Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist. A summary. Read by Mykhailo Pinchak. Prologue. The Alchemist picked up a book by Oscar Wilde, left behind by someone in the caravan. The book contained a story about Narcissus. Beyond the well-known legend of Narcissus, Wilde told of how the fresh-water lake became a lake of salty tears. This happened because it wept, not for Narcissus, but for its own beautiful reflection in the youth’s eyes. "What a lovely parable, " the alchemist thought. Chapter One. The story begins in Spain. The youth, Santiago, had been herding sheep for two years and knew every one by name. Sometimes he would read the most interesting parts of books to his sheep or simply talk to them. One day, he reached an old, abandoned church with his flock and stayed the night. A sycamore tree was growing in the sacristy of the church. The youth had the same dream as the week before. Santiago was thinking about a girl, the merchant’s daughter. A year ago, he was in a village shearing four sheep for the girl’s father, who owned a textile shop. Santiago had talked to the girl for over two hours and already wanted to stay in that village forever. But the merchant had told the youth to return in a year. And now, in four days, Santiago would be back there. The youth’s life goal was to travel. And after two years of wandering through Andalusia, he already knew all its towns. This time, he wanted to tell the girl that he had attended a seminary until he was 16. But one day, he confessed to his father that he didn't want to be a priest, but wanted to travel. That is how Santiago became a shepherd. His father blessed him and gave him three gold coins he had once found in a field. Right now, Santiago was fulfilling the greatest dream of his life. He was traveling. He had to be in Tarifa before noon and remembered that an old Gypsy woman who interprets dreams lived there. The boy decided to visit her. Arriving at the old woman’s, Santiago told her he had dreamed of a child playing with his sheep who then took him to the Egyptian pyramids. There, the child said: "If you come here, you will find a hidden treasure." But just as the child was about to show him the exact spot, he would wake up. The woman did not want payment for interpreting the dream, but made him promise that if Santiago found the treasure in Egypt, he would give her a tenth of it. Disappointed, the youth decided never to believe in dreams again. Santiago bought food at the market, exchanged his book for a thicker one, and then found a bench in the market square where he could enjoy some fresh wine. The day was hot, and the wine was pleasantly refreshing. He had left his sheep at a friend’s enclosure. Santiago was reading, but an old man sat down next to him and asked for a sip of wine. The youth handed the bottle to the man, who clearly wanted to talk. The old man said that the book Santiago was reading contained the world's greatest lie: that at some point in our lives, we lose control of what happens to us and become pawns of fate. The boy replied that it was the opposite for him. Everyone wanted him to be a priest, but he decided to travel instead. The youth noted that the old man was dressed strangely, like an Arab. But there was nothing surprising about that, because one could sail from Tarifa to Africa in just a few hours. The man said he was the King of Salem, and his name was Melchizedek. Santiago thought this was nonsense. The old man asked for a tenth of his sheep in exchange for teaching him how to find hidden treasure. The youth thought the gypsy woman must have sent this man. The man began writing in the sand with a stick. Something flashed very brightly on his chest, but he quickly covered it with his cloak. In the sand, Santiago read the names of his father and mother, his life story, and the name of the merchant’s daughter, which he didn't even know himself. He read things he had never told anyone. The old man said that the boy had begun to fulfill his Personal Legend. The boy had heard nothing about Personal Legends. The old man explained that it was what the youth had always wanted to achieve. Everyone knows their legend when they are young. In childhood, we are not afraid to dream and desire, but as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince us that it is impossible to realize our Personal Legend. The old man spoke of a great truth on this planet. Whoever you are and whatever you do. When you want something with all your heart, it is because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It is your mission on earth. The only duty of a person is to realize their legend. When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it. The old man said he appeared because Santiago wanted to live his legend, but the moment had come when he might betray it. The youth asked about the treasure. The old man asked for a tenth of his sheep for the answer. The boy asked why he didn't want a tenth of the treasure, but the old man said if he promised what he didn't yet have, he would lose the desire to obtain it. They agreed to meet the next day. Santiago could not decide between his flock and the treasure. He had to choose between what he was accustomed to and what he aspired to. There was also the merchant's daughter, but perhaps she had already forgotten him. The next day at noon, the youth met with the old man. Santiago brought six sheep, having sold the rest to his friend. The old man said the treasure was in Egypt, by the pyramids. To reach it, he must learn to read the signs. The old man wore a breastplate of pure gold encrusted with precious stones around his neck. The old man took out two stones from it: Urim and Thummim. The black one meant yes, the white one meant no. Santiago received the stones to help him make decisions, but he decided internally that he would make his own decisions. The old man advised him not to forget that the world is one whole and a personal legend must be lived to the end, then he told a parable. A merchant sent his son to the world's greatest wise man to learn from him the secret of happiness. The wise man ordered the boy to explore the palace in two hours. The boy had to carry a spoon with two drops of oil in it while doing so. He walked through the palace and saw nothing, because he did not take his eyes off the spoon. Then the wise man sent the boy back to explore the palace again. Now the youth held the spoon and missed nothing. He saw the garden, the surrounding mountains, the beauty of the flowers, and upon returning, he described everything in detail. But this time, there was no oil in the spoon. Then the wise man said that the secret of happiness lies in seeing all the wonders of the world, without forgetting the two drops of oil. Santiago understood the parable this way: "He can travel, but he must not forget his sheep." And so the youth arrived in Africa. He was a bit worried because they didn't speak Spanish here, but he thought: "Yes, if God guides the sheep so well, He will guide a man too. " In a tavern, the youth met a man who spoke Spanish. The stranger was dressed in Western clothing, although his skin color revealed him to be a local. Santiago said that he needed to get to the pyramids and showed the Arab his money. The tavern owner also came over to look. He and the stranger exchanged a few words in Arabic. The tavern owner was unhappy. The stranger pulled the youth outside and said that here, in the port of Tangier, it is always full of thieves, and the tavern owner is one of them. His new friend promised that the youth would be at the pyramids by tomorrow. They headed through the narrow streets of Tangier. The youth did not take his eyes off his companion, as he was holding all of his money. Suddenly, in the bustle of goods being sold everywhere, Santiago noticed a magnificent sword. During that time, the stranger disappeared along with the money. The boy sobbed, but he still had the two stones and felt a huge sense of relief. Now he understood why the tavern owner had been so worried. He wanted to warn him that the stranger could not be trusted. Santiago recalled the old man's words: "When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you." Now he wanted to believe that this was true. The youth put the stones in his bag and asked if the old man's blessing was still with him. He pulled out one of the stones. Yes, will I find the treasure? Was the next question. But suddenly, both stones slipped out through a hole in the bag. The youth realized that some things should not be asked, so as not to tempt fate. He remembered that he had to decide everything for himself, but now he was glad that the stones had confirmed the old man was still with him. This gave the boy confidence. The next morning, as the merchants were setting out their wares, Santiago helped the candy seller set up his stall. For this, he received a sweet. He walked on and suddenly realized that while they spoke in different languages —one Arabic, the other Spanish—they understood each other perfectly. "There is a language without words," the young man thought. "I used it with my sheep, and now I use it with people." Santiago thought that if he could learn this wordless language, he could understand the whole world. The young man decided to stroll calmly through the narrow streets of Tangier. Only in this way would he be able to decipher the omens. The crystal merchant had lived and worked in his shop on the hill for 30 years. Customers rarely visited, though there was a time when everyone knew his shop. But the crystal merchant had no choice. It was already too late to change anything. Santiago came to him and offered to clean the display window. In exchange, he asked for food. When the merchant took the young man to eat, he said he didn't need to clean the glass, as the Quran requires feeding the hungry. After lunch, the merchant offered the boy a job, because while Santiago cleaned the glass, two customers had arrived, and that was a good omen. The boy said he would work the rest of the day and all night, asking only for money for the journey to Egypt. The merchant laughed, explaining that from Tangier to the pyramids are thousands of kilometers of desert, and it requires a lot of money. The young man decided to stay and said, "I will work for you.""I need money for sheep." Chapter two. The young man had been working for the crystal merchant for nearly a month, although the work didn't excite him much. He earned a good commission on every item sold and had already saved a little money. But to buy his sheep, he would need to work for another year. Learning of the boy’s desire to see the pyramids, the merchant said that it was just a pile of stones. Santiago had to spend a long time persuading the merchant to allow him to set up a display at the start of the street. This display was intended to attract customers. The merchant explained that it is a duty for every Muslim to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, but it is much further away than the pyramids. In his youth, the merchant dreamed of traveling to Mecca, but now he is afraid to realize that dream, fearing he would have no reason left to live. Two months later, thanks to the display, many customers visited the crystal shop. The young man had money and calculated that in six months, upon returning to Spain, he would be able to buy not 60, but twice as many sheep. He could sell the sheep to the Arabs, as he already knew their strange language. Santiago no longer consulted the Urim and Thummim, for Egypt had become as distant a dream for him as Mecca was for the merchant. At least now the young man was satisfied with his work and thought about the day he would arrive as a victor on the shore in Tarifa. One day, the young man suggested that the merchant sell tea in crystal glasses to those climbing the hill. The merchant was not very keen on doing this, because it would require expanding the shop. He didn't want to change anything and suddenly realized that he could do much, but wanted nothing. The merchant said "Maktub," which roughly meant "it is written," and agreed with the boy's idea. Business at the shop started to pick up. The merchant hired two more workers. Besides crystal, he began stocking various types of tea, and his shop was filled with customers daily. Eleven months and nine days had passed since Santiago arrived on the African continent. One morning, he dressed in Arab clothing made of white linen, covered his head with a scarf, made himself breakfast, and drank hot tea from a crystal cup. Then he sat in the sun, smoked a hookah, and waited for the merchant to wake up. They drank tea, and the young man said he was leaving. He had money for sheep, and the merchant had enough for a pilgrimage to Mecca. The old man said: "But you know I will not go to Mecca, and you also know that you will not return to your sheep." And he blessed the young man. As Santiago packed his things, he found Urim and Thummim. He felt that now, having conquered Tangier, he could conquer the world. The young man left without saying goodbye to the merchant, fearing he would cry in front of the shop's customers. By chance, he approached the same tavern he had ended up in on that first day. The thief was not there, and the owner served him tea. In the tavern, the boy thought that he could always be a shepherd, but an opportunity to reach the Egyptian pyramids might never happen again. He decided to go to the pyramids and felt immense joy. The Englishman was sitting in some warehouse or livestock pen, flipping through the pages of a chemistry journal. His whole life, all his scientific pursuits, had one goal: to find the unique language that the universe speaks. First, he was interested in Esperanto, then religions, and now alchemy. Alchemists wanted to solve the secret of the Master Work, the so-called philosopher's stone. The Englishman had solved many riddles, but in his search, he had reached a limit he could not cross. He had already spent part of his inheritance looking for the philosopher's stone, visited the best libraries in the world, and acquired all the rarest and most valuable alchemical books. In one of them, he read that many years ago, a famous Arab alchemist had visited Europe. It was said that he had discovered the philosopher's stone and the elixir of life. Once, a friend of the Englishman returned from an archaeological expedition in the desert and told him about an Arab who lived in the Al-Fayoum oasis and could turn any metal into gold. And now the Englishman sits in a warehouse, waiting for a caravan whose path will go through Al-Fayoum. Santiago approached him. It turned out they were going the same way. When the young man took the stones from his pocket and began to toss them, the stranger suddenly exclaimed: "Wow! Urim and Thummim! He had the same ones. The boy said that although he was a simple shepherd, he had received the stones from a king himself. Then the Englishman explained that shepherds were the first to see the king. It is from the Bible, which taught the Englishman how to use Urim and Thummim. These stones are the only form of divination permitted by God. Santiago was glad to find himself in this warehouse. The Englishman said that there is a language in the universe understood by everyone, but unfortunately, it is now forgotten. He was searching for this universal language, searching for a man who knows it: an alchemist. In the evening, the caravan was to set off for Al-Fayum in Egypt. The caravan’s preacher, a dark-eyed bearded man, said that in his hands lay the life and death of everyone he takes with him. For the desert is a capricious woman who can drive one to madness. There were 200 people in the caravan and twice as many animals. They started out early in the morning, stopped when the heat became unbearable, and set off again at dusk. The youth did not talk much with the Englishman, as he mostly read. Silence reigned in the desert, broken only by the howling of the wind and the thud of hooves. Even the camel drivers rarely spoke to one another. The youth wanted to learn something from the desert, which looked old and wise. The youth managed to make friends with the camel driver. Once, the camel driver told Santiago about his life. He had a family and a garden. He had made a pilgrimage to Mecca. But one day, the Nile burst its banks and destroyed his land. The man became a camel driver and understood the words of Allah. We must not fear the unknown, for we can obtain anything we want. We are afraid of losing what we possess: our lives, our property. But fear disappears when we realize that both our destinies and all world history are written by the same hand. One day, the camel driver said that a war had broken out between the tribes, so our travelers moved ever faster. One night, the Englishman could not sleep. He called the youth, and they decided to walk through the surrounding dunes. The youth described his life to the Englishman. The Englishman was delighted when the boy told him about his work at the shop and the success he achieved there. He said that the Soul of the World governs everything. When you desire something with all your heart, you are closest to the Soul of the World. He also said that everything on earth has a soul: minerals, plants, animals, and even ordinary thoughts. The youth decided to read the Englishman's books on alchemy. Almost everywhere, one idea was repeated. Everything originates from a single source. In one book, he read that the most important text of alchemy consisted of three lines engraved on the surface of an ordinary emerald. The book that interested the boy the most told about famous alchemists. They believed that if you heat metal for many years, it loses its individual properties, leaving behind an extract: the Soul of the World. This unique substance allowed alchemists to know everything on earth. This masterpiece, as they called it, consisted of two parts: liquid and solid. The liquid part was called the elixir of life and cured all diseases, preventing aging. The solid part was called the Philosopher's Stone and could turn a vast amount of base metal into gold. When the boy wanted to find out how to master the Master Work, he became completely confused. The Englishman explained that only those who are thorough and persistent master the Master Work. That was why he was looking for a real alchemist who could help him decipher it all. One day, the boy returned the books to the Englishman and said he had learned that the world has a soul, and whoever understands this soul understands the language of things. The boy learned that many alchemists lived out their Personal Legend, ultimately discovering the Soul of the World, the Philosopher's Stone, and the Elixir of Life. But above all, the boy realized that it was all simple. The Englishman thought about the boy. Perhaps his soul is too primitive. The boy realized that he and the Englishman were different, but both were searching for their Personal Legend. Finally, the travelers reached the Al-Fayoum oasis, which consisted of 300 wells, 50,000 palm trees, and countless colorful tents. Oases, as the Camel Driver explained to the boy, were always considered neutral territories, as mainly women and children lived there. Battles between tribes were fought only in the desert, and oases were a place of refuge. The travelers had to stay there until the war between the tribes ended. The boy thought about his treasure. The closer to the dream, the more obstacles there are. The first night, he slept far from the Englishman in a tent with five other boys his age. They all lived in the desert and wanted to hear stories about great cities. The boy was talking to them when the Englishman arrived and asked him to help find the alchemist. They searched everywhere, discovering that the oasis was much larger than they had imagined. The boy knew Arabic, so he asked around where the alchemist or someone who heals illnesses was. He saw a girl he also wanted to ask. At that very moment, time stopped, and the Soul of the World filled his being. When he saw her dark eyes and the barely perceptible smile on her lips, he fell in love. The boy felt that his wife was standing before him, and she understood this too without words." Maktub, "the boy thought. The girl's name was Fatima. The boy asked about the man who heals illnesses. Fatima said that this man knows all the secrets and communicates with the spirits. The girl pointed to the south, where this strange man lived. Then she filled her pitcher with water and left. The Englishman ran off to look for the alchemist, while the boy sat by the well for a long time, thinking about the girl. He believed that now, thanks to this love, all the treasures of the world would be revealed to him. The next day, the boy came to the well again to meet the girl. To his surprise, the Englishman was there. He told him about his meeting with the alchemist. He told the Englishman to try once again to turn lead into gold. The Englishman was disappointed. He had traveled such a long way only to hear what he already knew. Meeting the girl, the boy immediately asked her to be his wife. From then on, they met every day by the well. He told her about his life as a shepherd, about the king, and the crystal shop. Nearly a month had passed in the Oasis. The caravan leader told the travelers that no one knew when the war would end, so they could not continue the journey, as it might last for years. In the evening, the young man met with Fatima. She said that since childhood she had dreamed of a gift from the desert, and she had finally received that gift—him. The girl asked the young man to follow his legend. If she is a part of his legend, he will return one day. After this meeting with Fatima, the young man became saddened. The next day, she said that she would wait, because she was a woman of the desert and wanted her man to be as free as the wind. While wandering through the desert, the young man saw a pair of hawks in the sky. Suddenly, one of the birds dove headlong, attacking the other. In that moment, a sudden vision flashed before the young man. An army with drawn swords was advancing on the oasis. He realized that this would actually happen. Later, the young man told the camel driver about his vision. The boy went to the chieftains and said that danger was approaching the oasis. One chieftain said that the oasis was neutral, so no one would attack it. The men began to argue heatedly, but the eldest chieftain, who had remained silent until then, said that according to tradition, they must believe in the messages of the desert. The chieftain said that tomorrow everyone would receive weapons, and for every ten dead enemies, the young man would receive a gold coin. But if he had lied, the swords would be tested on him. At night, the young man met a strange rider dressed entirely in black, with a falcon on his left shoulder. He wore a turban on his head, and a black cloth covered his entire face except for his eyes. He drew a huge curved scimitar and asked:" Who dared to interpret the flight of the hawks? "" I did, "the boy said. The stranger slowly touched the young man's forehead with the blade. A drop of blood rolled down. The rider stood motionless. The young man did as well. It didn't even cross his mind to run away." Be careful with omens. "" What is written cannot be avoided, " said the stranger." I only saw an army. "" I don't know how the battle will end, "the young man replied. It seems the stranger was satisfied with this answer. The stranger said he had to test his courage, the most necessary quality for mastering the language of the world. The young man was surprised. The stranger spoke of things that few people understood." Respect the desert, but never trust it completely. "" For the desert tests people; it watches their every step and kills those who have lost their vigilance. "His words reminded the young man of the old king. The stranger pointed south and said to find him after the battle. The young man realized he had met the alchemist. The next morning, 2,000 armed warriors hid among the palms of Al-Fayoum. 500 horsemen appeared on the horizon. This troop looked like a peaceful expedition, yet weapons were hidden beneath their robes. Approaching the White Tent in the center of Al-Fayoum, they drew scimitars and rifles and attacked the empty tent. Warriors from the Oasis surrounded the desert riders. Within half an hour, all the uninvited guests, except one, had been killed. Only the commander of the troop was spared from death. He was brought before the chieftains, and they asked why he had disregarded tradition. He replied that after long, grueling battles, his warriors were suffering from hunger and thirst, so they decided to take the oasis to continue fighting. The tribal chief sentenced the commander to death. Afterward, the boy received his gold coins. When the sun set, the boy headed to the alchemist. In the tent, the boy told the alchemist that the Englishman was looking for him. But the alchemist said the Englishman first had to do something else, and he was already on the right path to communicating with the desert." When you want something, the entire universe conspires to help you achieve your dream, "said the alchemist, echoing the words of the old king. The boy realized that another person had appeared on his path to help him fulfill his Personal Legend. Santiago said he had everything: money, Fatima. The alchemist replied that this was all found nowhere near the pyramids. The alchemist said the boy must find the treasure so that everything he learned along the way would have meaning. The next evening, the boy and the alchemist got on their horses and rode to the place where Santiago had seen the hawks. The boy said he didn't know how to look for life in the desert. The alchemist replied that life attracts life. They raced across the desert, and then the boy's horse stopped. At that spot, the alchemist pulled a snake from the sand. It was a cobra. It bit the alchemist, but he remained calm. He drew a circle in the sand and placed the cobra inside it. The snake froze immediately. The boy didn't want to go into the desert because of Fatima. The alchemist said that if the boy stayed at the oasis, Fatima would suffer because he gave up his quest for her sake. Love never prevents a person from living their own legend." If it happens, it means the love wasn't true, "the alchemist said. At dawn, they were to set off on their journey. At night, the boy went to say goodbye to Fatima. As he set off on his journey, the boy still saw the face of the girl he loved, saw the Englishman in his laboratory, and the camel drivers. The alchemist, with a falcon on his shoulder, rode in front. The bird knew the language of the desert well. And every time they stopped, it flew out in search of prey. On the first day it brought a hare, on the second—two birds. At night, the travelers did not light a fire because there was fighting nearby. On the seventh day, the alchemist decided to stop for the night earlier than usual. Then he spoke of the Emerald Tablet, a direct passage to the Soul of the World. He spoke of how our earthly world is but an image and reflection of paradise. They rode through the desert in silence for two more days. The alchemist became much more cautious, as they were nearing the area of the fiercest battles. Over the next three days, the travelers encountered many armed warriors. The youth listened to his heart. This is what the alchemist had asked of him. Santiago began to understand its tricks and whims, accepting it as it was. He shed his fear and forgot that he wanted to return, for one day his heart told him it was happy. That evening, his heart was at peace. The youth fell into a deep sleep, and when he woke, his heart spoke to him of the Soul of the World. It said that all happy people have God within them. The heart said that few choose the path destined for them. The path of a personal legend, the path to happiness. Most people perceive this world as something threatening, so it truly becomes threatening. The alchemist said that the youth needed to know this. Before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything he has learned. But most people cannot withstand this test. The next day, three warriors approached the travelers and searched them for weapons. They found a crystal flask of liquid on the alchemist and a yellow glass egg, slightly larger than a chicken's. He explained that it was the Philosopher's Stone and the Elixir of Life. Whoever drinks the elixir will never fall ill, and a piece of this stone will turn any metal into gold. The men burst out laughing, and the alchemist laughed along with them. For them, it was an amusing answer. So, the travelers were let go. They continued their journey through the desert. With each passing day, the youth's heart grew quieter. The youth and his heart became friends who would not betray each other. The heart now spoke up to encourage him and give him strength. And now, there were only two days of riding left to the pyramids. The youth asked the alchemist to teach him how to turn lead into gold. The alchemist replied that gold is the cause of conflicts and wars. At sunset, the travelers were caught by warriors and taken to a military camp. A soldier pushed them into a tent where the high chieftain was holding a meeting with his staff. The alchemist gave the chieftain the youth's gold coins, and the man silently accepted them. With that money, a lot of weapons could be bought. The alchemist said that the boy could turn himself into the wind in three days and destroy the camp. No one believed it, but everyone wanted to see it. Yet the boy had no idea how to turn into the wind. On the second day, the youth climbed a cliff not far from the camp. He spent the whole evening there, watching the desert and listening to his heart. The desert sensed his fear. On the third day, the high chieftain led the officers to the boy on the cliff. The chieftains waited for the boy to turn into the wind, though they very much doubted it. The youth looked at the horizon. The desert asked what he wanted. He asked for help. The desert advised him to turn to the wind. A breeze touched the youth's face. It had heard his conversation with the desert, for winds listen to everything. The young man asked for help. The wind said the boy would not become the wind because they were too different. But Santiago said he had within him winds, deserts, oceans, stars, and everything created by the universe. Everything was created by one hand and everyone shares a common soul. The young man spoke about the extraordinary capabilities of people and winds. The wind was curious, as it did not yet know of this. The young man began to speak about love. When you are loved, you can achieve anything in the world. Even become the wind, if, of course, the wind helps. The wind was proud and was annoyed by the young man's words. It began to blow harder, kicking up sand, but eventually had to admit that although it had flown all over the world, it never learned to turn people into wind and knew nothing about love. The wind said that, wandering the world, it saw how people, when speaking of love, look to the sky. The young man asked it to start a storm so he could look at the sky, as he was currently blinded by the sun. The wind blew with all its might, the sky filled with sand, and only a faint golden circle remained where the sun had been. The camp was terrified. Two commanders asked the chieftain to stop it, but he decided that as soon as the wind died down, he would dismiss them from their posts, because warriors of the desert must not feel fear. Meanwhile, the young man turned to the sun. It spoke about love, having loved the earth from a distance, because if it approached, everything would perish. The sun knew the soul of the world. When the sun asked about love, the young man said:" Love is the force that transforms and improves the soul of the world. "" When we love, we always want to become better. "The sun did not know how to turn the boy into the wind and advised him to turn to the hand that wrote everything. The wind howled with excitement and began to blow twice as hard. It tore tents from the sand and freed the animals from their tethers. People on the cliff clung to each other so they wouldn't be blown away. The young man turned to the hand that wrote everything. In that moment, he felt the whole universe go silent, and he went silent too. A wave of love surged from his heart, and the young man began to pray. It was a prayer he had never uttered before, for it was without words or pleas. This prayer offered no thanks, requested nothing, and begged for nothing. The young man immersed himself in the soul of the world and realized that the world's soul is a part of God's soul, and God's soul is his own soul, and that he could perform miracles. Generations of Arabs later retold the legend of the young man who, having turned into the wind, nearly destroyed a military camp. When the wind subsided, the young man was already standing on the opposite end of the camp. Everyone was horrified by this sorcery. Only two men were smiling: the alchemist and the supreme chieftain. The next day, the chieftain parted ways with the youth and the alchemist, providing them with a military escort for protection. They rode all day long. By evening, they arrived at a Coptic monastery. The alchemist dismissed the escort. The pyramids were only three hours away. The youth had to continue on his own. Before that, they went into the monastery kitchen, where the alchemist turned lead into gold. The alchemist divided the gold into four parts. He gave one part to the monk, the second to the youth, and kept one for himself. And the fourth part he also handed to the monk for the youth, just in case. In parting, the alchemist told a story about dreams. In ancient Rome, during the era of Emperor Tiberius, there lived a good man who had two sons. One was a soldier, the other a poet. One night, the father had a dream that the whole world would study and repeat the words of one of his sons for centuries. The old man soon died and went to heaven. There, he asked an Angel to allow him to hear the famous words of his son in the distant future. It turned out that these were not the words of the poet son, but the words of the soldier son, who had become a centurion. He was a good and righteous man. Once, his servant fell deathly ill. The centurion had heard of a healer who cured ailments, and set out in search of him. On the way, he learned that he was seeking the Son of God. The man converted to the new faith. And one morning, he met the teacher himself. The man told him about the servant's illness, and the teacher agreed to enter his home. The centurion was a man of deep faith and said," Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof. "" Say but a word, and my servant will be healed. "The boy began climbing a dune. Thirty days had passed since he left the Oasis. When he reached the top of the dune, the pyramids of Egypt stood before him. The youth fell to his knees and sobbed. He thanked God for the faith in his legend, for the meeting with the king, the merchant, the Englishman, and the alchemist. And above all, for the meeting with the woman of the desert, who said that love would never keep a man from his legend. The youth looked down and saw that where his tears had fallen, a scarab beetle was crawling. He began to dig in that spot. He dug all night, but found nothing, yet he did not stop. Suddenly, some Arabs approached him. They found the gold the alchemist had given him in the boy's bag. The Arabs thought there was gold in the pit and forced the youth to keep digging. He dug, but there was nothing there. Then the men beat the youth. The youth felt as if he were dying. Finally, he said he was looking for treasure and told them about his dream. Then the leader laughed at the boy and said that two years ago, in this very same place, he too had the same dream twice. He dreamt that he had to travel to Spain and find a ruined church in a field where shepherds camp for the night with their sheep. In the church grows a sycamore, beneath whose roots lies a treasure. When the men left, the boy stood up and took one last look at the pyramids. They smiled at him, and he smiled back. His heart burst with joy, for he had found his treasure. Epilogue. Santiago reached the small, abandoned church just as night fell. The sycamore still stood in the sacristy. The boy remembered how he once spent the night here with his sheep. Now he was here without a flock, but with a shovel. The boy dozed off and woke up when the sun was already high. He began to dig. An hour later, he uncovered a chest full of antique gold coins. There were also precious stones, gold masks, and stone statues adorned with diamonds, forgotten trophies that an unknown conquistador had not had time to tell his children about. The boy pulled Urim and Thummim from his pouch and placed the stones in the chest. They were a part of his treasure." Life is truly generous to those who live their Personal Legend, "the boy thought. Then he remembered he had to go to Tarifa to give a tenth of the treasure to the gypsy woman. The wind began to blow. It was the Levanter, blowing in from Africa. The boy smelled the familiar scent of perfume and felt the touch of a kiss. He smiled. She had done it for the first time." I'm coming, Fatima, " he said.