of !iination $ermitte! by 8o!. The $riests "arrie! them in a gol!enbreast$late.,

The boy was su!!enly ha$$y to be there at the warehouse.

+0aybe this is an omen#, sai! the Englishman# half alou!.

+2ho tol! you about omens3, The boy’s interest was in"reasing by the moment.

30



+Eerything in life is an omen#, sai! the Englishman# now "losing the 'ournal he wasrea!ing. +There is a uniersal language# un!erstoo! by eerybo!y# but alrea!y forgotten.) am in sear"h of that uniersal language# among other things. That’s why )’m here. )hae to fin! a man who knows that uniersal language. An al"hemist.,

The "onersation was interru$te! by the warehouse boss.

+5ou’re in lu"k# you two#, the fat Arab sai!. +There’s a "araan leaing to!ay for Al*=ayoum.,

+ut )’m going to Egy$t#, the boy sai!.

+Al*=ayoum is in Egy$t#, sai! the Arab. +2hat kin! of Arab are you3,

+That’s a goo! lu"k omen#, the Englishman sai!# after the fat Arab ha! gone out. +)f )"oul!# )’! write a huge en"y"lo$e!ia 'ust about the wor!s luck an! coincidence. )t’s withthose wor!s that the uniersal language is written.’

%e tol! the boy it was no "oin"i!en"e that he ha! met him with rim an! Thummim inhis han!. An! he aske! the boy if he# too# were in sear"h of the al"hemist.

+)’m looking for a treasure#, sai! the boy# an! he imme!iately regrette! haing sai! it.ut the Englishman a$$eare! not to atta"h any im$ortan"e to it.

+)n a way# so am )#, he sai!.

+) !on’t een know what al"hemy is#, the boy was saying# when the warehouse boss

"alle! to them to "ome outsi!e.

/ / /

+)’m the lea!er of the "araan#, sai! a !ark*eye!# bear!e! man. +) hol! the $ower of

life an! !eath for eery $erson ) take with me. The !esert is a "a$ri"ious la!y# an!sometimes she !ries men "ra-y.,

There were almost two hun!re! $eo$le gathere! there# an! four hun!re! animals7"amels# horses# mules# an! fowl. )n the "row! were women# "hil!ren# an! a number ofmen with swor!s at their belts an! rifles slung on their shoul!ers. The Englishman ha!seeral suit"ases fille! with books. There was a babble of noise# an! the lea!er ha! tore$eat himself seeral times for eeryone to un!erstan! what he was saying.

+There are a lot of !ifferent $eo$le here# an! ea"h has his own 8o!. ut the only 8o!

) sere is Allah# an! in his name ) swear that ) will !o eerything $ossible on"e again towin out oer the !esert. ut ) want ea"h an! eery one of you to swear by the 8o! youbeliee in that you will follow my or!ers no matter what. )n the !esert# !isobe!ien"emeans !eath.,

There was a murmur from the "row!. Ea"h was swearing 1uietly to his or her own8o!. The boy swore to <esus Christ. The Englishman sai! nothing. An! the murmurlaste! longer than a sim$le ow woul! hae. The $eo$le were also $raying to heaen for$rote"tion.

31



A long note was soun!e! on a bugle# an! eeryone mounte! u$. The boy an! theEnglishman ha! bought "amels# an! "limbe! un"ertainly onto their ba"ks. The boy feltsorry for the Englishman’s "amel# loa!e! !own as he was with the "ases of books.

+There’s no su"h thing as "oin"i!en"e#, sai! the Englishman# $i"king u$ the"onersation where it ha! been interru$te! in the warehouse. +)’m here be"ause a frien!of mine hear! of an Arab who@,

ut the "araan began to moe# an! it was im$ossible to hear what the Englishmanwas saying. The boy knew what he was about to !es"ribe# though( the mysterious "hain

that links one thing to another# the same "hain that ha! "ause! him to be"ome ashe$her!# that ha! "ause! his re"urring !ream# that ha! brought him to a "ity nearAfri"a# to fin! a king# an! to be robbe! in or!er to meet a "rystal mer"hant# an!@

The "loser one gets to reali-ing his !estiny# the more that !estiny be"omes his truereason for being# thought the boy.

The "araan moe! towar! the east. )t traele! !uring the morning# halte! when the

sun was at its strongest# an! resume! late in the afternoon. The boy s$oke ery littlewith the Englishman# who s$ent most of his time with his books.

The boy obsere! in silen"e the $rogress of the animals an! $eo$le a"ross the !esert.Now eerything was 1uite !ifferent from how it was that !ay they ha! set out( then#there ha! been "onfusion an! shouting# the "ries of "hil!ren an! the whinnying ofanimals# all mi&e! with the nerous or!ers of the gui!es an! the mer"hants.

ut# in the !esert# there was only the soun! of the eternal win!# an! of the hoofbeatsof the animals. Een the gui!es s$oke ery little to one another.

+)’e "rosse! these san!s many times#, sai! one of the "amel !riers one night. +ut

the !esert is so huge# an! the hori-ons so !istant# that they make a $erson feel small#an! as if he shoul! remain silent.,

The boy un!erstoo! intuitiely what he meant# een without eer haing set foot inthe !esert before. 2heneer he saw the sea# or a fire# he fell silent# im$resse! by theirelemental for"e.

)’e learne! things from the shee$# an! )’e learne! things from "rystal# he thought. )"an learn something from the !esert# too. )t seems ol! an! wise.

The win! neer sto$$e!# an! the boy remembere! the !ay he ha! sat at the fort inTarifa with this same win! blowing in his fa"e. )t remin!e! him of the wool from his

shee$@ his shee$ who were now seeking foo! an! water in the fiel!s of An!alusia# asthey always ha!.

+They’re not my shee$ anymore#, he sai! to himself# without nostalgia. +They must beuse! to their new she$her!# an! hae $robably alrea!y forgotten me. That’s goo!.

Creatures like the shee$# that are use! to traeling# know about moing on.,

%e thought of the mer"hant’s !aughter# an! was sure that she ha! $robably marrie!.

Perha$s to a baker# or to another she$her! who "oul! rea! an! "oul! tell her e&"itingstories7after all# he $robably wasn’t the only one. ut he was e&"ite! at his intuitieun!erstan!ing of the "amel !rier’s "omment( maybe he was also learning the uniersallanguage that !eals with the $ast an! the $resent of all $eo$le. +%un"hes#, his mother

use! to "all them. The boy was beginning to un!erstan! that intuition is really a su!!enimmersion of the soul into the uniersal "urrent of life# where the histories of all $eo$leare "onne"te!# an! we are able to know eerything# be"ause it’s all written there.

32



+Maktub#, the boy sai!# remembering the "rystal mer"hant.

The !esert was all san! in some stret"hes# an! ro"ky in others. 2hen the "araan wasblo"ke! by a boul!er# it ha! to go aroun! it6 if there was a large ro"ky area# they ha! tomake a ma'or !etour. )f the san! was too fine for the animals’ hooes# they sought away where the san! was more substantial. )n some $la"es# the groun! was "oere! withthe salt of !rie!*u$ lakes. The animals balke! at su"h $la"es# an! the "amel !riers were

for"e! to !ismount an! unbur!en their "harges. The !riers "arrie! the freightthemseles oer su"h trea"herous footing# an! then reloa!e! the "amels. )f a gui!e were

to fall ill or !ie# the "amel !riers woul! !raw lots an! a$$oint a new one.

ut all this ha$$ene! for one basi" reason( no matter how many !etours an!a!'ustments it ma!e# the "araan moe! towar! the same "om$ass $oint. On"eobsta"les were oer"ome# it returne! to its "ourse# sighting on a star that in!i"ate! thelo"ation of the oasis. 2hen the $eo$le saw that star shining in the morning sky# theyknew they were on the right "ourse towar! water# $alm trees# shelter# an! other $eo$le.)t was only the Englishman who was unaware of all this6 he was# for the most $art#immerse! in rea!ing his books.

The boy# too# ha! his book# an! he ha! trie! to rea! it !uring the first few !ays of the 'ourney. ut he foun! it mu"h more interesting to obsere the "araan an! listen to the

win!. As soon as he ha! learne! to know his "amel better# an! to establish a relationshi$with him# he threw the book away. Although the boy ha! !eelo$e! a su$erstition thatea"h time he o$ene! the book he woul! learn something im$ortant# he !e"i!e! it was anunne"essary bur!en.

%e be"ame frien!ly with the "amel !rier who traele! alongsi!e him. At night# asthey sat aroun! the fire# the boy relate! to the !rier his a!entures as a she$her!.

During one of these "onersations# the !rier tol! of his own life.

+) use! to lie near El Cairum#, he sai!. +) ha! my or"har!# my "hil!ren# an! a life thatwoul! "hange not at all until ) !ie!. One year# when the "ro$ was the best eer# we allwent to 0e""a# an! ) satisfie! the only unmet obligation in my life. ) "oul! !ie ha$$ily#an! that ma!e me feel goo!.

+One !ay# the earth began to tremble# an! the Nile oerflowe! its banks. )t was

something that ) thought "oul! ha$$en only to others# neer to me. 0y neighbors feare!they woul! lose all their olie trees in the floo!# an! my wife was afrai! that we woul!

lose our "hil!ren. ) thought that eerything ) owne! woul! be !estroye!.

+The lan! was ruine!# an! ) ha! to fin! some other way to earn a liing. So now )’m a"amel !rier. ut that !isaster taught me to un!erstan! the wor! of Allah( $eo$le nee!not fear the unknown if they are "a$able of a"hieing what they nee! an! want.

+2e are afrai! of losing what we hae# whether it’s our life or our $ossessions an!$ro$erty. ut this fear ea$orates when we un!erstan! that our life stories an! the

history of the worl! were written by the same han!.,

Sometimes# their "araan met with another. One always ha! something that the other

nee!e!7as if eerything were in!ee! written by one han!. As they sat aroun! the fire#the "amel !riers e&"hange! information about win!storms# an! tol! stories about the!esert.

At other times# mysterious# hoo!e! men woul! a$$ear6 they were e!ouins who !i!sureillan"e along the "araan route. They $roi!e! warnings about thiees an!barbarian tribes. They "ame in silen"e an! !e$arte! the same way# !resse! in bla"k

33



garments that showe! only their eyes. One night# a "amel !rier "ame to the fire wherethe Englishman an! the boy were sitting. +There are rumors of tribal wars#, he tol! them.

The three fell silent. The boy note! that there was a sense of fear in the air# eenthough no one sai! anything. On"e again he was e&$erien"ing the language withoutwor!s@ the uniersal language.

The Englishman aske! if they were in !anger.

+On"e you get into the !esert# there’s no going ba"k#, sai! the "amel !rier. +An!#when you "an’t go ba"k# you hae to worry only about the best way of moing forwar!.The rest is u$ to Allah# in"lu!ing the !anger.,

An! he "on"lu!e! by saying the mysterious wor!( +Maktub.,

+5ou shoul! $ay more attention to the "araan#, the boy sai! to the Englishman# afterthe "amel !rier ha! left. +2e make a lot of !etours# but we’re always hea!ing for the

same !estination.,

+An! you ought to rea! more about the worl!#, answere! the Englishman. +ooks are

like "araans in that res$e"t.,

The immense "olle"tion of $eo$le an! animals began to trael faster. The !ays ha!always been silent# but now# een the nights7when the traelers were a""ustome! totalking aroun! the fires7ha! also be"ome 1uiet. An!# one !ay# the lea!er of the "araanma!e the !e"ision that the fires shoul! no longer be lighte!# so as not to attra"t attentionto the "araan.

The traelers a!o$te! the $ra"ti"e of arranging the animals in a "ir"le at night#slee$ing together in the "enter as $rote"tion against the no"turnal "ol!. An! the lea!er

$oste! arme! sentinels at the fringes of the grou$.

The Englishman was unable to slee$ one night. %e "alle! to the boy# an! they took awalk along the !unes surroun!ing the en"am$ment. There was a full moon# an! the boytol! the Englishman the story of his life.

The Englishman was fas"inate! with the $art about the $rogress a"hiee! at the"rystal sho$ after the boy began working there.

+That’s the $rin"i$le that goerns all things#, he sai!. +)n al"hemy# it’s "alle! the Soulof the 2orl!. 2hen you want something with all your heart# that’s when you are "losestto the Soul of the 2orl!. )t’s always a $ositie for"e.,

%e also sai! that this was not 'ust a human gift# that eerything on the fa"e of theearth ha! a soul# whether mineral# egetable# or animal7or een 'ust a sim$le thought.

+Eerything on earth is being "ontinuously transforme!# be"ause the earth is alie@

an! it has a soul. 2e are $art of that soul# so we rarely re"ogni-e that it is working forus. ut in the "rystal sho$ you $robably reali-e! that een the glasses were "ollaborating

in your su""ess.,

The boy thought about that for a while as he looke! at the moon an! the blea"he!san!s. +) hae wat"he! the "araan as it "rosse! the !esert#, he sai!. +The "araan an!the !esert s$eak the same language# an! it’s for that reason that the !esert allows the

"rossing. )t’s going to test the "araan’s eery ste$ to see if it’s in time# an!# if it is# wewill make it to the oasis.,

34



+)f either of us ha! 'oine! this "araan base! only on $ersonal "ourage# but withoutun!erstan!ing that language# this 'ourney woul! hae been mu"h more !iffi"ult.,

They stoo! there looking at the moon.

+That’s the magi" of omens#, sai! the boy. +)’e seen how the gui!es rea! the signs ofthe !esert# an! how the soul of the "araan s$eaks to the soul of the !esert.,

The Englishman sai!# +)’! better $ay more attention to the "araan.,

+An! )’! better rea! your books#, sai! the boy.

/ / /

They were strange books. They s$oke about mer"ury# salt# !ragons# an! kings# an! he!i!n’t un!erstan! any of it. ut there was one i!ea that seeme! to re$eat itselfthroughout all the books( all things are the manifestation of one thing only.

)n one of the books he learne! that the most im$ortant te&t in the literature ofal"hemy "ontaine! only a few lines# an! ha! been ins"ribe! on the surfa"e of an emeral!.

+)t’s the Emeral! Tablet#, sai! the Englishman# $rou! that he might tea"h somethingto the boy.

+2ell# then# why !o we nee! all these books3, the boy aske!.

+So that we "an un!erstan! those few lines#, the Englishman answere!# withouta$$earing really to beliee what he ha! sai!.

The book that most intereste! the boy tol! the stories of the famous al"hemists. They

were men who ha! !e!i"ate! their entire lies to the $urifi"ation of metals in theirlaboratories6 they beliee! that# if a metal were heate! for many years# it woul! free

itself of all its in!ii!ual $ro$erties# an! what was left woul! be the Soul of the 2orl!.This Soul of the 2orl! allowe! them to un!erstan! anything on the fa"e of the earth#be"ause it was the language with whi"h all things "ommuni"ate!. They "alle! that!is"oery the 0aster 2ork7it was $art li1ui! an! $art soli!.

+Can’t you 'ust obsere men an! omens in or!er to un!erstan! the language3, theboy aske!.

+5ou hae a mania for sim$lifying eerything#, answere! the Englishman# irritate!. +Al"hemy is a serious !is"i$line. Eery ste$ has to be followe! e&a"tly as it was followe!

by the masters.,

The boy learne! that the li1ui! $art of the 0aster 2ork was "alle! the Eli&ir of 4ife#an! that it "ure! all illnesses6 it also ke$t the al"hemist from growing ol!. An! the soli!$art was "alle! the Philoso$her’s Stone.

+)t’s not easy to fin! the Philoso$her’s Stone#, sai! the Englishman. +The al"hemistss$ent years in their laboratories# obsering the fire that $urifie! the metals. They s$ent

35



so mu"h time "lose to the fire that gra!ually they gae u$ the anities of the worl!. They!is"oere! that the $urifi"ation of the metals ha! le! to a $urifi"ation of themseles.,

The boy thought about the "rystal mer"hant. %e ha! sai! that it was a goo! thing forthe boy to "lean the "rystal $ie"es# so that he "oul! free himself from negatie thoughts.The boy was be"oming more an! more "onin"e! that al"hemy "oul! be learne! in one’s!aily life.

+Also#, sai! the Englishman# +the Philoso$her’s Stone has a fas"inating $ro$erty. Asmall slier of the stone "an transform large 1uantities of metal into gol!.,

%aing hear! that# the boy be"ame een more intereste! in al"hemy. %e thought that#with some $atien"e# he’! be able to transform eerything into gol!. %e rea! the lies ofthe arious $eo$le who ha! su""ee!e! in !oing so( %eltius# Elias# =ul"anelli# an!8eber. They were fas"inating stories( ea"h of them lie! out his !estiny to the en!. Theytraele!# s$oke with wise men# $erforme! mira"les for the in"re!ulous# an! owne! thePhiloso$her’s Stone an! the Eli&ir of 4ife.

ut when the boy wante! to learn how to a"hiee the 0aster 2ork# he be"ame"om$letely lost. There were 'ust !rawings# "o!e! instru"tions# an! obs"ure te&ts.

/ / /

+2hy !o they make things so "om$li"ate!3, he aske! the Englishman one night. The

boy ha! noti"e! that the Englishman was irritable# an! misse! his books.

+So that those who hae the res$onsibility for un!erstan!ing "an un!erstan!#, hesai!. +)magine if eeryone went aroun! transforming lea! into gol!. 8ol! woul! lose itsalue.

+)t’s only those who are $ersistent# an! willing to stu!y things !ee$ly# who a"hiee the

0aster 2ork. That’s why )’m here in the mi!!le of the !esert. )’m seeking a trueal"hemist who will hel$ me to !e"i$her the "o!es.,

+2hen were these books written3, the boy aske!.

+0any "enturies ago.,

+They !i!n’t hae the $rinting $ress in those !ays#, the boy argue!. +There was noway for eerybo!y to know about al"hemy. 2hy !i! they use su"h strange language#

with so many !rawings3,

The Englishman !i!n’t answer him !ire"tly. %e sai! that for the $ast few !ays he ha!

been $aying attention to how the "araan o$erate!# but that he ha!n’t learne! anythingnew. The only thing he ha! noti"e! was that talk of war was be"oming more an! morefre1uent.

36



/ / /

Then one !ay the boy returne! the books to the Englishman. +Di! you learnanything3, the Englishman aske!# eager to hear what it might be. %e nee!e! someone totalk to so as to aoi! thinking about the $ossibility of war.

+) learne! that the worl! has a soul# an! that whoeer un!erstan!s that soul "an also

un!erstan! the language of things. ) learne! that many al"hemists reali-e! their!estinies# an! woun! u$ !is"oering the Soul of the 2orl!# the Philoso$her’s Stone# an!the Eli&ir of 4ife.

+ut# aboe all# ) learne! that these things are all so sim$le that they "oul! be writtenon the surfa"e of an emeral!.,

The Englishman was !isa$$ointe!. The years of resear"h# the magi" symbols# the

strange wor!s an! the laboratory e1ui$ment@ none of this ha! ma!e an im$ression onthe boy. %is soul must be too $rimitie to un!erstan! those things# he thought.

%e took ba"k his books an! $a"ke! them away again in their bags.

+8o ba"k to wat"hing the "araan#, he sai!. +That !i!n’t tea"h me anything# either.,

The boy went ba"k to "ontem$lating the silen"e of the !esert# an! the san! raise! by theanimals. +Eeryone has his or her own way of learning things#, he sai! to himself. +%is

way isn’t the same as mine# nor mine as his. ut we’re both in sear"h of our !estinies#an! ) res$e"t him for that.,

/ / /

The "araan began to trael !ay an! night. The hoo!e! e!ouins rea$$eare! morean! more fre1uently# an! the "amel !rier7who ha! be"ome a goo! frien! of the boy’s7

e&$laine! that the war between the tribes ha! alrea!y begun. The "araan woul! be erylu"ky to rea"h the oasis.

The animals were e&hauste!# an! the men talke! among themseles less an! less.The silen"e was the worst as$e"t of the night# when the mere groan of a "amel7whi"hbefore ha! been nothing but the groan of a "amel7now frightene! eeryone# be"ause itmight signal a rai!.

The "amel !rier# though# seeme! not to be ery "on"erne! with the threat of war.

+)’m alie#, he sai! to the boy# as they ate a bun"h of !ates one night# with no firesan! no moon. +2hen )’m eating# that’s all ) think about. )f )’m on the mar"h# ) 'ust"on"entrate on mar"hing. )f ) hae to fight# it will be 'ust as goo! a !ay to !ie as anyother.

+e"ause ) !on’t lie in either my $ast or my future. )’m intereste! only in the$resent. )f you "an "on"entrate always on the $resent# you’ll be a ha$$y man. 5ou’ll seethat there is life in the !esert# that there are stars in the heaens# an! that tribesmen

37



fight be"ause they are $art of the human ra"e. 4ife will be a $arty for you# a gran!festial# be"ause life is the moment we’re liing right now.,

Two nights later# as he was getting rea!y to be! !own# the boy looke! for the starthey followe! eery night. %e thought that the hori-on was a bit lower than it ha! been#be"ause he seeme! to see stars on the !esert itself.

+)t’s the oasis#, sai! the "amel !rier.

+2ell# why !on’t we go there right now3, the boy aske!.

+e"ause we hae to slee$.,

/ / /

The boy awoke as the sun rose. There# in front of him# where the small stars ha! beenthe night before# was an en!less row of !ate $alms# stret"hing a"ross the entire !esert.

+2e’e !one it9, sai! the Englishman# who ha! also awakene! early.

ut the boy was 1uiet. %e was at home with the silen"e of the !esert# an! he was

"ontent 'ust to look at the trees. %e still ha! a long way to go to rea"h the $yrami!s# an!some!ay this morning woul! 'ust be a memory. ut this was the $resent moment7the

$arty the "amel !rier ha! mentione!7an! he wante! to lie it as he !i! the lessons of

his $ast an! his !reams of the future. Although the ision of the !ate $alms woul!some!ay be 'ust a memory# right now it signifie! sha!e# water# an! a refuge from thewar. 5ester!ay# the "amel’s groan signale! !anger# an! now a row of !ate $alms "oul!heral! a mira"le.

The worl! s$eaks many languages# the boy thought.

/ / /

The times rush $ast# an! so !o the "araans# thought the al"hemist# as he wat"he!the hun!re!s of $eo$le an! animals arriing at the oasis. Peo$le were shouting at the

new arrials# !ust obs"ure! the !esert sun# an! the "hil!ren of the oasis were burstingwith e&"itement at the arrial of the strangers. The al"hemist saw the tribal "hiefs greet

the lea!er of the "araan# an! "onerse with him at length.

ut none of that mattere! to the al"hemist. %e ha! alrea!y seen many $eo$le "omean! go# an! the !esert remaine! as it was. %e ha! seen kings an! beggars walking the

!esert san!s. The !unes were "hange! "onstantly by the win!# yet these were the samesan!s he ha! known sin"e he was a "hil!. %e always en'oye! seeing the ha$$iness thatthe traelers e&$erien"e! when# after weeks of yellow san! an! blue sky# they first saw

38



the green of the !ate $alms. 0aybe 8o! "reate! the !esert so that man "oul! a$$re"iatethe !ate trees# he thought.

%e !e"i!e! to "on"entrate on more $ra"ti"al matters. %e knew that in the "araanthere was a man to whom he was to tea"h some of his se"rets. The omens ha! tol! himso. %e !i!n’t know the man yet# but his $ra"ti"e! eye woul! re"ogni-e him when hea$$eare!. %e ho$e! that it woul! be someone as "a$able as his $reious a$$renti"e.

) !on’t know why these things hae to be transmitte! by wor! of mouth# he thought.)t wasn’t e&a"tly that they were se"rets6 8o! reeale! his se"rets easily to all his

"reatures.

%e ha! only one e&$lanation for this fa"t( things hae to be transmitte! this waybe"ause they were ma!e u$ from the $ure life# an! this kin! of life "annot be "a$ture! in$i"tures or wor!s.

e"ause $eo$le be"ome fas"inate! with $i"tures an! wor!s# an! win! u$ forgetting the4anguage of the 2orl!.

/ / /

The boy "oul!n’t beliee what he was seeing( the oasis# rather than being 'ust a wellsurroun!e! by a few $alm trees7as he ha! seen on"e in a geogra$hy book7was mu"h

larger than many towns ba"k in S$ain. There were three hun!re! wells# fifty thousan!

!ate trees# an! innumerable "olore! tents s$rea! among them.

+)t looks like The Thousand and One Nights#, sai! the Englishman# im$atient to meetwith the al"hemist.

They were surroun!e! by "hil!ren# "urious to look at the animals an! $eo$le that werearriing. The men of the oasis wante! to know if they ha! seen any fighting# an! the

women "om$ete! with one another for a""ess to the "loth an! $re"ious stones broughtby the mer"hants. The silen"e of the !esert was a !istant !ream6 the traelers in the

"araan were talking in"essantly# laughing an! shouting# as if they ha! emerge! fromthe s$iritual worl! an! foun! themseles on"e again in the worl! of $eo$le. They werereliee! an! ha$$y.

They ha! been taking "areful $re"autions in the !esert# but the "amel !rier e&$laine!to the boy that oases were always "onsi!ere! to be neutral territories# be"ause thema'ority of the inhabitants were women an! "hil!ren. There were oases throughout the

!esert# but the tribesmen fought in the !esert# leaing the oases as $la"es of refuge.

2ith some !iffi"ulty# the lea!er of the "araan brought all his $eo$le together an!

gae them his instru"tions. The grou$ was to remain there at the oasis until the "onfli"tbetween the tribes was oer. Sin"e they were isitors# they woul! hae to share liings$a"e with those who lie! there# an! woul! be gien the best a""ommo!ations. Thatwas the law of hos$itality. Then he aske! that eeryone# in"lu!ing his own sentinels#han! oer their arms to the men a$$ointe! by the tribal "hieftains.

+Those are the rules of war#, the lea!er e&$laine!. +The oases may not shelter armies

or troo$s.,

39



To the boy’s sur$rise# the Englishman took a "hrome*$late! reoler out of his bagan! gae it to the men who were "olle"ting the arms.

+2hy a reoler3, he aske!.

+)t hel$e! me to trust in $eo$le#, the Englishman answere!.

0eanwhile# the boy thought about his treasure. The "loser he got to the reali-ation ofhis !ream# the more !iffi"ult things be"ame. )t seeme! as if what the ol! king ha! "alle!

+beginner’s lu"k, were no longer fun"tioning. )n his $ursuit of the !ream# he was being"onstantly sub'e"te! to tests of his $ersisten"e an! "ourage. So he "oul! not be hasty#nor im$atient. )f he $ushe! forwar! im$ulsiely# he woul! fail to see the signs an! omensleft by 8o! along his $ath.

8o! $la"e! them along my $ath. %e ha! sur$rise! himself with the thought. ntilthen# he ha! "onsi!ere! the omens to be things of this worl!. 4ike eating or slee$ing# orlike seeking loe or fin!ing a 'ob. %e ha! neer thought of them in terms of a languageuse! by 8o! to in!i"ate what he shoul! !o.

+Don’t be im$atient#, he re$eate! to himself. +)t’s like the "amel !rier sai!( BEat whenit’s time to eat. An! moe along when it’s time to moe along.’,

That first !ay# eeryone sle$t from e&haustion# in"lu!ing the Englishman. The boy wasassigne! a $la"e far from his frien!# in a tent with fie other young men of about his age.They were $eo$le of the !esert# an! "lamore! to hear his stories about the great "ities.

The boy tol! them about his life as a she$her!# an! was about to tell them of his

e&$erien"es at the "rystal sho$ when the Englishman "ame into the tent.

+)’e been looking for you all morning#, he sai!# as he le! the boy outsi!e. +) nee! you

to hel$ me fin! out where the al"hemist lies.,

=irst# they trie! to fin! him on their own. An al"hemist woul! $robably lie in amanner that was !ifferent from that of the rest of the $eo$le at the oasis# an! it waslikely that in his tent an oen was "ontinuously burning. They sear"he! eerywhere# an!foun! that the oasis was mu"h larger than they "oul! hae imagine!6 there werehun!re!s of tents.

+2e’e waste! almost the entire !ay#, sai! the Englishman# sitting !own with the boynear one of the wells.

+0aybe we’! better ask someone#, the boy suggeste!.

The Englishman !i!n’t want to tell others about his reasons for being at the oasis# an!"oul!n’t make u$ his min!. ut# finally# he agree! that the boy# who s$oke better Arabi"than he# shoul! !o so. The boy a$$roa"he! a woman who ha! "ome to the well to fill a

goatskin with water.

+8oo! afternoon# maam. )’m trying to fin! out where the al"hemist lies here at the

oasis.,

The woman sai! she ha! neer hear! of su"h a $erson# an! hurrie! away. ut beforeshe fle!# she a!ise! the boy that he ha! better not try to "onerse with women whowere !resse! in bla"k# be"ause they were marrie! women. %e shoul! res$e"t tra!ition.

The Englishman was !isa$$ointe!. )t seeme! he ha! ma!e the long 'ourney fornothing. The boy was also sa!!ene!6 his frien! was in $ursuit of his !estiny. An!# when

40



someone was in su"h $ursuit# the entire unierse ma!e an effort to hel$ him su""ee!7that’s what the ol! king ha! sai!. %e "oul!n’t hae been wrong.

+) ha! neer hear! of al"hemists before#, the boy sai!. +0aybe no one here has#either.,

The Englishman’s eyes lit u$. +That’s it9 0aybe no one here knows what an al"hemist

is9 =in! out who it is who "ures the $eo$le’s illnesses9,

Seeral women !resse! in bla"k "ame to the well for water# but the boy woul! s$eakto none of them# !es$ite the Englishman’s insisten"e. Then a man a$$roa"he!.

+Do you know someone here who "ures $eo$le’s illnesses3, the boy aske!.

+Allah "ures our illnesses#, sai! the man# "learly frightene! of the strangers. +5ou’relooking for wit"h !o"tors., %e s$oke some erses from the oran# an! moe! on.

Another man a$$eare!. %e was ol!er# an! was "arrying a small bu"ket. The boy

re$eate! his 1uestion.

+2hy !o you want to fin! that sort of $erson3, the Arab aske!.

+e"ause my frien! here has traele! for many months in or!er to meet with him#,the boy sai!.

+)f su"h a man is here at the oasis# he must be the ery $owerful one#, sai! the ol!man after thinking for a few moments. +Not een the tribal "hieftains are able to see him

when they want to. Only when he "onsents.

+2ait for the en! of the war. Then leae with the "araan. Don’t try to enter into the

life of the oasis#, he sai!# an! walke! away.

ut the Englishman was e&ultant. They were on the right tra"k.

=inally# a young woman a$$roa"he! who was not !resse! in bla"k. She ha! a esselon her shoul!er# an! her hea! was "oere! by a eil# but her fa"e was un"oere!. The

boy a$$roa"he! her to ask about the al"hemist.

At that moment# it seeme! to him that time stoo! still# an! the Soul of the 2orl!

surge! within him. 2hen he looke! into her !ark eyes# an! saw that her li$s were $oise!between a laugh an! silen"e# he learne! the most im$ortant $art of the language that allthe worl! s$oke7the language that eeryone on earth was "a$able of un!erstan!ing in

their heart. )t was loe. Something ol!er than humanity# more an"ient than the !esert.Something that e&erte! the same for"e wheneer two $airs of eyes met# as ha! theirshere at the well. She smile!# an! that was "ertainly an omen7the omen he ha! beenawaiting# without een knowing he was# for all his life. The omen he ha! sought to fin!with his shee$ an! in his books# in the "rystals an! in the silen"e of the !esert.

)t was the $ure 4anguage of the 2orl!. )t re1uire! no e&$lanation# 'ust as theunierse nee!s none as it traels through en!less time. 2hat the boy felt at that

moment was that he was in the $resen"e of the only woman in his life# an! that# with nonee! for wor!s# she re"ogni-e! the same thing. %e was more "ertain of it than ofanything in the worl!. %e ha! been tol! by his $arents an! gran!$arents that he mustfall in loe an! really know a $erson before be"oming "ommitte!. ut maybe $eo$le who

felt that way ha! neer learne! the uniersal language. e"ause# when you know thatlanguage# it’s easy to un!erstan! that someone in the worl! awaits you# whether it’s in

the mi!!le of the !esert or in some great "ity. An! when two su"h $eo$le en"ounter ea"h

41



other# an! their eyes meet# the $ast an! the future be"ome unim$ortant. There is onlythat moment# an! the in"re!ible "ertainty that eerything un!er the sun has been writtenby one han! only. )t is the han! that eokes loe# an! "reates a twin soul for eery$erson in the worl!. 2ithout su"h loe# one’s !reams woul! hae no meaning.

Maktub# thought the boy.

The Englishman shook the boy( +Come on# ask her9,

The boy ste$$e! "loser to the girl# an! when she smile!# he !i! the same.

+2hat’s your name3, he aske!.

+=atima#, the girl sai!# aerting her eyes.

+That’s what some women in my "ountry are "alle!.,

+)t’s the name of the Pro$het’s !aughter#, =atima sai!. +The ina!ers "arrie! the name

eerywhere., The beautiful girl s$oke of the ina!ers with $ri!e.

The Englishman $ro!!e! him# an! the boy aske! her about the man who "ure!$eo$le’s illnesses.

+That’s the man who knows all the se"rets of the worl!#, she sai!. +%e "ommuni"ateswith the genies of the !esert.,

The genies were the s$irits of goo! an! eil. An! the girl $ointe! to the south#in!i"ating that it was there the strange man lie!. Then she fille! her essel with water

an! left.

The Englishman anishe!# too# gone to fin! the al"hemist. An! the boy sat there bythe well for a long time# remembering that one !ay in Tarifa the leanter ha! brought tohim the $erfume of that woman# an! reali-ing that he ha! loe! her before he een knewshe e&iste!. %e knew that his loe for her woul! enable him to !is"oer eery treasure inthe worl!.

The ne&t !ay# the boy returne! to the well# ho$ing to see the girl. To his sur$rise# theEnglishman was there# looking out at the !esert#

+) waite! all afternoon an! eening#, he sai!. +%e a$$eare! with the first stars ofeening. ) tol! him what ) was seeking# an! he aske! me if ) ha! eer transforme! lea!into gol!. ) tol! him that was what ) ha! "ome here to learn.

+%e tol! me ) shoul! try to !o so. That’s all he sai!( B8o an! try.’,

The boy !i!n’t say anything. The $oor Englishman ha! traele! all this way# only to betol! that he shoul! re$eat what he ha! alrea!y !one so many times.

+So# then try#, he sai! to the Englishman.

+That’s what )’m going to !o. )’m going to start now.,

As the Englishman left# =atima arrie! an! fille! her essel with water.

+) "ame to tell you 'ust one thing#, the boy sai!. +) want you to be my wife. ) loe

you.,

42



The girl !ro$$e! the "ontainer# an! the water s$ille!.

+)’m going to wait here for you eery !ay. ) hae "rosse! the !esert in sear"h of atreasure that is somewhere near the Pyrami!s# an! for me# the war seeme! a "urse. utnow it’s a blessing# be"ause it brought me to you.,

+The war is going to en! some!ay#, the girl sai!.

The boy looke! aroun! him at the !ate $alms. %e remin!e! himself that he ha! been

a she$her!# an! that he "oul! be a she$her! again. =atima was more im$ortant than histreasure.

+The tribesmen are always in sear"h of treasure#, the girl sai!# as if she ha! guesse!what he was thinking. +An! the women of the !esert are $rou! of their tribesmen.,

She refille! her essel an! left.

The boy went to the well eery !ay to meet with =atima. %e tol! her about his life as a

she$her!# about the king# an! about the "rystal sho$. They be"ame frien!s# an! e&"e$tfor the fifteen minutes he s$ent with her# ea"h !ay seeme! that it woul! neer $ass.

2hen he ha! been at the oasis for almost a month# the lea!er of the "araan "alle! ameeting of all of the $eo$le traeling with him.

+2e !on’t know when the war will en!# so we "an’t "ontinue our 'ourney#, he sai!. +The battles may last for a long time# $erha$s een years. There are $owerful for"es onboth si!es# an! the war is im$ortant to both armies. )t’s not a battle of goo! against eil.)t’s a war between for"es that are fighting for the balan"e of $ower# an!# when that ty$e

of battle begins# it lasts longer than others7be"ause Allah is on both si!es.,

The $eo$le went ba"k to where they were liing# an! the boy went to meet with

=atima that afternoon. %e tol! her about the morning’s meeting. +The !ay after we met#,=atima sai!# +you tol! me that you loe! me. Then# you taught me something of theuniersal language an! the Soul of the 2orl!. e"ause of that# ) hae be"ome a $art ofyou.,

The boy listene! to the soun! of her oi"e# an! thought it to be more beautiful thanthe soun! of the win! in the !ate $alms.

+) hae been waiting for you here at this oasis for a long time. ) hae forgotten aboutmy $ast# about my tra!itions# an! the way in whi"h men of the !esert e&$e"t women to

behae. Eer sin"e ) was a "hil!# ) hae !reame! that the !esert woul! bring me awon!erful $resent. Now# my $resent has arrie!# an! it’s you.,

The boy wante! to take her han!. ut =atima’s han!s hel! to the han!les of her 'ug.

+5ou hae tol! me about your !reams# about the ol! king an! your treasure. An!

you’e tol! me about omens. So now# ) fear nothing# be"ause it was those omens thatbrought you to me. An! ) am a $art of your !ream# a $art of your !estiny# as you "all it.

+That’s why ) want you to "ontinue towar! your goal. )f you hae to wait until the waris oer# then wait. ut if you hae to go before then# go on in $ursuit of your !ream. The!unes are "hange! by the win!# but the !esert neer "hanges. That’s the way it will bewith our loe for ea"h other.

+Maktub#, she sai!. +)f ) am really a $art of your !ream# you’ll "ome ba"k one !ay.,

43



The boy was sa! as he left her that !ay. %e thought of all the marrie! she$her!s heha! known. They ha! a !iffi"ult time "onin"ing their wies that they ha! to go off into!istant fiel!s. 4oe re1uire! them to stay with the $eo$le they loe!.

%e tol! =atima that# at their ne&t meeting.

+The !esert takes our men from us# an! they !on’t always return#, she sai!. +2e

know that# an! we are use! to it. Those who !on’t return be"ome a $art of the "lou!s# a$art of the animals that hi!e in the raines an! of the water that "omes from the earth.They be"ome a $art of eerything@ they be"ome the Soul of the 2orl!.

+Some !o "ome ba"k. An! then the other women are ha$$y be"ause they beliee thattheir men may one !ay return# as well. ) use! to look at those women an! eny themtheir ha$$iness. Now# ) too will be one of the women who wait.

+)’m a !esert woman# an! )’m $rou! of that. ) want my husban! to wan!er as free asthe win! that sha$es the !unes. An!# if ) hae to# ) will a""e$t the fa"t that he hasbe"ome a $art of the "lou!s# an! the animals an! the water of the !esert.,

The boy went to look for the Englishman. %e wante! to tell him about =atima. %e wassur$rise! when he saw that the Englishman ha! built himself a furna"e outsi!e his tent.)t was a strange furna"e# fuele! by firewoo!# with a trans$arent flask heating on to$. Asthe Englishman stare! out at the !esert# his eyes seeme! brighter than they ha! whenhe was rea!ing his books.

+This is the first $hase of the 'ob#, he sai!. +) hae to se$arate out the sulfur. To !othat su""essfully# ) must hae no fear of failure. )t was my fear of failure that first ke$tme from attem$ting the 0aster 2ork. Now# )’m beginning what ) "oul! hae starte! ten

years ago. ut )’m ha$$y at least that ) !i!n’t wait twenty years.,

%e "ontinue! to fee! the fire# an! the boy staye! on until the !esert turne! $ink in thesetting sun. %e felt the urge to go out into the !esert# to see if its silen"e hel! theanswers to his 1uestions.

%e wan!ere! for a while# kee$ing the !ate $alms of the oasis within sight. %e listene!to the win!# an! felt the stones beneath his feet. %ere an! there# he foun! a shell# an!reali-e! that the !esert# in remote times# ha! been a sea. %e sat on a stone# an! allowe!himself to be"ome hy$noti-e! by the hori-on. %e trie! to !eal with the "on"e$t of loe as

!istin"t from $ossession# an! "oul!n’t se$arate them. ut =atima was a woman of the!esert# an!# if anything "oul! hel$ him to un!erstan!# it was the !esert.

As he sat there thinking# he sense! moement aboe him. 4ooking u$# he saw a $air

of hawks flying high in the sky.

%e wat"he! the hawks as they !rifte! on the win!. Although their flight a$$eare! tohae no $attern# it ma!e a "ertain kin! of sense to the boy. )t was 'ust that he "oul!n’tgras$ what it meant. %e followe! the moement of the bir!s# trying to rea! somethinginto it. 0aybe these !esert bir!s "oul! e&$lain to him the meaning of loe without

ownershi$.

%e felt slee$y. )n his heart# he wante! to remain awake# but he also wante! to slee$.

+) am learning the 4anguage of the 2orl!# an! eerything in the worl! is beginning tomake sense to me@ een the flight of the hawks#, he sai! to himself. An!# in that moo!#he was grateful to be in loe. 2hen you are in loe# things make een more sense# he

thought.

Su!!enly# one of the hawks ma!e a flashing !ie through the sky# atta"king the other.As it !i! so# a su!!en# fleeting image "ame to the boy( an army# with its swor!s at the

44



rea!y# ri!ing into the oasis. The ision anishe! imme!iately# but it ha! shaken him. %eha! hear! $eo$le s$eak of mirages# an! ha! alrea!y seen some himself( they were!esires that# be"ause of their intensity# materiali-e! oer the san!s of the !esert. ut he"ertainly !i!n’t !esire that an army ina!e the oasis.

%e wante! to forget about the ision# an! return to his me!itation. %e trie! again to"on"entrate on the $ink sha!es of the !esert# an! its stones. ut there was something

there in his heart that woul!n’t allow him to !o so.

+Always hee! the omens#, the ol! king ha! sai!. The boy re"alle! what he ha! seen in

the ision# an! sense! that it was a"tually going to o""ur.

%e rose# an! ma!e his way ba"k towar! the $alm trees. On"e again# he $er"eie! themany languages in the things about him( this time# the !esert was safe# an! it was theoasis that ha! be"ome !angerous.

The "amel !rier was seate! at the base of a $alm tree# obsering the sunset. %e sawthe boy a$$ear from the other si!e of the !unes.

+An army is "oming#, the boy sai!. +) ha! a ision.,

+The !esert fills men’s hearts with isions#, the "amel !rier answere!.

ut the boy tol! him about the hawks( that he ha! been wat"hing their flight an! ha!su!!enly felt himself to hae $lunge! to the Soul of the 2orl!.

The "amel !rier un!erstoo! what the boy was saying. %e knew that any gien thingon the fa"e of the earth "oul! reeal the history of all things. One "oul! o$en a book to

any $age# or look at a $erson’s han!6 one "oul! turn a "ar!# or wat"h the flight of thebir!s@ whateer the thing obsere!# one "oul! fin! a "onne"tion with his e&$erien"e of

the moment. A"tually# it wasn’t that those things# in themseles# reeale! anything atall6 it was 'ust that $eo$le# looking at what was o""urring aroun! them# "oul! fin! ameans of $enetration to the Soul of the 2orl!.

The !esert was full of men who earne! their liing base! on the ease with whi"h they"oul! $enetrate to the Soul of the 2orl!. They were known as seers# an! they were hel!in fear by women an! the el!erly. Tribesmen were also wary of "onsulting them# be"ause

it woul! be im$ossible to be effe"tie in battle if one knew that he was fate! to !ie. Thetribesmen $referre! the taste of battle# an! the thrill of not knowing what the out"ome

woul! be6 the future was alrea!y written by Allah# an! what he ha! written was alwaysfor the goo! of man. So the tribesmen lie! only for the $resent# be"ause the $resent

was full of sur$rises# an! they ha! to be aware of many things( 2here was the enemy’s

swor!3 2here was his horse3 2hat kin! of blow shoul! one !elier ne&t in or!er toremain alie3 The "amel !rier was not a fighter# an! he ha! "onsulte! with seers. 0anyof them ha! been right about what they sai!# while some ha! been wrong. Then# one!ay# the ol!est seer he ha! eer sought out :an! the one most to be feare!; ha! aske!why the "amel !rier was so intereste! in the future.

+2ell@ so ) "an !o things#, he ha! res$on!e!. +An! so ) "an "hange those things that) !on’t want to ha$$en.,

+ut then they woul!n’t be a $art of your future#, the seer ha! sai!.

+2ell# maybe ) 'ust want to know the future so ) "an $re$are myself for what’s

"oming.,

45



+)f goo! things are "oming# they will be a $leasant sur$rise#, sai! the seer. +)f ba!things are# an! you know in a!an"e# you will suffer greatly before they een o""ur.,

+) want to know about the future be"ause )’m a man#, the "amel !rier ha! sai! to theseer. +An! men always lie their lies base! on the future.,

The seer was a s$e"ialist in the "asting of twigs6 he threw them on the groun!# an!

ma!e inter$retations base! on how they fell. That !ay# he !i!n’t make a "ast. %ewra$$e! the twigs in a $ie"e of "loth an! $ut them ba"k in his bag.

+) make my liing fore"asting the future for $eo$le#, he sai!. +) know the s"ien"e ofthe twigs# an! ) know how to use them to $enetrate to the $la"e where all is written.There# ) "an rea! the $ast# !is"oer what has alrea!y been forgotten# an! un!erstan!the omens that are here in the $resent.

+2hen $eo$le "onsult me# it’s not that )’m rea!ing the future6 ) am guessing at thefuture. The future belongs to 8o!# an! it is only he who reeals it# un!er e&traor!inary"ir"umstan"es. %ow !o ) guess at the future3 ase! on the omens of the $resent. The

se"ret is here in the $resent. )f you $ay attention to the $resent# you "an im$roe u$onit. An!# if you im$roe on the $resent# what "omes later will also be better. =orget about

the future# an! lie ea"h !ay a""or!ing to the tea"hings# "onfi!ent that 8o! loes his"hil!ren. Ea"h !ay# in itself# brings with it an eternity.,

The "amel !rier ha! aske! what the "ir"umstan"es were un!er whi"h 8o! woul!allow him to see the future.

+Only when he# himself# reeals it. An! 8o! only rarely reeals the future. 2hen he!oes so# it is for only one reason( it’s a future that was written so as to be altere!.,

8o! ha! shown the boy a $art of the future# the "amel !rier thought. 2hy was it that

he wante! the boy to sere as his instrument3

+8o an! s$eak to the tribal "hieftains#, sai! the "amel !rier. +Tell them about thearmies that are a$$roa"hing.,

+They’ll laugh at me.,

+They are men of the !esert# an! the men of the !esert are use! to !ealing with

omens.,

+2ell# then# they $robably alrea!y know.,

+They’re not "on"erne! with that right now. They beliee that if they hae to knowabout something Allah wants them to know# someone will tell them about it. )t hasha$$ene! many times before. ut# this time# the $erson is you.,

The boy thought of =atima. An! he !e"i!e! he woul! go to see the "hiefs of the tribes.

/ / /

46



The boy a$$roa"he! the guar! at the front of the huge white tent at the "enter of theoasis.

+) want to see the "hieftains. )’e brought omens from the !esert.,

2ithout res$on!ing# the guar! entere! the tent# where he remaine! for some time.2hen he emerge!# it was with a young Arab# !resse! in white an! gol!. The boy tol! the

younger man what he ha! seen# an! the man aske! him to wait there. %e !isa$$eare!into the tent.

Night fell# an! an assortment of fighting men an! mer"hants entere! an! e&ite! thetent. One by one# the "am$fires were e&tinguishe!# an! the oasis fell as 1uiet as the!esert. Only the lights in the great tent remaine!. During all this time# the boy thoughtabout =atima# an! he was still unable to un!erstan! his last "onersation with her.

=inally# after hours of waiting# the guar! ba!e the boy enter. The boy was astonishe!by what he saw insi!e. Neer "oul! he hae imagine! that# there in the mi!!le of the!esert# there e&iste! a tent like this one. The groun! was "oere! with the most beautiful

"ar$ets he ha! eer walke! u$on# an! from the to$ of the stru"ture hung lam$s of han!*wrought gol!# ea"h with a lighte! "an!le. The tribal "hieftains were seate! at the ba"k of

the tent in a semi"ir"le# resting u$on ri"hly embroi!ere! silk "ushions. Serants "amean! went with siler trays la!en with s$i"es an! tea. Other serants maintaine! the firesin the hookahs. The atmos$here was suffuse! with the sweet s"ent of smoke.

There were eight "hieftains# but the boy "oul! see imme!iately whi"h of them was themost im$ortant( an Arab !resse! in white an! gol!# seate! at the "enter of thesemi"ir"le. At his si!e was the young Arab the boy ha! s$oken with earlier.

+2ho is this stranger who s$eaks of omens3, aske! one of the "hieftains# eyeing theboy.

+)t is )#, the boy answere!. An! he tol! what he ha! seen.

+2hy woul! the !esert reeal su"h things to a stranger# when it knows that we haebeen here for generations3, sai! another of the "hieftains.

+e"ause my eyes are not yet a""ustome! to the !esert#, the boy sai!. +) "an see

things that eyes habituate! to the !esert might not see.,

An! also be"ause ) know about the Soul of the 2orl!# he thought to himself.

+The oasis is neutral groun!. No one atta"ks an oasis#, sai! a thir! "hieftain.

+) "an only tell you what ) saw. )f you !on’t want to beliee me# you !on’t hae to !oanything about it.,

The men fell into an animate! !is"ussion. They s$oke in an Arabi" !iale"t that the boy

!i!n’t un!erstan!# but# when he ma!e to leae# the guar! tol! him to stay. The boybe"ame fearful6 the omens tol! him that something was wrong. %e regrette! haing

s$oken to the "amel !rier about what he ha! seen in the !esert.

Su!!enly# the el!er at the "enter smile! almost im$er"e$tibly# an! the boy felt better.The man ha!n’t $arti"i$ate! in the !is"ussion# an!# in fa"t# ha!n’t sai! a wor! u$ to that$oint. ut the boy was alrea!y use! to the 4anguage of the 2orl!# an! he "oul! feel the

ibrations of $ea"e throughout the tent. Now his intuition was that he ha! been right in"oming.

47



The !is"ussion en!e!. The "hieftains were silent for a few moments as they listene! towhat the ol! man was saying. Then he turne! to the boy( this time his e&$ression was"ol! an! !istant.

+Two thousan! years ago# in a !istant lan!# a man who beliee! in !reams was throwninto a !ungeon an! then sol! as a slae#, the ol! man sai!# now in the !iale"t the boyun!erstoo!. +Our mer"hants bought that man# an! brought him to Egy$t. All of us know

that whoeer beliees in !reams also knows how to inter$ret them.,

The el!er "ontinue!# +2hen the $haraoh !reame! of "ows that were thin an! "ows

that were fat# this man )’m s$eaking of res"ue! Egy$t from famine. %is name was<ose$h. %e# too# was a stranger in a strange lan!# like you# an! he was $robably aboutyour age.,

%e $ause!# an! his eyes were still unfrien!ly.

+2e always obsere the Tra!ition. The Tra!ition sae! Egy$t from famine in those!ays# an! ma!e the Egy$tians the wealthiest of $eo$les. The Tra!ition tea"hes men how

to "ross the !esert# an! how their "hil!ren shoul! marry. The Tra!ition says that an oasisis neutral territory# be"ause both si!es hae oases# an! so both are ulnerable.,

No one sai! a wor! as the ol! man "ontinue!.

+ut the Tra!ition also says that we shoul! beliee the messages of the !esert.Eerything we know was taught to us by the !esert.,

The ol! man gae a signal# an! eeryone stoo!. The meeting was oer. The hookahs

were e&tinguishe!# an! the guar!s stoo! at attention. The boy ma!e rea!y to leae# butthe ol! man s$oke again(

+Tomorrow# we are going to break the agreement that says that no one at the oasismay "arry arms. Throughout the entire !ay we will be on the lookout for our enemies.2hen the sun sets# the men will on"e again surren!er their arms to me. =or eery ten!ea! men among our enemies# you will re"eie a $ie"e of gol!.

+ut arms "annot be !rawn unless they also go into battle. Arms are as "a$ri"ious asthe !esert# an!# if they are not use!# the ne&t time they might not fun"tion. )f at least

one of them hasn’t been use! by the en! of the !ay tomorrow# one will be use! on you.,

2hen the boy left the tent# the oasis was illuminate! only by the light of the full

moon. %e was twenty minutes from his tent# an! began to make his way there.

%e was alarme! by what ha! ha$$ene!. %e ha! su""ee!e! in rea"hing through to theSoul of the 2orl!# an! now the $ri"e for haing !one so might be his life. )t was afrightening bet. ut he ha! been making risky bets eer sin"e the !ay he ha! sol! hisshee$ to $ursue his !estiny. An!# as the "amel !rier ha! sai!# to !ie tomorrow was noworse than !ying on any other !ay. Eery !ay was there to be lie! or to mark one’s

!e$arture from this worl!. Eerything !e$en!e! on one wor!( +Maktub.,

2alking along in the silen"e# he ha! no regrets. )f he !ie! tomorrow# it woul! be

be"ause 8o! was not willing to "hange the future. %e woul! at least hae !ie! afterhaing "rosse! the strait# after haing worke! in a "rystal sho$# an! after haing knownthe silen"e of the !esert an! =atima’s eyes. %e ha! lie! eery one of his !ays intenselysin"e he ha! left home so long ago. )f he !ie! tomorrow# he woul! alrea!y hae seen

more than other she$her!s# an! he was $rou! of that.

48



Su!!enly he hear! a thun!ering soun!# an! he was thrown to the groun! by a win!su"h as he ha! neer known. The area was swirling in !ust so intense that it hi! themoon from iew. efore him was an enormous white horse# rearing oer him with afrightening s"ream.

2hen the blin!ing !ust ha! settle! a bit# the boy tremble! at what he saw. Astri!e theanimal was a horseman !resse! "om$letely in bla"k# with a fal"on $er"he! on his left

shoul!er. %e wore a turban an! his entire fa"e# e&"e$t for his eyes# was "oere! with abla"k ker"hief. %e a$$eare! to be a messenger from the !esert# but his $resen"e was

mu"h more $owerful than that of a mere messenger.

The strange horseman !rew an enormous# "ure! swor! from a s"abbar! mounte! onhis sa!!le. The steel of its bla!e glittere! in the light of the moon.

+2ho !ares to rea! the meaning of the flight of the hawks3, he !eman!e!# so lou!lythat his wor!s seeme! to e"ho through the fifty thousan! $alm trees of Al*=ayoum.

+)t is ) who !are! to !o so#, sai! the boy. %e was remin!e! of the image of Santiago

0atamoros# mounte! on his white horse# with the infi!els beneath his hooes. This manlooke! e&a"tly the same# e&"e$t that now the roles were reerse!.

+)t is ) who !are! to !o so#, he re$eate!# an! he lowere! his hea! to re"eie a blowfrom the swor!. +0any lies will be sae!# be"ause ) was able to see through to the Soulof the 2orl!.,

The swor! !i!n’t fall. )nstea!# the stranger lowere! it slowly# until the $oint tou"he!the boy’s forehea!. )t !rew a !ro$let of bloo!.

The horseman was "om$letely immobile# as was the boy. )t !i!n’t een o""ur to the

boy to flee. )n his heart# he felt a strange sense of 'oy( he was about to !ie in $ursuit of

his !estiny. An! for =atima. The omens ha! been true# after all. %ere he was# fa"e*to*fa"e with his enemy# but there was no nee! to be "on"erne! about !ying7the Soul of the2orl! awaite! him# an! he woul! soon be a $art of it. An!# tomorrow# his enemy woul!also be a$art of that Soul.

The stranger "ontinue! to hol! the swor! at the boy’s forehea!. +2hy !i! you rea! theflight of the bir!s3,

+) rea! only what the bir!s wante! to tell me. They wante! to sae the oasis.

Tomorrow all of you will !ie# be"ause there are more men at the oasis than you hae.,

The swor! remaine! where it was. +2ho are you to "hange what Allah has wille!3,

+Allah "reate! the armies# an! he also "reate! the hawks. Allah taught me thelanguage of the bir!s. Eerything has been written by the same han!#, the boy sai!#remembering the "amel !rier’s wor!s.

The stranger with!rew the swor! from the boy’s forehea!# an! the boy felt immensely

reliee!. ut he still "oul!n’t flee.

+e "areful with your $rognosti"ations#, sai! the stranger. +2hen something iswritten# there is no way to "hange it.,

+All ) saw was an army#, sai! the boy. +) !i!n’t see the out"ome of the battle.,

The stranger seeme! satisfie! with the answer. ut he ke$t the swor! in his han!. +2hat is a stranger !oing in a strange lan!3,

49



+) am following my !estiny. )t’s not something you woul! un!erstan!.,

The stranger $la"e! his swor! in its s"abbar!# an! the boy rela&e!.

+) ha! to test your "ourage#, the stranger sai!. +Courage is the 1uality most essentialto un!erstan!ing the 4anguage of the 2orl!.,

The boy was sur$rise!. The stranger was s$eaking of things that ery few $eo$leknew about.

+5ou must not let u$# een after haing "ome so far#, he "ontinue!. +5ou must loethe !esert# but neer trust it "om$letely. e"ause the !esert tests all men( it "hallengeseery ste$# an! kills those who be"ome !istra"te!.,

2hat he sai! remin!e! the boy of the ol! king.

+)f the warriors "ome here# an! your hea! is still on your shoul!ers at sunset# "omean! fin! me#, sai! the stranger.

The same han! that ha! bran!ishe! the swor! now hel! a whi$. The horse reare!again# raising a "lou! of !ust.

+2here !o you lie3, shoute! the boy# as the horseman ro!e away.

The han! with the whi$ $ointe! to the south.

The boy ha! met the al"hemist.

/ / /

Ne&t morning# there were two thousan! arme! men s"attere! throughout the $alm

trees at Al*=ayoum. efore the sun ha! rea"he! its high $oint# fie hun!re! tribesmena$$eare! on the hori-on. The mounte! troo$s entere! the oasis from the north6 it

a$$eare! to be a $ea"eful e&$e!ition# but they all "arrie! arms hi!!en in their robes.2hen they rea"he! the white tent at the "enter of Al*=ayoum# they with!rew their

s"imitars an! rifles. An! they atta"ke! an em$ty tent.

The men of the oasis surroun!e! the horsemen from the !esert an! within half anhour all but one of the intru!ers were !ea!. The "hil!ren ha! been ke$t at the other si!eof a groe of $alm trees# an! saw nothing of what ha! ha$$ene!. The women ha!

remaine! in their tents# $raying for the safekee$ing of their husban!s# an! saw nothingof the battle# either. 2ere it not for the bo!ies there on the groun!# it woul! hae

a$$eare! to be a normal !ay at the oasis.

The only tribesman s$are! was the "omman!er of the battalion. That afternoon# hewas brought before the tribal "hieftains# who aske! him why he ha! iolate! theTra!ition. The "omman!er sai! that his men ha! been staring an! thirsty# e&hauste!

from many !ays of battle# an! ha! !e"i!e! to take the oasis so as to be able to return tothe war.

50



The tribal "hieftain sai! that he felt sorry for the tribesmen# but that the Tra!ition wassa"re!. %e "on!emne! the "omman!er to !eath without honor. Rather than being kille!by a bla!e or a bullet# he was hange! from a !ea! $alm tree# where his bo!y twiste! inthe !esert win!.

The tribal "hieftain "alle! for the boy# an! $resente! him with fifty $ie"es of gol!. %ere$eate! his story about <ose$h of Egy$t# an! aske! the boy to be"ome the "ounselor of

the oasis.

/ / /

2hen the sun ha! set# an! the first stars ma!e their a$$earan"e# the boy starte! to

walk to the south. %e eentually sighte! a single tent# an! a grou$ of Arabs $assing bytol! the boy that it was a $la"e inhabite! by genies. ut the boy sat !own an! waite!.

Not until the moon was high !i! the al"hemist ri!e into iew. %e "arrie! two !ea!hawks oer his shoul!er.

+) am here#, the boy sai!.

+5ou shoul!n’t be here#, the al"hemist answere!. +Or is it your !estiny that brings you

here3,

+2ith the wars between the tribes# it’s im$ossible to "ross the !esert. So ) hae "ome

here.,

The al"hemist !ismounte! from his horse# an! signale! that the boy shoul! enter thetent with him. )t was a tent like many at the oasis. The boy looke! aroun! for the oensan! other a$$aratus use! in al"hemy# but saw none. There were only some books in a$ile# a small "ooking stoe# an! the "ar$ets# "oere! with mysterious !esigns.

+Sit !own. 2e’ll hae something to !rink an! eat these hawks#, sai! the al"hemist.

The boy sus$e"te! that they were the same hawks he ha! seen on the !ay before# buthe sai! nothing. The al"hemist lighte! the fire# an! soon a !eli"ious aroma fille! the tent.)t was better than the s"ent of the hookahs.

+2hy !i! you want to see me3, the boy aske!.

+e"ause of the omens#, the al"hemist answere!. +The win! tol! me you woul! be"oming# an! that you woul! nee! hel$.,

+)t’s not ) the win! s$oke about. )t’s the other foreigner# the Englishman. %e’s the onethat’s looking for you.,

+%e has other things to !o first. ut he’s on the right tra"k. %e has begun to try toun!erstan! the !esert.,

+An! what about me3,

51



+2hen a $erson really !esires something# all the unierse "ons$ires to hel$ that$erson to reali-e his !ream#, sai! the al"hemist# e"hoing the wor!s of the ol! king. Theboy un!erstoo!. Another $erson was there to hel$ him towar! his !estiny.

+So you are going to instru"t me3,

+No. 5ou alrea!y know all you nee! to know. ) am only going to $oint you in the

!ire"tion of your treasure.,

+ut there’s a tribal war#, the boy reiterate!.

+) know what’s ha$$ening in the !esert.,

+) hae alrea!y foun! my treasure. ) hae a "amel# ) hae my money from the "rystalsho$# an! ) hae fifty gol! $ie"es. )n my own "ountry# ) woul! be a ri"h man.,

+ut none of that is from the Pyrami!s#, sai! the al"hemist.

+) also hae =atima. She is a treasure greater than anything else ) hae won.,

+She wasn’t foun! at the Pyrami!s# either.,

They ate in silen"e. The al"hemist o$ene! a bottle an! $oure! a re! li1ui! into theboy’s "u$. )t was the most !eli"ious wine he ha! eer taste!.

+)sn’t wine $rohibite! here3, the boy aske!

+)t’s not what enters men’s mouths that’s eil#, sai! the al"hemist. +)t’s what "omesout of their mouths that is.,

The al"hemist was a bit !aunting# but# as the boy !rank the wine# he rela&e!. Afterthey finishe! eating they sat outsi!e the tent# un!er a moon so brilliant that it ma!e thestars $ale.

+Drink an! en'oy yourself#, sai! the al"hemist# noti"ing that the boy was feelingha$$ier. +Rest well tonight# as if you were a warrior $re$aring for "ombat. Rememberthat whereer your heart is# there you will fin! your treasure. 5ou’e got to fin! the

treasure# so that eerything you hae learne! along the way "an make sense.

+Tomorrow# sell your "amel an! buy a horse. Camels are traitorous( they walk thousan!sof $a"es an! neer seem to tire. Then su!!enly# they kneel an! !ie. ut horses tire bitby bit. 5ou always know how mu"h you "an ask of them# an! when it is that they areabout to !ie.,

/ / /

The following night# the boy a$$eare! at the al"hemist’s tent with a horse. The

al"hemist was rea!y# an! he mounte! his own stee! an! $la"e! the fal"on on his leftshoul!er. %e sai! to the boy# +Show me where there is life out in the !esert. Only those

who "an see su"h signs of life are able to fin! treasure.,

52



They began to ri!e out oer the san!s# with the moon lighting their way. ) !on’t knowif )’ll be able to fin! life in the !esert# the boy thought. ) !on’t know the !esert that wellyet.

%e wante! to say so to the al"hemist# but he was afrai! of the man. They rea"he! thero"ky $la"e where the boy ha! seen the hawks in the sky# but now there was only silen"ean! the win!.

+) !on’t know how to fin! life in the !esert#, the boy sai!. +) know that there is lifehere# but ) !on’t know where to look.,

+4ife attra"ts life#, the al"hemist answere!.

An! then the boy un!erstoo!. %e loosene! the reins on his horse# who gallo$e!forwar! oer the ro"ks an! san!. The al"hemist followe! as the boy’s horse ran foralmost half an hour. They "oul! no longer see the $alms of the oasis7only the giganti"moon aboe them# an! its siler refle"tions from the stones of the !esert. Su!!enly# forno a$$arent reason# the boy’s horse began to slow.

+There’s life here#, the boy sai! to the al"hemist. +) !on’t know the language of the!esert# but my horse knows the language of life.,

They !ismounte!# an! the al"hemist sai! nothing. A!an"ing slowly# they sear"he!among the stones. The al"hemist sto$$e! abru$tly# an! bent to the groun!. There was ahole there among the stones. The al"hemist $ut his han! into the hole# an! then hisentire arm# u$ to his shoul!er. Something was moing there# an! the al"hemist’s eyes7the boy "oul! see only his eyes*s1uinte! with his effort. %is arm seeme! to be battlingwith whateer was in the hole. Then# with a motion that startle! the boy# he with!rew his

arm an! lea$e! to his feet. )n his han!# he gras$e! a snake by the tail.

The boy lea$t as well# but away from the al"hemist. The snake fought franti"ally#making hissing soun!s that shattere! the silen"e of the !esert. )t was a "obra# whoseenom "oul! kill a $erson in minutes.

+2at"h out for his enom#, the boy sai!. ut een though the al"hemist ha! $ut hishan! in the hole# an! ha! surely alrea!y been bitten# his e&$ression was "alm. +Theal"hemist is two hun!re! years ol!#, the Englishman ha! tol! him. %e must know how to!eal with the snakes of the !esert.

The boy wat"he! as his "om$anion went to his horse an! with!rew a s"imitar. 2ith itsbla!e# he !rew a "ir"le in the san!# an! then he $la"e! the snake within it. The ser$ent

rela&e! imme!iately.

+Not to worry#, sai! the al"hemist. +%e won’t leae the "ir"le. 5ou foun! life in the!esert# the omen that ) nee!e!.,

+2hy was that so im$ortant3,

+e"ause the Pyrami!s are surroun!e! by the !esert.,

The boy !i!n’t want to talk about the Pyrami!s. %is heart was heay# an! he ha! beenmelan"holy sin"e the $reious night. To "ontinue his sear"h for the treasure meant thathe ha! to aban!on =atima.

+)’m going to gui!e you a"ross the !esert#, the al"hemist sai!.

53



+) want to stay at the oasis#, the boy answere!. +)’e foun! =atima# an!# as far as )’m"on"erne!# she’s worth more than treasure.,

+=atima is a woman of the !esert#, sai! the al"hemist. +She knows that men hae togo away in or!er to return. An! she alrea!y has her treasure( it’s you. Now she e&$e"tsthat you will fin! what it is you’re looking for.,

+2ell# what if ) !e"i!e to stay3,

+4et me tell you what will ha$$en. 5ou’ll be the "ounselor of the oasis. 5ou haeenough gol! to buy many shee$ an! many "amels. 5ou’ll marry =atima# an! you’ll bothbe ha$$y for a year. 5ou’ll learn to loe the !esert# an! you’ll get to know eery one ofthe fifty thousan! $alms. 5ou’ll wat"h them as they grow# !emonstrating how the worl!is always "hanging. An! you’ll get better an! better at un!erstan!ing omens# be"ausethe !esert is the best tea"her there is.

+Sometime !uring the se"on! year# you’ll remember about the treasure. The omenswill begin insistently to s$eak of it# an! you’ll try to ignore them. 5ou’ll use your

knowle!ge for the welfare of the oasis an! its inhabitants. The tribal "hieftains willa$$re"iate what you !o. An! your "amels will bring you wealth an! $ower.

+During the thir! year# the omens will "ontinue to s$eak of your treasure an! your!estiny. 5ou’ll walk aroun!# night after night# at the oasis# an! =atima will be unha$$ybe"ause she’ll feel it was she who interru$te! your 1uest. ut you will loe her# an! she’llreturn your loe. 5ou’ll remember that she neer aske! you to stay# be"ause a woman ofthe !esert knows that she must await her man. So you won’t blame her. ut many timesyou’ll walk the san!s of the !esert# thinking that maybe you "oul! hae left@ that you

"oul! hae truste! more in your loe for =atima. e"ause what ke$t you at the oasis wasyour own fear that you might neer "ome ba"k. At that $oint# the omens will tell you that

your treasure is burie! foreer.

+Then# sometime !uring the fourth year# the omens will aban!on you# be"ause you’esto$$e! listening to them. The tribal "hieftains will see that# an! you’ll be !ismisse! fromyour $osition as "ounselor. ut# by then# you’ll be a ri"h mer"hant# with many "amelsan! a great !eal of mer"han!ise. 5ou’ll s$en! the rest of your !ays knowing that you!i!n’t $ursue your !estiny# an! that now it’s too late.

+5ou must un!erstan! that loe neer kee$s a man from $ursuing his !estiny. )f heaban!ons that $ursuit# it’s be"ause it wasn’t true loe@ the loe that s$eaks the

4anguage of the 2orl!.,

The al"hemist erase! the "ir"le in the san!# an! the snake slithere! away among thero"ks. The boy remembere! the "rystal mer"hant who ha! always wante! to go to0e""a# an! the Englishman in sear"h of the al"hemist. %e thought of the woman who ha!truste! in the !esert. An! he looke! out oer the !esert that ha! brought him to thewoman he loe!.

They mounte! their horses# an! this time it was the boy who followe! the al"hemistba"k to the oasis. The win! brought the soun!s of the oasis to them# an! the boy trie! to

hear =atima’s oi"e.

ut that night# as he ha! wat"he! the "obra within the "ir"le# the strange horsemanwith the fal"on on his shoul!er ha! s$oken of loe an! treasure# of the women of the!esert an! of his !estiny.

+)’m going with you#, the boy sai!. An! he imme!iately felt $ea"e in his heart.

+2e’ll leae tomorrow before sunrise#, was the al"hemist’s only res$onse.

54



/ / /

The boy s$ent a slee$less night. Two hours before !awn# he awoke one of the boyswho sle$t in his tent# an! aske! him to show him where =atima lie!. They went to her

tent# an! the boy gae his frien! enough gol! to buy a shee$.

Then he aske! his frien! to go to into the tent where =atima was slee$ing# an! toawaken her an! tell her that he was waiting outsi!e. The young Arab !i! as he wasaske!# an! was gien enough gol! to buy yet another shee$.

+Now leae us alone#, sai! the boy to the young Arab. The Arab returne! to his tent toslee$# $rou! to hae hel$e! the "ounselor of the oasis# an! ha$$y at haing enough

money to buy himself some shee$.

=atima a$$eare! at the entran"e to the tent. The two walke! out among the $alms.The boy knew that it was a iolation of the Tra!ition# but that !i!n’t matter to him now.

+)’m going away#, he sai!. +An! ) want you to know that )’m "oming ba"k. ) loe yoube"ause@,

+Don’t say anything#, =atima interru$te!. +One is loe! be"ause one is loe!. No

reason is nee!e! for loing.,

ut the boy "ontinue!# +) ha! a !ream# an! ) met with a king. ) sol! "rystal an!

"rosse! the !esert. An!# be"ause the tribes !e"lare! war# ) went to the well# seeking theal"hemist. So# ) loe you be"ause the entire unierse "ons$ire! to hel$ me fin! you.,

The two embra"e!. )t was the first time either ha! tou"he! the other.

+)’ll be ba"k#, the boy sai!.

+efore this# ) always looke! to the !esert with longing#, sai! =atima. +Now it will bewith ho$e. 0y father went away one !ay# but he returne! to my mother# an! he has

always "ome ba"k sin"e then.,

They sai! nothing else. They walke! a bit farther among the $alms# an! then the boyleft her at the entran"e to her tent.

+)’ll return# 'ust as your father "ame ba"k to your mother#, he sai!.

%e saw that =atima’s eyes were fille! with tears.

+5ou’re "rying3,

+)’m a woman of the !esert#, she sai!# aerting her fa"e. +ut aboe all# )’m awoman.,

=atima went ba"k to her tent# an!# when !aylight "ame# she went out to !o the "horesshe ha! !one for years. ut eerything ha! "hange!. The boy was no longer at the oasis#

an! the oasis woul! neer again hae the same meaning it ha! ha! only yester!ay. )twoul! no longer be a $la"e with fifty thousan! $alm trees an! three hun!re! wells#

55



where the $ilgrims arrie!# reliee! at the en! of their long 'ourneys. =rom that !ay on#the oasis woul! be an em$ty $la"e for her.

=rom that !ay on# it was the !esert that woul! be im$ortant. She woul! look to it eery!ay# an! woul! try to guess whi"h star the boy was following in sear"h of his treasure.She woul! hae to sen! her kisses on the win!# ho$ing that the win! woul! tou"h theboy’s fa"e# an! woul! tell him that she was alie. That she was waiting for him# a woman

awaiting a "ourageous man in sear"h of his treasure. =rom that !ay on# the !esert woul!re$resent only one thing to her( the ho$e for his return.

/ / /

+Don’t think about what you’e left behin!#, the al"hemist sai! to the boy as theybegan to ri!e a"ross the san!s of the !esert. +Eerything is written in the Soul of the

2orl!# an! there it will stay foreer.,

+0en !ream more about "oming home than about leaing#, the boy sai!. %e wasalrea!y rea""ustome! to !esert’s silen"e.

+)f what one fin!s is ma!e of $ure matter# it will neer s$oil. An! one "an always "ome

ba"k. )f what you ha! foun! was only a moment of light# like the e&$losion of a star# youwoul! fin! nothing on your return.,

The man was s$eaking the language of al"hemy. ut the boy knew that he was

referring to =atima.

)t was !iffi"ult not to think about what he ha! left behin!. The !esert# with its en!lessmonotony# $ut him to !reaming. The boy "oul! still see the $alm trees# the wells# an!the fa"e of the woman he loe!. %e "oul! see the Englishman at his e&$eriments# an!the "amel !rier who was a tea"her without reali-ing it. 0aybe the al"hemist has neer

been in loe# the boy thought.

The al"hemist ro!e in front# with the fal"on on his shoul!er. The bir! knew the

language of the !esert well# an! wheneer they sto$$e!# he flew off in sear"h of game.On the first !ay he returne! with a rabbit# an! on the se"on! with two bir!s.

At night# they s$rea! their slee$ing gear an! ke$t their fires hi!!en. The !esert nightswere "ol!# an! were be"oming !arker an! !arker as the $hases of the moon $asse!.They went on for a week# s$eaking only of the $re"autions they nee!e! to follow in or!erto aoi! the battles between the tribes. The war "ontinue!# an! at times the win! "arrie!

the sweet# si"kly smell of bloo!. attles ha! been fought nearby# an! the win! remin!e!the boy that there was the language of omens# always rea!y to show him what his eyes

ha! faile! to obsere.

On the seenth !ay# the al"hemist !e"i!e! to make "am$ earlier than usual. Thefal"on flew off to fin! game# an! the al"hemist offere! his water "ontainer to the boy.

+5ou are almost at the en! of your 'ourney#, sai! the al"hemist. +) "ongratulate you

for haing $ursue! your !estiny.,

56



+An! you’e tol! me nothing along the way#, sai! the boy. +) thought you were goingto tea"h me some of the things you know. A while ago# ) ro!e through the !esert with aman who ha! books on al"hemy. ut ) wasn’t able to learn anything from them.,

+There is only one way to learn#, the al"hemist answere!. +)t’s through a"tion.Eerything you nee! to know you hae learne! through your 'ourney. 5ou nee! to learnonly one thing more.,

The boy wante! to know what that was# but the al"hemist was sear"hing the hori-on#looking for the fal"on.

+2hy are you "alle! the al"hemist3,

+e"ause that’s what ) am.,

+An! what went wrong when other al"hemists trie! to make gol! an! were unable to!o so3,

+They were looking only for gol!#, his "om$anion answere!. +They were seeking thetreasure of their !estiny# without wanting a"tually to lie out the !estiny.,

+2hat is it that ) still nee! to know3, the boy aske!.

ut the al"hemist "ontinue! to look to the hori-on. An! finally the fal"on returne! withtheir meal. They !ug a hole an! lit their fire in it# so that the light of the flames woul! notbe seen.

+)’m an al"hemist sim$ly be"ause )’m an al"hemist#, he sai!# as he $re$are! the meal. +) learne! the s"ien"e from my gran!father# who learne! from his father# an! so on# ba"k

to the "reation of the worl!. )n those times# the 0aster 2ork "oul! be written sim$ly on

an emeral!. ut men began to re'e"t sim$le things# an! to write tra"ts# inter$retations#an! $hiloso$hi"al stu!ies. They also began to feel that they knew a better way thanothers ha!. 5et the Emeral! Tablet is still alie to!ay.,

+2hat was written on the Emeral! Tablet3, the boy wante! to know.

The al"hemist began to !raw in the san!# an! "om$lete! his !rawing in less than fie

minutes. As he !rew# the boy thought of the ol! king# an! the $la-a where they ha! metthat !ay6 it seeme! as if it ha! taken $la"e years an! years ago.

+This is what was written on the Emeral! Tablet#, sai! the al"hemist# when he ha!finishe!.

The boy trie! to rea! what was written in the san!.

+)t’s a "o!e#, sai! the boy# a bit !isa$$ointe!. +)t looks like what ) saw in the

Englishman’s books.,

+No#, the al"hemist answere!. +)t’s like the flight of those two hawks6 it "an’t be

un!erstoo! by reason alone. The Emeral! Tablet is a !ire"t $assage to the Soul of the2orl!.

+The wise men un!erstoo! that this natural worl! is only an image an! a "o$y of$ara!ise. The e&isten"e of this worl! is sim$ly a guarantee that there e&ists a worl! thatis $erfe"t. 8o! "reate! the worl! so that# through its isible ob'e"ts# men "oul!un!erstan! his s$iritual tea"hings an! the marels of his wis!om. That’s what ) mean by

a"tion.,

57



+Shoul! ) un!erstan! the Emeral! Tablet3, the boy aske!.

+Perha$s# if you were in a laboratory of al"hemy# this woul! be the right time to stu!ythe best way to un!erstan! the Emeral! Tablet. ut you are in the !esert. So immerseyourself in it. The !esert will gie you an un!erstan!ing of the worl!6 in fa"t# anything onthe fa"e of the earth will !o that. 5ou !on’t een hae to un!erstan! the !esert( all youhae to !o is "ontem$late a sim$le grain of san!# an! you will see in it all the marels of

"reation.,

+%ow !o ) immerse myself in the !esert3,

+4isten to your heart. )t knows all things# be"ause it "ame from the Soul of the 2orl!#an! it will one !ay return there.,

/ / /

They "rosse! the !esert for another two !ays in silen"e. The al"hemist ha! be"omemu"h more "autious# be"ause they were a$$roa"hing the area where the most iolentbattles were being wage!. As they moe! along# the boy trie! to listen to his heart.

)t was not easy to !o6 in earlier times# his heart ha! always been rea!y to tell its

story# but lately that wasn’t true. There ha! been times when his heart s$ent hourstelling of its sa!ness# an! at other times it be"ame so emotional oer the !esert sunrise

that the boy ha! to hi!e his tears. %is heart beat fastest when it s$oke to the boy of

treasure# an! more slowly when the boy stare! entran"e! at the en!less hori-ons of the!esert. ut his heart was neer 1uiet# een when the boy an! the al"hemist ha! falleninto silen"e.

+2hy !o we hae to listen to our hearts3, the boy aske!# when they ha! ma!e "am$that !ay.

+e"ause# whereer your heart is# that is where you’ll fin! your treasure.,

+ut my heart is agitate!#, the boy sai!. +)t has its !reams# it gets emotional# an! it’s

be"ome $assionate oer a woman of the !esert. )t asks things of me# an! it kee$s mefrom slee$ing many nights# when )’m thinking about her.,

+2ell# that’s goo!. 5our heart is alie. ee$ listening to what it has to say.,

During the ne&t three !ays# the two traelers $asse! by a number of arme!

tribesmen# an! saw others on the hori-on. The boy’s heart began to s$eak of fear. )t tol!him stories it ha! hear! from the Soul of the 2orl!# stories of men who sought to fin!

their treasure an! neer su""ee!e!. Sometimes it frightene! the boy with the i!ea thathe might not fin! his treasure# or that he might !ie there in the !esert. At other times# it

tol! the boy that it was satisfie!( it ha! foun! loe an! ri"hes.

+0y heart is a traitor#, the boy sai! to the al"hemist# when they ha! $ause! to restthe horses. +)t !oesn’t want me to go on.,

+That makes sense#, the al"hemist answere!. +Naturally it’s afrai! that# in $ursuing

your !ream# you might lose eerything you’e won.,

58



+2ell# then# why shoul! ) listen to my heart3,

+e"ause you will neer again be able to kee$ it 1uiet. Een if you $reten! not to haehear! what it tells you# it will always be there insi!e you# re$eating to you what you’rethinking about life an! about the worl!.,

+5ou mean ) shoul! listen# een if it’s treasonous3,

+Treason is a blow that "omes une&$e"te!ly. )f you know your heart well# it will neer

be able to !o that to you. e"ause you’ll know its !reams an! wishes# an! will know howto !eal with them.

+5ou will neer be able to es"a$e from your heart. So it’s better to listen to what it hasto say. That way# you’ll neer hae to fear an unanti"i$ate! blow.,

The boy "ontinue! to listen to his heart as they "rosse! the !esert. %e "ame toun!erstan! its !o!ges an! tri"ks# an! to a""e$t it as it was. %e lost his fear# an! forgot

about his nee! to go ba"k to the oasis# be"ause# one afternoon# his heart tol! him that itwas ha$$y. +Een though ) "om$lain sometimes#, it sai!# +it’s be"ause )’m the heart of a

$erson# an! $eo$le’s hearts are that way. Peo$le are afrai! to $ursue their mostim$ortant !reams# be"ause they feel that they !on’t !esere them# or that they’ll beunable to a"hiee them. 2e# their hearts# be"ome fearful 'ust thinking of loe! ones whogo away foreer# or of moments that "oul! hae been goo! but weren’t# or of treasuresthat might hae been foun! but were foreer hi!!en in the san!s. e"ause# when thesethings ha$$en# we suffer terribly.,

+0y heart is afrai! that it will hae to suffer#, the boy tol! the al"hemist one night asthey looke! u$ at the moonless sky.

+Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. An! that no

heart has eer suffere! when it goes in sear"h of its !reams# be"ause eery se"on! ofthe sear"h is a se"on!’s en"ounter with 8o! an! with eternity.,

+Eery se"on! of the sear"h is an en"ounter with 8o!#, the boy tol! his heart. +2hen )hae been truly sear"hing for my treasure# eery !ay has been luminous# be"ause )’eknown that eery hour was a $art of the !ream that ) woul! fin! it. 2hen ) hae beentruly sear"hing for my treasure# )’e !is"oere! things along the way that ) neer woul!hae seen ha! ) not ha! the "ourage to try things that seeme! im$ossible for a she$her!

to a"hiee.,

So his heart was 1uiet for an entire afternoon. That night# the boy sle$t !ee$ly# an!#

when he awoke# his heart began to tell him things that "ame from the Soul of the 2orl!.

)t sai! that all $eo$le who are ha$$y hae 8o! within them. An! that ha$$iness "oul! befoun! in a grain of san! from the !esert# as the al"hemist ha! sai!. e"ause a grain ofsan! is a moment of "reation# an! the unierse has taken millions of years to "reate it.

+Eeryone on earth has a treasure that awaits him#, his heart sai!. +2e# $eo$le’s hearts#sel!om say mu"h about those treasures# be"ause $eo$le no longer want to go in sear"h

of them. 2e s$eak of them only to "hil!ren. 4ater# we sim$ly let life $ro"ee!# in its own!ire"tion# towar! its own fate. ut# unfortunately# ery few follow the $ath lai! out for

them7the $ath to their !estinies# an! to ha$$iness. 0ost $eo$le see the worl! as athreatening $la"e# an!# be"ause they !o# the worl! turns out# in!ee!# to be a threatening

$la"e.

+So# we# their hearts# s$eak more an! more softly. 2e neer sto$ s$eaking out# but

we begin to ho$e that our wor!s won’t be hear!( we !on’t want $eo$le to suffer be"ausethey !on’t follow their hearts.,

59



+2hy !on’t $eo$le’s hearts tell them to "ontinue to follow their !reams3, the boyaske! the al"hemist.

+e"ause that’s what makes a heart suffer most# an! hearts !on’t like to suffer.,

=rom then on# the boy un!erstoo! his heart. %e aske! it# $lease# neer to sto$s$eaking to him. %e aske! that# when he wan!ere! far from his !reams# his heart $ress

him an! soun! the alarm. The boy swore that# eery time he hear! the alarm# he woul!hee! its message.

That night# he tol! all of this to the al"hemist. An! the al"hemist un!erstoo! that theboy’s heart ha! returne! to the Soul of the 2orl!.

+So what shoul! ) !o now3, the boy aske!.

+Continue in the !ire"tion of the Pyrami!s#, sai! the al"hemist. +An! "ontinue to $ayhee! to the omens. 5our heart is still "a$able of showing you where the treasure is.,

+)s that the one thing ) still nee!e! to know3,

+No#, the al"hemist answere!. +2hat you still nee! to know is this( before a !ream isreali-e!# the Soul of the 2orl! tests eerything that was learne! along the way. )t !oesthis not be"ause it is eil# but so that we "an# in a!!ition to reali-ing our !reams# masterthe lessons we’e learne! as we’e moe! towar! that !ream. That’s the $oint at whi"hmost $eo$le gie u$. )t’s the $oint at whi"h# as we say in the language of the !esert# one

B!ies of thirst 'ust when the $alm trees hae a$$eare! on the hori-on.’

+Eery sear"h begins with beginner’s lu"k. An! eery sear"h en!s with the i"tor’s

being seerely teste!.,

The boy remembere! an ol! $roerb from his "ountry. )t sai! that the !arkest hour ofthe night "ame 'ust before the !awn.

/ / /

On the following !ay# the first "lear sign of !anger a$$eare!. Three arme! tribesmena$$roa"he!# an! aske! what the boy an! the al"hemist were !oing there.

+)’m hunting with my fal"on#, the al"hemist answere!.

+2e’re going to hae to sear"h you to see whether you’re arme!#, one of thetribesmen sai!.

The al"hemist !ismounte! slowly# an! the boy !i! the same.

+2hy are you "arrying money3, aske! the tribesman# when he ha! sear"he! the boy’sbag.

+) nee! it to get to the Pyrami!s#, he sai!.

60



The tribesman who was sear"hing the al"hemist’s belongings foun! a small "rystalflask fille! with a li1ui!# an! a yellow glass egg that was slightly larger than a "hi"ken’segg.

+2hat are these things3, he aske!.

+That’s the Philoso$her’s Stone an! the Eli&ir of 4ife. )t’s the 0aster 2ork of the

al"hemists. 2hoeer swallows that eli&ir will neer be si"k again# an! a fragment fromthat stone turns any metal into gol!.,

The Arabs laughe! at him# an! the al"hemist laughe! along. They thought his answerwas amusing# an! they allowe! the boy an! the al"hemist to $ro"ee! with all of theirbelongings.

+Are you "ra-y3, the boy aske! the al"hemist# when they ha! moe! on. +2hat !i!you !o that for3,

+To show you one of life’s sim$le lessons#, the al"hemist answere!. +2hen you$ossess great treasures within you# an! try to tell others of them# sel!om are you

beliee!.,

They "ontinue! a"ross the !esert. 2ith eery !ay that $asse!# the boy’s heart be"amemore an! more silent. )t no longer wante! to know about things of the $ast or future6 itwas "ontent sim$ly to "ontem$late the !esert# an! to !rink with the boy from the Soul ofthe 2orl!. The boy an! his heart ha! be"ome frien!s# an! neither was "a$able now ofbetraying the other.

2hen his heart s$oke to him# it was to $roi!e a stimulus to the boy# an! to gie himstrength# be"ause the !ays of silen"e there in the !esert were wearisome. %is heart tol!

the boy what his strongest 1ualities were( his "ourage in haing gien u$ his shee$ an!

in trying to lie out his !estiny# an! his enthusiasm !uring the time he ha! worke! at the"rystal sho$.

An! his heart tol! him something else that the boy ha! neer noti"e!( it tol! the boyof !angers that ha! threatene! him# but that he ha! neer $er"eie!. %is heart sai! thatone time it ha! hi!!en the rifle the boy ha! taken from his father# be"ause of the$ossibility that the boy might woun! himself. An! it remin!e! the boy of the !ay whenhe ha! been ill an! omiting out in the fiel!s# after whi"h he ha! fallen into a !ee$ slee$.

There ha! been two thiees farther ahea! who were $lanning to steal the boy’s shee$an! mur!er him. ut# sin"e the boy ha!n’t $asse! by# they ha! !e"i!e! to moe on#

thinking that he ha! "hange! his route.

+Does a man’s heart always hel$ him3, the boy aske! the al"hemist.

+0ostly 'ust the hearts of those who are trying to reali-e their !estinies. ut they !ohel$ "hil!ren# !runkar!s# an! the el!erly# too.,

+Does that mean that )’ll neer run into !anger3,

+)t means only that the heart !oes what it "an#, the al"hemist sai!.

One afternoon# they $asse! by the en"am$ment of one of the tribes. At ea"h "orner ofthe "am$ were Arabs garbe! in beautiful white robes# with arms at the rea!y. The menwere smoking their hookahs an! tra!ing stories from the battlefiel!. No one $ai! any

attention to the two traelers.

+There’s no !anger#, the boy sai!# when they ha! moe! on $ast the en"am$ment.

61



The al"hemist soun!e! angry( +Trust in your heart# but neer forget that you’re in the!esert. 2hen men are at war with one another# the Soul of the 2orl! "an hear thes"reams of battle. No one fails to suffer the "onse1uen"es of eerything un!er the sun.,

All things are one# the boy thought. An! then# as if the !esert wante! to !emonstratethat the al"hemist was right# two horsemen a$$eare! from behin! the traelers.

+5ou "an’t go any farther#, one of them sai!. +5ou’re in the area where the tribes areat war.,

+)’m not going ery far#, the al"hemist answere!# looking straight into the eyes of thehorsemen. They were silent for a moment# an! then agree! that the boy an! theal"hemist "oul! moe along.

The boy wat"he! the e&"hange with fas"ination. +5ou !ominate! those horsemen withthe way you looke! at them#, he sai!.

+5our eyes show the strength of your soul#, answere! the al"hemist.

That’s true# the boy thought. %e ha! noti"e! that# in the mi!st of the multitu!e of

arme! men ba"k at the en"am$ment# there ha! been one who stare! fi&e!ly at the two.%e ha! been so far away that his fa"e wasn’t een isible. ut the boy was "ertain thathe ha! been looking at them.

=inally# when they ha! "rosse! the mountain range that e&ten!e! along the entirehori-on# the al"hemist sai! that they were only two !ays from the Pyrami!s.

+)f we’re going to go our se$arate ways soon#, the boy sai!# +then tea"h me about

al"hemy.,

+5ou alrea!y know about al"hemy. )t is about $enetrating to the Soul of the 2orl!#an! !is"oering the treasure that has been resere! for you.,

+No# that’s not what ) mean. )’m talking about transforming lea! into gol!.,

The al"hemist fell as silent as the !esert# an! answere! the boy only after they ha!sto$$e! to eat.

+Eerything in the unierse eole!#, he sai!. +An!# for wise men# gol! is the metalthat eole! the furthest. Don’t ask me why6 ) !on’t know why. ) 'ust know that the

Tra!ition is always right.

+0en hae neer un!erstoo! the wor!s of the wise. So gol!# instea! of being seen asa symbol of eolution# be"ame the basis for "onfli"t.,

+There are many languages s$oken by things#, the boy sai!. +There was a time when#

for me# a "amel’s whinnying was nothing more than whinnying. Then it be"ame a signalof !anger. An!# finally# it be"ame 'ust a whinny again.,

ut then he sto$$e!. The al"hemist $robably alrea!y knew all that.

+) hae known true al"hemists#, the al"hemist "ontinue!. +They lo"ke! themseles intheir laboratories# an! trie! to eole# as gol! ha!. An! they foun! the Philoso$her’sStone# be"ause they un!erstoo! that when something eoles# eerything aroun! thatthing eoles as well.

62



+Others stumble! u$on the stone by a""i!ent. They alrea!y ha! the gift# an! theirsouls were rea!ier for su"h things than the souls of others. ut they !on’t "ount. They’re1uite rare.

+An! then there were the others# who were intereste! only in gol!. They neer foun!the se"ret. They forgot that lea!# "o$$er# an! iron hae their own !estinies to fulfill. An!anyone who interferes with the !estiny of another thing neer will !is"oer his own.,

The al"hemist’s wor!s e"hoe! out like a "urse. %e rea"he! oer an! $i"ke! u$ a shellfrom the groun!.

+This !esert was on"e a sea#, he sai!.

+) noti"e! that#, the boy answere!.

The al"hemist tol! the boy to $la"e the shell oer his ear. %e ha! !one that manytimes when he was a "hil!# an! ha! hear! the soun! of the sea.

+The sea has lie! on in this shell# be"ause that’s its !estiny. An! it will neer "ease!oing so until the !esert is on"e again "oere! by water.,

They mounte! their horses# an! ro!e out in the !ire"tion of the Pyrami!s of Egy$t.

/ / /

The sun was setting when the boy’s heart soun!e! a !anger signal. They weresurroun!e! by giganti" !unes# an! the boy looke! at the al"hemist to see whether heha! sense! anything. ut he a$$eare! to be unaware of any !anger. =ie minutes later#the boy saw two horsemen waiting ahea! of them. efore he "oul! say anything to theal"hemist# the two horsemen ha! be"ome ten# an! then a hun!re!. An! then they were

eerywhere in the !unes.

They were tribesmen !resse! in blue# with bla"k rings surroun!ing their turbans. Their

fa"es were hi!!en behin! blue eils# with only their eyes showing.

Een from a !istan"e# their eyes "oneye! the strength of their souls. An! their eyess$oke of !eath.

/ / /

The two were taken to a nearby military "am$. A sol!ier shoe! the boy an! the

al"hemist into a tent where the "hief was hol!ing a meeting with his staff.

+These are the s$ies#, sai! one of the men.

63



+2e’re 'ust traelers#, the al"hemist answere!.

+5ou were seen at the enemy "am$ three !ays ago. An! you were talking with one ofthe troo$s there.,

+)’m 'ust a man who wan!ers the !esert an! knows the stars#, sai! the al"hemist. +)hae no information about troo$s or about the moement of the tribes. ) was sim$ly

a"ting as a gui!e for my frien! here.,

+2ho is your frien!3, the "hief aske!.

+An al"hemist#, sai! the al"hemist. +%e un!erstan!s the for"es of nature. An! hewants to show you his e&traor!inary $owers.,

The boy listene! 1uietly. An! fearfully.

+2hat is a foreigner !oing here3, aske! another of the men.

+%e has brought money to gie to your tribe#, sai! the al"hemist# before the boy "oul!say a wor!. An! sei-ing the boy’s bag# the al"hemist gae the gol! "oins to the "hief.

The Arab a""e$te! them without a wor!. There was enough there to buy a lot ofwea$ons.

+2hat is an al"hemist3, he aske!# finally.

+)t’s a man who un!erstan!s nature an! the worl!. )f he wante! to# he "oul! !estroythis "am$ 'ust with the for"e of the win!.,

The men laughe!. They were use! to the raages of war# an! knew that the win!

"oul! not !elier them a fatal blow. 5et ea"h felt his heart beat a bit faster. They weremen of the !esert# an! they were fearful of sor"erers.

+) want to see him !o it#, sai! the "hief.

+%e nee!s three !ays#, answere! the al"hemist. +%e is going to transform himself intothe win!# 'ust to !emonstrate his $owers. )f he "an’t !o so# we humbly offer you our

lies# for the honor of your tribe.,

+5ou "an’t offer me something that is alrea!y mine#, the "hief sai!# arrogantly. ut hegrante! the traelers three !ays.

The boy was shaking with fear# but the al"hemist hel$e! him out of the tent.

+Don’t let them see that you’re afrai!#, the al"hemist sai!. +They are brae men# an!they !es$ise "owar!s.,

ut the boy "oul!n’t een s$eak. %e was able to !o so only after they ha! walke!through the "enter of the "am$. There was no nee! to im$rison them( the Arabs sim$ly

"onfis"ate! their horses. So# on"e again# the worl! ha! !emonstrate! its manylanguages( the !esert only moments ago ha! been en!less an! free# an! now it was anim$enetrable wall.

+5ou gae them eerything ) ha!9, the boy sai!. +Eerything )’e sae! in my entirelife9,

64



+2ell# what goo! woul! it be to you if you ha! tF !ie3, the al"hemist answere!. +5ourmoney sae! us for three !ays. )t’s not often that money saes a $erson’s life.,

ut the boy was too frightene! to listen to wor!s of wis!om. %e ha! no i!ea how hewas going to transform himself into the win!. %e wasn’t an al"hemist9

The al"hemist aske! one of the sol!iers for some tea# an! $oure! some on the boy’s

wrists. A wae of relief washe! oer him# an! the al"hemist muttere! some wor!s thatthe boy !i!n’t un!erstan!.

+Don’t gie in to your fears#, sai! the al"hemist# in a strangely gentle oi"e. +)f you!o# you won’t be able to talk to your heart.,

+ut ) hae no i!ea how to turn myself into the win!.,

+)f a $erson is liing out his !estiny# he knows eerything he nee!s to know. There isonly one thing that makes a !ream im$ossible to a"hiee( the fear of failure.,

+)’m not afrai! of failing. )t’s 'ust that ) !on’t know how to turn myself into the win!.,

+2ell# you’ll hae to learn6 your life !e$en!s on it.,

+ut what if ) "an’t3,

+Then you’ll !ie in the mi!st of trying to reali-e your !estiny. That’s a lot better than!ying like millions of other $eo$le# who neer een knew what their !estinies were.

+ut !on’t worry#, the al"hemist "ontinue!. +sually the threat of !eath makes $eo$le a

lot more aware of their lies.,

/ / /

The first !ay $asse!. There was a ma'or battle nearby# an! a number of woun!e!

were brought ba"k to the "am$. The !ea! sol!iers were re$la"e! by others# an! life wenton. Death !oesn’t "hange anything# the boy thought.

+5ou "oul! hae !ie! later on#, a sol!ier sai! to the bo!y of one of his "om$anions. +5ou "oul! hae !ie! after $ea"e ha! been !e"lare!. ut# in any "ase# you were going to!ie.,

At the en! of the !ay# the boy went looking for the al"hemist# who ha! taken his

fal"on out into the !esert.

+) still hae no i!ea how to turn myself into the win!#, the boy re$eate!.

+Remember what ) tol! you( the worl! is only the isible as$e"t of 8o!. An! that whatal"hemy !oes is to bring s$iritual $erfe"tion into "onta"t with the material $lane.,

+2hat are you !oing3,

65



+=ee!ing my fal"on.,

+)f )’m not able to turn myself into the win!# we’re going to !ie#, the boy sai!. +2hyfee! your fal"on3,

+5ou’re the one who may !ie#, the al"hemist sai!. +) alrea!y know how to turn myselfinto the win!.,

/ / /

On the se"on! !ay# the boy "limbe! to the to$ of a "liff near the "am$. The sentinels

allowe! him to go6 they ha! alrea!y hear! about the sor"erer who "oul! turn himself into

the win!# an! they !i!n’t want to go near him. )n any "ase# the !esert was im$assable.

%e s$ent the entire afternoon of the se"on! !ay looking out oer the !esert# an!listening to his heart. The boy knew the !esert sense! his fear. They both s$oke thesame language.

/ / /

On the thir! !ay# the "hief met with his offi"ers. %e "alle! the al"hemist to themeeting an! sai!# +4et’s go see the boy who turns himself into the win!.,

+4et’s#, the al"hemist answere!.

The boy took them to the "liff where he ha! been on the $reious !ay. %e tol! themall to be seate!.

+)t’s going to take a while#, the boy sai!.

+2e’re in no hurry#, the "hief answere!. +2e are men of the !esert.,

The boy looke! out at the hori-on. There were mountains in the !istan"e. An! therewere !unes# ro"ks# an! $lants that insiste! on liing where surial seeme! im$ossible.

There was the !esert that he ha! wan!ere! for so many months6 !es$ite all that time#he knew only a small $art of it. 2ithin that small $art# he ha! foun! an Englishman#

"araans# tribal wars# an! an oasis with fifty thousan! $alm trees an! three hun!re!wells.

+2hat !o you want here to!ay3, the !esert aske! him. +Di!n’t you s$en! enough timelooking at me yester!ay3,

66



+Somewhere you are hol!ing the $erson ) loe#, the boy sai!. +So# when ) look outoer your san!s# ) am also looking at her. ) want to return to her# an! ) nee! your hel$so that ) "an turn myself into the win!.,

+2hat is loe3, the !esert aske!.

+4oe is the fal"on’s flight oer your san!s. e"ause for him# you are a green fiel!#

from whi"h he always returns with game. %e knows your ro"ks# your !unes# an! yourmountains# an! you are generous to him.,

+The fal"on’s beak "arries bits of me# myself#, the !esert sai!. +=or years# ) "are forhis game# fee!ing it with the little water that ) hae# an! then ) show him where thegame is. An!# one !ay# as ) en'oy the fa"t that his game thries on my surfa"e# thefal"on !ies out of the sky# an! takes away what )’e "reate!.,

+ut that’s why you "reate! the game in the first $la"e#, the boy answere!. +Tonourish the fal"on. An! the fal"on then nourishes man. An!# eentually# man will nourishyour san!s# where the game will on"e again flourish. That’s how the worl! goes.,

+So is that what loe is3,

+5es# that’s what loe is. )t’s what makes the game be"ome the fal"on# the fal"onbe"ome man# an! man# in his turn# the !esert. )t’s what turns lea! into gol!# an! makesthe gol! return to the earth.,

+) !on’t un!erstan! what you’re talking about#, the !esert sai!.

+ut you "an at least un!erstan! that somewhere in your san!s there is a woman

waiting for me. An! that’s why ) hae to turn myself into the win!.,

The !esert !i!n’t answer him for a few moments.

Then it tol! him# +)’ll gie you my san!s to hel$ the win! to blow# but# alone# ) "an’t!o anything. 5ou hae to ask for hel$ from the win!.,

A bree-e began to blow. The tribesmen wat"he! the boy from a !istan"e# talkingamong themseles in a language that the boy "oul!n’t un!erstan!.

The al"hemist smile!.

The win! a$$roa"he! the boy an! tou"he! his fa"e. )t knew of the boy’s talk with the!esert# be"ause the win!s know eerything. They blow a"ross the worl! without a

birth$la"e# an! with no $la"e to !ie.

+%el$ me#, the boy sai!. +One !ay you "arrie! the oi"e of my loe! one to me.,

+2ho taught you to s$eak the language of the !esert an! the win!3,

+0y heart#, the boy answere!.

The win! has many names. )n that $art of the worl!# it was "alle! the siro""o# be"auseit brought moisture from the o"eans to the east. )n the !istant lan! the boy "ame from#they "alle! it the leanter# be"ause they beliee! that it brought with it the san!s of the

!esert# an! the s"reams of the 0oorish wars. Perha$s# in the $la"es beyon! the $astureswhere his shee$ lie!# men thought that the win! "ame from An!alusia. ut# a"tually#the win! "ame from no $la"e at all# nor !i! it go to any $la"e6 that’s why it was stronger

67



than the !esert. Someone might one !ay $lant trees in the !esert# an! een raise shee$there# but neer woul! they harness the win!.

+5ou "an’t be the win!#, the win! sai!. +2e’re two ery !ifferent things.,

+That’s not true#, the boy sai!. +) learne! the al"hemist’s se"rets in my traels. ) haeinsi!e me the win!s# the !eserts# the o"eans# the stars# an! eerything "reate! in the

unierse. 2e were all ma!e by the same han!# an! we hae the same soul. ) want to belike you# able to rea"h eery "orner of the worl!# "ross the seas# blow away the san!sthat "oer my treasure# an! "arry the oi"e of the woman ) loe.,

+) hear! what you were talking about the other !ay with the al"hemist#, the win! sai!. +%e sai! that eerything has its own !estiny. ut $eo$le "an’t turn themseles into thewin!.,

+<ust tea"h me to be the win! for a few moments#, the boy sai!. +So you an! ) "antalk about the limitless $ossibilities of $eo$le an! the win!s.,

The win!’s "uriosity was arouse!# something that ha! neer ha$$ene! before. )t

wante! to talk about those things# but it !i!n’t know how to turn a man into the win!.An! look how many things the win! alrea!y knew how to !o9 )t "reate! !eserts# sankshi$s# felle! entire forests# an! blew through "ities fille! with musi" an! strange noises.)t felt that it ha! no limits# yet here was a boy saying that there were other things thewin! shoul! be able to !o.

+This is what we "all loe#, the boy sai!# seeing that the win! was "lose to grantingwhat he re1ueste!. +2hen you are loe!# you "an !o anything in "reation. 2hen you areloe!# there’s no nee! at all to un!erstan! what’s ha$$ening# be"ause eerything

ha$$ens within you# an! een men "an turn themseles into the win!. As long as thewin! hel$s# of "ourse.,

The win! was a $rou! being# an! it was be"oming irritate! with what the boy wassaying. )t "ommen"e! to blow har!er# raising the !esert san!s. ut finally it ha! tore"ogni-e that# een making its way aroun! the worl!# it !i!n’t know how to turn a maninto the win!. An! it knew nothing about loe.

+)n my traels aroun! the worl!# )’e often seen $eo$le s$eaking of loe an! lookingtowar! the heaens#, the win! sai!# furious at haing to a"knowle!ge its own limitations.

+0aybe it’s better to ask heaen.,

+2ell then# hel$ me !o that#, the boy sai!. +=ill this $la"e with a san!storm so strong

that it blots out the sun. Then ) "an look to heaen without blin!ing myself.,

So the win! blew with all its strength# an! the sky was fille! with san!. The sun wasturne! into a gol!en !isk.

At the "am$# it was !iffi"ult to see anything. The men of the !esert were alrea!y

familiar with that win!. They "alle! it the simum# an! it was worse than a storm at sea.Their horses "rie! out# an! all their wea$ons were fille! with san!.

On the heights# one of the "omman!ers turne! to the "hief an! sai!# +0aybe we ha!better en! this9,

They "oul! barely see the boy. Their fa"es were "oere! with the blue "loths# an! their

eyes showe! fear.

+4et’s sto$ this#, another "omman!er sai!.

68



+) want to see the greatness of Allah#, the "hief sai!# with res$e"t. +) want to see howa man turns himself into the win!.,

ut he ma!e a mental note of the names of the two men who ha! e&$resse! theirfear. As soon as the win! sto$$e!# he was going to remoe them from their "omman!s#be"ause true men of the !esert are not afrai!.

+The win! tol! me that you know about loe + the boy sai! to the sun. +)f you knowabout loe# you must also know about the Soul of the 2orl!# be"ause it’s ma!e of loe.,

+=rom where ) am#, the sun sai!# +) "an see the Soul of the 2orl!. )t "ommuni"ateswith my soul# an! together we "ause the $lants to grow an! the shee$ to seek out sha!e.=rom where ) am7an! )’m a long way from the earth7) learne! how to loe. ) know thatif ) "ame een a little bit "loser to the earth# eerything there woul! !ie# an! the Soul ofthe 2orl! woul! no longer e&ist. So we "ontem$late ea"h other# an! we want ea"h other#an! ) gie it life an! warmth# an! it gies me my reason for liing.,

+So you know about loe#, the boy sai!.

+An! ) know the Soul of the 2orl!# be"ause we hae talke! at great length to ea"hother !uring this en!less tri$ through the unierse. )t tells me that its greatest $roblemis that# u$ until now# only the minerals an! egetables un!erstan! that all things areone. That there’s no nee! for iron to be the same as "o$$er# or "o$$er the same as gol!.Ea"h $erforms its own e&a"t fun"tion as a uni1ue being# an! eerything woul! be asym$hony of $ea"e if the han! that wrote all this ha! sto$$e! on the fifth !ay of"reation.

+ut there was a si&th !ay#, the sun went on.

+5ou are wise# be"ause you obsere eerything from a !istan"e#, the boy sai!. +ut

you !on’t know about loe. )f there ha!n’t been a si&th !ay# man woul! not e&ist6 "o$$erwoul! always be 'ust "o$$er# an! lea! 'ust lea!. )t’s true that eerything has its !estiny#but one !ay that !estiny will be reali-e!. So ea"h thing has to transform itself intosomething better# an! to a"1uire a new !estiny# until# some!ay# the Soul of the 2orl!be"omes one thing only.,

The sun thought about that# an! !e"i!e! to shine more brightly. The win!# whi"h wasen'oying the "onersation# starte! to blow with greater for"e# so that the sun woul! not

blin! the boy.

+This is why al"hemy e&ists#, the boy sai!. +So that eeryone will sear"h for his

treasure# fin! it# an! then want to be better than he was in his former life. 4ea! will $lay

its role until the worl! has no further nee! for lea!6 an! then lea! will hae to turn itselfinto gol!.

+That’s what al"hemists !o. They show that# when we strie to be"ome better than weare# eerything aroun! us be"omes better# too.,

+2ell# why !i! you say that ) !on’t know about loe3, the sun aske! the boy.

+e"ause it’s not loe to be stati" like the !esert# nor is it loe to roam the worl! likethe win!. An! it’s not loe to see eerything from a !istan"e# like you !o. 4oe is thefor"e that transforms an! im$roes the Soul of the 2orl!. 2hen ) first rea"he! throughto it# ) thought the Soul of the 2orl! was $erfe"t. ut later# ) "oul! see that it was like

other as$e"ts of "reation# an! ha! its own $assions an! wars. )t is we who nourish theSoul of the 2orl!# an! the worl! we lie in will be either better or worse# !e$en!ing onwhether we be"ome better or worse. An! that’s where the $ower of loe "omes in.e"ause when we loe# we always strie to be"ome better than we are.,

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+So what !o you want of me3, the sun aske!.

+) want you to hel$ me turn myself into the win!#, the boy answere!.

+Nature knows me as the wisest being in "reation#, the sun sai!. +ut ) !on’t knowhow to turn you into the win!.,

+Then# whom shoul! ) ask3,

The sun thought for a minute. The win! was listening "losely# an! wante! to tell eery

"orner of the worl! that the sun’s wis!om ha! its limitations. That it was unable to !ealwith this boy who s$oke the 4anguage of the 2orl!.

+S$eak to the han! that wrote all#, sai! the sun.

The win! s"reame! with !elight# an! blew har!er than eer. The tents were being

blown from their ties to the earth# an! the animals were being free! from their tethers.On the "liff# the men "lut"he! at ea"h other as they sought to kee$ from being blown

away.

The boy turne! to the han! that wrote all. As he !i! so# he sense! that the unierseha! fallen silent# an! he !e"i!e! not to s$eak.

A "urrent of loe rushe! from his heart# an! the boy began to $ray. )t was a $rayerthat he ha! neer sai! before# be"ause it was a $rayer without wor!s or $leas. %is $rayer!i!n’t gie thanks for his shee$ haing foun! new $astures6 it !i!n’t ask that the boy be

able to sell more "rystal6 an! it !i!n’t besee"h that the woman he ha! met "ontinue toawait his return. )n the silen"e# the boy un!erstoo! that the !esert# the win!# an! the

sun were also trying to un!erstan! the signs written by the han!# an! were seeking tofollow their $aths# an! to un!erstan! what ha! been written on a single emeral!. %e saw

that omens were s"attere! throughout the earth an! in s$a"e# an! that there was noreason or signifi"an"e atta"he! to their a$$earan"e6 he "oul! see that not the !eserts#nor the win!s# nor the sun# nor $eo$le knew why they ha! been "reate!. ut that thehan! ha! a reason for all of this# an! that only the han! "oul! $erform mira"les# ortransform the sea into a !esert@ or a man into the win!. e"ause only the han!un!erstoo! that it was a larger !esign that ha! moe! the unierse to the $oint at whi"hsi& !ays of "reation ha! eole! into a 0aster 2ork.

The boy rea"he! through to the Soul of the 2orl!# an! saw that it was a $art of the Soul

of 8o!. An! he saw that the Soul of 8o! was his own soul. An! that he# a boy# "oul!$erform mira"les.

/ / /

The simum blew that !ay as it ha! neer blown before. =or generations thereafter# theArabs re"ounte! the legen! of a boy who ha! turne! himself into the win!# almost!estroying a military "am$# in !efian"e of the most $owerful "hief in the !esert.

2hen the simum "ease! to blow# eeryone looke! to the $la"e where the boy ha!been. ut he was no longer there6 he was stan!ing ne&t to a san!*"oere! sentinel# onthe far si!e of the "am$.

70



The men were terrifie! at his sor"ery. ut there were two $eo$le who were smiling(the al"hemist# be"ause he ha! foun! his $erfe"t !is"i$le# an! the "hief# be"ause that!is"i$le ha! un!erstoo! the glory of 8o!.

The following !ay# the general ba!e the boy an! the al"hemist farewell# an! $roi!e!them with an es"ort $arty to a""om$any them as far as they "hose.

/ / /

They ro!e for the entire !ay. Towar! the en! of the afternoon# they "ame u$on a

Co$ti" monastery. The al"hemist !ismounte!# an! tol! the es"orts they "oul! return tothe "am$.

+=rom here on# you will be alone#, the al"hemist sai!. +5ou are only three hours fromthe Pyrami!s.,

+Thank you#, sai! the boy. +5ou taught me the 4anguage of the 2orl!.,

+) only inoke! what you alrea!y knew.,

The al"hemist kno"ke! on the gate of the monastery. A monk !resse! in bla"k "ameto the gates. They s$oke for a few minutes in the Co$ti" tongue# an! the al"hemist ba!e

the boy enter.

+) aske! him to let me use the kit"hen for a while#, the al"hemist smile!.

They went to the kit"hen at the ba"k of the monastery. The al"hemist lighte! the fire#an! the monk brought him some lea!# whi"h the al"hemist $la"e! in an iron $an. 2henthe lea! ha! be"ome li1ui!# the al"hemist took from his $ou"h the strange yellow egg.%e s"ra$e! from it a slier as thin as a hair# wra$$e! it in wa&# an! a!!e! it to the $an in

whi"h the lea! ha! melte!.

The mi&ture took on a re!!ish "olor# almost the "olor of bloo!. The al"hemist remoe!

the $an from the fire# an! set it asi!e to "ool. As he !i! so# he talke! with the monkabout the tribal wars.

+) think they’re going to last for a long time#, he sai! to the monk.

The monk was irritate!. The "araans ha! been sto$$e! at 8i-a for some time#waiting for the wars to en!. +ut 8o!’s will be !one#, the monk sai!.

+E&a"tly#, answere! the al"hemist.

2hen the $an ha! "oole!# the monk an! the boy looke! at it# !a--le!. The lea! ha!!rie! into the sha$e of the $an# but it was no longer lea!. )t was gol!.

+2ill ) learn to !o that some!ay3, the boy aske!.

+This was my !estiny# not yours#, the al"hemist answere!. +ut ) wante! to show you

that it was $ossible.,

71



They returne! to the gates of the monastery. There# the al"hemist se$arate! the !iskinto four $arts.

+This is for you#, he sai!# hol!ing one of the $arts out to the monk. +)t’s for yourgenerosity to the $ilgrims.,

+ut this $ayment goes well beyon! my generosity#, the monk res$on!e!.

+Don’t say that again. 4ife might be listening# an! gie you less the ne&t time.,

The al"hemist turne! to the boy. +This is for you. To make u$ for what you gae to thegeneral.,

The boy was about to say that it was mu"h more than he ha! gien the general. uthe ke$t 1uiet# be"ause he ha! hear! what the al"hemist sai! to the monk.

+An! this is for me#, sai! the al"hemist# kee$ing one of the $arts. +e"ause ) hae toreturn to the !esert# where there are tribal wars.,

%e took the fourth $art an! han!e! it to the monk.

+This is for the boy. )f he eer nee!s it.,

+ut )’m going in sear"h of my treasure#, the boy sai!. +)’m ery "lose to it now.,

+An! )’m "ertain you’ll fin! it#, the al"hemist sai!.

+Then why this3,

+e"ause you hae alrea!y lost your saings twi"e. On"e to the thief# an! on"e to thegeneral. )’m an ol!# su$erstitious Arab# an! ) beliee in our $roerbs. There’s one thatsays# BEerything that ha$$ens on"e "an neer ha$$en again. ut eerything thatha$$ens twi"e will surely ha$$en a thir! time.’ + They mounte! their horses.

/ / /

+) want to tell you a story about !reams#, sai! the al"hemist.

The boy brought his horse "loser.

+)n an"ient Rome# at the time of Em$eror Tiberius# there lie! a goo! man who ha!

two sons. One was in the military# an! ha! been sent to the most !istant regions of theem$ire. The other son was a $oet# an! !elighte! all of Rome with his beautiful erses.

+One night# the father ha! a !ream. An angel a$$eare! to him# an! tol! him that thewor!s of one of his sons woul! be learne! an! re$eate! throughout the worl! for allgenerations to "ome. The father woke from his !ream grateful an! "rying# be"ause life

was generous# an! ha! reeale! to him something any father woul! be $rou! to know.

72



+Shortly thereafter# the father !ie! as he trie! to sae a "hil! who was about to be"rushe! by the wheels of a "hariot. Sin"e he ha! lie! his entire life in a manner that was"orre"t an! fair# he went !ire"tly to heaen# where he met the angel that ha! a$$eare!in his !ream.

+B5ou were always a goo! man#’ the angel sai! to him. B5ou lie! your life in a loingway# an! !ie! with !ignity. ) "an now grant you any wish you !esire.’

+B4ife was goo! to me#’ the man sai!. B2hen you a$$eare! in my !ream# ) felt that allmy efforts ha! been rewar!e!# be"ause my son’s $oems will be rea! by men for

generations to "ome. ) !on’t want anything for myself. ut any father woul! be $rou! ofthe fame a"hiee! by one whom he ha! "are! for as a "hil!# an! e!u"ate! as he grewu$. Sometime in the !istant future# ) woul! like to see my son’s wor!s.’

+The angel tou"he! the man’s shoul!er# an! they were both $ro'e"te! far into thefuture. They were in an immense setting# surroun!e! by thousan!s of $eo$le s$eaking astrange language.

+The man we$t with ha$$iness.

+B) knew that my son’s $oems were immortal#’ he sai! to the angel through his tears. BCan you $lease tell me whi"h of my son’s $oems these $eo$le are re$eating3’

+The angel "ame "loser to the man# an!# with ten!erness# le! him to a ben"h nearby#where they sat !own.

+The erses of your son who was the $oet were ery $o$ular in Rome#’ the angel sai!.

BEeryone loe! them an! en'oye! them. ut when the reign of Tiberius en!e!# his$oems were forgotten. The wor!s you’re hearing now are those of your son in the

military.’

+The man looke! at the angel in sur$rise.

+B5our son went to sere at a !istant $la"e# an! be"ame a "enturion. %e was 'ust an!goo!. One afternoon# one of his serants fell ill# an! it a$$eare! that he woul! !ie. 5ourson ha! hear! of a rabbi who was able to "ure illnesses# an! he ro!e out for !ays an!!ays in sear"h of this man. Along the way# he learne! that the man he was seeking was

the Son of 8o!. %e met others who ha! been "ure! by him# an! they instru"te! your sonin the man’s tea"hings. An! so# !es$ite the fa"t that he was a Roman "enturion# he

"onerte! to their faith. Shortly thereafter# he rea"he! the $la"e where the man he waslooking for was isiting.’

+B%e tol! the man that one of his serants was graely ill# an! the rabbi ma!e rea!y togo to his house with him. ut the "enturion was a man of faith# an!# looking into theeyes of the rabbi# he knew that he was surely in the $resen"e of the Son of 8o!.’

+BAn! this is what your son sai!#’ the angel tol! the man. BThese are the wor!s he sai!

to the rabbi at that $oint# an! they hae neer been forgotten( +0y 4or!# ) am notworthy that you shoul! "ome un!er my roof. ut only s$eak a wor! an! my serant will

be heale!., +’

The al"hemist sai!# +No matter what he !oes# eery $erson on earth $lays a "entralrole in the history of the worl!. An! normally he !oesn’t know it.,

The boy smile!. %e ha! neer imagine! that 1uestions about life woul! be of su"him$ortan"e to a she$her!.

73



+8oo!*bye#, the al"hemist sai!.

+8oo!*bye#, sai! the boy.

/ / /

The boy ro!e along through the !esert for seeral hours# listening ai!ly to what hisheart ha! to say. )t was his heart that woul! tell him where his treasure was hi!!en.

+2here your treasure is# there also will be your heart#, the al"hemist ha! tol! him.

ut his heart was s$eaking of other things. 2ith $ri!e# it tol! the story of a she$her!

who ha! left his flo"k to follow a !ream he ha! on two !ifferent o""asions. )t tol! of!estiny# an! of the many men who ha! wan!ere! in sear"h of !istant lan!s or beautiful

women# "onfronting the $eo$le of their times with their $re"on"eie! notions. )t s$oke of 'ourneys# !is"oeries# books# an! "hange.

As he was about to "limb yet another !une# his heart whis$ere!# +e aware of the$la"e where you are brought to tears. That’s where ) am# an! that’s where your treasureis.,

The boy "limbe! the !une slowly. A full moon rose again in the starry sky( it ha! been

a month sin"e he ha! set forth from the oasis. The moonlight "ast sha!ows through the!unes# "reating the a$$earan"e of a rolling sea6 it remin!e! the boy of the !ay when that

horse ha! reare! in the !esert# an! he ha! "ome to know the al"hemist. An! the moonfell on the !esert’s silen"e# an! on a man’s 'ourney in sear"h of treasure.

2hen he rea"he! the to$ of the !une# his heart lea$t. There# illuminate! by the lightof the moon an! the brightness of the !esert# stoo! the solemn an! ma'esti" Pyrami!s ofEgy$t.

The boy fell to his knees an! we$t. %e thanke! 8o! for making him beliee in his

!estiny# an! for lea!ing him to meet a king# a mer"hant# an Englishman# an! anal"hemist. An! aboe all for his haing met a woman of the !esert who ha! tol! him that

loe woul! neer kee$ a man from his !estiny.

)f he wante! to# he "oul! now return to the oasis# go ba"k to =atima# an! lie his lifeas a sim$le she$her!. After all# the al"hemist "ontinue! to lie in the !esert# een thoughhe un!erstoo! the 4anguage of the 2orl!# an! knew how to transform lea! into gol!. %e!i!n’t nee! to !emonstrate his s"ien"e an! art to anyone. The boy tol! himself that# onthe way towar! reali-ing his own !estiny# he ha! learne! all he nee!e! to know# an! ha!

e&$erien"e! eerything he might hae !reame! of.

ut here he was# at the $oint of fin!ing his treasure# an! he remin!e! himself that no

$ro'e"t is "om$lete! until its ob'e"tie has been a"hiee!. The boy looke! at the san!saroun! him# an! saw that# where his tears ha! fallen# a s"arab beetle was s"uttlingthrough the san!. During his time in the !esert# he ha! learne! that# in Egy$t# the s"arabbeetles are a symbol of 8o!.

Another omen9 The boy began to !ig into the !une. As he !i! so# he thought of whatthe "rystal mer"hant ha! on"e sai!( that anyone "oul! buil! a $yrami! in his ba"kyar!.

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The boy "oul! see now that he "oul!n’t !o so if he $la"e! stone u$on stone for the rest ofhis life.

Throughout the night# the boy !ug at the $la"e he ha! "hosen# but foun! nothing. %efelt weighte! !own by the "enturies of time sin"e the Pyrami!s ha! been built. ut he!i!n’t sto$. %e struggle! to "ontinue !igging as he fought the win!# whi"h often blew thesan! ba"k into the e&"aation. %is han!s were abra!e! an! e&hauste!# but he listene! to

his heart. )t ha! tol! him to !ig where his tears fell.

As he was attem$ting to $ull out the ro"ks he en"ountere!# he hear! footste$s.

Seeral figures a$$roa"he! him. Their ba"ks were to the moonlight# an! the boy "oul!see neither their eyes nor their fa"es.

+2hat are you !oing here3, one of the figures !eman!e!.

e"ause he was terrifie!# the boy !i!n’t answer. %e ha! foun! where his treasure was#an! was frightene! at what might ha$$en.

+2e’re refugees from the tribal wars# an! we nee! money#, the other figure sai!.

+2hat are you hi!ing there3,

+)’m not hi!ing anything#, the boy answere!.

ut one of them sei-e! the boy an! yanke! him ba"k out of the hole. Another# whowas sear"hing the boy’s bags# foun! the $ie"e of gol!.

+There’s gol! here#, he sai!.

The moon shone on the fa"e of the Arab who ha! sei-e! him# an! in the man’s eyes

the boy saw !eath.

+%e’s $robably got more gol! hi!!en in the groun!.,

They ma!e the boy "ontinue !igging# but he foun! nothing. As the sun rose# the menbegan to beat the boy. %e was bruise! an! blee!ing# his "lothing was torn to shre!s# an!he felt that !eath was near.

+2hat goo! is money to you if you’re going to !ie3 )t’s not often that money "an sae

someone’s life#, the al"hemist ha! sai!. =inally# the boy s"reame! at the men# +)’m!igging for treasure9, An!# although his mouth was blee!ing an! swollen# he tol! his

atta"kers that he ha! twi"e !reame! of a treasure hi!!en near the Pyrami!s of Egy$t.

The man who a$$eare! to be the lea!er of the grou$ s$oke to one of the others( +4eae him. %e !oesn’t hae anything else. %e must hae stolen this gol!.,

The boy fell to the san!# nearly un"ons"ious. The lea!er shook him an! sai!# +2e’re

leaing.,

ut before they left# he "ame ba"k to the boy an! sai!# +5ou’re not going to !ie. 5ou’ll

lie# an! you’ll learn that a man shoul!n’t be so stu$i!. Two years ago# right here on thiss$ot# ) ha! a re"urrent !ream# too. ) !reame! that ) shoul! trael to the fiel!s of S$ainan! look for a ruine! "hur"h where she$her!s an! their shee$ sle$t. )n my !ream# therewas a sy"amore growing out of the ruins of the sa"risty# an! ) was tol! that# if ) !ug atthe roots of the sy"amore# ) woul! fin! a hi!!en treasure. ut )’m not so stu$i! as to"ross an entire !esert 'ust be"ause of a re"urrent !ream.,

An! they !isa$$eare!.

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The boy stoo! u$ shakily# an! looke! on"e more at the Pyrami!s. They seeme! tolaugh at him# an! he laughe! ba"k# his heart bursting with 'oy.

e"ause now he knew where his treasure was.

EP)4O8E

The boy rea"he! the small# aban!one! "hur"h 'ust as night was falling. The sy"amorewas still there in the sa"risty# an! the stars "oul! still be seen through the half*!estroye!roof. %e remembere! the time he ha! been there with his shee$6 it ha! been a $ea"eful

night@ e&"e$t for the !ream.

Now he was here not with his flo"k# but with a shoel.

%e sat looking at the sky for a long time. Then he took from his kna$sa"k a bottle ofwine# an! !rank some. %e remembere! the night in the !esert when he ha! sat with theal"hemist# as they looke! at the stars an! !rank wine together. %e thought of the manyroa!s he ha! traele!# an! of the strange way 8o! ha! "hosen to show him his treasure.)f he ha!n’t beliee! in the signifi"an"e of re"urrent !reams# he woul! not hae met the8y$sy woman# the king# the thief# or@ +2ell# it’s a long list. ut the $ath was written in

the omens# an! there was no way ) "oul! go wrong#, he sai! to himself.

%e fell aslee$# an! when he awoke the sun was alrea!y high. %e began to !ig at the

base of the sy"amore.

+5ou ol! sor"erer#, the boy shoute! u$ to the sky. +5ou knew the whole story. 5oueen left a bit of gol! at the monastery so ) "oul! get ba"k to this "hur"h. The monklaughe! when he saw me "ome ba"k in tatters. Coul!n’t you hae sae! me from that3,

+No#, he hear! a oi"e on the win! say. +)f ) ha! tol! you# you woul!n’t hae seen thePyrami!s. They’re beautiful# aren’t they3,

The boy smile!# an! "ontinue! !igging. %alf an hour later# his shoel hit somethingsoli!. An hour later# he ha! before him a "hest of S$anish gol! "oins. There were also

$re"ious stones# gol! masks a!orne! with re! an! white feathers# an! stone statuesembe!!e! with 'ewels. The s$oils of a "on1uest that the "ountry ha! long ago forgotten#

an! that some "on1uista!or ha! faile! to tell his "hil!ren about.

The boy took out rim an! Thummim from his bag. %e ha! use! the two stones onlyon"e# one morning when he was at a market$la"e. %is life an! his $ath ha! always$roi!e! him with enough omens.

%e $la"e! rim an! Thummim in the "hest. They were also a $art of his new treasure#be"ause they were a remin!er of the ol! king# whom he woul! neer see again.

)t’s true6 life really is generous to those who $ursue their !estiny# the boy thought.Then he remembere! that he ha! to get to Tarifa so he "oul! gie one*tenth of histreasure to the 8y$sy woman# as he ha! $romise!. Those 8y$sies are really smart# hethought. 0aybe it was be"ause they moe! aroun! so mu"h.

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The win! began to blow again. )t was the leanter# the win! that "ame from Afri"a. )t!i!n’t bring with it the smell of the !esert# nor the threat of 0oorish inasion. )nstea!# itbrought the s"ent of a $erfume he knew well# an! the tou"h of a kiss7a kiss that "amefrom far away# slowly# slowly# until it reste! on his li$s.

The boy smile!. )t was the first time she ha! !one that.

+)’m "oming# =atima#, he sai!.

Paulo Coelho - The Alchemist.doc

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