When the sun had set, and the first stars made their appearance, the boy started to walk to the south. He eventually sighted a single tent, and a group of Arabs passing by told the boy that it was a place inhabited by genies. But the boy sat down and waited.
Not until the moon was high did the alchemist ride into view. He carried two dead hawks over his shoulder.
"I am here," the boy said.
"You shouldn't be here," the alchemist answered. "Or is it your destiny that brings you here?"
"With the wars between the tribes, it's impossible to cross the desert. So I have come here."
The alchemist dismounted from his horse, and signaled that the boy should enter the tent with him. It was a tent like many at the oasis. The boy looked around for the ovens and other apparatus used in alchemy, but saw none. There were only some books in a pile, a small cooking stove, and the carpets, covered with mysterious designs.
"Sit down. We'll have something to drink and eat these hawks," said the alchemist.
The boy suspected that they were the same hawks he had seen on the day before, but he said nothing. The alchemist lighted the fire, and soon a delicious aroma filled the tent. It was better than the scent of the hookahs.
"Why did you want to see me?" the boy asked.
"Because of the omens," the alchemist answered. "The wind told me you would be coming, and that you would need help."
"It's not I the wind spoke about. It's the other foreigner, the Englishman. He's the one that's looking for you."
"He has other things to do first. But he's on the right track. He has begun to try to understand the desert."
"And what about me?"
"When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream," said the alchemist, echoing the words of the old king. The boy understood. Another person was there to help him toward his destiny.
"So you are going to instruct me?"
"No. You already know all you need to know. I am only going to point you in the direction of your treasure."
"But there's a tribal war," the boy reiterated.
"I know what's happening in the desert."
"I have already found my treasure. I have a camel, I have my money from the crystal shop, and I have fifty gold pieces. In my own country, I would be a rich man."
"But none of that is from the Pyramids," said the alchemist.
"I also have Fatima. She is a treasure greater than anything else I have won."
"She wasn't found at the Pyramids, either."
They ate in silence. The alchemist opened a bottle and poured a red liquid into the boy's cup. It was the most delicious wine he had ever tasted.
"Isn't wine prohibited here?" the boy asked
"It's not what enters men's mouths that's evil," said the alchemist. "It's what comes out of their mouths that is."
The alchemist was a bit daunting, but, as the boy drank the wine, he relaxed. After they finished eating they sat outside the tent, under a moon so brilliant that it made the stars pale.
"Drink and enjoy yourself," said the alchemist, noticing that the boy was feeling happier. "Rest well tonight, as if you were a warrior preparing for combat. Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. You've got to find the treasure, so that everything you have learned along the way can make sense.
"Tomorrow, sell your camel and buy a horse. Camels are traitorous: they walk thousands of paces and never seem to tire. Then suddenly, they kneel and die. But horses tire bit by bit. You always know how much you can ask of them, and when it is that they are about to die."
Replies
Oh, my dear sinderellasal! I tried so much to hide it, but you are much cleverer than these :)
Yes you are right exactly. Our original heart is never wrong. But, we must consider that how we make our heart. Could we polish enough it? Or not?
Our heart is like white bred or it is better that I say like a mirror. If we don’t pay attention to its polish after some times dust will sit on it. In that time our heart will miss the degree of its ability to showing right way. We always need a higher source.
What are those?
Those are everywhere and like everything.
Yes of course I agree with you that other people don’t want to have direct role in achieving our goal and maybe they play unconscious role for us, because they also have their dreams. They can’t spend all of their life or even some parts of their life for us to achieving our dreams otherwise what will happen for their dreams.
We can see signs if we want to see them easily. They are like flower, smile, blankness, blackness … every thing, every. And they can also be like a person.
But when our dreams are the same as the other person, s/he can play direct role according to what s/he wants herself/himself too.
Just like Moses. His dream was clear. When he asked God to make his brother, Aaron, compeer him, in fact Moses gave to Aaron his nice dream.
Here, we can see that not only can we play a direct role for others to achieve their dreams, but also we are able to present our dream to others.
What could be chances except of opportunities which are there at its exact time when all the things are ready to come true it ?
It means we should make all the things ready to be able to use that opportunity at its exact time .
It means there are so many "exact times" around but maybe we are not ready to catch them right.
and it means every one is carrying his/her chance.
So let me say " chance is coming toward someone who is following it "
Make yourself ready. Opportunities are waiting for you .
...
Both of them are true dear Sinderellasal. Writers can use right golden sentences for attracting their readers.
When a painter has some paper and pencils, he can paint his dream. And of course he can only see the paper and pencil or even he is also able to not paying attention to them. It just depends on himself.
All things in the world are like that paper and pencil for us. They can be as sign. Only, we must make sense ourselves. We should want to see them as a sign otherwise they are only a subject.
You mentioned the best sentence in this book dear Sinderellasal. Believing this sentence can help us for achieving our dreams certainly.
But...
there is an important point here:
This sentence doesn’t have mean that we must spend all of our life on ONE subject or goal. It can be very dangerous and damaging. I mean we mustn’t make our life one-dimension. If we believe that sentence deeply with one-dimension life, then in the first fail we may miss everything t what we had in our life suddenly.
Oh!! My God! They deleted some paragraphs in my book! Now I can understand what Paulo meant from this sentence: “...noticing that the boy was feeling happier.”
Now, I must say that your book is so much better. (Deleting 1 sentence is much better than 2 paragraphs!)
I thought “destiny” is a unique word in his book. But I’m seeing that it is just translated “destiny” in English. The same word for it in Farsi is really nice.
Dear Sahar
I'm so sorry if I didn't say anything as a response to your condemnation about that copy of the "Alchemist". I tried to get help of "Time" and time usually can solve so many problems and misunderstandings.And one who is following this kind of problem solving is a Patient one .
Thank you for your nice attention .
You are welcome.
Yes, “Time” is often a good solution. And some times it is the only solution.