The Alchemist 0061233846, 9780061233845

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International Bestselling Phenomenon

the LCHEMIST ffi„ffi

w0.

lllilllill

.:

PAULO COE'LHO

Insights,

Interviews,

With an Introduction from

the

Author

and More

"To destiny

USA

$13.95

CAN-

$17.95

realize one's is

a person's only

obligation."

—from The Alchemist PAULO COELHO'S

enchanting novel has

inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in simplicity

powerful

its

and inspiring wisdom,

about an

is

Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago

who

travels

from

his

homeland

in Spain to

the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure

buried in the Pyramids. Along the

meets a Gypsy woman, a

way he

man who

himself king, and an alchemist,

calls

of whom

all

point Santiago in the direction of his quest.

No

one knows what the treasure

is,

or if

Santiago will be able to surmount the -

obstacles along the way. as a

But what

starts

out

journey to find worldly goods turns into

a discovery of the treasure

found within.

Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago

is

the transforming

power of our dreams and

an eternal testament to

the importance of listening to our hearts.

M

g

International Acclaim for Paulo Coelho s The Alchemist

"The

story has the comic charm, dramatic tension, and psycho-

logical intensity well. ...

A

"Beneath

of

a fairy tale,

but

sweetly exotic tale for

told

it's

of

wisdom

specific

lies

a

as

alike."

—

Publishers Weekly

compelling story and the shimmering

this novels

gance with which

full

it's

young and old

ele-

bedrock of wisdom about follow-

—

ing one's heart."

'As memorable and meaningful as Saint-Exupery's The

—

Booklist

Little Prince."

Austin American-Statesman

'A touching, inspiring "A

little

poke

"The Alchemist

in the ribs

is

from on

tale

fulfill

one's destiny. I

who

passionately

—

—Der

recommend

Spiegel

(Germany)

journeys: the

all

The Alchemist to anyone

committed to claiming the

of

life

their

today."

—Anthony

'An entrepreneurial business of our

—

own

tale

Robbins, author of Awaken

the

Giant Within

of universal wisdom we can apply to the

lives."

Spencer Johnson, M.D., author of Who Moved

"An adventure story

full

My

Cheese

of magic and wisdom."

—Rudolfo " The Alchemist is a beautiful

sures

Indianapolis Star

Detroit Tree Press

about the most magical of

'A remarkable

is

high."

a fabulous success."

quest to

dreams

— —

fable."

Anaya, author of Bless Me, Ultima

book about magic, dreams and

we seek elsewhere and then

the trea-

find at our doorstep."

— Madonna

in Sonntag-Aktucll

(Germany)

"Paulo Coelho knows the secret of literary alchemy."

— Kenzaburo Oe,

winner of the Nobel Prize

m

Literature

"A most tender and gentle will

most

seeking

story. It

own

its

a rare

Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D., coauthor of

Change Your Mind, Change Your

"Rarely do

I

come

of Coelho's The

Life

and Love

A

Go

of Fear

and simplic-

the reader out of time and fo-

cuses through a believably unlikely story

on

a

young dreamer

beautiful story with a pointed message for

—

every reader."

"A boy named Santiago

—

Is Letting

across a story with the directness Alchemist. It lifts

looking for himself.

by taking us on

gem of a book, and

of every heart earnestly

on the journey of life."

destiny

— ity

is

certainly touch the very core

Joseph Girzone, author of Joshua

joins the ranks

of Candide and Pinocchio

a very excellent adventure."

Paul Zindel, author of the Pulitzer Prize—winning play, The Effect of

Gamma

Rays on Man~in~the~Moon Marigolds

"Paulo Coelho gives you the inspiration to follow your

own

dreams by seeing the world through your own eyes and not some-

one

eises.

—Lynn Andrews, "Among

author of the Medicine

Woman

Latin American writers, only Gabriel Garcia

more widely read than

Brazils Paulo Coelho."

—

series

Marquez

is

The Economist

THE

ALCHEMIST # PAULO COELHO TRANSLATED BY ALAN

R.

CLARKE

HarperSanFrancisco A

Division ofHzrperCo\^nsPublisbers

This book

is

an English version of

Alquimista, the

Portuguese original edition,

published in Brazil by Editora Rocco Ltd. (Rio de Janeiro). Copyright

© 1988 by

Paulo Coelho. This edition was prepared by Alan R. Clarke in consultation with Paulo Coelho.

A

previous paperback edition was published in 1994 by HarperSanFrancisco, a

division

of HarperCollins Publishers.

in 1998.

A

A

HarperFlamingo edition was published

previous HarperPerennial paperback edition was published in 1998.

© 1993 by Paulo Coelho and Alan R. © 1998 by HarperCollins Publishers. All

the alchemist. English version copyright Clarke. Prologue translation copyright rights reserved. Printed in the

may

United States of America.

No

part of this

book

be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permis-

sion except in the case of brief quotations

embodied

in critical articles

and

re-

views. For information address HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street,

New

York,

NY 10022.

HarperCollins books

motional

use.

may be purchased

For information please

HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd

HarperCollins

Web

site:

for educational, business, or sales prowrite:

Street,

Special

New York,

Markets Department,

NY 10022.

http://www.harpercollins.com

HarperCollins®, *m®, and HarperSanFrancisco™

are

trademarks of HarperCollins Publishers.

First HarperCollins

Hardcover Edition Published

in 1993.

Designed by Joseph Rutt and Susi Oberhelman Illustrations by Rodica Prato

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been ordered.

ISBN-13: 978—o—06— 112241—

ISBN-10: o—06— 112241— 06 07 08 09

10

RRD(H)

10

987654321

INTRODUCTION

I

REMEMBER RECEIVING A LETTER FROM THE AMERICAN PUB-

lisher

Harper Collins that

up

was

like getting

rest

of the world

said that: "reading The Alchemist

dawn and

at

still slept." I

seeing the sun rise while the

went outside, looked up

and thought to myself: "So, the book

sky,

published in English!" At the time,

myself

lish

as a writer

voices telling

And

me

little

it

by

I

and to follow

is

at the

going to be

was struggling to estab-

my

path despite

all

the

was impossible.

little,

my dream

was becoming

reality.

Ten,

a hundred, a thousand, a million copies sold in America.

One

day, a Brazilian journalist

phoned

to say that President

Clinton had been photographed reading the book. time ity

later,

Fair

when

I

was in Turkey,

and there was

girl telling

her mother:

The book

opened the magazine Van-

Roberts declaring that she adored

Walking alone down

the book.

has sold

Julia

I

Some

a street in

"You must read

Miami,

heard a

I

The Alchemist!"

has been translated into fifty-six languages,

more than twenty million

copies,

and people

are be-

ginning to ask: What's the secret behind such a huge success?

The that, like

only honest response

is: I

don't know. All

Santiago the shepherd boy, we

all

I

know

is

need to be aware

Introduction

of our personal God's blessing,

it is

What

a personal calling? It

is

God

the path that

Whenever we do something

Earth.

we

iasm,

calling.

are following

chose for you here on

that

us with enthus-

fills

our legend. However, we don't

the courage to confront our

is

have

all

own dream.

Why? There

hood onward

We

that everything

grow up with

this idea,

do

is

will prevent us

who

child-

impossible.

accumulate, so

There comes

guilt.

a

so deeply buried in our

to disinter dream,

We know

we

are then

what we want

of hurting those around us by abandon-

ing everything in order to pursue our dream. ize that love

is

from

there.

faced by the second obstacle: love. to do, but are afraid

and

is

it's still

we have the courage

to

as the years

fear,

time when our personal calling soul as to be invisible. But

are told

we want

and

too do the layers of prejudice,

If

we

are four obstacles. First:

just a further impetus,

going forward.

We

We do not real-

not something that

do not

realize that those

genuinely wish us well want us to be happy and are pre-

pared to accompany us on that journey.

Once we have accepted up

that love

is

a stimulus,

we come

against the third obstacle: fear

of the defeats we

will

meet

We who

our dream suffer

far

more

on the

path.

when

doesn't

it

work

out, because

old excuse: "Oh, well,

want

it

fight for

I

we cannot

didn't really

want

it

fall

back on the

anyway."

and know that we have staked everything on

We it

do

and

Introduction

that the path

of the personal

calling

is

other path, except that our whole heart

no is

easier than

any

in this journey.

Then, we warriors of light must be prepared to have patience in difficult times

in

our I

and to know that the Universe

is

conspiring

though we may not understand how.

favor, even

ask myself: are defeats necessary?

Well, necessary or not, they happen.

When

we

first

begin fighting for our dream, we have no experience and

make many

mistakes.

seven times and to get So,

we

why

are only

is it

up

secret

of

life,

though,

to

fall

live

our personal calling

if

going to suffer more than other people?

—we

we have overcome

are filled

the defeats

we know

proving ourselves worthy of the miracle of is

part of the

—and we

al-

by a greater sense of euphoria and

confidence. In the silence of our hearts,

each hour,

is

eight times.

so important to

Because, once

ways do

The

good

fight.

life.

that

we

Each

are

day,

We start to live with en-

thusiasm and pleasure. Intense, unexpected suffering passes

more quickly than latter

at

our

is

apparently bearable; the

goes on for years and, without our noticing, eats away

our soul,

selves

suffering that

until,

from the

one

day,

bitterness

we and

are it

no longer

able to free our-

stays with us for the rest

of

lives.

Having disinterred our dream, having used the power of love to nurture

it

and spent many years

we suddenly notice

that

living

with the scars,

what we always wanted

is

there.

Introduction

Then comes

waiting for us, perhaps the very next day.

the

fourth obstacle: the fear of realizing the dream for which we

fought

our

all

lives.

Oscar Wilde

And fills

its true.

said:

"Each

The mere

man

possibility

kills

the thing he loves."

of getting what we want

We

the soul of the ordinary person with guilt.

around

at all

those

who

have failed to get what they want

we do not deserve

and

feel that

We

forget about

all

the obstacles

ing

we endured,

all

the things

get this

far. I

have

known

to get

we overcame,

we had

a lot

what we want

to give

all

up

it

either.

the sufferin order to

of people who, when

personal calling was within their grasp, went on to series

look

of stupid mistakes and never reached

their

commit

a

—when

their goal

was only a step away.

This

is

the

most dangerous of the

has a kind of saintly aura about quest.

But

if

you

fought so hard to

it:

believe yourself get,

obstacles because

it

renouncing joy and con-

worthy of the thing you

then you become an instrument of

God, you help the Soul of the World, and you understand

why you

are here.

Paulo Coelho

Rio de Janeiro

November

2002

Translated by Margaret Jull Costa

PROLOGUE Translated by Clifford E. Landers

The alchemist picked up a book that someone

in

the

caravan had brought. Leafing through the pages, he found a story about Narcissus.

The

who

He

alchemist

knew

the legend of Narcissus, a youth

knelt daily beside a lake to contemplate his

was so fascinated by himself

that,

beauty.

one morning, he

and drowned. At the spot where he

into the lake

own

fell,

fell

a flower

was born, which was called the narcissus. But

was not

this

how

the author of the

book ended

the

story.

He forest

said that

when Narcissus

appeared and found the

water, transformed into a lake

"Why do "I

weep

"Ah,

died, the goddesses

lake,

of salty

which had been fresh tears.

you weep?" the goddesses asked.

for Narcissus," the lake replied.

it is

no

surprise that

you weep for Narcissus," they

though we always pursued him

said, "for

in the forest,

alone could contemplate his beauty close at hand."

"But

.

.

of the

.

was Narcissus beautiful?" the lake asked.

IX

you

Prologue

"Who in

you to know that?" the goddesses said

better than

wonder. "After

all, it

was by your banks that he knelt each

day to contemplate himself!"

The "I

lake

weep

was

I

some

for Narcissus, but

was beautiful. banks,

silent for

could

I

I

time. Finally,

it

never noticed that Narcissus

weep because, each time he knelt beside

see, in

the depths of his eyes,

my own

reflected"

"What

said:

a lovely story," the alchemist thought.

my

beauty

#

PART ONE

The boy s name was Santiago. Dusk was falling arrived with his herd at an fallen in

as

the boy

abandoned church. The roof had

long ago, and an enormous sycamore had grown on

the spot where the sacristy had once stood.

He all

decided to spend the night there.

He

saw to

it

that

the sheep entered through the ruined gate, and then laid

some planks

across

it

to prevent the flock

from wandering

away during the night. There were no wolves

in the region,

but once an animal had strayed during the night, and the boy

had had to spend the

He the

entire next

day searching for

swept the floor with his jacket and

book he had

lay

it.

down, using

just finished reading as a pillow.

He

told

himself that he would have to start reading thicker books: they lasted longer, and

made more comfortable

pillows.

Paulo Coelho It

was

still

could see the

through the half-destroved roof.

stars

wanted to sleep

I

the

dark when he awoke, and, looking up, he

same dream that night

had awakened before

He

it

still

slept.

as a

week

ago,

up

He

began to awaken the

his crook,

had noticed

some mysterious energy bound

whom

had had

and once again he

that, as

awoke, most of his animals also began to

with

He

ended.

arose and, taking

sheep that

he thought.

a little longer,

stir.

his life to that

he had spent the past two

soon It

as

was

he

as if

of the sheep,

them

vears, leading

through the countryside in search of food and water. "They are so

used to

me

that thev

Thinking about that for

a

know mv

moment, he

be the other way around: that

customed to

their

it

realized that

was he

He

by name.

when he read them

who took

a bit longer to

one, with his crook,

parts of his

said.

So there were times

books that had made an im-

on him, or when he would

tell

them of

ness or the happiness of a shepherd in the fields.

he would

ac-

had always believed that the sheep

were able to understand what he

pression

could

who had become

The boy prodded them, one by

calling each

it

schedule.

But there were certain of them awaken.

schedule," he muttered.

comment

to

them on

the loneli-

Sometimes

the things he had seen

m the

villages they passed.

But for the past few days he had spoken to them about only one thing: the

girl,

the daughter of a merchant

who

The Alchemist

would reach

lived in the village they

had been to the

village

in

about four days.

only once, the year before.

He

The mer-

chant was the proprietor of a dry goods shop, and he always

demanded

that the sheep be sheared in his presence, so that

he would not be cheated.

A

friend

had told the boy about

the shop, and he had taken his sheep there.

"I

NEED TO SELL SOME WOOL," THE BOY TOLD THE MERCHANT.

The shop was

busy,

wait until the afternoon.

shop and took "I didn't

a

and the man asked the shepherd to

So

book from

the boy sat

on

the steps of the

his bag.

know shepherds knew how

to read," said a girls

voice behind him.

The

girl

was typical of the region of Andalusia, with

flowing black hair, and eyes that vaguely recalled the

Moor-

ish conquerors.

"Well, usually

I

learn

more from my sheep than from

books," he answered. During the two hours that they talked, she told life

him she was

in the village,

the merchants daughter,

where each day was

and spoke of

like all the others.

The

shepherd told her of the Andalusian countryside, and related the

news from the other towns where he had stopped.

a pleasant

"How one point.

It

was

change from talking to his sheep. did

you

learn

to

read?"

the

girl

asked

at

Paulo Coelho "Like everybody learns," he "Well, if you

know how

"In school."

said.

why

to read,

you

are

just a

shepherd?"

The boy mumbled

an answer that allowed him to avoid

responding to her question. understand.

He

went on

He

was sure the

telling stories

girl

about

would never

his travels,

and

her bright, Moorish eyes went wide with fear and surprise.

As

the time passed, the

boy found himself wishing that the

day would never end, that her father would stay busy and keep him waiting for three days. feeling

He

recognized that he was

something he had never experienced before: the desire

to live in one place forever. his days

But

With

would never be the same finally the

shear four sheep.

it

again.

merchant appeared, and asked the boy to

He

paid for the wool and asked the shep-

herd to come back the following

And now

the girl with the raven hair,

year.

was only four days before he would be back

in that

same

uneasy:

maybe

village.

He

the girl

was

excited,

and

at the

same time

had already forgotten him. Lots of

shepherds passed through, selling their wool. "It doesn't matter," girls in

he said to his sheep. "I

other

other places." in his heart

he knew that

that shepherds, like

seamen and

But

know

it

did matter.

And

he knew

like traveling salesmen, al-

The Alchemist

who

ways found a town where there was someone

make them

forget the joys

of carefree wandering.

The day was dawning, and

the shepherd urged his sheep

of the sun. They never have to make any de-

in the direction cisions,

could

he thought.

Maybe

why they

that's

always stay close

to me.

The

only things that concerned the sheep were food and

As long

water.

as the

in Andalusia, they all

boy knew how to find the best pastures

would be

his friends. Yes, their days

were

the same, with the seemingly endless hours between sun-

rise

and dusk; and they had never read and

lives,

didn't understand

the sights of the

cities.

when

the

a

book

—

company, and

They were content with

If

became

I

once in

a while

—

of

their wool,

after

they've forgotten

cause

I

lead

them

how

to rely

on

their

own

kill

them,

most of the

had been slaughtered, thought the boy. They

flock

food and

their meat.

one by one, they would become aware only

and

just

monster today, and decided to

a

young

boy told them about

water, and, in exchange, they generously gave their

in their

trust me,

instincts, be-

to nourishment.

The boy was

surprised at his thoughts.

Maybe

the

church, with the sycamore growing from within, had been

haunted.

ond

It

time,

faithful

had caused him to have the same dream and

it

was causing him to

companions.

mained from

He

his dinner

drank

a bit

feel

for a sec-

anger toward his

from the wine

that re-

of the night before, and he gathered

Paulo Coelho his jacket closer to his body.

now, with the sun that he It

He knew

from

would be so great

at its zenith, the heat

would not be

able to lead his flock across the fields.

was the time of day when

summer. The heat lasted

had to carry

that a few hours

all

of Spain

until nightfall,

slept during the

and

that time he

all

But when he thought to complain

his jacket.

about the burden of its weight, he remembered

that,

because

he had the jacket, he had withstood the cold of the dawn.

We

have to be prepared for change, he thought, and he

was grateful for the

The pose in

jacket

life

Andalusian

had

was to

weight and warmth.

a purpose,

travel,

terrain,

was planning, on

jacket's

and so did the boy. His pur-

and, after two years of walking the

he knew

this visit, to explain to the girl

that a simple shepherd

He

the cities of the region.

all

knew how

to read.

how

was

it

That he had

at-

tended a seminary until he was sixteen. His parents had

wanted him to become a for a simple

farm

food and water, ish,

and thereby

priest,

family.

They worked hard

like the sheep.

He

had studied

and theology. But ever since he had been

wanted to know the world, and tant to sins.

a source

was

him than knowing God and

One

moned up become

this

afternoon, on a the courage to

a priest.

# 8

Latin,

Span-

had

much more impor-

learning about man's

his father that

That he wanted

just to have

a child, he

visit to his family,

tell

of pride

to travel.

he had sum-

he didn't want to

The Alchemist

"People from all over the world have passed through this village, son," said his father.

new

things, but

when they

"They come

They climb

and they wind up thinking

the

as the

moun-

that the past

was better than what we have now. They have blond dark skin, but basically they re the same

of

same

leave they are basically the

people they were when they arrived. tain to see the castle,

in search

hair,

people

or

who

live right here."

"But live,"

the

to see the castles in the towns where they

I'd like

boy explained.

"Those people, when they would

our land, say that they

see

continued.

like to live here forever," his father

"Well,

to see their land,

I'd like

and

see

how

they

live,"

said his son.

"The people who come spend,

"Amongst

can

they

so

us, the

"Well, then

afford

only ones

I'll

here have a lot of to

who

"I

a part

is

said.

be a shepherd!" day,

he gave his son a

that held three ancient Spanish gold coins.

found these one day

in the fields.

I

wanted them to be

of your inheritance. But use them to buy your

Take to the side

father

to

travel are the shepherds."

His father said no more. The next

pouch

his

travel,"

money

fields,

and someday

the best, and our

And

women

you'll learn that

the

most

he gave the boy his blessing.

flock.

our country-

beautiful.''

The boy

could sec

in

his father's gaze a desire to be able, himself] to travel the

Paulo Coelho

—

world

a desire that

had to bury

it,

was

still alive,

despite his fathers having

over dozens of years, under the burden of

struggling for water to drink, food to eat, and the to sleep every night

of his

life.

The horizon was tinged with

red,

The boy thought back

appeared. his father,

and

felt

same place

and suddenly the sun

to that conversation with

many

happy; he had already seen

castles

and met many women (but none the equal of the one who awaited that he

him

several days hence).

dream. If he were to sell his

of the

sheep and go to sea,

sea.

in the seminary,

fields,

known

to be happy.

he thought,

as

I

other

he looked

many

that they're walking a

to travel.

times.

is

his

sheep to inter-

that they don't even realize

new road

10

of

The world

and he would discover other

The problem

found

before, in spite

was huge and inexhaustible; he had only to allow

esting things.

other

at the sunrise.

new road

had never been to that ruined church

having traveled through those parts

cities,

couldn't have

could, he sought out a

set the route for a while,

he could

By the time he had had enough

he would already have

Whenever he

He

book

able every day to live out his

of the Andalusian

tire

women, and other chances

God

a jacket, a

could trade for another, and a flock of sheep.

most important, he was

But,

He owned

every day.

They

don't see

The Alchemist that the fields are

about

new and

the seasons change. All they think

food and water.

is

Maybe were haven't thought

all

that way, the

of other

women

boy mused. Even me

since

I

—

met the merchants

daughter. Looking at the sun, he calculated that he

would

reach Tarifa before midday. There, he could exchange his

book

for a thicker one,

haircut; girl,

fill

his

bottle, shave,

and have

a

he had to prepare himself for his meeting with the

and he

didn't

want to think about the

some other shepherd, with rived there before

life

a larger flock

him and asked

Its the possibility

makes

wine

interesting,

of having

he thought,

that, in Tarifa, there

of sheep, had

ar-

for her hand. a as

dream come true he looked again

position of the sun, and hurried his pace.

remembered

possibility that

He

was an old

that

at the

had suddenly

woman who

in-

terpreted dreams.

The old woman led the boy to a room house;

it

was separated from her

colored beads.

The rooms

living

at the back of her

room by

a curtain

of

furnishings consisted of a table,

an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and two chairs.

The woman Then

sat

down, and told him to be seated

as well.

she took both of his hands in hers, and began quietly

to pray.

//

Coelho

Pa ulo It

sounded

experience

Gypsy

like a

prayer.

The boy had

on the road with Gypsies; they

already

had

also traveled, but

they had no flocks of sheep. People said that Gypsies spent their lives tricking others. It

with the

devil,

them away As

was also said that they had

a pact

and that they kidnapped children and, taking

to their mysterious camps,

a child, the

made them

their slaves.

boy had always been frightened to death that

he would be captured by Gypsies, and this childhood fear

turned when the old

woman took

hands

his

But she has the Sacred Heart of Jesus trying to reassure himself.

He

trembling, showing the old recited an

"Very

from the

Our

Father

didn't

hand

to begin

He

woman, never taking her

eyes

silently.

and then she

The boy was becoming tremble, and the

his

he thought,

that he was fearful.

woman

interesting," said the

boy's hands,

in hers.

there,

want

re-

woman

fell silent.

nervous. His hands began to

sensed

it.

He

quickly pulled his

hands away. "I didn't

come

here to have you read

already regretting having come. that

it

would be

He

When

a

moment

better to pay her fee

and

leave

without

much importance

to

dream.

You came said the old

palm," he said,

thought for

learning a thing, that he was giving too his recurrent

my

so that

you could learn about your dreams,"

woman. "And dreams

he speaks in our language,

12

I

are the language

of God.

can interpret what he has

The Alchemist

But

said-

he speaks in the language of the soul,

if

you who can understand. But, whichever

it is,

it is

only

I'm going to

charge you for the consultation."

Another

A

chance.

trick,

the boy thought. But he decided to take a

shepherd always takes his chances with wolves

and with drought, and

what makes

that's

a

shepherds

life

exciting.

had the same dream

"I have

that

I

was in a

field

with

my

twice," he said. "I

sheep,

and began to play with the animals. that,

I

when

dreamed

a child appeared

do

don't like people to

because the sheep are afraid of strangers. But children

always seem to be able to play with

them.

I

don't

know

why.

I

don't

them without

know how

frightening

animals

know

the

age of human beings." "Tell

me more

about your dream," said the woman.

"I

have to get back to

my

cooking, and, since you don't have

much money,

give

you

"The

I can't

child

a lot

of time."

went on playing with

my

while," continued the boy, a bit upset.

me by both hands and

child took

sheep for quite a

"And suddenly,

transported

me

the

to the

Egyptian pyramids."

He

paused for a

moment

to see if the

woman knew what

the Egyptian pyramids were. But she said nothing.

"Then, three

stand

words

—

at the

Egyptian pyramids,''

slowly, so that the old

"the child said to me,

'If

—

he said the

woman would

you conic

here,

last

under-

you

will

Paulo Coelho find a hidden treasure.'

And.

just as she

me

woke

up.

the exact location.

I

The woman was took

his

silent for

was about to show

Both times."

some

hands and studied them

time.

Then

she again

carefully.

"I'm not going to charge you anything now." she said.

"But

want one-tenth of the

I

The bov laughed be able to save the

about hidden

—

treasure,

it

you find

out of happiness.

little

money

He

it."

was going to

he had because of a dream

treasure.'

"Well, interpret the dream." he said. "First,

swear to me. Swear that you will give

tenth of Your treasure in exchange for what

I

am

me

one-

going to

tell

YOU."

The shepherd swore

that he would.

asked him to swear again while looking

The

at the

old

woman

image of the

Sacred Heart of Jesus.

dream

"Its a

can interpret

why

I

it.

feel that

"And

this

I

is

m

the language of the world." she said. "I

but the interpretation

mv

interpretation:

m

child

who showed them

I

The bov was

you must ^o to the Pyra-

have never heard of them. but.

find a treasure that will

to vou. thev exist.

make vou

surprised,

need to seek out the old

membered

very difficult. That's

deserve a part of what vou find.

mids

Egypt.

is

a rich

and then

woman

if it

was a

There vou

man." irritated.

He

didn't

for this! But then he re-

that he wasn't going to have to pay anything.

-

will

The Alch emist "I didn't

need to waste

simple things in

men

time just for

you that your dream was

"I told

wise

my

that are the

life

are able to

he

said.

a difficult one.

most

understand them.

had to learn other

wise, I have

this,"

extraordinary; only

And

such

arts,

the

It's

since

as the

am

I

not

reading of

palms."

"Well,

how am

I

going to get to Egypt?"

"I only interpret dreams. I don't

into reality. That's

provide

me

And

I

have to

live

I

the

if I

woman

much

number of things he had

and he found

a

bench

him

—

spend

he always all

of

his

The

book

would had

a

made new

sheep were

friends,

time with them. as

one that was

where he could

The day was

hot,

and

at the gates of the

The boy knew

That was what made

same people every daw

that he

for

in the plaza

belonged to a friend.

in the city.

al-

to take care of: he went to the mar-

sample the new wine he had bought. the wine was refreshing.

that he

He remembered

ket for something to eat, he traded his

of people

time."

time with him.

never again believe in dreams.

stable that

first

told the boy to leave, saying she had

So the boy was disappointed; he decided

city, in a

daughters

never get to Egypt?"

don't get paid. It wouldn't be the

ready wasted too

thicker,

my

off what

them

to turn

with."

"And what

"Then

why

know how

a lot

traveling appeal to

and he

didn't need to

When someone

sees the

had happened with him

at

the

Pa ulo seminary, they

And

Coelho

wind up becoming

a part

of that person's

then they want the person to change. If someone

what others want them to Everyone seems to have should lead their

He

lives,

be,

the others

a clear idea

become

life.

isn't

angry.

of how other people

but none about his or her own.

decided to wait until the sun had sunk a bit lower in

the sky before following his flock back through the fields.

Three days from now, he would be with the merchant's daughter.

He first

started to read the

page

it

book he had bought.

And

described a burial ceremony.

On

the

the very

names of

the people involved were very difficult to pronounce. If he ever wrote a book, he thought, he at a time, so that the reader

memorizing

When

a lot

he was

finally able to

book

and he welcomed the

on, an old

man

wouldn't have to worry about

of names.

reading, he liked the day,

would present one person

sat

down

concentrate on what he was

was on a snowy

better; the burial

feeling

of being

at his side

and

cold.

As he read

tried to strike

up

a

conversation.

"What

are they doing?" the old

man

asked, pointing at

the people in the plaza.

"Working," the boy answered

dryly,

making

it

look

as if

he wanted to concentrate on his reading. Actually, he was thinking about shearing his sheep in

front of the merchant's daughter, so that she could see that

16

The Alckem ist

who was

he was someone

He

capable of doing difficult things.

had already imagined the scene many

the girl

became fascinated when he explained

had to be sheared from back

member some good

as if they

man

a conversation.

and asked

The boy

them

tell

were from his personal experience. She would never

up

thirsty,

also tried to re-

he sheared the sheep.

the difference, because she didn't

strike

that the sheep

read in books, but he would

Meanwhile, the old

leave

He

to front.

stories to relate as

Most of them he had

know

times; every time,

if

know how

persisted in his attempt to

He

said that he was tired

and

he might have a sip of the boys wine.

man would

offered his bottle, hoping that the old

him

to read.

alone.

But the old

man wanted

and he asked the boy

to talk,

what book he was reading. The boy was tempted to be rude,

and move to another bench, but be respectful of the

man to

—

for

elderly.

two reasons:

pronounce the

title;

know how

to read, he

cide of his

own

"Hmm book,

as if

.

it

had taught him

So he held out

the

to the

that he, himself, wasn't sure

and second, that

would probably

if

the old

feel

man

how

didn't

ashamed and de-

said the old

man, looking

at all sides

were some strange object. "This

tant book, but

book

to

accord to change benches.

."

.

first,

his father

it's

The boy was

is

of the

an impor-

really irritating."

shocked.

The

and had already read the book.

old

And

'7

man knew how if

the

book was

to read,

irritating,

Paulo Coelho as the

old

man had

said, the

boy

still

had time

to change

it

for another.

"Its a

books

book

in the

that says the

world

say,"

same thing almost

the other

continued the old man. "It describes

people's inability to choose their it

all

own

Personal Legends.

And

ends up saying that everyone believes the worlds greatest

lie."

"What's the world's greatest

lie?"

boy asked, com-

the

pletely surprised. "It's this:

trol

that at a certain point in our

of what's happening to

trolled

by

fate.

us,

and our

That's the world's greatest

lives,

we

lose con-

become con-

lives lie."

"They

"That's never happened to me," the boy said.

wanted

me

to

be a

priest,

but

decided to become a

I

shepherd."

"Much

better," said the

old man. "Because you really like

to travel."

"He knew what The

I

was thinking," the boy said to himself.

old man, meanwhile, was leafing through the book,

without seeming to want to return

it

that the man's clothing was strange.

which was not unusual

at

He

all.

The boy

looked

in those parts. Africa

like

noticed

an Arab,

was only

hours from Tarifa; one had only to cross the narrow

by boat. Arabs often appeared

in the city,

are

you from?" the boy asked.

few

straits

shopping and

chanting their strange prayers several times a day.

"Where

a

The Alchemist

"From many

"No one

can be from

shepherd, and

many

—from

places," the

many

have been to

I

only one place

where

places."

The boy want to

come from

at the

was born in Salem." was, but he didn't

He

would appear ignorant.

fearing that he

ask,

I

know where Salem

didn't

people in the plaza for a while; they were com-

ing and going, and "So, what

is

all

of them seemed to be very busy.

Salem

like?"

he asked, trying to get some

of clue. always has been."

"It's like it

sia.

"I'm a

a city near an ancient castle. That's

"Well then, we could say that

sort

places, but I

said.

was born."

I

looked

boy

No

clue yet. But he

If

were, he

it

knew

I

Salem wasn't

in

Andalu-

would already have heard of it.

"And what do you do

"What do

that

do

in

in

Salem?" he

Salem?"

The

old

insisted.

man

laughed. "Well,

I'm the king of Salem!" People say strange things, the boy thought. Sometimes better to be with the sheep, ter still to

who

don't say anything.

be alone with one's books.

stories at the

They

tell

And

it's

bet-

their incredible

time when you want to hear them. But when

you're talking to people, they say

strange that you don't

"My name

is

know how

some

things that are so

to continue the conversation.

Melchizedek," said the old man.

many sheep do you haw?

19

"How

Paulo Coelho "Enough," said the boy.

He

wanted to know more about

his

could see that the old life.

"Well, then, we've got a problem. feel you've

I can't

help you if you

got enough sheep."

The boy was It

man

was the old

getting irritated.

man who had

He

wasn't asking for help.

asked for a drink of his wine,

and had started the conversation. "Give gather

my

"Give

"and

me my

book," the boy said. "I have to go and

sheep and get going."

me

one-tenth of your sheep," said the old man,

you how to find the hidden

I'll tell

The boy remembered thing was clear to him. anything, but the old

his dream,

The

man

old

was going to find a way to get for information

old

man was

and suddenly every-

woman

—maybe

treasure."

hadn't charged

he was her husband

much more money

in exchange

about something that didn't even

exist.

leaned over, picked up a

stick,

and began to write

of the plaza. Something bright reflected from

that was too quick for

covered whatever

it

someone

was with his cape.

sand

his chest

with

With

his age, the

When

zo

a

man

his vision re-

turned to normal, the boy was able to read what the old in the sand.

man

in the

such intensity that the boy was momentarily blinded.

had written

The

probably a Gypsy, too.

But before the boy could say anything, the old

movement

him

man

The Alchemist

There, in the sand of the plaza of that small

city,

read the names of his father and his mother and the the seminary he had attended.

read the

boy

name of

name of the mer-

which he hadn't even known, and he read

chant's daughter,

things he

He

the

had never told anyone.

# the king of Salem," the old man had

"I'm

"Why would

said.

a king be talking with a shepherd?" the

boy asked, awed and embarrassed. "For several reasons. But tant

is

that

let's

you have succeeded

say that the

in discovering

most imporyour Personal

Legend."

The boy

didn't

know what

a persons "Personal Leg-

end" was. "Its

one,

what you have always wanted to accomplish. Every-

when they

are young,

knows what

"At that point in their thing

is

possible.

They

are

would

for everything they

lives,

their Personal

everything

is

clear

Legend

is.

and every-

not afraid to dream, and to yearn like to see

happen

to

them

in their

lives.

But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to con-

vince

them

that

it

will

be impossible for them to realize their

Personal Legend."

None of what

the old

to the boy. But he

man was

saying

made much

sense

wanted to know what the "mysterious

21

Paulo Coelho would be impressed

force" was; the merchants daughter

when he

told her about that! a force that appears to be negative, but actually

"It's

shows you how to your

spirit

realize

and your

your Personal Legend.

will,

because there

this planet:

do,

when you

sire

originated in the soul of the universe.

on

whoever you

are,

or whatever

want something,

really

it's

it

is

that

you

because that deIt's

your mission

earth."

"Even when daughter of a

you want to do

all

textile

nourished by people's happiness.

envy,

and

jealousy.

is

travel?

Or marry

the

merchant?"

"Yes, or even search for treasure. is

one great truth

is

on

prepares

It

To

The Soul of the World

And

also

realize one's destiny

by unhappiness, a person's only

is

real obligation. All things are one.

"And, when you want something, spires in helping

you to achieve

They were both and the townspeople.

"Why do

I like

The

man

window

at

was the old a flock

he's

man who

spoke

first.

to travel."

pointed to a baker standing in his shop

"When

he was a

to travel, too. But he decided

bakery and put some

man,

observing the plaza

of sheep?"

one corner of the plaza.

man wanted

that his

old

It

the universe con-

it."

silent for a time,

you tend

"Because

all

going to spend a

money month

11

to

buy

When he's an old Africa. He never real-

aside.

in

first

child,

The Alchemist ized that people are capable, at any time in their

doing what they dream

"He should boy

lives,

of

of!'

have decided to become a shepherd," the

said.

man

"Well, he thought about that," the old bakers are

"But

said.

more important people than shepherds. Bakers

have homes, while shepherds sleep out in the open. Parents

would

rather see their children

The boy

chant's daughter.

The

old

pang

felt a

in his heart, thinking

There was

man

marry bakers than shepherds."

surely a baker in her town.

continued, "In the long run, what people

think about shepherds and bakers becomes for

them than

The

old

ing a page he the old are

you

man

their

man

to.

just as

me

own

more important

Personal Legends."

leafed through the book,

came

telling

about the mer-

The boy

and

fell

to read-

waited, and then interrupted

he himself had been interrupted.

"Why

all this?"

"Because you are trying to realize your Personal Legend.

And you

are at the point

"And

"Not

that's

where you're about to give

when you

always appear

always in this way, but

form or another. Sometimes tion, or a

make

it

good

up."

on the scene?"

always appear in one

appear in the form of a solu-

moment,

I

happen. There are other things

I

At other

easier for things to

do, too, but

them."

idea.

I

I

it all

times, at a crucial

most of the time people

don't realize I've

done

Paulo Coelho The

man

old

related that, the

week

before, he

had been

forced to appear before a miner, and had taken the form of a stone.

The miner had abandoned For

for emeralds.

five years

everything to go mining

he had been working

a certain

and had examined hundreds of thousands o{ stones

river,

looking for an emerald.

The miner was about

to give

it all

up, right at the point when, if he were to examine just one

more stone

—

—he would

just one more

find his emerald. Since

the miner had sacrificed everything to his Personal Legend, the old

man

He

decided to become involved.

transformed

himself into a stone that rolled up to the miner's foot. miner, with years,

the anger and frustration of his five fruitless

picked up the stone and threw

thrown and

all

it

with such force that

there,

The

embedded

it

it

aside.

broke the stone

But he had it fell

upon,

broken stone, was the most

in the

beautiful emerald in the world.

"People learn, early in their being," said the old that's

why they

give

man, with

up on

it

lives,

what

is

their reason for

a certain bitterness.

so

early, too.

But

"Maybe

that's the

way

it is."

The boy reminded

the old

man

had said some-

that he

thing about hidden treasure.

"Treasure it is

is

uncovered by the force of flowing water, and

buried by the same currents," said the old man. "If you

want to learn about your own

me

treasure,

one-tenth of your flock."

H

you

will have to give

The Alchemist

"What about The

old

one-tenth of my treasure?"

man looked

disappointed- "If you start out by

promising what you don't even have sire to

work toward

The boy

told

getting

him

yet, you'll lose

your de-

it."

that he

had already promised

to give

one-tenth of his treasure to the Gypsy.

"Gypsies are experts

at getting

has

life

its

that,"

sighed

it's

good

that you've learned that

price.

This

is

book

to the boy.

the old man. "In any case,

everything in

people to do

what the Warriors of

the Light try to teach."

The

old

man

"Tomorrow,

at this

flock.

And

Good

afternoon."

And

I

returned the

will tell

same time, bring me

a tenth

you how to find the hidden

of your

treasure.

he vanished around the corner of the plaza.

The boy began again to read longer able to concentrate.

He

he was no

was tense and upset, because

man was

he knew that the old

his book, but

right.

He

went over to the

bakery and bought a loaf of bread, thinking about whether or not he should

tell

the baker what the old

about him. Sometimes

it's

man had

said

better to leave things as they are,

he thought to himself, and decided to say nothing.

If lie

were

to say anything, the baker

would spend

about giving

though he had gotten used to the

it all

up. even

throe days thinking

Paulo Coelho way things were. The boy could

certainly resist causing that

kind of anxiety for the baker. So he began to wander through the

city,

and found himself

window

building there, with a ets to Africa.

"Can

I

And

he

at the gates.

knew

Egypt was

"Maybe tomorrow,"

the window.

moving away.

said the boy,

tick-

in Africa.

man behind

help you?" asked the

a small

which people bought

at

that

There was

If he

sold just one of his sheep, he'd have enough to get to the

other shore of the

strait.

The

idea frightened him.

"Another dreamer," said the

ticket seller to his assistant,

"He

watching the boy walk away.

doesn't have

enough money

to travel."

While standing

membered a

his flock,

at the ticket

window, the boy had

re-

and decided he should go back to being

shepherd. In two years he had learned everything about

shepherding: he

knew how

pregnant ewes, and

He knew

all

how

to protect the sheep

to care for

from wolves.

the fields and pastures of Andalusia.

knew what was

He

how

to shear sheep,

And

he

the fair price for every one of his animals.

decided to return to his friend's stable by the longest

route possible.

As he walked

past the

city's castle,

he inter-

rupted his return, and climbed the stone ramp that led to the top of the wall. tance.

From

there,

Someone had once

that the

He

Moors had come,

he could see Africa in the dis-

told to

him

occupy

that all

it

was from there

of Spain.

could see almost the entire city from where he

26

sat,

The Alchemist including the plaza where he had talked with the old man.

Curse the

come his

moment

to the

I

met

town only

woman who

to find a

dream. Neither the

man, he thought.

that old

woman nor

impressed by the fact that he was a shepherd.

who no

tary individuals

had

could interpret

man

the old

He

were

They were

at all soli-

longer believed in things, and didn't

understand that shepherds become attached to their sheep.

He knew

member of

everything about each

knew which ones were

would

The wind began it

my

flock

suffer.

to pick up.

at the eastern

He knew

on

the levanter, because

from the Levant

The

it

the

my

that wind: people

Moors had come

end of the Mediterranean.

levanter increased in intensity.

and

He knew how

laziest.

and how to slaughter them. If he ever decided

to leave them, they

called

he

lame, which one was to give birth two

months from now, and which were the to shear them,

his flock:

Here

am, between

I

the boy thought.

treasure,

He

had to

choose between something he had become accustomed to

and something he wanted to

have.

chant's daughter, but she wasn't as

cause she didn't depend

remember him.

He

was sure that

fail

is

to recognize the

the

it

made no

mer-

as his flock, be-

didn't even

difference to her

for her, every day was the same,

same

good

every day that the sun

important

also the

on him. Maybe she

on which day he appeared: and when each day

There was

as the next,

things that

rises.

27

it's

because people

happen

in their lives

Paulo Coelho I

left

my

They have

my

father,

mother, and the town castle behind.

gotten used to

sheep will get used to

my

my

I.

The

there, too, the

boy

being away, and so have

not being

thought.

From where he

sat,

he could observe the plaza. People

continued to come and go from the baker's shop.

A

young

couple sat on the bench where he had talked with the old

man, and they

kissed.

"That baker

The

the thought. felt its

yes,

but

veiled

on

force it

.

had

women.

." .

he said to himself, without completing

levanter was

his face.

had brought with

and for gold and adventure jealous of the

the

Moors,

brought the smell of the desert and of

also It

and he

getting stronger,

That wind had brought

dreams of men who had once

felt

still

left to

—and

it

the sweat and the

search for the

unknown,

for the Pyramids.

The boy

freedom of the wind, and saw that he

could have the same freedom. There was nothing to hold

him back and the

except himself.

fields

brought

of Andalusia were only steps along the way to

next day, the boy six

met the old man

at

He

noon.

sheep with him.

"I'm surprised," the boy other

sheep, the merchants daughter,

Legend.

his Personal

The

The

sheep

immediately.

dreamed of being

said.

He

a shepherd,

"That's the way

it

"My said

and that

always

28

is,"

friend bought that it

he

all

the

had always

was a good omen."

said the old

man.

"It's

The Alchemist called the principle first

time,

you

"Why

you play cards the

almost sure to win. Beginners luck!'

are

that?"

is

"Because there sonal Legend;

Then

When

of favorability.

it

is

a force that wants

you to

realize

whets your appetite with a taste of success/'

the old

man began

to inspect the sheep,

saw that one was lame. The boy explained that

most

portant, since that sheep was the flock,

your Per-

it

and he

wasn't im-

intelligent

of the

and produced the most wool.

"Where

is

the treasure?" he asked.

"Its in Egypt, near the Pyramids."

The boy was thing.

startled.

The

old

woman had

said the

same

But she hadn't charged him anything.

"In order to find the treasure, you will have to follow the

omens.

God

has prepared a path for everyone to follow.

just have to read the

omens

that he left for you."

Before the boy could reply, a butterfly appeared and tered between

him and

You

the old man.

He remembered

flut-

some-

thing his grandfather had once told him: that butterflies were a

good omen. Like

crickets,

and

like

grasshoppers; like lizards

and four-leaf clovers. "That's right," said the old man, able to read the boy's thoughts. "Just as your grandfather taught you. These are

good omens."

The

old

man opened

his cape,

what he saw. The old man wore

2-9

and the boy was struck by

a breastplate of heavy gold.

Paulo Coelho The boy

covered with precious stones.

recalled the brilliance

he had noticed on the previous day.

He

really

was

a king!

He must

be disguised to avoid en-

counters with thieves.

"Take

said the old

these,"

man, holding out

stone and a black stone that had been ter

of the

"They

breastplate.

mim. The black

signifies 'yes,'

are called

at the cen-

Urim and Thum-

and the white

omens, they

are unable to read the

embedded

a white

'no.'

When

you

you to do

will help

so.

Always ask an objective question. "But, if you can, try to

make your own

Pyramids; that you already knew. But

at the

treasure

is

to insist

on the payment of six sheep because

make your

I

would make

his

the stones in his pouch.

own

From

else.

omens. And, above

all,

Legend through "But before

to I

then on, he

decisions.

thing and nothing

its

go, I

And

only one

is

don't forget the language of

don't forget to follow your Personal

conclusion.

want to

tell

you

a little story.

certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the se-

of happiness from the wisest

man

wandered through the desert for forty

upon

had

helped you to

"Don't forget that everything you deal with

cret

I

decision."

The boy put

"A

The

decisions.

a beautiful castle, high atop a

that the wise

man

lived.

3°

in the world.

days,

and

mountain.

The

finally It

lad

came

was there

The Alchemist

"Rather than finding a saintly man, though, our hero, on

main room of the

entering the

castle,

saw a hive of

activity:

tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra

was playing soft music, and there was

a table covered with platters

that part

o£ the most delicious food

of the world. The wise

man

conversed with every-

one, and the boy had to wait for two hours before

turn to be given the

"The wise man tion of

mans

told

him

his

that he didn't have

boy look around the palace and return I

was

boys explana-

listened attentively to the

time just then to explain the secret of happiness.

"'Meanwhile,

it

attention.

why he had come, but

that the

in

He in

suggested

two hours.

want to ask you to do something,' said

the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two

drops of

oil.

As you wander around,

you without allowing the

spoon with

carry this

oil to spill.'

"The boy began climbing and descending

the

many

stair-

ways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After

two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was. "'Well,'

asked the wise man, 'did you see the Persian

garden that

Did you

it

my

Did you

see the

took the master gardener ten years to

create?

tapestries that are

hanging

in

dining hall?

notice the beautiful parchments in

my

"The boy was embarrassed, and confessed

library?'

that he

observed nothing. His only concern had been not to oil that the

wise

man had

entrusted to him.

spill

had the

Coelho

Pa ulo

"Then go back and observe man. 'You cannot

said the wise

know

trust a

man

if

world,'

you don't

his house.'

boy picked up the spoon and returned to

"Relieved, the his exploration

works of

of the

on the

art

and the

Upon

taste

palace, this time observing

ceilings

dens, the mountains ers,

my

the marvels of

all

and the

walls.

He

of the

all

saw the gar-

around him, the beauty of the flow-

with which everything had been selected.

returning to the wise man, he related in detail every-

thing he had seen. "

'But where are the drops of oil

I

entrusted to you?'

asked the wise man.

"Looking down

at the

spoon he

boy saw that

held, the

the oil was gone. '

'Well, there

said the wisest

is

only one piece of advice

of wise men. 'The

secret

I

can give you,'

of happiness

is

to see

all

the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of

oil

on the spoon.'

The shepherd story the old king travel,

said nothing.

He

had told him.

A

had understood the shepherd

may

like to

but he should never forget about his sheep.

The together,

old

man looked

made

Then, taking

at the

boy and, with

his

hands held

several strange gestures over the boy's head.

his sheep,

he walked away.

J2

The Alchemist

At the highest point

in Tarifa

by the Moors. From atop

its

there

walls,

is

an old

one can catch

of Africa. Melchizedek, the king of Salem, the fort that afternoon, and

The

face.

felt

fort, built

sat

a

glimpse

on the

wall

of

the levanter blowing in his

sheep fidgeted nearby, uneasy with their

new owner

and excited by so much change. All they wanted was food and

water.

Melchizedek watched

way out of the as

port.

He

was plowing

a small ship that

would never again

its

see the boy, just

he had never seen Abraham again after having charged him

his one-tenth fee.

That was

The gods should not

his work.

have desires, because they don't

have Personal Legends. But the king of Salem hoped desperately that the It's

boy would be

successful.

too bad that he s quickly going to forget

thought.

I

should have repeated

spoke about

me

it

he would say that

for him. I

am

my name,

he

Then when he

Melchizedek, the

king of Salem.

He know

looked to the

it's

skies, feeling a bit

the vanity of vanities, as you said,

old king sometimes has to take

How

strange Africa

He

abashed, and said, "I

was

is,

some pride

thought the

sitting in a bar very

had seen along the narrow

much

streets oi

13

my

Lord. But an

in himself."

boy. like the

Tangier.

other bars he

Some men

were

Paulo Coelho smoking from

a gigantic pipe that they passed

the other. In just a few hours he in hand,

women

from one to

had seen men walking hand

with their faces covered, and priests that

climbed to the tops of towers and chanted

—

as

everyone

about him went to their knees and placed their foreheads on the ground.

"A

practice

of

infidels,"

he said to himself. As a child in

church, he had always looked at the image of Saint Santiago

Matamoros on figures

such as these kneeling

terribly alone.

sword unsheathed, and

his white horse, his

The

infidels

at his feet.

had an

evil

The boy

felt

ill

and

look about them.

Besides this, in the rush of his travels he had forgotten a detail, just

one

detail,

which could keep him from

sure for a long time: only Arabic was

The owner of

spoken

in this country.

the bar approached him,

pointed to a drink that had been served turned out to be a bitter

tea.

The boy

his trea-

and the boy

at the next table. It

preferred wine.

But he didn't need to worry about that right now. he had to be concerned about was his treasure, and

was going to go about getting left

him with enough money

that in

money

at the

in his

Pyramids.

An

maybe

old

sale

of

how

his sheep

he

had

pouch, and the boy knew

in just a

money

is

never

few days, he would

old man, with a breastplate of gold,

wouldn't have lied just to acquire

The

The

there was magic; whoever has

really alone. Before long,

be

it.

What

six sheep.

man had spoken about

34

signs

and omens, and,

as

The Alchemist the

boy was crossing the

he had thought about omens.

strait,

man had known what

Yes, the old

he was talking about: dur-

ing the time the boy had spent in the fields of Andalusia, he

had become used to learning which path he should take by observing the ground and the sky. the presence

and that the area. If

had discovered that

of a certain bird meant that

a certain

The

God

He

a snake

was nearby,

shrub was a sign that there was water in

sheep had taught him

that.

leads the sheep so well, he will also lead a

made him

he thought, and that

feel better.

The

tea

man,

seemed

less bitter.

"Who

are you?"

The boy was

he heard a voice ask him in Spanish.

He

relieved.

was thinking about omens,

and someone had appeared.

"How come rival

was a young

you speak Spanish?" he asked. The new

man

skin suggested he was

Western

in

from

ar-

dress,

but the color of his

He

was about the same

this city.

age and height as the boy.

"Almost everyone here speaks Spanish. Were only two hours from; Spain." "Sit

boy.

down, and

"And ask "There

"The

is

let

me

for a glass

no wine

Pyramids.

He

told

you to something," said the

of wine for me.

I

hate this tea."

country" the young

in this

religion here forbids

The boy

treat

man

said.

it."

him then

that he needed to get to the

almost began to

U

tell

about his treasure, bur

Paulo Coelho decided not to do

would want

so. If

a part of

it

he did, as

it

was possible that the Arab

payment

for taking

remembered what the old man had something you didn't even have

you to take

"I'd like

serve as

my

me

him

there.

He

said about offering

yet.

there if you can.

I

can pay you to

guide."

"Do you

have any idea

how

newcomer

to get there?" the

asked.

The boy

noticed that the owner of the bar stood nearby,

He

listening attentively to their conversation.

felt

uneasy

at

the man's presence. But he had found a guide, and didn't

want to miss out on an opportunity.

"You have

to cross the entire Sahara desert," said the

young man. "And

to

know whether you

have enough."

do

The boy thought the old man,

it

who had

that,

you need money.

a strange question.

said that,

when you

need to

I

But he trusted really

in

want some-

thing, the universe always conspires in your favor.

He

took

his

money from

his

pouch and showed

it

to the

young man. The owner of the bar came over and looked, well.

The two men exchanged some words

in Arabic,

as

and the

bar owner seemed irritated. "Let's get out

of

here," said the

new

arrival.

"He wants

us to leave."

The boy was

relieved.

He

got up to pay the

owner grabbed him and began to speak to him

36

bill,

in

but the

an angry

The Alchem ist

The boy was

stream of words. iate,

strong,

and wanted to

new

but he was in a foreign country. His

friend

retal-

pushed

the owner aside, and pulled the boy outside with him.

wanted your money," he

of Africa. This

is

a port,

The boy trusted his new a dangerous situation.

"We

He

"Tangier

said.

not

is

like the rest

and every port has friend.

took out

"He

its

thieves."

He had helped him out in his

money and counted

it.

could get to the Pyramids by tomorrow," said the

other, taking the

money. "But

They walked

I

have to buy two camels."

together through the narrow streets of

Tangier. Everywhere there were stalls with items for sale.

They reached

the center of a large plaza where the market

was held. There were thousands of people selling,

and buying; vegetables for

sale

amongst daggers, and

carpets displayed alongside tobacco. But the his eye off his

new

friend. After

all,

thought about asking him to give

would be

unfriendly.

all

boy never took his

money.

He

back, but decided that

He knew nothing

the strange land he was 'Til just

he had it

there, arguing,

about the customs of

in.

watch him," he said to himself.

He knew he

was

stronger than his friend.

Suddenly, there in the midst of all that confusion, he saw the

most

beautiful sword he

embossed

in silver,

had ever

seen.

The

scabbard was

and the handle was black and encrusted

with precious stones.

The boy promised

himself that,

he returned from Egypt, he would buy that sword.

37

when

Paulo Coelho "Ask the owner of that he said to his friend.

how much

stall

Then he

realized that he

moments, looking

tracted for a few

the sword costs"

at the

had been

sword. His heart

squeezed, as if his chest had suddenly compressed afraid to look around, because he

He

continued to look

until he

summoned

All around

.

.

him was

sword for

the market, with people

but nowhere could he find his

The boy wanted

and await

a

everyone in the market

fell

a bit longer,

coming and

had simply be-

accident.

He

As he

decided to stay waited, a priest

nearby tower and began his chant; to their knees, touched their fore-

heads to the ground, and took up the chant. Then, colony of worker ants, they dismantled their

through

its

its

departure, as well.

trajectory for

some

stalls

when

continent,

the sun still

a

had

time, until

risen that

like a

and

left.

The boy watched it

it

was hidden be-

hind the white houses surrounding the plaza. that

find.

new companion.

his return.

climbed to the top of

The sun began

was

aroma of strange foods

to believe that his friend

come separated from him by right there

He

the courage to turn around.

going, shouting and buying, and the .

it.

knew what he would

at the beautiful

dis-

He

recalled

morning, he was on another

shepherd with sixty sheep, and looking for-

ward to meeting with

a

girl.

That morning he had known

everything that was going to happen to

through the familiar

fields.

But now,

him

as the

as

he walked

sun began to

set,

he was in a different country, a stranger in a strange land,

j«

The Alchemist

where he couldn't even speak the language.

He

was no longer

and he had nothing, not even the money to

a shepherd,

re-

turn and start everything over. All this happened between sunrise and sunset, the boy

thought.

He

was feeling sorry for himself, and lamenting the could have changed so suddenly and so

fact that his life drastically.

He

was so ashamed that he wanted to

even wept in front of his

own

cry.

God

was

paid those

who

When around

me

I

and

this

He

wept be-

was the way

God

re-

believed in their dreams.

had

my

sheep,

I

happy. People saw

he thought. But bitter

and because

unfair,

had never

sheep. But the marketplace was

empty, and he was far from home, so he wept. cause

He

now I'm

distrustful

was happy, and

I

made

those

me coming and welcomed

me,

sad and alone. I'm going to become

of people because one person betrayed

me. I'm going to hate those

who

have found their treasure

never found mine.

And

I'm going to hold on to

because

what

I

little I

have, because I'm too insignificant to conquer

the world.

He

maybe

sions;

eaten

opened

on the

jacket,

his

to see

what was

left

of his posses-

there was a bit left of the sandwich he ship.

But

all

had

he found was the heavy book, his

and the two stones the old man had given him.

As he looked son.

pouch

He

at the stones,

had exchanged

six

he

felt relieved for

some

rea-

sheep for two precious stones that

39

Paulo Coe: from

r^een taken

a

He

gold breasrplare.

stones and buv a return ticket. But this time the

I'll

sell

the

be smarter,

bov thought, removing them from the pouch so he could

put them in his pocket. This was

are hill of

N

-

:

like

would

whv

unci

.:;

-

everyone

else

—

I

the

tell

owner of the bar had been

him not

see the

to trust that

m

world

man.

terms of what

happen, not what actually dc

like to see

He

port town, and the only

thi-:

so upset: he was trying to

"I'm

a

:nd had told him was that port towns

truthful thir^:

I

i

ran his fingers slowly over the stones, sensing their

and

erature

feeling their surfaces.

them made him

haiufltng

ust

mm:;; him

oi the old

m helpmg vou to achieve The bov was

man had

They were

feel better.

his treaThe-." re-

man.

en you want something,

old

could

it."

all

he had

the universe conspires

said.

trying to understand the truth of what the

said.

There he was

m

the

empty marketplace,

without a cent to his name, and with not a sheep to guard thro j

with

night But the stones were proof that he had met

a

a

king

—

a

king

"They're called

who knew of the

bov's past.

Urim and Thummim. and

they can help

vou to read the omens." The bov put the stones back

pouch and decided said to asl

to

m

the

do an experiment. The old man had

:_ear questions,

-

and to do

that, the

bov had

The Alchemist to

know what he

ing was

He

still

I

going to find

my

It

was

stuck his hand into the pouch, and so,

pouch and

fell

a hole in the

knelt

back

down

in the

felt

around for

both of them pushed to the ground.

had never even noticed that there was

He

"yes."

treasure?" he asked.

one of the stones. As he did through

old man's bless-

if the

with him.

took out one of the stones.

"Am

He

wanted. So, he asked

The boy

a hole in his

pouch.

Urim and Thummim and put them

to find

pouch. But

as

he saw them lying there on the

ground, another phrase came to his mind.

"Learn to recognize omens, and follow them," the old king had said.

An omen. The

two stones and put them back sider

mending

the hole

time they wanted.

He

boy smiled to himself.

He

—

in his

pouch.

the stones could

picked up the

He

fall

through any

had learned that there were certain

things one shouldn't ask about, so as not to flee

own

Personal Legend. "I promised that

own

decisions," he said to himself.

I

looked around

at the

made him

feel

empty plaza

from

man was

still

more

confident.

He

again, feeling less des-

perate than before. This wasn't a strange place;

new

one.

one's

would make my

But the stones had told him that the old with him, and that

didn't con-

it

was

a

Paulo Coelho After

all,

know new

what he had always wanted was

Even

places.

if

just that: to

he never got to the Pyramids, he

had already traveled farther than any shepherd he knew. Oh, if

they only

knew how

different things are just

two hours by

ship from where they are, he thought. Although his

world

at the

moment was

already seen

it

never forget

it.

to think about

when

it

just

an empty marketplace, he had

was teeming with

He remembered it,

new

life,

and he would

him

the sword. It hurt

but he had never seen one

like

it

a bit

before.

As

he mused about these things, he realized that he had to choose between thinking of himself thief

and

as

as the

poor victim of

a

an adventurer in quest of his treasure.

"I'm an adventurer, looking for treasure," he said to himself.

He

He had

was shaken into wakefulness by someone.

fallen asleep in the

middle of the marketplace, and

life

in the

plaza was about to resume.

Looking around, he sought

had not

realized

world. But instead of being saddened,

He no

longer had to seek out food and water

for the sheep; he could go in search

He

and then

new

that he was in a

he was happy.

his sheep,

of his

a cent in his pocket, but he

decided, the night before, that he

treasure, instead.

had

would be

as

venturer as the ones he had admired in books.

faith.

He

much

had

an ad-

The Alchemist

He

The merchants

walked slowly through the market.

were assembling their

do

seller to

his.

and the boy helped

stalls,

The candy

seller

was happy, aware of what his

had

life

a smile

on

a

candy

his face:

he

was about, and ready to

begin a day's work. His smile reminded the boy of the old

man

—

the mysterious old king he had met. "This candy

merchant

marry

a

isn't

making candy so

that later he can travel or

shopkeepers daughter. He's doing

what he wants to

do," thought the boy.

He

it

because

realized that he

—

sense

his Personal

Leg-

could do the same thing the old

man had done

whether

from

a

person was near to or

end. Just by looking at them. it

far easy,

It's

its

and yet I ve never done

before, he thought.

When the

the stall was assembled, the candy seller offered

boy the

first

thanked him, ate

sweet he had it,

made

and went on

for the day.

his way.

When

The boy

he had gone

only a short distance, he realized that, while they were erecting the

stall,

one of them had spoken Arabic and the other

Spanish.

And

they had understood each other perfectly well.

There must be the

boy thought.

sheep,

and now

He

a language that doesn't

I've

it's

already had that experience with

my

happening with people.

was learning

things that he

depend on words,

a lot

of new

things.

Some

had already experienced, and

new, bur that he had never perceived before.

43

of

them were

weren't

And

really

he hadn't

Paulo Coelho perceived

He

them because he had become accustomed

realized: If

out words,

I

to them.

can learn to understand this language with-

I

can learn to understand the world.

Relaxed and unhurried, he resolved that he would walk

through the narrow

would he be

streets

of Tangier. Only

He knew

able to read the omens.

quire a lot of patience, but shepherds tience.

Once

know

way

in that it

all

would

re-

about pa-

again he saw that, in that strange land, he was

applying the same lessons he had learned with his sheep. "All things are one," the old

man had

The crystal merchant awoke with the same anxiety that he

felt

said.

day,

every morning.

He

and

felt the

had been

in

the same place for thirty years: a shop at the top of a hilly street

where few customers passed.

change anything

was to buy and

—

had

the only thing he

sell crystal

glassware.

when many people knew of French and English geologists,

his

it

it

was too

late to

ever learned to

There had been

do

a time

shop: Arab merchants,

German

always well-heeled. In those days

soldiers

who

were

had been wonderful to

and he had thought how he would be-

be selling

crystal,

come

and have beautiful

rich,

Now

women

at his side as

he grew

older.

But, as time passed, Tangier city

of Ceuta had grown

faster

44

had changed. The nearby

than Tangier, and business

The Alchemist

had

fallen off.

Neighbors moved away, and there remained

only a few small shops on the

climb the

hill just

hill.

And no one

to browse through a few small shops.

He

But the crystal merchant had no choice.

it

had

lived

of

his life

buying and selling crystal pieces, and

was too

late to

do anything

thirty years

now

was going to

He

else.

spent the entire morning observing the infrequent

comings and goings

in the street.

He had

done

this for years,

and knew the schedule of everyone who passed. But, fore lunchtime, a

boy stopped

of the shop.

in front

just be-

He

was

dressed normally, but the practiced eyes of the crystal mer-

chant could see that the boy had no theless, the

money

merchant decided to delay

to spend. Never-

his lunch for a

few

minutes until the boy moved on.

A

CARD HANGING IN THE DOORWAY ANNOUNCED THAT SEVERAL

languages were spoken in the shop.

The boy saw

a

man

ap-

pear behind the counter. "I can clean

said the boy.

up those

glasses in the

window,

if you want,"

"The way they look now, nobody

is

going to

want to buy them."

The man looked

at

him without responding.

"In exchange, you could give

me something

The man

and the boy sensed that he

still

said nothing,

was going to have to make

a decision. In his

45

to eat."

pouch, he had

Paulo Coelho his jacket

—

he certainly wasn't going to need

Taking the jacket out, he began to clean the an hour, he had cleaned

he was doing

bought some

When for

so,

tt

in the desert.

glasses. In half

the glasses in the window, and, as

all

two customers had entered the shop and

crystal.

he had completed the cleaning, he asked the

something to

man

go and have some lunch," said

eat. "Let's

the crystal merchant.

He nearby. crystal

put a sign on the door, and they went to a small cafe

As they

sat

down

only table in the place, the

at the

merchant laughed.

"You

didn't have to

do any

Koran requires me to feed

a

cleaning," he said.

"The

hungry person."

"Well then, why did you

let

"Because the crystal was

me do

it?"

the boy asked.

And both you and

dirty.

I

needed to cleanse our minds of negative thoughts."

When and

they had eaten, the merchant turned to the boy

said, "I'd like

came

m

you to work

in

my

shop.

Two

today while you were working, and

customers

that's a

good

omen." People talk a lot about omens, thought the shepherd.

But they

really don't

know what

hadn't realized that for so

language without words to

"Do you want

many

my

to go to

they're saying. Just as

years

I

had been speaking

I

a

sheep.

work

asked.

46

for

me?" the merchant

The Alchemist "I can

work

all

work

of today," the boy answered.

for the rest

dawn, and

night, until

your shop. In return,

tal in

I'll

"I'll

clean every piece of crys-

need money to get to Egypt

I

tomorrow."

The merchant for an entire year

laughed. "Even if you cleaned

There

get to Egypt.

between here and

There was city

a

crystal

even if you earned a good commission

you would

selling every piece,

seemed the

.

.

.

my

are

still

have to borrow

money

to

thousands of kilometers of desert

there."

moment of

was

silence

so profound that

it

No sound from the bazaars, no ar-

asleep.

guments among the merchants, no men climbing to the towers to chant.

No

hope, no adventure, no old kings or Personal

Legends, no treasure, and no Pyramids.

had

fallen silent because the

It

was

boys soul had.

He

as if the

world

sat there, star-

ing blankly through the door of the cafe, wishing that he died,

and that everything would end forever

The merchant looked had seen "I

my

anxiously at the boy. All the joy he

money you need

to get back to your

son," said the crystal merchant.

The boy

said nothing.

and picked up

to

moment.

morning had suddenly disappeared.

that

can give you the

country,

at that

had

He

got up, adjusted his clothing,

his pouch.

'Til

work

for you," he said.

And

after

another long silence, he added,

buy some sheep."

il

"1

need money

#

PART

TWO

The boy had been working for the crystal merchant for almost a month, and he could see that

it

wasn't exactly the

kind of job that would make him happy. spent the entire day

mumbling behind

The merchant

the counter, telling

the boy to be careful with the pieces and not to break

anything.

But he stayed with the job because the merchant,

though he was an old grouch, treated him ceived a

good commission

already been able to put

as

some money if

aside.

and had

That morning

he continued to work every

he had been, he would need

buy some sheep.

the boy re-

for each piece he sold,

he had done some calculating:

day

fairly;

al-

a

whole year to be able to

Paulo C

o

e l

h o

"I'd like to build a display case for the crystal," the

said to the merchant.

those people "I've

who

"We

could place

pass at the

outside,

bottom of the

never had one before."

"People will pass by and

it

bump

and

bov

attract

hill."

the merchant answered.

into

it.

and pieces

will be

broken."

"Well,

when

I

took

them might have died that's the

way

life is

mv if

He

fields

we had come upon

some of

a snake.

But

with sheep and with shepherds."

The merchant turned crvstal glasses.

sheep through the

to a customer

who wanted

was selling better than ever ...

had turned back to the old davs when the

street

as

if

three

time

had been

one of Tangier's major attractions. "Business has reallv improved." he said to the bov, after the customer vou'll

had

left.

"I'm doing

much

be able to return to vour sheep.

better,

Whv

ask

and soon

more out of

life?"

"Because we have to respond to omens," the bov

most without meaning said,

to;

said, al-

then he regretted what he had

because the merchant had never met the king.

"It's

Because

called the principle life

of

favorabilitv, beginner's luck.

wants vou to achieve vour Personal Legend ," the

old king had said.

But the merchant understood what the bov had

The

bov's verv presence in the

5Z

said.

shop was an omen, and,

as

The Alchemist

time passed and

money was pouring

had no

about having hired the boy.

regrets

being paid more

money than he

into the cash drawer, he

deserved, because the mer-

chant, thinking that sales wouldn't

amount

offered the boy a high commission rate.

would soon return

"Why to get

He

to

much, had

had assumed he

to his sheep.

did you want to get to the Pyramids?" he asked,

away from the business of the

"Because

I've

display.

always heard about them," the boy answered,

saying nothing about his dream. ing but a painful

about

The boy was

The

memory, and he

now

treasure was

noth-

tried to avoid thinking

it.

"I don't

know anyone around

who would want

here

to

cross the desert just to see the Pyramids," said the merchant.

"They're just a pile of stones.

You could

build one in your

backyard."

"You've never had dreams of ing to wait

Two

on

days

a

customer

later,

travel," said the boy,

who had

turn-

entered the shop.

the merchant spoke to the boy about the

display. "I don't

much

like change,"

he

said.

"You and

Hassan, that rich merchant. If he makes doesn't affect

a

I

buying mistake,

him much. But we two have

it

to live with our

mistakes."

That's true enough, the boy thought, ruefully.

53

aren't like

Paulo Coelho "Why

want to get back to

"I

when luck

advantage it

as its

sheep

faster.

and do

side,

We as

have to take

much

to help

of favora-

us. It's called the principle

beginner's luck."

The merchant was

us the Koran, and

gations to satisfy during our believe only in the

few moments.

silent for a

"The Prophet gave

said,

my

on our

is

doing to help

Or

bility.

did you think we should have the display?"

lives.

left

us just

five obli-

The most important

one true God. The others

Ramadan, and be

times a day, fast during

Then he

is

to

are to pray five

charitable to the

poor."

He

stopped

of the Prophet.

there.

He

His

was a devout man, and, even with

impatience, he wanted to

Muslim

"Two

fifth obligation?"

days ago, you said that

the merchant answered.

Muslim lives,

is

a pilgrimage.

We

to visit the holy city

"Mecca was young,

money

live his life

all

his

in accordance with

law.

"What's the

travel,"

eyes filled with tears as he spoke

is

I

I

"The

had never dreamed of fifth obligation

are obliged, at least

of every

once

in

our

of Mecca.

a lot farther

all

the boy asked.

away than the Pyramids.

When I

wanted to do was put together enough

to start this shop.

and could go to Mecca.

I

I

thought that someday

I'd

be

rich,

began to make some money, but

I

could never bring myself to leave someone in charge of the shop; the crystals are delicate things. At the same time,

54

The Alchemist

my

people were passing

shop

the time, heading for

all

Mecca. Some of them were rich pilgrims, traveling

in cara-

vans with servants and camels, but most of the people ing the pilgrimage were poorer than

"AH who went

there were

happy

mak-

I.

at

having done

so.

They

placed the symbols of the pilgrimage on the doors of their

One of them,

houses.

a cobbler

ing boots, said that he

had

the desert, but that he got

through the "Well,

"Because

That's what helps these

mute

same horrible

that ized,

I'll

more

tired

when he had

face these days that are

on the cafe.

shelves,

if

I

just

all

alive.

the same,

my dream

is

at

real-

living.

"You dream about your sheep and

dreams.

me

and lunch and dinner

I'm afraid that

have no reason to go on

you're different

to walk

his leather."

thought of Mecca that keeps

me

crystals

mend-

you go to Mecca now?" asked the boy.

don't

its the

his living

traveled for almost a year through

of Tangier buying

streets

why

who made

the Pyramids, but

from me, because you want to

want to dream about Mecca.

I've

realize

your

already imag-

ined a thousand times crossing the desert, arriving at the

Plaza of the Sacred Stone, the seven times before allowing myself to touch

people

who would

be

at

my

it.

side,

I've

I

to

it

would

dream about

all

and those

in front

share.

be a disappointment, so

it."

«

it

already imagined the

and the conversations and prayers we would afraid that

walk around

I

of me,

But I'm

prefer just

Paulo Coelho That

merchant gave the boy permission to build

day, the

the display.

Not

everyone can see his dreams

come

true in

the same way.

# TWO MORE MONTHS

PASSED,

AND THE SHELF BROUGHT MANY

customers into the crystal shop.

he worked for

and buy

The boy

estimated that, if

more months, he could return

six

sixty sheep,

and yet another

sixty.

to Spain

In less than a year,

he would have doubled his flock, and he would be able to do

now

business with the Arabs, because he was

morning

their strange language. Since that place, he

able to speak

in the

had never again made use of Urim and

because Egypt was

now

just as distant a

market-

Thummim,

dream

for

him

as

was Mecca for the merchant. Anyway, the boy had become

happy

work, and thought

in his

when he would disembark

all

at Tarifa as a

"You must always know what

The boy

old king had said.

ward

it.

Maybe

strange land,

it

the time about the day

it is

winner. that

knew, and was

you want," the

now working

was his treasure to have wound up

met up with

a thief,

and doubled the

to-

in that

size

of his

flock without spending a cent.

He

was proud of himself.

tant things, like

how

guage without words

he had seen a

man

He

had learned some impor-

to deal in crystal, .

.

.

at the

and about the

lan-

and about omens. One afternoon top of the

hill,

complaining that

it

was impossible to find a decent place to get something to

J6

The Alchemist

drink after such a climb.

The

accustomed to recogniz-

boy,

ing omens, spoke to the merchant.

"Lets

sell tea

to the people

"Lots of places

"But we could

who

around

sell tea

climb the

here," the

sell tea in crystal glasses.

enjoy the tea and want to buy the glasses. that beauty

is

hill."

merchant

The I

said.

people will

have been told

the great seducer of men."

The merchant

didn't respond, but that afternoon, after

saying his prayers and closing the shop, he invited the boy to sit

with him and share his hookah, that strange pipe used by

the Arabs.

"What

you're looking for?" asked the old merchant.

is it

told you.

"I've already

have to earn the

money

to

I

my

need to buy

do

sheep back, so

I

so."

The merchant put some new

coals in the hookah,

and

inhaled deeply.

"IVe had this shop for thirty years.

from bad, and everything I

know

its

dimensions and

crystal, the

change

shop

my way

"Well,

else there

isn't

is

how

it

is

behaves. If

going to expand.

And

we

crystal crystal.

serve tea in

then 111 have to

of life." that good?"

was thinking about

same

know good

know about

to

"I'm already used to the way things I

I

place, while

my

how much friends

time

are. I

Before you came,

had wasted

had moved on. and

bankrupt or did better than they

\^\d before.

in the

either went It

made me

Paulo Coelho very depressed.

The shop

Now,

I

can see that

exactly the size

is

I

always wanted

want to change anything, because with change. I'm used to the way

The boy ued,

didn't

know what

"You have been

hasn't

it

I

don't

I

been too bad.

it

to be.

I

don't

know how

to deal

man

contin-

am."

The

to say.

old

a real blessing to me. Today,

I

under-

stand something

I

didn't see before: every blessing ignored

becomes

I

don't

a curse.

are forcing

known.

me

Now

immense

my

want anything

to look at wealth

that

I

be able to accomplish, and

Tarifa,

I

horizons

refrained

now

I'm going to

possibilities are,

good

at

have seen them, and

did before you arrived. Because

It's

and

I

I

But you

else in life.

know

have never

I

that

feel

do

from saying anything

how

worse than

the things

don't want to

see

I

I

I

should

so."

to the baker in

thought the boy to himself.

They went on smoking began to

set.

They were

the pipe for a while as the sun

conversing in Arabic, and the boy

was proud of himself for being able to do

been a time when he thought that everything he needed to

his sheep

know about

so.

There had

could teach him

the world. But they

could never have taught him Arabic.

There

are

probably other things in the world that the

sheep can't teach me, thought the boy merchant. All they ever do,

And maybe

it

really, is

as

he regarded the old

look for food and water.

wasn't that they were teaching me, but that

was learning from them.

5«

I

The Alchem ist "Maktub" the merchant said,

"What

finally.

does that mean?"

"You would have

to have been

born an Arab to under-

stand," he answered. "But in your language

thing like

And,

he smothered the coals in the hookah, he told

the boy that he could begin to

Sometimes,

would be some-

written.'

'It is

as

it

no way

there's just

sell tea in

the crystal glasses.

to hold back the river.

# The men climbed the

hill,

and they were tired when

they reached the top. But there they saw a crystal shop that

They went

offered refreshing mint tea.

which was served

"My wife some

crystal

guests

The

The

in beautiful crystal glasses.

never thought of this," said one, and he bought

—

he was entertaining guests that night, and the

would be impressed by the beauty of the

other

when

in to drink the tea,

it

man remarked

was served in

third said that

that tea was always

was

more

a tradition in the

crystal glasses for tea because

it

thing

new

hill,

to see the

in a trade that

opened that served of a

hill

Orient to use

had magical powers.

Before long, the news spread, and a great

began to climb the

many people

shop that was doing some-

was so old. Other shops were

tea in crystal, but they weren't

and they had

little

delicious

because the aroma was retained.

crystal, it

glassware.

business.

.)

at

the top

Paulo Coelho had to

Eventually, the merchant ees.

He

two more employ-

began to import enormous quantities of

with his

women

hire

and

crystal,

his

tea,

along

shop was sought out by men and

with a thirst for things new.

And,

in that way, the

months

The boy awoke before dawn. and nine days since he had

passed.

had been eleven months

It

set foot

first

on the African

continent.

He bought

dressed in his Arabian clothing of white linen, especially for this day.

and secured

new

it

with a ring

He

put his headcloth in place

made of camel

Wearing

his

sandals, he descended the stairs silently.

The

city

was

still

sleeping.

He

prepared himself a sand-

wich and drank some hot tea from sat in the sun-filled

He smoked to the desert.

of

skin.

a crystal glass.

Then he

doorway, smoking the hookah.

in silence, thinking

of nothing, and listening

sound of the wind that brought the scent of the

When he

his pockets,

had finished

and

his

smoke, he reached into one

sat there for a

few moments, regarding

what he had withdrawn. It

was a bundle of money. Enough to buy himself a hun-

dred and twenty sheep, a return

ticket,

port products from Africa into his

60

own

and

a license to im-

country.

The Alchemist

He

waited patiently for the merchant to awaken and open

the shop.

Then

the

two went off to have some more

tea.

money

"I'm leaving today/' said the boy. "I have the

my

need to buy

sheep.

And you

have the

money you need

I

to

go to Mecca."

The

old

man

said nothing.

"Will you give have helped me." ing nothing.

me

your blessing?" asked the boy. "You

The man

Then he turned

am proud of you,"

"I

ing into

my

continued to prepare his

crystal shop.

go to Mecca. Just

as

he

tea, say-

to the boy.

"You brought

said.

new

a

feel-

But you know that I'm not going to

you know that you're not going to buy

your sheep."

"Who

told you that?" asked the boy, startled.

"Maktuh" said the old crystal merchant.

And

he gave the boy his blessing.

The boy went to They

his

filled three sacks.

room and packed As he was

leaving, he saw, in the cor-

ner of the room, his old shepherds pouch. up,

and he had hardly thought of

took

one

his jacket

his belongings.

it

It

was bunched

for a long time.

out of the pouch, thinking to give

in the street, the

two stones

Thummim.

6l

fell

to the floor.

it

to

As he some-

Urim and

Paulo Coelho made

It

him

the boy think of the old king, and

to realize

how

long

it

it

startled

had been since he had thought of

him. For nearly a year, he had been working incessantly, thinking only of putting aside enough

money

so that he

could return to Spain with pride.

"Never stop dreaming," the old king had

said.

"Follow

the omens."

The boy again,

He

picked up

Urim and Thummim,

and, once

had the strange sensation that the old king was nearby.

had worked hard

for a year,

and the omens were that

it

was time to go. I'm going to go back to doing just what

boy thought. Even though the sheep

I

did before, the

didn't teach

me

to speak

Arabic.

But the sheep had taught him something even more important: that there was a language in the world that everyone

understood, a language the boy had used throughout the

time that he was trying to improve things

at the

shop.

It

was

the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love

and purpose, and

lieved in

and he

and

as part

of a search for something be-

desired. Tangier

felt that, just as

was no longer

a strange city,

he had conquered this place, he could

conquer the world.

"When you to help

want something,

you achieve

it,"

all

the universe conspires

the old king had said.

But the old king hadn't said anything about being

62

The Alchemist

robbed, or about endless deserts, or about people

who know

what

them.

dreams

their

are but don't

old king hadn't told

of

you should buy

The boy things.

He

in his backyard.

when you have

that,

a flock larger than the

one you had be-

it.

picked up his pouch and put

went down the

on

waiting

stairs

it

with his other

and found the merchant

two other customers

a foreign couple, while

walked about the shop, drinking tea from crystal was more

stood, he saw for the

merchant's hair was very

He remembered had

that smile It's

And

king.

On

He

as if

yet,

who

left

didn't

been

as

like the hair

like the

to eat

of the old king.

seller,

on

his first

day

and nowhere to go

old kings smile.

he had been here and

none of these people has

left his

ever

mark, he

met the old

are trying to realize their Personal Legend.

without saying good-bye to the crystal merchant.

want to cry with the other people

going to miss the place and learned.

time that the old

the other hand, he said that he always appeared to

help those

He

first

the smile of the candy

also

almost

thought.

much

when he had nothing

in Tangier,

glasses. It

than usual for this time of the morning.

activity

From where he

The

that the Pyramids were just a pile

he had forgotten to mention

enough money to buy fore,

realize

anyone could build one

stones, or that

And

him

want to

He

all

was more confident

the

He

was

good things he had

in himself,

though he could conquer the world.

there.

though, and

felt

Paulo Coelho "But I'm going back to the

of

care

my

flock again."

He

fields that

know, to take

I

said that to himself with cer-

worked

for an entire year to

that dream,

Maybe

make

dream come

a

minute by minute, was becoming

knows

ing to

do

But

he held

so,

and

.

.

.

maybe

be

its better to

like the crystal

coincidence

life

want-

he thought, again trying to convince himself.

—

Urim and Thummim him

transmitted to

or

By

the strength and will of the old king.

maybe

thief wasn't there,

had

in his hand, they

it

was an omen, the boy thought

he came to the bar he had entered on his

first

day

and the owner brought him

a

there.

The

cup of

tea.

can always go back to being a shepherd, the boy

thought. gotten

true,

important.

less

merchant: never go to Mecca, and just go through

I

had

because that wasn't really his dream.

Who

as

He

but he was no longer happy with his decision.

tainty,

I

learned

how

that's

how

to care for sheep, and

done. But maybe

breastplate

haven't for-

never have another

I'll

chance to get to the Pyramids in Egypt.

I

The

of gold, and he knew about

old

my

man wore

past.

He

a

really

was a king, a wise king.

The

hills

of Andalusia were only two hours away, but

there was an entire desert between

Yet the boy ation:

felt

him and

that there was another

way

the Pyramids.

to regard his situ-

he was actually two hours closer to his treasure

fact that the

two hours had stretched into an

didn't matter.

64

.

.

.

the

entire year

The Alchemist

I

know why I want

to get back to

my

flock,

he thought.

I

understand sheep; they're no longer a problem, and they can

On

be good friends.

the other hand,

and

desert can be a friend,

search for

home.

my

I finally

its in

dont know

I

the desert that

if the

have to

I

can always go

treasure. If I don't find

it,

I

have enough money, and

all

the time

need.

I

Why not? He

suddenly

felt

tremendously happy.

go back to being a shepherd. tal

salesman again.

sures,

happen to

He

could always become a crys-

the world

had other hidden

trea-

crystal

just anyone!

was planning

that one

of the

as

he

left

the bar.

He

had remembered

crystal merchant's suppliers transported his

by means of caravans that crossed the

and

stones, he "I

could always

but he had a dream, and he had met with a king. That

doesn't

Unm

Maybe

He

He

am

Thummim

in his hand; because

was once again on the way to always nearby,

could

if the

The Englishman was that smelled

his treasure.

to realize

had told him.

Pyramids were

sitting

on

I

really that far

dust;

it

was part ware-

never thought Id end up

6j

away?

a bench in a structure

of animals, sweat, and

house, part corral.

held

cost to go over to the supplier's ware-

it

house and find out

He

of those two

when someone wants

their Personal Legend," the old king

What

desert.

in a place like

Paulo Coelho he thought,

this,

Ten

journal.

as

he leafed through the pages of a chemical

years at the university,

But he had to move on. life

and

all

his studies

He

and here

am

I

in a corral.

believed in omens. All his

were aimed

at finding the

one true lan-

guage of the universe. First he had studied Esperanto, then the worlds religions, and

now

it

to speak Esperanto, he understood

but he wasn't yet an alchemist.

well,

He knew how

was alchemy. all

the major religions

He

had unraveled the

truths behind important questions, but his studies

had taken

him

to a point

to go.

had

tried in vain to establish a relationship with an al-

chemist.

beyond which he could not seem

But the

alchemists

were

who

people,

strange

He

thought only about themselves, and almost always refused to help him. secret

Who knows, maybe they had failed to discover the

of the Master

Work

for this reason kept their

He

—

the Philosophers Stone

—and

knowledge to themselves.

had already spent much of the fortune

left

him by

to

his father, fruitlessly seeking the Philosopher's Stone.

He

had

spent enormous amounts of time at the great libraries of the world, and had purchased

all

the rarest and

volumes on alchemy. In one he had read ago, a

famous Arabian alchemist had

said that he was

most important

that,

visited

more than two hundred

many

Europe.

years old,

years

It

was

and that

he had discovered the Philosopher's Stone and the Elixir of Life.

The Englishman had been profoundly

story.

But he would never have thought

66

it

impressed by the

more than

just a

The Alchemist

myth, had not a friend of his

— —

returning from an archaeo-

logical expedition in the desert

that was possessed

"He

lives at

"And people

told

him about an Arab

of exceptional powers.

Al-Fayoum

the

say that he

is

oasis/' his friend

two hundred

years old,

had

and

said.

is

able

to transform any metal into gold!'

The Englishman canceled

all

could not contain his excitement.

He

commitments and pulled together the most

his

now

important of his books, and

here he was, sitting inside a

dusty, smelly warehouse. Outside, a

huge caravan was being

prepared for a crossing of the Sahara, and was scheduled to pass through Al-Fayoum.

I'm going to find that damned alchemist, the English-

man

thought.

more

tolerable.

A

And

young Arab,

the odor of the animals

down with

also loaded

became

a bit

baggage, entered,

and greeted the Englishman.

"Where

are

you bound?" asked the young Arab.

"I'm going into the desert/' the

back to his reading. point.

What

He

didn't

answered, turning

want any conversation

he needed to do was review

over the years, because the alchemist to the

man

all

would

at this

he had learned

certainly put

him

test.

The young Arab took The book was Englishman.

out

a

book and began

to read.

written in Spanish. That's good, thought the

He

spoke Spanish better than Arabic, and,

6?

ll

Paulo Coelho boy was going to Al-Fayoum, there would be someone

this

when

to talk to

there were

no other important things

to do.

# "That's strange," said the boy, as he tried once again to read the burial scene that began the book. "I've been trying for

two years to read

this

book, and

few pages." Even without

first

tion,

a

I

never get past these

king to provide an interrup-

he was unable to concentrate.

He

had some doubts about the decision he had

still

made. But he was able to understand one thing: making cision was only the beginning

makes

a decision, he

him

will carry

made

first

When ined that

And

is

it

things.

to places he

someone

had never dreamed of when he

the decision.

decided to seek out

I

wind up working

I'd

goes

is

my

treasure, I never

in a crystal shop,

may

have been

unfriendly,

my

imag-

he thought.

decision, but

going to be a mystery to me.

Nearby was the Englishman, reading

entered.

When

really diving into a strong current that

joining this caravan

where

of

a de-

and had looked

They might

irritated

even have

a book.

when

become

He

the

seemed

boy had

friends,

but the

Englishman closed off the conversation.

The boy do anything

He

closed his book. that

He

felt

that he didn't

might make him look

took Urim and

Thummim

playing with them.

68

from

like the

want to

Englishman.

his pocket,

and began

The Alchem ist

The

stranger shouted,

them back

In a flash the boy put

"They're not for

"Urim and Thummim!"

sale/'

he

in his pocket.

said.

"They're not worth much," the Englishman answered. "They're only

made of rock

and there

crystal,

rock crystals in the earth. But those

would know

things didn't

know

"They were

had them

given to

me

who know about

of

such

Urim and Thummim.

that those are

that they

are millions

in this part

as a present

I

of the world."

by a king," the boy

said.

The

hand

in

and took out two stones that were the same

as

stranger didn't answer; instead, he put his

his pocket,

the boy s.

"Did you

you don't

"I guess

someone

say a king?" he asked.

like

believe that a king

me, a shepherd," he

said,

would

talk to

wanting to end the

conversation.

"Not

at

all. It

was shepherds

who

were the

first

to recog-

nize a king that the rest of the world refused to acknowledge. So,

it's

not surprising that kings would talk to shepherds."

And

he went on, fearing that the boy wouldn't under-

stand what he was talking about,

book

that taught

me

stones were the only

The

priests carried

"It's in

about Urim and

the Bible.

The same

Thummim. These

form of divination permitted by God.

them

in a

golden breastplate.

The boy was suddenh happy

69

to be there at the warehouse,

Paulo Coelho "Maybe

this

an omen," said the Englishman, half

is

aloud.

"Who

told you about omens?"

increasing by the

boy's interest

was

moment.

"Everything in

now

The

life

is

an omen," said the Englishman,

closing the journal he was reading. "There

is

a universal

language, understood by everybody, but already forgotten.

am

in search

of that universal language, among other things.

why I'm

That's

here.

universal language.

The

I

I

An

have to find a

man who knows

that

alchemist."

conversation was interrupted by the warehouse boss.

"You're in luck, you two," the fat Arab said. "There's a caravan leaving today for Al-Fayoum."

"But I'm going to Egypt," the boy

"Al-Fayoum

Arab

is

said.

in Egypt," said the Arab.

"What kind of

are you?"

"That's a the fat

good luck omen,"

Arab had gone

the Englishman said, after

out. "If I could, I'd write a

huge ency-

clopedia just about the words luck and coincidence.

those words that the universal language

He

told the boy

him with Urim and the

boy

if he, too,

it

is

It's

with

written."

was no coincidence that he had met

Thummim

in his hand.

And

he asked

were in search of the alchemist.

"I'm looking for a treasure," said the boy, and he immediately regretted having said

it.

But the Englishman appeared

not to attach any importance to

yo

it.

The Alchemist "In a way, so

am I,"

"I don't even

know what alchemy

he

said.

the boy was saying,

is,"

when

the warehouse boss called to

"I'm

the leader of the caravan" said a dark-eyed,

them

bearded man. "I hold the power of person

I

The

take with me.

sometimes she drives

men

desert

life is

to

come

outside.

and death for every

a capricious lady,

crazy."

There were almost two hundred people gathered and four hundred animals In the crowd were

with swords

—

women,

at their belts

children,

and

rifles

and a number of men

slung on their shoulders.

several suitcases

There was

noise,

of

there,

camels, horses, mules, and fowl.

The Englishman had a babble

and

filled

with books.

and the leader had to repeat

himself several times for everyone to understand what he was saying.

"There his

are a lot

own God. But

name

I

swear that

of different people

the only I

will

I

serve

is

and each has

Allah,

and

in his

do everything possible once again

win out over the

desert.

to swear by the

God you

orders

God

here,

But

I

to

want each and every one of you

believe in that

no matter what. In the

you

will follow

desert, disobedience

my

means

death."

There was

a

murmur from

quietly to his or her

the crowd. Each was swearing

own God. The boy swore

to

Jesus

Pa ulo The Englishman

Christ.

lasted longer than a simple

Coelho And

said nothing.

vow would

have.

the

The

murmur

people were

also praying to heaven for protection.

A

long note was sounded on a bugle, and everyone

mounted

up.

The boy and

the Englishman had bought

camels, and climbed uncertainly onto their backs. felt

sorry for the Englishman's camel, loaded

down

The boy he was

as

with the cases of books. "There's no such thing as coincidence," said the English-

man, picking up the conversation where

it

had been

inter-

rupted in the warehouse. "I'm here because a friend of mine heard of an Arab

who ..."

But the caravan began to move, and hear what the Englishman was saying.

it

was impossible to

The boy knew what

he was about to describe, though: the mysterious chain that links

him

one thing to another, the same chain that had caused to

become

a shepherd, that

had caused

his recurring

dream, that had brought him to a city near Africa, to find a king,

and to be robbed

and

.

.

meet

a crystal merchant,

.

The more

in order to

closer

one gets to realizing

that Personal

his Personal

Legend becomes

his

Legend, the

true reason for

being, thought the boy.

The

caravan

moved toward

the morning, halted

when

the east.

the sun was at

It traveled its

during

strongest,

and

The Alchemist

resumed

afternoon.

late in the

the Englishman,

who

and people across the

from how

it

very

with

little

spent most of his time with his books.

The boy observed

ferent

The boy spoke

in silence the progress of the animals desert.

Now

everything was quite dif-

was that day they had

had been confusion and shouting, the the whinnying of animals,

all

set out: then, there

cries

of children and

mixed with the nervous orders

of the guides and the merchants. But, in the desert, there was only the

guides spoke very

to one another.

little

crossed these sands

many

times," said

camel drivers one night. "But the desert

is

should remain

he saw the

mental

or a

and

intuitively

what he meant, even

set foot in the desert before. fire,

he

fell silent,

Whenever

impressed by their

ele-

force.

I've

things

sea,

feel small,

silent."

The boy understood without ever having

one of the

so huge, and the

horizons so distant, that they make a person as if he

eter-

and of the hoofbeats of the animals. Even the

nal wind,

"I've

sound of the

learned things from the sheep, and

from

crystal,

he thought.

the desert, too. It seems old

The wind day he had

blowing

and

I

I've

learned

can learn something from

wise.

never stopped, and the boy remembered the

sat at the fort in Tarifa

in his face. It

with this same wind

reminded him of the wool from

his

sheep ... his sheep

Pa ulo

Coelho

who

now

were

seeking food and water in

the fields of Andalusia, as they always had.

"They're not

my

sheep anymore," he said to himself,

without nostalgia. "They must be used to their new shepherd,

and have probably already forgotten me. That's good.

Creatures like the sheep, that are used to traveling,

know

about moving on."

He

thought of the merchants daughter, and was sure

had probably married. Perhaps to

that she

other shepherd stories

—

after

was excited driver's

who could

all,

at

a baker, or to an-

read and could

her exciting

tell

he probably wasn't the only one. But he

his

intuitive

understanding of the camel

comment: maybe he was

also learning the universal

language that deals with the past and the present of all people.

"Hunches," his mother used to

The boy was

them.

call

ginning to understand that intuition

is

really a

sudden im-

mersion of the soul into the universal current of the histories of

know

all

be-

life,

where

people are connected, and we are able to

everything, because

it's all

written there.

"Maktub" the boy said, remembering the crystal merchant.

The others.

desert was

When

go around

make

a

it;

all

sand in some

stretches,

the caravan was blocked by a boulder, if there

was

a large

rocky

area,

major detour. If the sand was too

mals' hooves, they sought a substantial. In

and rocky

some

it

in

had to

they had to

fine for the ani-

way where the sand was more

places, the

74

ground was covered with the

The Alchemist

salt

of dried-up

lakes.

The

animals balked at such places, and

the camel drivers were forced to dismount and unburden their charges.

The

drivers carried the freight themselves over

such treacherous footing, and then reloaded the camels. If a guide were to

and appoint But

fall ill

a

new

all this

how many

it

one.

happened

one basic reason: no matter

for

detours and adjustments

moved toward overcome,

or die, the camel drivers would draw lots

returned to

star shining in the

course, sighting

its

morning

right course toward water,

The

much more the wind.

first

on

a star that in-

the people saw that

knew they were on

trees, shelter,

and other people.

who was unaware of all

immersed

the

this;

he

in reading his books.

book, and he had tried to read

it

few days of the journey. But he found

it

had

his

interesting to observe the caravan

As soon

and to

book

part,

boy, too,

during the

ter,

most

When

sky, they

palm

was only the Englishman

was, for the

made, the caravan

same compass point. Once obstacles were

the

dicated the location of the oasis.

It

it

as

he had learned to

know

and

his

listen to

camel bet-

establish a relationship with him, he threw the

away. Although the boy had developed a superstition

that each time he

opened the book he would learn some-

thing important, he decided

He became

it

was an unnecessary burden.

friendly with the camel driver

alongside him. At night, as they sat around the related to the driver his adventures as

15

.1

who fire,

shepherd.

traveled

the boj

Paulo Coelho During one of these conversations, the

own

life.

"I

used to

my

orchard, until

I

died.

life. I

children,

and

One

when

year,

flowed

I

a

life

that

the crop was the best ever,

satisfied the

day, the earth

banks.

its

It

lose

afraid that

thing

all

"The land was to earn a living.

taught

me

fear the

made me

My

I

good.

I

and

my

wife was

thought that every-

destroyed.

ruined,

and

to understand the if

feel

neighbors feared they

lose our children.

So now I'm

unknown

all

thought could hap-

their olive trees in the flood,

owned would be

I

we

only unmet obligation in

was something that

we would

at all

began to tremble, and the Nile over-

pen only to others, never to me.

would

would change not

could die happily, and that

"One

my

near El Cairum," he said. "I had

live

went to Mecca, and

my

of his

driver told

a

I

had to find some other way

camel

driver.

But that disaster

word of Allah: people need not

they are capable of achieving what they

need and want.

"We life

are afraid

of losing what we have, whether

its

our

or our possessions and property. But this fear evaporates

when we understand

that our

the world were written by the

life

stories

and the history of

same hand."

Sometimes, their caravan met with another.

—

had something that the other needed

One

as if everything

indeed written by one hand. As they sat around the

76

always

were

fire,

the

The Alchemist

camel drivers exchanged information about windstorms, and told stories about the desert.

At other

times, mysterious,

who

they were Bedouins route. tribes.

hooded men would appear;

did surveillance along the caravan

They provided warnings about They came

in silence

thieves

and barbarian

and departed the same way,

dressed in black garments that showed only their eyes. night, a camel driver

and the boy were

came

to the

"There

sitting.

fire

are

One

where the Englishman

rumors of tribal

wars/'

he told them.

The

three

fell silent.

sense of fear in the

Once .

.

air,

The boy noted

even though no one said anything.

again he was experiencing the language without words

the universal language.

.

The Englishman "Once you

asked

if

they were in danger.

get into the desert, there's

said the camel driver. "And,

to

that there was a

when you

can't

no going

back,"

go back, you have

worry only about the best way of moving forward. The

rest

is

up

And

to Allah, including the danger."

he

concluded by saying the mysterious word:

"Maktub."

"You should pay more

attention to the caravan," the boy

said to the Englishman, after the camel driver

make

a lot

had

left.

"We

of detours, but were always heading for the same

destination."

77

Pailo Coelho "And vou ought

more about

read

to

answered the Englishman. "Books are

the

world,"

like caravans in that

respect."

The immense travel faster.

the nights

The

collection of people

days had always been

—when —had

around the

and animals began to silent,

but now, even

the travelers were accustomed to talking

fires

leader of the caravan

no longer be

also

made

become

And, one

quiet.

the decision that the

lighted, so as

day, the

fires

should

not to attract attention to the

caravan.

The mals in

travelers

adopted the practice of arranging the ani-

a circle at night, sleeping together in the center as

protection against the nocturnal cold.

armed

sentinels at the fringes

The Englishman was called to the boy,

And

of the group.

He

unable to sleep one night.

and they took

a

walk along the dunes sur-

rounding the encampment. There was

a full

boy told the Englishman the story of his

The Englishman was

the leader posted

moon, and

the

life.

fascinated with the part about the

progress achieved at the crystal shop after the boy began

working

there.

"That's the principle that governs "In alchemy,

it's

called the Soul

want something with est to the

He

all

also said that this

It's

that's

When

when you

you

are clos-

always a positive force."

was not

7&

things," he said.

of the World.

your heart,

Soul of the World.

all

just a

human

gift,

that

The Alchemist everything eral,

on the

face

of the earth had

vegetable, or animal

—

"Everything on earth because the earth that soul, so in the crystal

we

is

alive

.

whether min-

or even just a simple thought.

being continuously transformed,

is

.

a soul,

.

and

it

has a soul.

rarely recognize that

it is

We are part of

working for

shop you probably realized that even the

But

us.

glasses

were collaborating in your success/'

The boy thought about the

moon and

van

as

it

that for a while as he looked at

the bleached sands. "I have watched the cara-

crossed the desert," he said.

desert speak the

same language, and

the desert allows the crossing.

It's

"The

caravan and the

its for that

going to

every step to see if it's in time, and, if it

is,

reason that

test the caravan's

we

will

make

it

to

the oasis."

"If either of us had joined this caravan based only

on

personal courage, but without understanding that language, this

journey would have been

They stood

much more

there looking at the

difficult."

moon.

"That's the magic of omens," said the boy. "I've seen

how

the guides read the signs of the desert, and

of the caravan speaks to the soul of the

The Englishman

said, "I'd better

how

desert."

pay more attention to

the caravan."

"And

I'd

better read your books," said the boy.

79

the soul

Paulo Coelho They were strange books. They spoke about mercury, salt,

dragons, and kings, and he didn't understand any of

But there was one idea that seemed to repeat out

all

the books:

all

itself

it.

through-

things are the manifestation of one

thing only.

most important

In one of the books he learned that the

of alchemy contained only

text in the literature

a

few

lines,

and had been inscribed on the surface of an emerald. "It's

that he

the

Emerald

Tablet," said the Englishman,

proud

might teach something to the bow

"Well, then,

whv do we need

all

these books?" the

boy

asked.

"So that we can understand those few

Englishman answered, without appearing

what he had

lines,"

the

really to believe

said.

The book

that

most

interested the

boy told the

stories

of the famous alchemists. Thev were men who had dedicated their entire lives to the purification of metals in their laboratories; they believed that, if a metal were heated for

many ties,

wears,

it

would

and what was

free itself

left

of all

its

individual proper-

would be the Soul of the World.

This Soul of the World allowed them to understand anything on the face of the earth, because

with which

all

things communicated.

covery the Master

Work

—

it

solid.

5o

it

was the language

They

called that dis-

was part liquid and part

The Alchemist

"Cant you

men and omens

just observe

in order to

understand the language?" the boy asked.

"You have

a

mania for simplifying everything," answered "Alchemy

the Englishman, irritated.

is

Every step has to be followed exactly

a serious discipline.

as

it

was followed by

the masters."

The boy

Work

learned that the liquid part of the Master

was called the Elixir of

nesses;

it

Life,

also kept the alchemist

and that

cured

it

from growing

old.

all ill-

And

the

solid part was called the Philosophers Stone.

not easy to find the Philosophers Stone," said the

"It's

Englishman. "The alchemists spent years in their laboratories,

so

observing the

much

vanities

fire

that purified the metals.

time close to the

They

that gradually they gave

fire

spent

up the

of the world. They discovered that the purification

of the metals had led to a purification of themselves."

The boy thought about said that

it

the crystal merchant.

He

was a good thing for the boy to clean the crystal

pieces, so that

he could free himself from negative thoughts.

The boy was becoming more and more alchemy could be learned

in one's daily

convinced that

life.

"Also," said the Englishman, "the Philosopher's

A

has a fascinating property.

Having heard

He

that, the

thought

gold.''

boy became even more

that,

Stone

small sliver of the stone can

transform large quantities of metal into

in alchemy.

had

interested

with some patience, he'd be able

Si

Paulo Coelho to transform everything into gold.

who had succeeded

ious people

He read the lives

in

doing

var-

so: Helvetius, Elias,

Fulcanelli,

and Geber. They were fascinating

them

out his Personal Legend to the end.

lived

of the

stories:

each of

They traveled,

spoke with wise men, performed miracles for the incredulous,

and owned the Philosopher s Stone and the

how

But when the boy wanted to learn

Master Work, he became completely

lost.

drawings, coded instructions, and obscure

"Why do they make

of Life.

to achieve the

There were

just

texts.

things so complicated?" he asked

the Englishman one night.

Englishman was

Elixir

irritable,

The boy had

and missed

noticed that the

his books.

"So that those who have the responsibility for understanding can understand," he said. "Imagine

if everyone

went

around transforming lead into gold. Gold would lose

its

value.

"Its only those

things deeply,

who

who

are persistent,

achieve the Master

and willing to study

Work. That's why I'm

here in the middle of the desert. I'm seeking a true alchemist

who

will help

"When

me

to decipher the codes."

were these books written?" the boy asked.

"Many

centuries ago."

"They

didn't have the printing press in those days," the

boy argued. "There was no way for everybody to know about

Sz

The Alchemist

Why

alchemy.

did they use such strange language, with so

many drawings?"

The Englishman

didn't answer

for the past few days he

him

directly.

He

said that

had been paying attention

to

how

the caravan operated, but that he hadn't learned anything

The

new.

only thing he had noticed was that talk of war was

becoming more and more frequent.

# Then one day the boy returned the books to the Englishman. "Did you learn anything?" the Englishman asked, eager to hear

what

it

might

talk to so as to avoid thinking "I learned that the

be.

He needed someone

to

about the possibility of war.

world has a

soul,

and that whoever

understands that soul can also understand the language of things.

I

learned that

Legends, and

many

wound up

alchemists realized their Personal

discovering the Soul of the World,

the Philosopher's Stone, and the Elixir of Life. "But,

above

all,

I

learned that these things

so simple that they could be written

on the

are

surface

all

of an

emerald."

The Englishman was search, the

The

years

of

re-

magic symbols, the strange words and the labora-

tory equipment the boy.

disappointed.

.

.

.

none of this had made an impression on

His soul must be too primitive

things, he thought.

«j

to understand those

Coelho

Pa ulo

He

took back

books and packed them away again

his

in

their bags.

"Go back teach

me

to watching the caravan," he said.

"That

didn't

anything, either."

The boy went back

to contemplating the silence of the

desert,

and the sand raised by the animals. "Everyone has

or her

own way of learning

way

isn't

the

same

things,"

he said to himself. "His

mine, nor mine as

as

his

search of our Personal Legends, and

I

his.

But we're both in

him

respect

The caravan began to travel day and

night.

for that."

The hooded

Bedouins reappeared more and more frequently, and the

—who

had become

camel driver boy's

—

a

good

of the

friend

explained that the war between the tribes had

ready begun.

The

al-

caravan would be very lucky to reach the

oasis.

The

animals were exhausted, and the

and

themselves

less

the night,

when

less.

The

silence

men

—which —now

the mere groan of a camel

everyone, because

it

might

driver,

among

was the worst aspect of

had been nothing but the groan of a camel

The camel

talked

before

frightened

signal a raid.

though, seemed not to be very con-

cerned with the threat of war.

"I'm

alive,"

he said to the boy, as they ate a bunch of

dates one night, with

no

fires

and no moon.

"When

I'm

eat-

The Alchemist think about. If I'm on the march,

ing, that's all I

centrate a

on marching.

day to die

as

"Because

If I have to fight,

life

I

don't live in either

present, youll be a

my

past or

my

happy man. You'll

be a party for you, a grand

Two

good

future.

I'm

see that there

in the desert, that there are stars in the heavens,

moment

as

you can concentrate always

tribesmen fight because they are part of the will

be just

will

con-

any other.

interested only in the present. If

on the

it

just

I

festival,

human

because

and that race. Life

the

life is

we're living right now."

nights

later, as

he was getting ready to bed down,

He

the boy looked for the star they followed every night.

thought that the horizon was a bit lower than because he seemed to see stars on the desert "It's

is

it

had been,

itself.

the oasis," said the camel driver.

"Well,

why

don't

we go

there right

now?" the boy asked.

"Because we have to sleep."

The boy awoke

as

where the small

stars

less

the sun rose. There, in front of him, had been the night before, was an end-

row of date palms, stretching across the "We've done

awakened

it!"

said the Englishman,

who had

also

early.

But the boy was quiet.

of the

entire desert.

desert,

He

was

and he was content

at

home

just to

look

with the silence at

the trees.

He

Paulo Coelho long way to go to reach the Pyramids, and some-

still

had

a

day

this

morning would

present

tioned

moment

—and

—

be a memory. But this was the

just

the party

7

he wanted to

the camel driver

live it as

past and his dreams of the future.

would someday be

date palms

signified shade, water,

he did the lessons of his

Although the vision of the

just a

memory,

The world

now

it

now

a

row of date

a miracle.

speaks

The times rush

right

and a refuge from the war. Yesterday,

the camel's groan signaled danger, and

palms could herald

had men-

past,

many

languages, the boy thought.

and so do the caravans, thought

the alchemist, as he watched the hundreds of people and an-

imals arriving at the oasis. People were shouting at the arrivals,

dust obscured the desert sun, and the children of the

oasis were bursting with excitement at the arrival

strangers.

The

at length.

But none of that mattered to the alchemist.

many people come and

ready seen as

it

was.

desert sands.

He

go,

child.

had

al-

re-

had seen kings and beggars walking the

The dunes

He

He

and the desert

were changed constantly by the

wind, yet these were the same sands he had

was a

of the

alchemist saw the tribal chiefs greet the leader

of the caravan, and converse with him

mained

new

known

since he

always enjoyed seeing the happiness that the

travelers experienced

when,

after

86

weeks of yellow sand and

The Alchemist blue sky, they

God

first

saw the green of the date palms. Maybe

created the desert so that

trees,

decided to concentrate on more practical matters.

He knew

that in the caravan there was a

was to teach some of his

He

know

didn't

recognize

someone I

the

secrets.

man

yet,

He

know why

God

The omens had

told

he

him

but his practiced eye would that

it

would be

these things have to be transmitted by It

wasn't exactly that they were

revealed his secrets easily to

had only one explanation

be transmitted life,

whom

to

as capable as his previous apprentice.

don't

secrets;

man

him when he appeared. He hoped

word of mouth, he thought.

pure

could appreciate the date

he thought.

He

so.

man

and

this

this

all

his creatures.

for this fact: things have to

way because they were made up from

kind of life cannot be captured

the

in pictures

or words.

Because people become fascinated with pictures and words, and wind up forgetting the Language of the World.

The boy couldn't

what he was

the

oasis,

rather than being just a well surrounded by a few

palm

trees

—

as

seeing:

he had seen once in a geography book

larger than

dred

believe

many towns back

wells, fifty

in Spain.

thousand date

ored tents spread

among them.

«7

trees,

—was much

There were three hunand innumerable

col-

Paulo Coelho looks

"It

like

A

One

Thousand and

Nights,"

the

said

Englishman, impatient to meet with the alchemist.

They were surrounded by

children, curious to look at the

animals and people that were arriving.

wanted to know

if

The men of the

they had seen any fighting, and the

competed with one another

for access to the cloth

cious stones brought by the merchants.

The

oasis

women

and pre-

silence

of the

desert was a distant dream; the travelers in the caravan were

and shouting,

talking incessantly, laughing

emerged from the

spiritual

if

they had

world and found themselves once

They were

again in the world of people.

They had been

as

relieved

and happy.

taking careful precautions in the desert,

but the camel driver explained to the boy that oases were

ways considered to be neutral ity

of the inhabitants were

territories,

women and

al-

because the major-

children.

There were

oases throughout the desert, but the tribesmen fought in the desert, leaving the oases as places

With some all

his

of refuge.

difficulty, the leader

of the caravan brought

people together and gave them his instructions.

group was to remain there tween the

would have

was

tribes

The

at the oasis until the conflict be-

Since they were visitors, they

over.

to share living space with those

who

lived there,

and would be given the best accommodations. That was the law of hospitality. his

own

by the

sentinels,

Then he

hand over

tribal chieftains.

asked that everyone, including their

arms to the men appointed

The Alchemist

"Those oases

are the rules

may not

To

of war," the leader explained. "The

shelter armies or troops."

the boys surprise, the Englishman took a chrome-

plated revolver out of his bag and gave

it

to the

men who

were collecting the arms.

"Why

a revolver?" he asked.

helped

"It

me

to

trust

in

people,"

the Englishman

answered. his treasure.

The

of his dream, the more

diffi-

Meanwhile, the boy thought about closer he got to the realization

became.

cult things

It

seemed

called "beginners luck" were

as if

what the old king had

no longer functioning. In

his

pursuit of the dream, he was being constantly subjected to

of

tests

his persistence

and courage. So he could not be

hasty,

nor impatient. If he pushed forward impulsively, he

would

fail

to see the signs

and omens

left

by

God

along his

path.

God self

my

path.

He

had surprised him-

with the thought. Until then, he had considered the

omens like

placed them along

to be things

of this world. Like eating or sleeping, or

seeking love or finding a job.

them

in

He

terms of a language used by

had never thought of

God

to indicate

what he

should do. "Don't be impatient," he repeated to himself. the camel driver said: 'Eat

along when

it's

when

it's

time to move along."'

«9

time to eat

"It's

like

And move

Coelho

Pa ulo That

first

day, everyone slept

the Englishman.

The boy was

assigned a place far from his

friend, in a tent with five other

They were people of stories

about to

when

told

tell

"I've

led the

them of

the alchemist First,

his life as a shepherd,

came

"I

and was

his experiences at the crystal

shop

into the tent.

been looking for you

boy outside.

his age.

cities.

them about

the Englishman

young men of about

the desert, and clamored to hear his

about the great

The boy

from exhaustion, including

all

morning," he

need you to help

me

said, as

he

find out where

lives."

they tried to find

would probably

live in a

him on

manner

their

own.

An

alchemist

that was different

that of the rest of the people at the oasis,

and

from

was

likely

that in his tent an oven was continuously burning.

They

searched everywhere, and found that the oasis was

much

larger than they

it

could have imagined; there were hundreds

of tents. "We've wasted almost the entire

man,

sitting

"Maybe

down with

day," said the English-

the boy near one of the wells.

we'd better ask someone," the boy suggested.

The Englishman

didn't

want to

tell

others about his rea-

sons for being at the oasis, and couldn't But, finally, he agreed that the boy,

than he, should do

so.

had come to the well to

make up

who spoke

The boy approached fill

a goatskin

go

a

his

mind.

better Arabic

woman who

with water.

The Alch emist

"Good

afternoon, ma'am. I'm trying to find out where

the alchemist lives here at the oasis."

The woman

said she

had never heard of such

and hurried away. But before she that he

had better not

fled,

a person,

she advised the boy

try to converse with

women who

dressed in black, because they were married

were

He

women.

should respect tradition.

The Englishman was made

disappointed.

It

seemed he had

The boy was

the long journey for nothing.

also sad-

dened; his friend was in pursuit of his Personal Legend. And,

when someone was

in

such pursuit, the entire universe

an effort to help him succeed

He

said.

"I

—

what the old king had

that's

couldn't have been wrong.

had never heard of alchemists

"Maybe no one

The

before," the

boy

said.

here has, either."

Englishman's eyes

lit

up. "That's

knows what an alchemist

here

made

is!

it!

Maybe no one

Find out who

it

is

who

cures the people's illnesses!" Several

women

water, but the

dressed in black came to the well for

boy would speak to none of them, despite the

Englishman's insistence.

Then

a

"Do you know someone nesses?" the

"Allah

man

here

approached.

who

cures people's

said

the

ill-

boy asked. cures

our

illnesses,"

man.

clearly

frightened of the strangers. "You're looking for witch doc1

tors.'

He

spoke some verses from the Koran,

over Latin America in the footsteps of Carlos

-E

in a Brazil ruled

peace and love generation. traveling

all

Castaneda.

He worked

in the theater

and dabbled

ism, launching an alternative magazine called 2001,

in journal-

He

began

j2 JJ4) c/>

to collaborate with

music producer Raul

transforming the Brazilian rock scene. In

Seixas as a lyricist,

[973,

Paulo and Raul

iqs

joined the Alternative Society, an organization that defended the individual's right to free expression, and began publishing a series

of comic

strips, calling for

more freedom. Members

Two

of the organization were detained and imprisoned. Paulo was kidnapped and tortured by

later,

a

days

group of para-

militaries.

This experience affected him profoundly. At the age of twenty-six, Paulo decided that he

on the edge and wanted

to be "normal."

He

music industry.

ecutive in the

had had enough of

He worked hand

tried his

as

living

an ex-

at writing

but didn't start seriously until after he had an encounter with a stranger.

months

The man

later

first

came

Paulo met him

him

to

in a vision,

and two

Amsterdam. The

at a cafe in

stranger suggested that Paulo should return to Catholicism

and study the benign side of magic.

He

also

encouraged

Paulo to walk the Road of Santiago de Compostela, the medieval pilgrim's route.

In 1987, a year after completing that pilgrimage, Paulo

wrote The

Pilgrimage:

Diary of Magus.

The book

describes his ex-

periences and his discovery that the extraordinary occurs in the lives

of ordinary people.

ent book, The Alchemist.

A year later, Paulo wrote a very differ-

The

first

edition sold only nine hundred

copies and the publishing house decided not to reprint.

Paulo would not surrender his dream. publishing house, a bigger one.

He

He

found another

wrote Brida (a work

still

unpublished in English) that received a lot of attention in the press

and both

bestseller

lists.

The Alchemist

The Alchemist

and The

went on to

Pilgrimage sell

any other book in Brazilian literary history.

196

appeared on

more copies than

Paulo's story doesn't

many

end

there.

He

has gone on to write

other bestselling books that have touched the hearts of

people everywhere: By

the

River Piedra I Sat

Fifth Mountain, Veronika Decides

Warrior of

the Light:

A Manual,

to

Down

and Wept, The

Die, The Devil and Miss Prym,

The Zahir}

and

Eleven Minutes.

O

re

">

"

1

s

9

Also by Paulo Coelho

AtB ]

PS I

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PAULO COELHO

PAULO COFLHO

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THE ALCHEMIST

A

D

ELEWN

UINl>rE< 1

IMl

111

GRIM

\(.l

—— —

DISCOVER. THE BOOK THAT HAS CHANGED MILLIONS OF LIVES "This Brazilian wizard makes books disappear from stores."

—New York Times

"

had a life-enchanting on millions of people." London Times

[Coelho's] books have

"A magical "Beneath

volume."

little

this novel's

San Francisco Chronicle

compelling story and the shimmering

elegance with which

it's

told

lies

a bedrock of wisdom

about following one's heart." "As

memorable and meaningful

The

effect

as

Booklist

Saint-Exupery's

—Austin American-Statesman

"

Little Prince.

PAULO COELHO and most

is

one of the

bestselling

influential authors in the world.

By

Alchemist, The Pilgrimage, The Valkyries,

River Piedra I Sat

Down

&

Mountain, Veronika Decides

The the

Wept, The Fifth

Die, Eleven

to

Minutes, The Zahir, and others have sold more

than 65 million copies in 150 countries and have been translated into 60 languages. Visit the author online

PLUS

is

PLUS

only from

y HarperSanFrancisco ^^^^ mvmk. A

www.paulocoelho.com.

a special feature in select

paperbacks. Get

^B

at

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ISBN-13 ISBN-10

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IA

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