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The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - The ultimate Path to make your Dream come True - Full Audiobook — Transcript

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0:04the alchemist
0:06by paulo qualio
0:16the alchemist picked up a book that
0:18someone in the caravan
0:20had brought leafing through the pages
0:23he found a story about narcissus
0:27the alchemist knew the legend of
0:29narcissus a youth
0:30who knelt daily beside a lake to
0:32contemplate his own beauty
0:35he was so fascinated by himself that one
0:37morning he fell into the lake and
0:39drowned
0:41at the spot where he fell a flower was
0:43born
0:45which was called the narcissus
0:47[Music]
0:49but this was not how the author of the
0:50book ended the story
0:53he said that when narcissus died the
0:56goddesses of the forest
0:57appeared and found the lake which had
0:59been fresh water
1:00transformed into a lake of salty tears
1:05why do you weep the goddesses asked
1:08i weep for narcissus the lake replied
1:12ah it is no surprise that you weep for
1:14narcissus they said
1:16though we always pursued him in the
1:17forest you alone could contemplate his
1:20beauty close at hand
1:22but was narcissus beautiful the lake
1:25asked
1:27who better than you to know that the
1:29goddess is said in wonder
1:30after all it was by your banks that he
1:33knelt each day to contemplate himself
1:38the lake was silent for some time
1:41finally it said i weep for narcissus but
1:45i never noticed that narcissus was
1:46beautiful
1:48i weep because each time he knelt beside
1:51my banks
1:52i could see in the depths of his eyes my
1:55own beauty reflected
1:58what a lovely story the alchemist
2:00thought
2:03the boy's name was santiago
2:07was falling as the boy arrived with his
2:09herd at an abandoned church
2:12the roof had fallen in long ago and an
2:14enormous sycamore had grown on the spot
2:16where the sacristy had once stood
2:19he decided to spend the night there he
2:22saw to it that all the sheep entered
2:24through the ruined gate
2:25and then laid some planks across it to
2:27prevent the flock from wandering away
2:28during the night
2:30there were no wolves in the region but
2:32once an animal had strayed during the
2:34night
2:34and the boy had had to spend the entire
2:36next day searching for it
2:40he swept the floor with his jacket and
2:41laid down
2:43using the book he had just finished
2:44reading as a pillow
2:47he told himself he'd have to start
2:48reading thicker books they lasted longer
2:51and made more comfortable pillows
2:54it was still dark when he awoke and
2:57looking up
2:58he could see the stars through the half
3:00destroyed roof
3:02i wanted to sleep a little longer he
3:04thought he had had the same dream that
3:07night as a week ago
3:08and once again he had awakened before it
3:11ended
3:11[Music]
3:13he arrows and taking up his crook began
3:15to awaken the sheep that still slept
3:18he'd noticed that as soon as he awoke
3:20most of his animals also began to stir
3:23it was as if some mysterious energy
3:25bound his life to that of the sheep
3:27with whom he had spent the past two
3:28years leading them through the
3:30countryside in search of
3:32food and water they're so used to me
3:35that they know my schedule he muttered
3:38thinking about that for a moment he
3:39realized that it could be the other way
3:41round
3:42but it was he would become accustomed to
3:44their schedule
3:46but there were certain of them who took
3:48a bit longer to awaken
3:50the boy prodded them one by one with his
3:52crook calling each by name
3:55he always believed that the sheep were
3:57able to understand what he said
3:59so there were times when he read them
4:00parts of his books that had made an
4:02impression on him
4:04or when he would tell them of the
4:05loneliness or the happiness of a
4:07shepherd in the fields
4:09sometimes he would comment to them on
4:11the things he had seen in the villages
4:12they passed
4:14but for the past few days he'd spoken to
4:17them only about one thing
4:19the girl the daughter of a merchant who
4:22lived in the village they would reach in
4:24about four days
4:26he'd been to the village only once the
4:28year before
4:30the merchant was the proprietor of a dry
4:32goods shop
4:33and he always demanded that the sheep be
4:35sheared in his presence
4:36so that he would not be cheated a friend
4:39had told the boy about the shop
4:41and he'd taken his sheep there
4:45i need to sell some wool the boy told
4:48the merchant
4:49the shop was busy and the man asked the
4:51shepherd to wait until the afternoon
4:53so the boy sat on the steps of the shop
4:55and took a book from his bag
4:58i didn't know shepard's knew how to read
5:00said a girl's voice behind him
5:03the girl was typical of the region of
5:05andalusia
5:06with flowing black hair and eyes that
5:08vaguely recalled the moorish conquerors
5:12well usually i learn more from my sheep
5:14than from books he answered
5:16[Music]
5:17during the two hours that they talked
5:19she told him she was the merchant's
5:21daughter
5:22and spoke of life in the village where
5:23each day was like all the others
5:26the shepherd told her of the andalusian
5:28countryside
5:29and related the news from the other
5:30towns where he had stopped
5:32it was a pleasant change from talking to
5:34his sheep
5:37how did you learn to read the girl asked
5:38at one point
5:40like everybody learns he said in school
5:43well if you know how to read why are you
5:45just a shepherd
5:46the boy mumbled an answer that allowed
5:48him to avoid responding to her question
5:52he was sure the girl would never
5:53understand he went on telling
5:56stories about his travels and her bright
5:59moorish eyes went wide with fear and
6:01surprise
6:03as the time passed the boy found himself
6:05wishing that the day would never end
6:08that her father would stay busy and keep
6:10him waiting for three days
6:13he recognized that he was feeling
6:14something he had never experienced
6:16before
6:17the desire to live in one place forever
6:20with the girl with the raven hell his
6:23days would never be the same again
6:26but finally the merchant appeared and
6:29asked the boy to share four sheep
6:31he paid for the wool and asked the
6:33shepherd to come back the following year
6:38and now it was only four days before he
6:41would be back in that same village
6:43he was excited and at the same time
6:45uneasy
6:47maybe the girl had already forgotten him
6:49lots of shepherds passed through
6:51selling their wool it doesn't matter he
6:54said to his sheep
6:55i know other girls in other places
6:58but in his heart he knew that it did
7:01matter
7:02and he knew that shepherds like seaman
7:04and like travelling salesmen
7:06always found a town where there was
7:07someone who could make him forget the
7:09joys of carefree wandering
7:11the day was dawning and the shepherd
7:14urged his sheep in the direction of the
7:16sun
7:17they never have to make any decisions he
7:19thought maybe that's why they always
7:21stay close to me
7:24the only things that concerned the sheep
7:25were food and water
7:27as long as the boy knew how to find the
7:29best pastures in andalusia
7:31they would be his friends yes
7:34their days were all the same with the
7:36seemingly endless hours between sunrise
7:39and dusk
7:40and they'd never read a book in their
7:41young lives and didn't understand when
7:44the boy told them about the sights of
7:46the cities
7:47they were content with just food and
7:49water and in exchange
7:51they generously gave her their wool
7:54their company
7:55and once in a while their meat
7:59if i became a monster today and decided
8:02to kill them one by one
8:03they would become aware only after most
8:05of the flock had been slaughtered for
8:07the boy
8:08they trust me and they've forgotten how
8:10to rely on their own instincts
8:12because i lead them to nourishment
8:16the boy was surprised at his thoughts
8:19maybe the church with the sycamore
8:21growing from within had been haunted
8:24it had caused him to have the same dream
8:26for a second time
8:28and it was causing him to feel anger
8:30towards his faithful companions
8:33he drank a bit from the wine that
8:34remained from his dinner of the night
8:36before
8:36and he gathered his jacket closer to his
8:38body
8:39he knew that a few hours from now with
8:42the sun at its zenith
8:43the heat would be so great that he would
8:45not be able to lead his flock across the
8:47fields
8:48it was the time of day when all of spain
8:50slept during the summer
8:53the heat lasted until nightfall and all
8:55that time he had to carry his jacket
8:58but when he thought to complain about
9:00the burden of its weight
9:02he remembered that because he had the
9:03jacket he had withstood the cold of the
9:06dawn
9:08we have to be prepared for change he
9:10thought
9:11and he was grateful for the jacket's
9:13weight and warmth
9:16the jacket had a purpose and so did the
9:19boy
9:20his purpose in life was to travel and
9:22after two years of walking the
9:23andalusian terrain he knew all the
9:25cities of the region
9:27he was planning on this visit to explain
9:29to the girl how it was that a simple
9:31shepherd knew how to read
9:33that he had attended a seminary until he
9:35was 16.
9:36his parents had wanted him to become a
9:38priest and thereby a source of pride for
9:40a simple farm family
9:43they had worked hard just to have food
9:44and water like the sheep
9:47he had studied latin spanish and
9:48theology
9:50but ever since he had been a child he'd
9:53wanted to know the world
9:55and this was much more important to him
9:57than knowing god and learning about
9:58man's sins
10:01one afternoon on a visit to his family
10:03he had summoned up the courage to tell
10:05his father that he didn't want to become
10:07a priest
10:08that he wanted to travel
10:12people from all over the world have
10:14passed through this village son said his
10:16father
10:17they come in search of new things but
10:19when they leave they're basically the
10:20same people they were when they arrived
10:23they climbed the mountain to see the
10:24castle and they wind up thinking that
10:26the past was better than what we have
10:28now
10:29they have blonde hair or dark skin but
10:31basically they're the same as the people
10:33who live right here
10:35but i'd like to see the castles in the
10:37towns where they live the boy explained
10:40those people when they see our land say
10:42they would like to live here forever
10:44his father continued well i'd like to
10:47see their land and see how they live
10:49said his son people who come here have a
10:51lot of money to spend so they can afford
10:53to travel
10:54his father said amongst us the only ones
10:56who travel are the shepherds
10:58well then i'll be a shepherd
11:01his father said no more the next day
11:05he gave his son a pouch that held three
11:07ancient spanish gold coins
11:10i found these one day in the fields i
11:12wanted them to be a part of your
11:14inheritance
11:15but use them to buy your flock take to
11:18the fields and
11:20someday you'll learn that our
11:21countryside is the best
11:23and our women the most beautiful
11:26and he gave the boy his blessing the boy
11:30could see in his father's gaze a desire
11:32to be able
11:33himself to travel the world a desire
11:36that was still alive
11:38despite his father's having had to bury
11:40it over dozens of years under the burden
11:42of struggling for water to drink
11:44food to eat and the same place to sleep
11:47every night of his life
11:51the horizon was tinged with red
11:54and suddenly the sun appeared the boy
11:58thought back to that conversation with
12:00his father and felt happy
12:02he had already seen many castles and met
12:04many women
12:06but none the equal of the one who
12:08awaited him several days hence
12:11he owned a jacket a book that he could
12:13trade for another
12:14and a flock of sheep but most important
12:17he was able every day to live out his
12:20dream
12:21if he were to tire of the andalusian
12:23fields he could sell his sheep and go to
12:26sea
12:27by the time he had had enough of the sea
12:29he would already have known other cities
12:31other women and other chances to be
12:33happy
12:35i couldn't have found god in the
12:36seminary he thought
12:38as he looked at the sunrise
12:41whenever he could he sought out a new
12:43road to travel
12:45he had never been to that ruined church
12:47before in spite of having traveled
12:48through those parts many times
12:51the world was huge and inexhaustible he
12:54had only to allow his sheep to set the
12:56route for a while
12:57and he would discover other interesting
12:59things
13:01the problem is that they don't even
13:02realize that they're walking a new road
13:04every day
13:05they don't see that the fields are new
13:07and the seasons change
13:09all they think about is food and water
13:12maybe we're all that way the boy mused
13:15even me
13:16i haven't thought of other women since i
13:18met the merchant's daughter
13:21looking at the sun he calculated that he
13:23would reach tarifa before midday
13:26there he could exchange his book for a
13:28thicker one fill his wine bottle
13:30shave and have a haircut he had to
13:33prepare himself for his meeting with the
13:35girl
13:35and he didn't want to think about the
13:37possibility that some other shepherd
13:38with a larger flock of sheep had arrived
13:40there before him and asked for her hand
13:44it's the possibility of having a dream
13:45come true that makes life interesting he
13:48thought
13:48as he looked again at the position of
13:50the sun and hurried his pace
13:53he had suddenly remembered that in
13:55tarifa
13:56there was an old woman who interpreted
14:00dreams
14:02the old woman led the boy to a room at
14:05the back of her house
14:07it was separated from her living room by
14:09a curtain of coloured beads
14:12the room's furnishings consisted of a
14:14table an image of the sacred heart of
14:16jesus
14:17and two chairs the woman sat down
14:22and told him to be seated as well
14:25then she took both of his hands in hers
14:27and began quietly to pray
14:31it sounded like a gypsy prayer the boy
14:34had already had experience on the road
14:36with gypsies
14:37they also traveled but they had no
14:39flocks of sheep
14:41people said that gypsies spent their
14:43lives tricking others
14:45it was also said that they had a pact
14:47with the devil and that they kidnapped
14:49children
14:50and taking them away to their mysterious
14:52camps made them their slaves
14:56as a child the boy had always been
14:58frightened to death that he would be
14:59captured by gypsies
15:00and this childhood fear returned when
15:02the old woman took his hands in hers
15:06but she has the sacred heart of jesus
15:08there he thought trying to reassure
15:09himself
15:11he didn't want his hand to begin
15:13trembling showing the old woman that he
15:15was fearful
15:17he recited in our father silently
15:21very interesting said the woman never
15:24taking her eyes from the boy's hands
15:27then she fell silent the boy
15:31was becoming nervous his hands began to
15:33tremble and the woman sensed it
15:34he quickly pulled his hands away i
15:37didn't come here to have you read my
15:38palm he said already regressing having
15:40come
15:41he thought for a moment that it would be
15:43better to pay her fee and leave without
15:44learning a thing
15:46that he was giving too much importance
15:47to his recurrent dream
15:50you came so you could learn about your
15:52dreams said the old woman
15:54and dreams are the language of god
15:58when he speaks in our language i can
16:00interpret what he has said but if he
16:02speaks in the language of the soul
16:04it is only you who can understand but
16:08whichever it is i'm going to charge you
16:10for the consultation
16:13another trick the boy thought but he
16:16decided to take a chance
16:18a shepherd always takes his chances with
16:20wolves and with drought
16:22and that's what makes a shepherd's life
16:23exciting
16:25i've had the same dream twice he said
16:29i dreamed that i was in a field with my
16:31sheep
16:33when a child appeared and began to play
16:35with the animals
16:36i don't like people to do that because
16:38the sheep are afraid of strangers
16:40but children always seem to be able to
16:42play with them without frightening them
16:44i don't know why
16:45i don't know how animals know the age of
16:47human beings
16:49tell me more about your dream said the
16:51woman
16:52i have to get back to my cooking and
16:54since you don't have much money i can't
16:55give you a lot of time
16:58well the child went on playing with my
16:59sheep for quite a while continued the
17:01boy a bit upset
17:02and suddenly the child took me by both
17:05hands and transported me to the egyptian
17:08pyramids he paused for a moment to see
17:11if the woman knew what the egyptian
17:13pyramids were
17:14but she said nothing then at
17:18the egyptian pyramids he said the last
17:20three words slowly
17:22so that the old woman would understand
17:24the child said to me
17:26if you come here you will find a hidden
17:28treasure
17:30and just as she was about to show me the
17:32exact location i woke up
17:34both times the woman was silent for some
17:38time
17:39then she again took his hands and
17:41studied them carefully
17:44i'm not going to charge you anything now
17:46she said
17:48but i want one tenth of the treasure
17:51if you find it the boy laughed
17:54out of happiness he was going to be able
17:57to save the little money he had because
17:59of a dream about hidden treasure
18:02well interpret the dream he said
18:05first swear to me swear you will give me
18:07one tenth of your treasure in exchange
18:09for what i'm going to tell you
18:11the shepherd swore that he would the old
18:14woman asked him to swear again while
18:15looking at the image of the sacred heart
18:17of jesus
18:19it's a dream in the language of the
18:21world she said
18:23i can interpret it but the
18:24interpretation is very difficult
18:27that's why i feel that i deserve a part
18:29of what you find
18:31and this is my interpretation
18:34you must go to the pyramids in egypt
18:38i have never heard of them but if it was
18:41a child who showed them to you
18:43they exist there you will find a
18:46treasure
18:47that will make you a rich man
18:50the boy was surprised and then irritated
18:53he didn't need to seek out the old woman
18:55for this
18:56but then he remembered that he wasn't
18:58going to have to pay anything
19:00i didn't need to waste my time just for
19:02this he said
19:03i told you that your dream was a
19:05difficult one
19:06it's the simple things in life that are
19:08the most extraordinary
19:11only wise men are able to understand
19:13them and since i am not wise
19:15i have had to learn other arts such as
19:17the reading of palms
19:20well how am i going to get to egypt i
19:22only interpret
19:24dreams i don't know how to turn them
19:26into reality
19:28that's why i have to live off what my
19:30daughters provide me with
19:32and what if i never get to egypt then i
19:35don't get paid
19:37it wouldn't be the first time and the
19:40woman told the boy to leave
19:42saying she'd already wasted too much
19:44time with him
19:46so the boy was disappointed he decided
19:50he would never again believe in dreams
19:53he remembered that he had a number of
19:54things he had to take care of
19:56he went to the market for something to
19:58eat he traded his book for one that was
20:00thicker
20:01and he found a bench in the plaza where
20:03he could sample the new wine he had
20:05bought
20:06the day was hot and the wine was
20:08refreshing
20:10the sheep were at the gates of the city
20:12in a stable that belonged to a friend
20:14the boy knew a lot of people in the city
20:17that was what made travelling appeal to
20:18him
20:19he always made new friends and he didn't
20:21need to spend all of his time with them
20:24when someone sees the same people every
20:26day as had happened with him in the
20:28seminary
20:29they wind up becoming a part of that
20:31person's life
20:32and then they want the person to change
20:36if someone isn't what others want them
20:37to be the others become angry
20:41everyone seems to have a clear idea of
20:43how other people should lead their lives
20:45but none about his or her own
20:49he decided to wait until the sun had
20:51sunk a bit lower in the sky before
20:53following his flock back through the
20:55fields
20:56three days from now he would be with the
20:59merchant's daughter
21:02he started to read the book he had
21:04bought on the very first page it
21:06described the burial ceremony
21:09and the names of the people involved
21:10were very difficult to pronounce if he
21:12ever wrote a book he thought
21:14he would present one person at a time so
21:16that the reader wouldn't have to worry
21:17about memorizing a lot of names
21:20when he was finally able to concentrate
21:22on what he was reading
21:23he liked the book better the burial was
21:26on a snowy day
21:28and he welcomed the feeling of being
21:29cold as he read on
21:32an old man sat down at his side and
21:34tried to strike up a conversation
21:37what are they doing the old man asked
21:40pointing at the people in the plaza
21:42working boy answered dryly making it
21:45look as if he wanted to concentrate on
21:47his reading
21:49actually he was thinking about sharing
21:51his sheep in front of the merchant's
21:53daughter
21:53so that she could see that he was
21:55someone who was capable of doing
21:56difficult things
21:58he had already imagined the scene many
22:00times every time the girl became
22:02fascinated when he explained that the
22:04sheep had to be sheared from back to
22:05front
22:07he also tried to remember some good
22:09stories to relate as he shared his sheep
22:12most of them he had read in books but he
22:15would tell them as if they were from his
22:16personal experience
22:18she would never know the difference
22:19because she didn't know how to read
22:22meanwhile the old man persisted in his
22:25attempt to strike up a conversation
22:28he said he was tired and thirsty and
22:30asked if he might have a sip of the
22:32boy's wine
22:33the boy offered his bottle hoping that
22:35the old man would leave him alone
22:39but the old man wanted to talk and he
22:41asked the boy what book he was reading
22:44the boy was tempted to be rude and moved
22:47to another bench but his father had
22:49taught him to be respectful of the
22:50elderly
22:51so he held out the book to the man for
22:53two reasons
22:54first that he himself wasn't sure how to
22:57pronounce the title
22:58and second that if the old man didn't
23:01know how to read
23:02he would probably feel ashamed and
23:04decide of his own accord to change
23:06benches
23:09said the old man looking at all sides of
23:11the book as if it was some strange
23:13object
23:14this is an important book but it's
23:17really irritating
23:19the boy was shocked the old man knew how
23:23to read
23:24and had already read the book and if the
23:27book was irritating as the old man had
23:29said
23:29the boy still had time to change it for
23:31another
23:33it's a book that says the same thing
23:35almost all the other books in the world
23:36say
23:37continue the old man it describes
23:40people's inability to choose their own
23:43personal legends and it ends up
23:46saying that everyone believes the
23:48world's greatest lie
23:52what's the world's greatest lie the boy
23:54asked completely surprised
23:56it's this but at a certain point in our
24:00lives we lose control of what's
24:02happening to us
24:03and our lives become controlled by fate
24:07that's the world's greatest lie
24:11that's never happened to me the boy said
24:13they wanted me to be a priest but
24:15i decided to become a shepherd much
24:18better said the old man
24:20because you really like to travel
24:23he knew what i was thinking the boy said
24:25to himself
24:27the old man meanwhile was leafing
24:29through the book without seeming to want
24:30to return it at all
24:32the boy noticed that the man's clothing
24:34was strange
24:36he looked like an arab which was not
24:38unusual in those parts
24:40africa was only a few hours from tarifa
24:43one only had to cross the narrow straits
24:45by boat
24:46arabs often appeared in the city
24:48shopping and chanting their strange
24:49prayers several times a day
24:52where are you from the boy asked from
24:55many places
24:57no one could be from many places the boy
24:58said i'm a shepherd
25:00and i've been to many places but i come
25:03from only one place
25:05from a city near an ancient castle
25:07that's where i was born
25:09well then we could say that i was born
25:12in salem
25:14the boy didn't know where salem was but
25:16he didn't want to ask fearing that he
25:18would appear ignorant
25:20he looked at the people in the plaza for
25:22a while
25:23they were coming and going and all of
25:25them seemed to be very busy
25:28so what is salem like he asked
25:32trying to get some sort of clue it's
25:35like it always has been
25:38no clue yet but he knew that salem
25:41wasn't in andalusia
25:43if it were he would already have heard
25:45of it
25:47and um what you do in salem he insisted
25:51what do i do in salem the old man
25:53laughed
25:54well i'm the king of salem
25:58people say strange things the boy
26:00thought
26:02sometimes it's better to be with the
26:04sheep who don't say anything
26:06and better still to be alone with one's
26:08books
26:09they tell their incredible stories at
26:11the time when you want to hear them
26:13but when you're talking to people they
26:16say some things that are so strange that
26:17you don't know how to continue the
26:19conversation
26:21my name is melchizedek said the old man
26:25how many sheep do you have enough
26:28said the boy he could see that the old
26:31man wanted to know more about his life
26:35well then we've got a problem i can't
26:38help you if you feel you've got enough
26:40sheep
26:42the boy was getting irritated he wasn't
26:45asking for help
26:46it was the old man who had asked for a
26:48drink of his wine and started the
26:51give me my book boy said i have to go
26:54and gather my sheep and get going
26:57give me one tenth of your sheep said the
26:59old man
27:00and i'll tell you how to find the hidden
27:02treasure
27:05the boy remembered his dream and
27:06suddenly everything was clear to him
27:09the old woman hadn't charged him
27:11anything but the old man
27:12maybe he was her husband was going to
27:15find a way to get much more money in
27:17exchange for information about something
27:19that didn't even exist
27:21the old man was probably a gypsy too
27:25but before the boy could say anything
27:27the old man leaned over
27:29picked up a stick and began to write in
27:32the sand of the plaza
27:33[Music]
27:35something bright reflected from his
27:37chest with such intensity
27:39that the boy was momentarily blinded
27:42with a movement that was too quick for
27:44someone of his age
27:46the man covered what it was with his
27:48cape
27:49when his vision returned to normal the
27:51boy was able to read what the old man
27:54had written in the sand
27:57there in the sand of the plaza of that
27:59small city
28:01the boy reads the names of his father
28:04and his mother
28:06and the name of the seminary he had
28:07attended
28:09he read the name of the merchant's
28:11daughter which he hadn't even known
28:15and he read things he had never told
28:18anyone
28:22i'm the king of salem the old man had
28:25said
28:27why would a king be talking with a
28:29shepherd the boy asked ored and
28:30embarrassed
28:32for several reasons but let's say the
28:35most important is that you have
28:36succeeded in discovering your personal
28:39legend
28:41the boy didn't know what a person's
28:43personal legend was
28:45it's what you have always wanted to
28:47accomplish
28:49everyone when they are young knows what
28:51their personal legend is
28:54at that point in their lives everything
28:56is clear and everything is possible
28:58they are not afraid to dream and to
29:00yearn for everything they would like to
29:02see happen to them in their lives
29:05but as time passes a mysterious force
29:08begins to convince them
29:09that it will be impossible for them to
29:12realize their personal legend
29:16none of what the old man was saying made
29:18much sense to the boy
29:20but he wanted to know what the
29:21mysterious force was
29:24the merchant's daughter would be
29:26impressed when he told her about that
29:29it's a force that appears to be negative
29:32but
29:32actually shows you how to realize your
29:35personal legend
29:36it prepares your spirit and your will
29:39because there is one great truth on this
29:41planet
29:42whoever you are or whatever it is that
29:45you do
29:47when you really want something it's
29:50because that desire originated in the
29:53soul of the universe
29:55it's your mission on earth
29:59even when all you want to do is travel
30:01or marry the daughter of a textile
30:03merchant
30:04yes or even search for treasure
30:09the soul of the world is nourished by
30:12people's happiness
30:13and also by unhappiness envy and
30:16jealousy
30:18to realize one's personal legend is a
30:20person's only real
30:22obligation all things are one
30:26and when you want something all the
30:29universe conspires in helping you
30:32to achieve it they were both
30:35silent for a time observing the plaza
30:38and the townspeople
30:41it was the old man who spoke first
30:44why do you tend the flock of sheep
30:47because i like to travel
30:50the old man pointed to a baker standing
30:52in his shop window at one corner of the
30:54plaza
30:55when he was a child that man wanted to
30:59travel too
31:00but he decided first to buy his bakery
31:03and put some money aside
31:06when he's an old man he's going to
31:09spend a month in africa
31:13he never realized that people are
31:15capable at any time of their lives of
31:17doing
31:18what they dream of he should have
31:21decided to become a shepherd the boy
31:23said
31:24well he thought about that the old man
31:26said but bakers are more important
31:28people than shepherds
31:30bakers have homes while shepherds sleep
31:32out in the open
31:34parents would rather see their children
31:36marry bakers than
31:37shepherds the boy felt a pang in his
31:40heart thinking about the merchant's
31:42daughter
31:43there was surely a baker in her town
31:46the old man continued in the long run
31:50what people think about shepherds and
31:52bakers becomes more important for them
31:54than their own personal legends
31:58the old man leafed through the book and
32:00fell to reading a page he came to
32:03the boy waited and then interrupted the
32:06old man just as he himself had been
32:07interrupted
32:09why are you telling me all this because
32:12you are trying to realize your personal
32:15legend
32:16and you are at the point where you are
32:18about to give it all
32:20up and that's when you always appear on
32:23the scene
32:25not always in this way but i always
32:28appear in one
32:28form or another sometimes i appear in
32:32the form of a solution
32:33or good idea at other times
32:37at the crucial moment i make it easier
32:39for things to happen
32:42there are other things i do too but most
32:45of the time
32:46people don't realize i've done them
32:49the old man related that the week before
32:52he'd been forced to appear before a
32:53minor
32:55and had taken the form of a stone
32:58the miner had abandoned everything to go
33:00mining for emeralds
33:02for five years he had been working a
33:04certain river
33:05and had examined hundreds of thousands
33:07of stones looking for an emerald
33:10the miner was about to give it all up
33:12right at the point when
33:14if he were to examine just one more
33:16stone just
33:17one more he would find his emerald
33:20since the miner had sacrificed
33:22everything to his personal legend
33:24the old man decided to become involved
33:27he transformed himself into a stone
33:30that rolled up to the miner's foot
33:33the miner with all the anger and
33:35frustration of his
33:36five fruitless years picked up the stone
33:39and threw it aside
33:41but he had thrown it with such force
33:43that it broke the stone it fell upon and
33:45there
33:46embedded in the broken stone was the
33:48most beautiful
33:49emerald in the world
33:53people learn early in their lives what
33:55is their reason for being said the old
33:57man with a certain bitterness
33:59maybe that's why they give up on it so
34:02early too
34:03but that's the way it is the boy
34:07reminded the old man that he had said
34:09something about hidden treasure
34:12treasure is uncovered by the force of
34:14flowing water
34:16and it is buried by the same current
34:18said the old man
34:20if you want to learn about your own
34:22treasure you will have to give me
34:25one tenth of your flock what about
34:28one tenth of my treasure the old man
34:32looked disappointed
34:34if you start out by promising what you
34:36don't even have yet
34:37you'll lose your desire to work toward
34:40getting it
34:41the boy told him that he'd already
34:43promised to give one tenth of his
34:44treasure to the gypsy
34:46gypsies are experts are getting people
34:48to do that side the old man
34:51in any case it's good that you've
34:53learned that everything in life
34:55has its price that is what the warriors
34:58of the light
34:59try to teach the old man returned
35:02the book to the boy tomorrow
35:05at this same time bring me a tenth of
35:09your flock
35:10and i will tell you how to find the
35:12hidden treasure
35:15good afternoon and he vanished around
35:18the corner of the plaza
35:22the boy began again to read his book but
35:24he was no longer able to concentrate
35:27he was tense and upset because he knew
35:29that the old man was right
35:31he went over to the bakery and bought a
35:33loaf of bread thinking about whether or
35:35not he should tell the baker what the
35:37old man had said about him
35:39sometimes it's better to leave things as
35:40they are he thought to himself and
35:42decided to say nothing
35:44if he were to say anything the baker
35:46would spend three days thinking about
35:47giving it all up
35:48even though he had gotten used to the
35:50way things were
35:52the boy could certainly resist causing
35:53that kind of anxiety for the baker
35:56so he began to wander through the city
35:58and found himself at the gates
36:02there was a small building there with a
36:04window
36:05at which people bought tickets to africa
36:08and he knew that egypt was in africa
36:13can i help you ask the man behind the
36:15window
36:17maybe tomorrow said the boy moving away
36:20if he sold just one of his sheep he'd
36:23have enough to get to the other shore of
36:24the strait
36:26the idea frightened him another dreamer
36:30said the ticket seller to his assistant
36:32watching the boy walk away
36:34he doesn't have enough money to travel
36:37while standing at the ticket window the
36:39boy had remembered his flock
36:40and decided that he should go back to
36:42being a shepherd
36:44in two years he had learned everything
36:46about shepherding
36:48he knew how to share sheep how to care
36:50for pregnant use
36:52and how to protect the sheep from wolves
36:55he knew all the fields and pastures of
36:57andalusia
36:59and he knew what was the fair price for
37:01every one of his animals
37:04he decided to return to his friend's
37:06stable by the longest route possible
37:09as he walked past the city's castle he
37:12interrupted his return and climbed the
37:14stone ramp that led to the top of the
37:16wall
37:17from there he could see africa in the
37:20distance
37:22somewhere once told him that it was from
37:24there that the moors had come
37:26to occupy all of spain
37:29he could see almost the entire city from
37:31where he sat
37:32including the plaza where he had talked
37:34to the old man
37:36cursed the moment i met that old man he
37:38thought he had come to the town only to
37:41find a woman who could interpret his
37:42dream
37:44neither the woman nor the old man were
37:45at all impressed by the fact that he was
37:47a shepherd
37:48they were solitary individuals who no
37:50longer believed in things and didn't
37:52understand that shepherds become
37:53attached to their sheep
37:56he knew everything about each member of
37:58his flock he knew which ones were lame
37:59which ones
38:00were to give birth two months from now
38:02and which were the laziest
38:04he knew how to share them how to
38:05slaughter them if he ever decided to
38:07leave them they would suffer
38:10the wind began to pick up he knew that
38:13wind
38:14people called it the levanta because on
38:17it the moors had come from the levants
38:19at the eastern end of the mediterranean
38:23the levanta increased in intensity here
38:26i am between my flock and my treasure
38:28the boy thought
38:30he had to choose between something he
38:32had become accustomed to
38:34and something he wanted to have there
38:36was also the merchant's daughter
38:38but she wasn't as important as his flock
38:41because she didn't depend on him
38:43maybe she didn't even remember him he
38:46was sure that it made no difference to
38:48her on which day he appeared
38:50for her every day was the same and when
38:53each day is the same as the next
38:55it's because people fail to recognize
38:57the good things that happen in their
38:59lives every day the sun rises
39:02i left my father my mother and the town
39:04castle behind
39:06they've gotten used to my being away and
39:08so have i
39:10the sheep will get used to my not being
39:12there too the boy thought
39:15from where he sat he could observe the
39:17plaza
39:19people continued to come and go from the
39:20baker's shop
39:22a young couple sat on the bench where he
39:24had talked to the old man
39:25and they kissed that baker he said to
39:29himself without completing the thought
39:32the levanta was still getting stronger
39:34and he felt its force on his face
39:37that wind had brought the moors yes but
39:40it had also brought the smell of the
39:42desert and the veiled women it had
39:45brought with it the sweat
39:46and the dreams of men who had once left
39:49the search for the unknown
39:51and for gold and adventure and
39:54for the pyramids the boy felt jealous of
39:58the freedom of the wind
39:59and saw that he could have the same
40:01freedom
40:03there was nothing to hold him back
40:05except himself
40:07the sheep the merchant's daughter and
40:09the fields of andalusia were only steps
40:11along the way to his personal legend
40:15the next day the boy met the old man at
40:18noon
40:19he brought six sheep with him i'm
40:22surprised the boy said
40:24my friend bought all the other sheep
40:25immediately he said that he'd always
40:28dreamed of being a shepherd
40:29and that it was a good omen that's the
40:32way it
40:33always is said the old man it's called
40:36the principle of favorability
40:39when you play cards the first time
40:41you're almost sure to win
40:43beginners luck why is that
40:47because there's a force that wants you
40:49to realize your personal legend
40:51it wets your appetite with a taste of
40:54success
40:56then the old man began to inspect the
40:58sheep and he saw that one was lame
41:01the boy explained that it wasn't
41:02important since that she was the most
41:04intelligent of the flock and produced
41:06the most wool
41:08where is the treasure he asked it's in
41:11egypt
41:12near the pyramids the boy was startled
41:17the old woman had said the same thing
41:19but she hadn't charged him anything
41:22in order to find the treasure you will
41:24have to follow the omens
41:26god has prepared a path for everyone to
41:29follow
41:30you just have to read the omens that he
41:34left
41:34for you before the boy could reply
41:38a butterfly appeared and fluttered
41:39between him and the old man
41:42he remembered something his grandfather
41:43had once told him
41:45that butterflies were a good omen
41:48like crickets and like expectations like
41:51lizards and four leaf clovers
41:54that's right said the old man able to
41:57read the boy's thoughts
41:59just as your grandfather taught you
42:01these are good omens
42:04the old man opened his cape and the boy
42:07was struck by what he saw
42:10the old man wore a breastplate of heavy
42:12gold
42:13covered with precious stones the boy
42:16recalled the brilliance he had noticed
42:18on the previous day
42:20he really was a king he must be
42:22disguised to avoid
42:24encounters with thieves take these
42:28said the old man holding out a white
42:30stone and a black stone that had been
42:32embedded at the center of the
42:33breastplate
42:35they are called urem and sumeem
42:39the black signifies yes the white no
42:42when you are unable to read the omens
42:45they will help you to do so
42:47always ask an objective question
42:51but if you can try to make your own
42:54decisions
42:56the treasure is at the pyramids that you
42:58already know
43:00but i had to insist on the payment of
43:02six sheep because
43:04i helped you make the decision
43:07the boy put the stones in his pouch from
43:10then
43:11on he would make his own decisions
43:14don't forget that everything you deal
43:16with is
43:17only one thing and nothing else and
43:20don't forget the language of omens and
43:22above
43:23all don't forget to follow your personal
43:26legend through to its conclusion but
43:29before you go i want to tell you a
43:32little story
43:34[Music]
43:35a certain shopkeeper sent his son to
43:37learn about the secret of happiness from
43:39the wisest man in the world
43:41the lad wandered through the desert for
43:4440 days and finally
43:45came upon a beautiful castle high atop a
43:48mountain
43:50it was there that the wise man lived
43:53rather than finding a saintly man though
43:55our hero on entering the main room of
43:58the castle
43:58saw a hive of activity tradesmen came
44:01and went
44:02people were conversing in the corners a
44:04small orchestra was playing soft music
44:06and
44:06there was a table covered with platters
44:09of the most delicious
44:10food in that part of the world the wise
44:13man conversed with everyone
44:15and the boy had to wait for two hours
44:18before it was his turn to be given the
44:20man's attention
44:22the wise man listened attentively to the
44:24boy's explanation of why had come
44:27but told him that he didn't have time
44:30just then to explain the secret of
44:32happiness
44:33he suggested that the boy look around
44:35the palace and
44:36return in two hours meanwhile
44:41i want to ask you to do something said
44:44the wise man
44:45handing the boy a teaspoon that held two
44:47drops of oil
44:49as you wander around carry this spoon
44:52with you
44:53without allowing the oil to spill
44:57the boy began climbing and descending
45:00the many stairways of the palace
45:01keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon
45:06after two hours he returned to the room
45:08where the wise man was
45:10well asked the wise man did you see the
45:13persian
45:13tapestries that are hanging in my dining
45:15hall did you see the garden that he took
45:17the master garden of 10 years to create
45:19did you notice the beautiful parchments
45:22in my library
45:24the boy was embarrassed and confessed
45:27that
45:27he had observed nothing his only concern
45:31had been
45:32not to spill the oil that the wise man
45:34had entrusted to him
45:37then go back and observe the marvels of
45:40my world
45:40said the wise man you cannot trust the
45:43man if you don't know his house
45:47relieved the boy picked up the spoon and
45:50returned
45:51to his exploration of the palace this
45:53time
45:54observing all the works of art on the
45:56ceilings and the walls he saw the
45:58gardens
45:59the mountains all around him the beauty
46:02of the flowers
46:03and the taste with which everything had
46:05been selected
46:08upon returning to the wise man he
46:10related in detail
46:12everything he had seen
46:15but where are the drops of oil i trust
46:17you to you
46:18ask the wise man looking down
46:21at the spoon he held the boy saw that
46:24the oil was gone
46:26well there is only one piece of advice i
46:30can give you said the wisest of wise men
46:33the secret of happiness is to see all
46:36the marvels of the world
46:39and never to forget the drops of oil
46:42on the spoon
46:45the shepherd said nothing he had
46:48understood the story the old king had
46:50told him
46:51a shepherd may like to travel but he
46:54should never forget about his sheep
46:57the old man looked at the boy with his
47:00hands held together
47:02made several strange gestures over the
47:04boy's head
47:06then taking his sheep he walked away
47:13at the highest point in tarifa there's
47:15an old fort built by the moors
47:17from atop its walls one can catch a
47:19glimpse of africa
47:21melchizedek the king of salem sat on the
47:24wall of the fort that afternoon
47:27and felt the levanta blowing in his face
47:31the sheep fidgeted nearby uneasy with
47:33their new owner
47:35and excited by so much change all they
47:38wanted was food and water
47:41melchizedek watched a small ship was
47:44plowing its way out of the port
47:47he would never again see the boy just as
47:50he had never seen abraham
47:52again after having charged him his
47:54one-tenth fee
47:56that was his work the gods should not
48:00have desires because they don't have
48:02personal legends
48:04but the king of salem hoped desperately
48:07that the boy would be successful
48:11it's too bad that he's quickly going to
48:12forget my name he thought
48:14i should have repeated it to him then
48:16when he spoke about me he would say that
48:18i am melchizedek the king of salem
48:22he looked to the skies feeling a bit
48:24abashed and said
48:26i know it's the vanity of vanities as
48:28you said my lord
48:30but an old king sometimes has to take
48:33some
48:34pride in himself
48:38how strange africa is thought the boy
48:43he was sitting in a bar very much like
48:45the other bars he had seen along the
48:47narrow streets of tangier
48:49some men were smoking from a gigantic
48:51pipe that they passed from one to the
48:53other
48:54in just a few hours he had seen men
48:56walking hand in hand
48:58women with their faces covered and
49:01priests that climbed to the tops of
49:03towers and chanted
49:04and everyone about him went to their
49:06knees and placed their foreheads on the
49:08ground
49:10a practice of infidels he said to
49:11himself
49:13as a child in church he had always
49:16looked at the image of saint santiago
49:18matamoros
49:18on his white horse his sword unsheathed
49:22and figures such as these kneeling at
49:24his feet
49:25the boy felt ill and terribly alone
49:30the infidels had an evil look about them
49:35besides this in the rush of his travels
49:37he had forgotten the detail
49:39just one detail which could keep him
49:41from his treasure for a long time
49:43only arabic was spoken in this country
49:47the owner of the bar approached him and
49:49the boy pointed to a drink that had been
49:51served at the next table
49:54it turned out to be a bitter tea the boy
49:57preferred wine
50:00but he didn't need to worry about that
50:01right now
50:03what he had to be concerned about was
50:04his treasure and how he was going to go
50:06about getting it
50:08the sale of his sheep had left him with
50:10enough money in his pouch and the boy
50:12knew
50:13that in money there was magic whoever
50:16has money is never really alone
50:19before long maybe in just a few days he
50:22would be at the pyramids
50:25an old man with a breastplate of gold
50:27wouldn't have lied
50:28just to acquire sick sheep
50:31the old man had spoken about signs and
50:33omens
50:35and as the boy was crossing the strait
50:37he'd thought about omens yes
50:40the old man had known what he was
50:42talking about
50:43during the time the boy had spent in the
50:45fields of andalusia
50:46he had become used to learning which
50:48path he should take by observing the
50:50ground and the sky
50:52he had discovered that the presence of a
50:54certain bird meant that a snake was
50:56nearby
50:57and that a certain shrub was a sign that
50:59there was water in the area
51:01the sheep had taught him that if god
51:05leads the sheep so well
51:07he would also lead a man he thought and
51:08that made him feel better
51:10the tea seemed less bitter who are you
51:14he heard a voice ask him in spanish
51:17the boy was relieved he was thinking
51:19about omens and someone had appeared
51:23how come you speak spanish he asked
51:26the new arrival was a young man in
51:28western dress
51:29but the color of his skin suggested he
51:31was from this city
51:33he was about the same age and height as
51:35the boy
51:36almost everyone here speaks spanish
51:38we're only two hours from spain
51:41sit down let me treat you to something
51:43said the boy
51:44i'd ask for a glass of wine for me i
51:46hate this tea
51:48there is no wine in this country the
51:49young man said the religion here forbids
51:52it
51:53the boy told him that he needed to get
51:56to the pyramids
51:57he almost began to tell about his
51:59treasure but decided not to do so
52:02if he did it was possible that the arab
52:04would want a part of it as payment for
52:06taking him there
52:07he remember what the old man had said
52:09about offering something you didn't even
52:11have yet
52:13i'd like you to take me there if you can
52:15i can pay you to serve as my guide
52:18do you have any idea how to get there
52:20the newcomer asked
52:22the boy noticed that the owner of the
52:24bar stood nearby listening attentively
52:26to their conversation
52:28he felt uneasy at the man's presence but
52:31he had
52:32found a guide and didn't want to miss
52:34out on an opportunity
52:36you have to cross the entire sahara
52:38desert said the young man
52:40and to do that you need money i need to
52:43know whether you have enough
52:45the boy thought it was a strange
52:47question but he trusted in the old man
52:49who had said that
52:50when you really want something the
52:52universe always conspires in your favor
52:56he took his money from his pouch and
52:57showed it to the young man the owner of
53:00the bar came over and looked as well
53:03the two men exchanged some words in
53:05arabic and the bar
53:06owner seemed irritated let's get out of
53:09here said the new arrival
53:11he wants us to leave the boy was
53:14relieved
53:16he got up to pay the bill but the owner
53:17grabbed him and began to speak to him in
53:19an angry stream of words
53:21the boy was strong and wanted to
53:23retaliate but he was in a foreign
53:25country
53:26his new friend pushed the owner aside
53:28and pulled the boy outside with him
53:30he wanted your money he said tangier is
53:33not like the rest of africa
53:35this is a port and every port has its
53:38thieves
53:40the boy trusted his new friend he had
53:43helped him out in a dangerous situation
53:46he took out his money and counted it we
53:49could get to the pyramids by tomorrow
53:51said the other taking the money
53:53but i have to buy two camels
53:56they walked together through the narrow
53:58streets of tangier
54:00everywhere there were stalls with items
54:02for sale
54:03they reached the center of a large plaza
54:05where the market was held
54:07there were thousands of people there
54:09arguing selling
54:10and buying vegetables for sale amongst
54:13daggers and
54:14carpets displayed alongside tobacco
54:17but the boy never took his eye of his
54:19new friend after all
54:20he had all his money he thought about
54:23asking him to give it back but decided
54:25that that would be unfriendly
54:27he knew nothing about the customs of the
54:29strange land he was in
54:32i'll just watch him he said to himself
54:35he knew he was stronger than his friend
54:38suddenly there in the midst of all that
54:41confusion
54:41he saw the most beautiful sword he had
54:44ever seen
54:45the scabbard was embossed in silver and
54:48the handle was black
54:50and encrusted with precious stones
54:53the boy promised himself that when he
54:55returned from egypt he would buy
54:57that sword ask the owner of that stall
55:00how much the sword costs he said to his
55:02friend
55:03then he realized that he'd been
55:04distracted for a few moments looking at
55:06the sword
55:07his heart squeezed as if his chest
55:10suddenly compressed it he was afraid to
55:11look around because he knew what he
55:13would find
55:14he continued to look at the beautiful
55:16sword for a bit longer
55:18until he summoned the courage to turn
55:19around
55:21all around him was the market with
55:23people coming and going shouting and
55:25buying and the aroma of strange foods
55:27but nowhere
55:29could he find his new companion
55:33the boy wanted to believe that his
55:34friend had simply become separated from
55:36him by
55:36accident he decided to stay right there
55:39and await his return
55:42as he waited a priest climbed to the top
55:44of a nearby tower and began his chant
55:46everyone in the market fell to their
55:48knees touched their foreheads to the
55:49ground
55:50and took up the chance then like a
55:53colony of worker ants
55:55they dismantled their stalls and left
55:59the sun began its departure as well
56:03the boy watched it through its
56:04trajectory for some time until it was
56:06hidden behind the white houses
56:07surrounding the plaza
56:09he recalled that when the sun had risen
56:12that morning
56:13he was on another continent still a
56:15shepherd with 60 sheep
56:17and looking forward to meeting with a
56:19girl
56:20that morning he had known everything
56:22that was going to happen to him as he
56:24walked through the familiar fields
56:26but now as the sun began to set
56:29he was in a different country a stranger
56:32in a strange land where he couldn't even
56:35speak the language
56:37he was no longer a shepherd and he had
56:39nothing
56:41not even the money to return and start
56:44everything over
56:46all this had happened between sunrise
56:49and sunset the boy thought
56:51he was feeling sorry for himself and
56:54lamenting the fact that his life could
56:56have changed so suddenly
56:58and so drastically
57:02he was so ashamed that he wanted to cry
57:05he'd never even wept in front of his own
57:07sheep but the marketplace was empty
57:10and he was far from home so
57:13he wept he wept because god was unfair
57:17and because this was the way god repaid
57:19those who believed in their dreams
57:23when i had my sheep i was happy and i
57:25made those around me happy
57:27people saw me coming and welcomed me he
57:29thought but now
57:31i'm sad and alone i'm going to become
57:34bitter and distrustful of people because
57:36one person betrayed me
57:39i'm going to hate those who have found
57:41their treasure because i never found
57:42mine
57:43and i'm going to hold on to what little
57:45i have
57:47because i'm too insignificant to conquer
57:49the world
57:51he opened his pouch to see what was left
57:53of his possessions
57:56maybe there was a bit left of the
57:57sandwich he'd eaten on the ship
58:00but all he found was the heavy book his
58:02jacket
58:04and the two stones the old man had given
58:06him
58:09as he looked at the stones he felt
58:11relieved for some reason
58:13he had exchanged six sheep for two
58:16precious stones that had been taken from
58:18a gold breastplate
58:20he could sell the stones and buy a
58:22return ticket
58:23but this time i'll be smarter the boy
58:25thought removing them from the pouch so
58:27he could put them in his pocket
58:29this was a port town and the only
58:32truthful thing his friend had told him
58:34was that port towns are full of thieves
58:38now he understood why the owner of the
58:40bar had been so upset
58:41he was trying to tell him not to trust
58:43that man
58:45i'm like everyone else i see the world
58:47in terms of what i would like to see
58:48happen
58:49not what actually does
58:52he ran his fingers slowly over the
58:54stones sensing their temperature
58:56and feeling their surfaces they were his
59:00treasure
59:01just handling them made him feel better
59:03they reminded him of the old man
59:06when you want something all the universe
59:09conspires in helping you to achieve it
59:12he had said the boy was trying to
59:16understand the truth of what the old man
59:18had said
59:19there he was in the empty marketplace
59:21without ascent to his name
59:23with not a sheep to guard through the
59:25night
59:26but the stones were proof that he had
59:28met with a king
59:30a king who knew of the boy's past
59:34they're called urem and
59:37and they can help you to read the omens
59:41the boy put the stones back in the pouch
59:43and decided to do an experiment
59:46the old man said to ask very clear
59:49questions to do that
59:50the boy had to know what he wanted so he
59:53asked if the old man's blessing was
59:55still with him
59:57he took out one of the stones it was
1:00:00yes am i going to find my treasure he
1:00:03asked
1:00:05he stuck his hand into the pouch and he
1:00:06felt around for one of the stones
1:00:09as he did so both of them pushed through
1:00:11a hole in the pouch and fell to the
1:00:12ground
1:00:14the boy had never even noticed that
1:00:15there was a hole in his pouch
1:00:17he knelt down to find urem and two meme
1:00:20and put them back in the pouch
1:00:22but as he saw them lying there on the
1:00:24ground another phrase came to his mind
1:00:28learn to recognize omens and follow them
1:00:31the old king had said an omen
1:00:36the boy smiled to himself he picked up
1:00:39the two stones and put them back in his
1:00:41pouch
1:00:42he didn't consider mending the hole the
1:00:44stones could fall through any time they
1:00:46wanted
1:00:47he had learned that there were certain
1:00:49things one shouldn't ask about
1:00:51so as not to flee from one's own
1:00:53personal legend
1:00:55i promise that i would make my own
1:00:57decisions he said to himself
1:01:00but the stones had told him that the old
1:01:02man was still with him
1:01:04and that made him feel more confident he
1:01:07looked around at the empty plaza again
1:01:08feeling less desperate than before
1:01:11this wasn't a strange place it was a new
1:01:15one
1:01:16after all what he had always wanted was
1:01:18just that to know new places
1:01:22even if he never got to the pyramids
1:01:24he'd already traveled farther than any
1:01:25shepherd he knew
1:01:27oh if only they knew how different
1:01:29things are just two hours by ship from
1:01:31where they are he thought
1:01:34although his new world at the moment was
1:01:35just an empty marketplace
1:01:37he had already seen it when he was
1:01:38teeming with life but he would never
1:01:40forget it
1:01:42he remembered the sword it hurt him a
1:01:44bit to think about it but
1:01:45he'd never seen one like it before as he
1:01:48mused about these things
1:01:50he realized that he had to choose
1:01:52between thinking of himself as the poor
1:01:54victim of a thief
1:01:55and as an adventurer in quest of his
1:01:58treasure
1:02:00i'm an adventurer looking for treasure
1:02:02he said to himself
1:02:06he was shaken into wakefulness by
1:02:08someone
1:02:09he'd fallen asleep in the middle of the
1:02:11marketplace and life in the plaza was
1:02:13about to resume
1:02:16looking around he sought his sheep and
1:02:18then realized that he was in a new world
1:02:20but instead of being saddened he was
1:02:22happy he no longer had to seek out food
1:02:25and water for the sheep
1:02:27he could go in search of his treasure
1:02:29instead
1:02:30he had not a scent in his pocket but he
1:02:33had faith
1:02:35he had decided the night before that he
1:02:37would be as much an adventurer as the
1:02:39ones he had admired in books
1:02:42he walked slowly through the marketplace
1:02:45the merchants were assembling their
1:02:46stalls
1:02:47and the boy helped a candy seller to do
1:02:49his
1:02:50the candy seller had a smile on his face
1:02:52he was happy aware of what his life was
1:02:54about
1:02:55and ready to begin a day's work his
1:02:57smile reminded the boy of the old man
1:03:00the mysterious old king he had met
1:03:03this candy merchant isn't making candy
1:03:05so that later he can travel or marry a
1:03:07shopkeeper's daughter
1:03:09he's doing it because it's what he wants
1:03:11to do thought the boy
1:03:13he realized that he could do the same
1:03:15thing the old man had done
1:03:17sense whether a person was near to or
1:03:19far from his personal legend
1:03:21just by looking at them it's easy
1:03:25and yet i've never done it before he
1:03:26thought
1:03:29when the stall was assembled the candy
1:03:32seller offered the boy the first sweet
1:03:33he had made for the day
1:03:35the boy thanked him ate it and went on
1:03:38his way
1:03:39when he'd gone only a short distance he
1:03:40realized that while they were erecting
1:03:42the stall one of them had spoken arabic
1:03:45and the other spanish and they had
1:03:48understood each other
1:03:49perfectly well there must be a language
1:03:53that doesn't depend on words the boy
1:03:55thought
1:03:56i've already had that experience with my
1:03:58sheep and now it's happening with people
1:04:02he was learning a lot of new things some
1:04:05of them were things that he had already
1:04:06experienced and weren't really new but
1:04:08that he had never perceived before and
1:04:11he hadn't perceived
1:04:12them because he had become accustomed to
1:04:14them
1:04:15he realized if i can learn to understand
1:04:18this language without words
1:04:20i can learn to understand the world
1:04:24relaxed and unhurried he resolved that
1:04:26he would walk through the narrow streets
1:04:28of tangier
1:04:29only in that way would he be able to
1:04:31read the omens
1:04:33he knew it would require a lot of
1:04:35patience but shepherds know all about
1:04:37patience
1:04:38once again he saw that in that strange
1:04:41land
1:04:42he was applying the same lessons he had
1:04:44learned with his sheep
1:04:46all things are one the old man had said
1:04:53the crystal merchant awoke with the day
1:04:56and felt the same anxiety that he felt
1:04:58every morning
1:04:59he had been in the same place for 30
1:05:01years
1:05:03a shop at the top of a hilly street
1:05:05where few customers passed
1:05:08now it was too late to change anything
1:05:10the only thing he had ever learned to do
1:05:12was to buy and sell crystal glassware
1:05:15there had been a time when many people
1:05:17knew of his shop arab merchants french
1:05:19and english geologists
1:05:21german soldiers who were always well
1:05:23healed
1:05:24in those days it had been wonderful to
1:05:26be selling crystal
1:05:27and he had thought how he would become
1:05:29rich and have beautiful women at his
1:05:31side as he grew older
1:05:33but as time passed tangier had changed
1:05:38the nearby city of suta had grown faster
1:05:40than tangier
1:05:41and business had fallen off neighbors
1:05:44moved away
1:05:45and there remained only a few small
1:05:47shops on the hill
1:05:49and no one was going to climb the hill
1:05:50just to browse through a few small shops
1:05:54but the crystal merchant had no choice
1:05:56he had lived 30 years of his life buying
1:05:59and selling crystal pieces
1:06:01and now it was too late to do anything
1:06:02else
1:06:04he spent the entire morning observing
1:06:07the infrequent comings and goings in the
1:06:09street
1:06:10he had done this for years and knew the
1:06:12schedule of everyone who passed
1:06:14but just before lunchtime a boy stopped
1:06:18in front of the shop
1:06:19he was dressed normally but the
1:06:21practiced eye of the crystal merchant
1:06:23could see that the boy had no money to
1:06:25spend
1:06:26nevertheless the merchant decided to
1:06:29delay his lunch for a few minutes until
1:06:31the boy moved
1:06:32on
1:06:35a card hanging in the doorway announced
1:06:37that several languages were spoken
1:06:39in the shop the boy saw a man appear
1:06:43behind the counter
1:06:44i can clean up those glasses in the
1:06:46window if you want said the boy
1:06:49the way they look now no one's going to
1:06:50want to buy them
1:06:52the man looked at him without responding
1:06:55in exchange
1:06:56you could give me something to eat the
1:07:00man still said nothing
1:07:01and the boy sensed that he was going to
1:07:03have to make a decision
1:07:05in his pouch he had his jacket he
1:07:08certainly wasn't going to need it in the
1:07:09desert
1:07:11taking the jacket out he began to clean
1:07:13the glasses
1:07:15in half an hour he had cleaned all the
1:07:17glasses in the window
1:07:18and as he was doing so two customers had
1:07:20entered the shop and bought some crystal
1:07:23when he had completed the cleaning he
1:07:25asked the man
1:07:26for something to eat let's go and have
1:07:29some lunch
1:07:30said the crystal merchant he put a sign
1:07:33on the door
1:07:34and they went to a small cafe nearby as
1:07:37they sat down at the only table in the
1:07:39place
1:07:40the crystal merchant laughed you didn't
1:07:43have to do any cleaning he said
1:07:45the quran requires me to feed a hungry
1:07:47person
1:07:48well then why did you let me do it the
1:07:50boy asked because the crystal was dirty
1:07:53and both you and i needed to cleanse our
1:07:55minds of negative thoughts
1:07:59when they'd eaten the merchant turned to
1:08:01the boy and said
1:08:02i'd like you to work in my shop two
1:08:05customers came in today while you were
1:08:07working and
1:08:08that's a good omen
1:08:11people talk a lot about omens thought
1:08:13the shepherd
1:08:14but they really don't know what they're
1:08:16saying just as i hadn't realized that
1:08:18for so many years i'd been speaking a
1:08:20language without words to my sheep
1:08:23do you want to go to work for me the
1:08:25merchant asked
1:08:26i can work for the rest of today the boy
1:08:28answered
1:08:29i'll work all night until dawn and i'll
1:08:32clean every piece of crystal in your
1:08:33shop
1:08:34in return i need money to get to egypt
1:08:36tomorrow
1:08:38the merchants laughed even if you clean
1:08:40my crystal for an entire year
1:08:42even if you earned a good commission
1:08:44selling every piece
1:08:45you would still have to borrow money to
1:08:47get to egypt
1:08:49there are thousands of kilometers of
1:08:51desert between here and there
1:08:54there was a moment of silence so
1:08:57profound
1:08:58that it seemed the city was asleep no
1:09:01sound from the bazaars
1:09:03no arguments among the merchants no men
1:09:05climbing to the towers to chant
1:09:08no hope no adventure no old kings or
1:09:12personal legends
1:09:13no treasure and no pyramids
1:09:18it was as if the world had fallen silent
1:09:20because the boy's soul had
1:09:23he sat there staring blankly through the
1:09:25door of the cafe
1:09:27wishing that he had died and that
1:09:29everything would end
1:09:30forever at that moment
1:09:34the merchant looked anxiously at the boy
1:09:36all the joy he had seen that morning and
1:09:38suddenly disappeared
1:09:39i can give you the money you need to get
1:09:41back to your country my son
1:09:43said the crystal merchant the boy said
1:09:46nothing
1:09:48he got up adjusted his clothing and
1:09:51picked up his pouch
1:09:53i'll work for you he said
1:09:56and after another long silence he added
1:09:59i need money to buy some
1:10:00sheep
1:10:04the boy had been working for the crystal
1:10:06merchant for almost a month
1:10:08and he could see that it wasn't exactly
1:10:10the kind of job that would make him
1:10:11happy
1:10:12the merchants spent the entire day
1:10:14mumbling behind the counter telling the
1:10:16boy to be careful with the pieces and
1:10:17not to break anything
1:10:19but he stayed with the job because the
1:10:21merchant although he was an old grouch
1:10:23treated him fairly the boy received a
1:10:25good commission
1:10:26for each piece he sold and had already
1:10:28been able to put some money aside
1:10:31that morning he had done some
1:10:32calculating if he continued to work
1:10:35every day as he had been
1:10:37he would need a whole year to be able to
1:10:39buy some sheep
1:10:42i'd like to build a display case for the
1:10:44crystal the boy said to the merchant
1:10:46we could place it outside and attract
1:10:48those people who pass at the bottom of
1:10:50the hill
1:10:51well i've never had one before the
1:10:52merchant answered
1:10:54people will pass by and bump into it and
1:10:56pieces will be broken
1:10:58well when i took my sheep through the
1:11:00fields some of them might have died
1:11:02if we had come upon a snake but that's
1:11:04the way life is with sheep and with
1:11:06shepherds
1:11:08the merchant turned to a customer who
1:11:09wanted three crystal glasses he was
1:11:11selling
1:11:12better than ever as if time had turned
1:11:14back to the old days when the street had
1:11:16been one of tangier's major attractions
1:11:19business has really improved he said to
1:11:21the boy after the customer had left
1:11:23i'm doing much better and soon you'll be
1:11:26able to return to your sheep
1:11:28why ask more out of life because we have
1:11:31to respond to omens the boy said
1:11:33almost without meaning to then he
1:11:35regretted what he had said because the
1:11:36merchant had never met the king
1:11:38it's called the principle of
1:11:40favorability beginner's luck
1:11:43because life wants you to achieve your
1:11:45personal legend
1:11:46the old king had said but the merchant
1:11:50understood what the boy had said
1:11:52the boy's very presence in the shop was
1:11:54an omen and as time passed and money was
1:11:57pouring into the cash draw
1:11:58he had no regrets about having hired the
1:12:00boy the boy was being paid more money
1:12:03than he deserved because
1:12:04the merchant thinking that sales
1:12:05wouldn't amount to much had offered the
1:12:07boy a high commission rate
1:12:09he had assumed he would soon return to
1:12:10his sheep
1:12:12why did you want to get to the pyramids
1:12:14he asked to get away from the business
1:12:16of the display
1:12:17because i've always heard about them the
1:12:19boy answered saying nothing about his
1:12:21dream
1:12:23the treasure was now nothing but a
1:12:24painful memory and he tried to avoid
1:12:26thinking about it
1:12:28i don't know anyone here who would want
1:12:29to cross the desert just to see the
1:12:31pyramids at the merchant
1:12:33they're just a pile of stones you could
1:12:35build one in your own backyard
1:12:37you've never had dreams of travel said
1:12:39the boy turning to wait on a customer
1:12:41who had entered the shop
1:12:44two days later the merchants spoke to
1:12:47the boy about the display i don't much
1:12:50like
1:12:50change he said you and i aren't like
1:12:53hassan that rich merchant
1:12:55if he makes a buying mistake it doesn't
1:12:58affect him much
1:12:59but we too have to live with our
1:13:00mistakes
1:13:02that's true enough the boy thought
1:13:04ruefully why did you think we should
1:13:06have a display
1:13:08i want to get back to my sheep faster we
1:13:11have to take advantage when luck is on
1:13:12our side
1:13:13and do as much to help it as it's doing
1:13:15to help us it's called
1:13:16the principle of favorability or
1:13:18beginner's luck
1:13:20the merchant was silent for a few
1:13:22moments then he said
1:13:24well the prophet gave us the quran and
1:13:26left us just five obligations to satisfy
1:13:29during our lives
1:13:30most important is to believe only in the
1:13:32one true god
1:13:34the others are to pray five times a day
1:13:37fast during ramadan
1:13:38and be charitable to the poor
1:13:42he stopped there his eyes filled with
1:13:45tears as he spoke of the prophet
1:13:47he was a devout man and even with all
1:13:50his impatience
1:13:52he wanted to live his life in accordance
1:13:54with muslim law
1:13:56what's the fifth obligation the boy
1:13:58asked
1:13:59two days ago you said that i had never
1:14:01dreamed of travel
1:14:02the merchant answered the fifth
1:14:05obligation of every muslim
1:14:07is a pilgrimage we are obliged at least
1:14:11once in our lives to visit the holy city
1:14:13of mecca
1:14:15mecca is a lot further away than the
1:14:17pyramids
1:14:18when i was young all i wanted to do was
1:14:21to put together enough money to start
1:14:22this shop
1:14:24i thought that someday i'd be rich and
1:14:26could go to mecca
1:14:28i began to make some money but i could
1:14:30never bring myself to leave someone in
1:14:32charge of the shop
1:14:33the crystal to delicate things at the
1:14:36same time people were passing my shop
1:14:38all the time heading for mecca
1:14:39some of them were rich pilgrims
1:14:41traveling in caravans with
1:14:43servants and camels but most of the
1:14:45people making the pilgrimage were poorer
1:14:47than i
1:14:48all who went there were happy at having
1:14:50done so they placed the symbols of the
1:14:53pilgrimage on the doors of their houses
1:14:56one of them a cobbler who made his
1:14:58living mending boots said that
1:15:00he had traveled almost a year through
1:15:02the desert but
1:15:03that he got more tired when he had to
1:15:04walk through the streets of tangier
1:15:06buying his leather
1:15:08well why don't you go to mecca now ask
1:15:10the boy
1:15:11because it's the thought of mecca that
1:15:14keeps me alive
1:15:15that's what helps me face these days
1:15:17that are all the same these
1:15:19mute crystals on the shelves and lunch
1:15:22and dinner at that same horrible cafe
1:15:25i'm afraid that if my dream is realized
1:15:27i'll have no reason to go on living
1:15:30you dream about your sheep and the
1:15:32pyramids but you're different from me
1:15:34because
1:15:34you want to realize your dreams i just
1:15:38want to dream
1:15:39about mecca i've already imagined a
1:15:41thousand times crossing the desert
1:15:44arriving at the plaza of the sacred
1:15:46stone the seven times i walk around it
1:15:48before allowing myself to touch it
1:15:51i've already imagined the people who
1:15:53would be at my side
1:15:54those in front of me and the
1:15:56conversations and prayers we would share
1:15:59but i'm afraid that it would all be a
1:16:01disappointment
1:16:03so i prefer just to dream about it
1:16:06that day the merchant gave the boy
1:16:09permission to build the display
1:16:11not everyone could see his dreams come
1:16:13true in the same way
1:16:18two more months passed and the shelf
1:16:20brought many customers into the crystal
1:16:22shop
1:16:23the boy estimated that if he worked for
1:16:26six more months
1:16:27he could return to spain and buy sixty
1:16:29sheep and
1:16:30yet another sixty in less than a year
1:16:33he would have doubled his flock and he
1:16:35would be able to do business with the
1:16:37arabs because
1:16:38he was now able to speak their strange
1:16:39language
1:16:41since that morning in the marketplace he
1:16:43had never again made use of urem and thu
1:16:45meme
1:16:46because egypt was now just as distant to
1:16:49dream for him as was mecca for the
1:16:51merchant
1:16:52anyway the boy had become happy in his
1:16:54work and thought all the time about the
1:16:56day when he would disembark at tarifa
1:16:58as a winner you must always
1:17:02know what it is that you want
1:17:05the old king had said the boy knew
1:17:08and was now working toward it maybe it
1:17:11was his treasure to have wound up in
1:17:12that strange land
1:17:14met up with the thief and doubled the
1:17:16size of his flock without spending a
1:17:17cent
1:17:19he was proud of himself he'd learn some
1:17:22important things
1:17:23like how to deal in crystal and about
1:17:25the language without words and
1:17:27about omens one afternoon
1:17:31he'd seen a man at the top of the hill
1:17:33complaining that it was impossible to
1:17:34find a decent place to get something to
1:17:36drink after such a climb
1:17:38the boy accustomed to recognizing omens
1:17:41spoke to the merchant let's sell tea to
1:17:44the people who climb the hill
1:17:46well lots of places sell tea around here
1:17:49the merchant said
1:17:50but we could sell tea in crystal glasses
1:17:53the people will enjoy the tea and want
1:17:55to buy the glasses
1:17:57i've been told that beauty is the great
1:17:59seducer of men
1:18:01the merchant didn't respond but that
1:18:03afternoon
1:18:04after saying his prayers and closing the
1:18:06shop he invited the boy to sit with him
1:18:08and share his hooker
1:18:10that strange pipe used by the arabs
1:18:14what is it that you're looking for ask
1:18:16the old merchant
1:18:18i've already told you i need to buy my
1:18:20sheep back so i have to earn the money
1:18:22to do so
1:18:23the merchant put some new coals in the
1:18:26hooker and inhaled deeply
1:18:28i've had this shop for 30 years i know
1:18:32good crystal from bad and everything
1:18:34else there is to know about crystal
1:18:36i know its dimensions and how it behaves
1:18:39if we sell tea in crystal the shop is
1:18:42going to expand
1:18:44and then i'll have to change my way of
1:18:46life
1:18:47well isn't that good i'm already used to
1:18:50the way things are
1:18:52before you came i was thinking about how
1:18:54much time i'd wasted in the same place
1:18:56while my friends had moved on and
1:18:58either went bankrupt or did better than
1:19:00they had before it made me very
1:19:02depressed
1:19:04now i can see that it hasn't been too
1:19:06bad the shop is exactly the size i
1:19:09always wanted it to be you know i don't
1:19:11want to change anything because i don't
1:19:12know how to deal with change you see i'm
1:19:15used to the way i
1:19:16am the boy didn't know what to say
1:19:20the old man continued you've been a real
1:19:23blessing to me
1:19:25today i understand something i didn't
1:19:27see before
1:19:28every blessing ignored becomes a curse
1:19:31i don't want anything else in life but
1:19:34you are forcing me to look at wealth
1:19:36and at horizons i've never known now
1:19:39that i've seen them and now that i see
1:19:41how immense my possibilities are
1:19:44i'm going to feel worse than i did
1:19:45before you arrived
1:19:48because i know the things i should be
1:19:50able to accomplish
1:19:51and i don't want to do so
1:19:54it's good i refrain from saying anything
1:19:56to the baker and tarifa
1:19:58thought the boy to himself they went on
1:20:02smoking the pipe for a while as the sun
1:20:03began to set
1:20:05they were conversing in arabic and the
1:20:07boy was proud of himself for being able
1:20:09to do so
1:20:10there had been a time when he thought
1:20:12that his sheep could teach him
1:20:13everything he needed to know about the
1:20:14world
1:20:15but they could never have taught him
1:20:17arabic
1:20:19there are probably other things in the
1:20:20world the sheep can't teach me thought
1:20:22the boy as he regarded the old merchant
1:20:24all they ever do really is look for food
1:20:27and water
1:20:28and maybe it wasn't that they were
1:20:29teaching me but that i was learning from
1:20:32them
1:20:35the merchant said finally what does that
1:20:38mean
1:20:39you would have to have been born an arab
1:20:41to understand the answer
1:20:43but in your language it would be
1:20:44something like
1:20:46it is written and as he smothered the
1:20:49coals in the hooker
1:20:51he told the boy that he could begin to
1:20:54sell tea in the crystal glasses
1:20:57sometimes there's just no way to hold
1:21:00back the river
1:21:04the men climbed the hill and they were
1:21:06tired when they reached the top
1:21:08but there they saw a crystal shop that
1:21:10offered refreshing mint tea
1:21:13they went in to drink the tea which was
1:21:15served in beautiful crystal glasses
1:21:18my wife never thought of this said one
1:21:20and he bought some crystal
1:21:22he was entertaining guests that night
1:21:24and the guests will be impressed by the
1:21:25beauty of the glassware
1:21:27the other man remarked that tea was
1:21:29always more delicious when it was served
1:21:31in crystal because the aroma was
1:21:33retained
1:21:34the third said that it was a tradition
1:21:36in the orient to use crystal glasses for
1:21:38tea
1:21:38because it had magical powers
1:21:42before long the news spread and a great
1:21:44many people began to climb the hill to
1:21:46see the shop that was doing something
1:21:47new in a trade that was so old
1:21:50other shops were open that served tea
1:21:52and crystal but they weren't at the top
1:21:54of a hill
1:21:55and they had little business eventually
1:21:59the merchant had to hire two more
1:22:01employees
1:22:02he began to import enormous quantities
1:22:05of tea along with his crystal
1:22:07and his shop was sought out by men and
1:22:09women were the thirst for things new
1:22:12and in that way the months passed
1:22:18the boy awoke before dawn
1:22:21it had been 11 months and nine days
1:22:24since he had first set foot on the
1:22:25african continent
1:22:27[Music]
1:22:28he dressed in his arabian clothing of
1:22:30white linen
1:22:31bought especially for this day he put
1:22:34his head cloth in place and secured it
1:22:36with a ring made of camel
1:22:38skin wearing his new sandals
1:22:41he descended the stairs silently
1:22:45the city was still sleeping he prepared
1:22:48himself a sandwich
1:22:49and drank some hot tea from a crystal
1:22:51glass
1:22:52then he sat in the sun-filled doorway
1:22:55smoking the hooker
1:22:58he smoked in silence thinking of nothing
1:23:01and listening to the sound of the wind
1:23:04that brought the scent of the desert
1:23:06when he had finished his smoke he
1:23:08reached into one of his pockets
1:23:10and sat there for a few moments
1:23:12regarding what he had withdrawn
1:23:15it was a bundle of money
1:23:19enough to buy himself 120 sheep
1:23:22a return ticket and a license to import
1:23:25products from africa into his own
1:23:27country
1:23:29he waited patiently for the merchant to
1:23:30awaken and open the shop
1:23:33then the two went off to have some more
1:23:34tea i'm leaving today
1:23:37said the boy i have the money i need to
1:23:40buy my sheep
1:23:41and you have the money you need to go to
1:23:43mecca
1:23:44the old man said nothing will you give
1:23:47me your blessing
1:23:48ask the boy you have helped me
1:23:52the man continued to prepare his tea
1:23:54saying nothing
1:23:55then he turned to the boy i'm proud of
1:23:58you
1:23:58he said you brought a new feeling into
1:24:01my crystal shop
1:24:03but you know that i'm not going to mecca
1:24:06just as you know that you're not going
1:24:08to buy your sheep
1:24:10who told you that asked the boys
1:24:12startled
1:24:13maktub said the old crystal merchant
1:24:17and he gave the boy his blessing
1:24:23the boy went to his room and packed his
1:24:24belongings
1:24:26they filled three sacks as he was
1:24:29leaving
1:24:30he saw in the corner of the room his old
1:24:32shepherd's pouch
1:24:34it was bunched up and he'd hardly
1:24:36thought of it for a long time
1:24:38as he took his jacket out of the pouch
1:24:40thinking to give it to someone in the
1:24:41street
1:24:42the two stones fell to the floor urem
1:24:46and thumim it made the boy think of the
1:24:50old king
1:24:51and it startled him to realize how long
1:24:54it had been
1:24:55since he had thought of him for nearly a
1:24:58year he'd been working incessantly
1:25:01thinking only of putting aside enough
1:25:02money so that he could return to spain
1:25:05with pride
1:25:07never stop dreaming the old king had
1:25:10said
1:25:11follow the omens
1:25:15the boy picked up urem and thumeem
1:25:18and once again had the strange sensation
1:25:21that the old king was nearby
1:25:24he had worked hard for a year and the
1:25:26omens were
1:25:28that it was time to go
1:25:31i'm going to go back to doing just what
1:25:34i did before the boy thought
1:25:36even though the sheep didn't teach me to
1:25:38speak arabic
1:25:40but the sheep had taught him something
1:25:42even more important
1:25:43that there was a language in the world
1:25:45that everyone understood a language the
1:25:47boy had used throughout the time that he
1:25:48was trying to improve things at the shop
1:25:50it was the language of enthusiasm
1:25:53of things accomplished with love and
1:25:55purpose
1:25:56and as part of a search for something
1:25:58believed in and desired
1:26:01tangier was no longer a strange city and
1:26:04he felt that
1:26:05just as he had conquered this place he
1:26:07could conquer the world
1:26:10when you want something all the universe
1:26:13conspires to help you achieve it
1:26:16the old king had said
1:26:19but the old king hadn't said anything
1:26:21about being robbed or about
1:26:22endless deserts or about people who know
1:26:25what their dreams are but they don't
1:26:26want to realize them
1:26:28the old king hadn't told him that the
1:26:29pyramids were just a pile of stones
1:26:32or that anyone could build one in his
1:26:33backyard
1:26:35and he had forgotten to mention that
1:26:36when you have enough money to buy a
1:26:38flock larger than the one you had before
1:26:39you should buy it
1:26:42the boy picked up his pouch and put it
1:26:44with his other things
1:26:45he went down the stairs and found the
1:26:47merchant waiting on a foreign couple
1:26:49while two other customers walked about
1:26:51the shop drinking tea from crystal
1:26:52glasses
1:26:54it was more activity than usual for this
1:26:56time in the morning
1:26:57from where he stood he saw for the first
1:26:59time that the old merchant's hair
1:27:01was very much like the hair of the old
1:27:03king
1:27:04he remembered the smile of the candy
1:27:06cellar on his first day in tangier
1:27:08when he had nothing to eat and nowhere
1:27:10to go that smile
1:27:12had also been like the old king's smile
1:27:16it's almost as if he had been here and
1:27:18left his mark he thought
1:27:20and yet none of these people has ever
1:27:22met the old king
1:27:24on the other hand he said that he always
1:27:26appeared to help those who are trying to
1:27:28realize their personal legend
1:27:31he left without saying goodbye to the
1:27:33crystal merchant he didn't want to cry
1:27:35with the other people there
1:27:37he was going to miss the place and all
1:27:39the good things he'd learned
1:27:41he was more confident in himself though
1:27:43and felt as though he could conquer the
1:27:45world
1:27:46but i'm going back to the fields that i
1:27:48know to take care of my flock again
1:27:51he said that to himself with certainty
1:27:54but he was no longer happy with his
1:27:56decision
1:27:57he had worked for an entire year to make
1:28:00a dream
1:28:00come true and that dream minute by
1:28:03minute was becoming less important
1:28:06maybe because that wasn't really his
1:28:08dream
1:28:11who knows maybe it's better to be like
1:28:13the crystal merchant
1:28:14never go to mecca and just go through
1:28:16life wanting to do so he thought
1:28:18again trying to convince himself
1:28:22but as he held urem and thumeme in his
1:28:24hand they had transmitted to him the
1:28:26strength and will
1:28:28of the old king by coincidence or
1:28:31maybe it was an omen the boy thought he
1:28:34came to the bar that he had entered on
1:28:36his first day there
1:28:38the thief wasn't there and the owner
1:28:40brought him a cup of tea
1:28:43i can always go back to being a shepherd
1:28:45the boy thought
1:28:47i learned how to care for sheep and i
1:28:49haven't forgotten how that's done
1:28:51but maybe i'll never have another chance
1:28:53to get to the pyramids in egypt the old
1:28:56man
1:28:56wore a breastplate of gold and he knew
1:28:59about my past
1:29:01he really was a king a wise king
1:29:06the hills of andalusia were only two
1:29:08hours away
1:29:10there was an entire desert between him
1:29:12and the pyramids
1:29:14yet the boy felt there was another way
1:29:16to regard his situation
1:29:19he was actually two hours closer to his
1:29:21treasure
1:29:22the fact that the two hours have
1:29:24stretched into an entire year didn't
1:29:26matter
1:29:28i know why i want to get back to my
1:29:29flock he thought
1:29:31i understand sheep they're no longer a
1:29:33problem and they can be good friends
1:29:35on the other hand i don't know if the
1:29:37desert can be a friend
1:29:38and it's in the desert that i have to
1:29:40search for my treasure
1:29:42if i don't find it i can always go home
1:29:44i finally have enough money and
1:29:46all the time i need why not
1:29:50he suddenly felt tremendously happy he
1:29:53could always go back to being a shepherd
1:29:55he could always become a crystal
1:29:57salesman again maybe the world had other
1:29:59hidden treasures but he had a dream and
1:30:01he had met with a king
1:30:03that doesn't happen to just anyone
1:30:06he was planning as he left the bar he
1:30:09had remembered
1:30:10that one of the crystal merchants
1:30:12suppliers transported his crystal by
1:30:14means of caravans that cross the desert
1:30:17he held uream and thume in his hand
1:30:19because of these two stones
1:30:21he was once again on the way to his
1:30:24treasure
1:30:25i am always nearby when someone wants to
1:30:29realize their personal legend
1:30:32the old king had told him what could it
1:30:35cost
1:30:36to go over to the suppliers warehouse
1:30:38and find out if the pyramids were really
1:30:40that far away
1:30:45the englishman was sitting on a bench in
1:30:47a structure that smelled of animals
1:30:49sweat and dust it was part warehouse
1:30:52part corral i never thought i'd end up
1:30:55in a place like this he thought
1:30:57as he leafed through the pages of a
1:30:58chemical journal
1:31:00ten years at the university and here i
1:31:02am in a chorale
1:31:04but he had to move on he believed in
1:31:06omens
1:31:08all his life and all his studies were
1:31:09aimed at finding the one true
1:31:11language of the universe first he had
1:31:14studied esperanto
1:31:16then the world's religions and now it
1:31:18was alchemy
1:31:20he knew how to speak esperanto he
1:31:22understood all the major religions well
1:31:25but he wasn't yet an alchemist
1:31:28he had unraveled the truths behind
1:31:30important questions
1:31:31but his studies had taken him to a point
1:31:33beyond which he couldn't seem to go
1:31:36he had tried in vain to establish a
1:31:38relationship with an alchemist but
1:31:40the alchemists were strange people who
1:31:42thought only about themselves and almost
1:31:44always refused to help him
1:31:46who knows maybe they had failed to
1:31:48discover the secret of the masterwork
1:31:50the philosopher's stone and for this
1:31:52reason
1:31:52kept their knowledge to themselves he
1:31:55had already spent much of the fortune
1:31:57left him by his father
1:31:58fruitlessly seeking the philosopher's
1:32:00stone he'd spent enormous amounts of
1:32:03time at the great libraries of the world
1:32:04and
1:32:05purchased all the rarest and most
1:32:07important volumes on alchemy
1:32:09in one he had read that many years ago a
1:32:12famous
1:32:12arabian alchemist had visited europe it
1:32:15was said
1:32:16that he was more than 200 years old
1:32:19and that he had discovered the
1:32:20philosopher's stone and the elixir of
1:32:23life
1:32:24the englishman had been profoundly
1:32:27impressed by the story
1:32:28but he would never have thought it more
1:32:30than just a myth had not a friend of his
1:32:33returning from an archaeological
1:32:35expedition in the desert told him about
1:32:37an
1:32:37arab that was possessed of exceptional
1:32:40powers
1:32:41he lives in the alfayouma oasis his
1:32:44friend had said
1:32:45and people say that he's 200 years old
1:32:48and is able to transform any metal into
1:32:50gold
1:32:52the englishman could not contain his
1:32:54excitement
1:32:55he cancelled all his commitments and
1:32:57pulled together the most important of
1:32:58his books and now
1:32:59here he was sitting inside a dusty
1:33:02smelly warehouse
1:33:04outside a huge caravan was being
1:33:07prepared for a crossing of the sahara
1:33:09and was scheduled to pass through al
1:33:11fayoom
1:33:13i'm going to find that damned alchemist
1:33:15the englishman thought
1:33:16and the odour of the animals became a
1:33:18bit more tolerable
1:33:21a young arab also loaded down with
1:33:23baggage entered and greeted the
1:33:25englishman
1:33:26where he abound asked the young arab
1:33:29i'm going into the desert the man
1:33:31answered turning back to his reading
1:33:33he didn't want any conversation at this
1:33:35point what he needed to do was to review
1:33:37all he had learned over the years
1:33:39because the alchemist would certainly
1:33:40put him to the test
1:33:42the young arab took out a book and began
1:33:44to read
1:33:46the book was written in spanish that's
1:33:48good thought the englishman
1:33:50he spoke spanish better than arabic and
1:33:53if this boy was going to our fame
1:33:55there would be someone to talk to when
1:33:56there was no other important things to
1:33:58do
1:34:01that's strange said the boy as he tried
1:34:05once again to read the burial scene that
1:34:07began the book
1:34:08i've been trying for two years to read
1:34:10this book
1:34:11and i never get past these first few
1:34:13pages
1:34:15even without a king to provide an
1:34:16interruption he was unable to
1:34:18concentrate
1:34:19he still had some doubts about the
1:34:21decision he had made
1:34:23but he was able to understand one thing
1:34:26making a decision
1:34:27was only the beginning of things when
1:34:30someone makes a decision he is really
1:34:32diving into a strong current that will
1:34:34carry him to places he had never dreamed
1:34:36of when he first made the decision
1:34:39when i decided to seek out my treasure i
1:34:41never imagined that i'd wind up working
1:34:43in a crystal shop he thought
1:34:46and joining this caravan may have been
1:34:47my decision but where it goes is going
1:34:50to be a mystery to me
1:34:52nearby was the englishman reading a book
1:34:56he seemed unfriendly and had looked
1:34:58irritated when the boy had entered
1:35:01they might even have become friends but
1:35:03the englishman closed off the
1:35:04conversation
1:35:06the boy closed his book he felt he
1:35:08didn't want to do anything that might
1:35:09make him look like the englishman
1:35:12he took urem and thu meme from his
1:35:13pocket and began playing with them
1:35:16the stranger shouted oh raymond sumim
1:35:20in a flash the boy put them back in his
1:35:21pocket they're not for sale
1:35:24he said they're not worth much the
1:35:26englishman answered they're only made a
1:35:28rock crystal and there are millions of
1:35:30rock crystals in the earth
1:35:31but those who know about such things
1:35:33would know that those are a rim and
1:35:34thummim
1:35:35i didn't know they had them in this part
1:35:37of the world
1:35:39they were given to me as a present by a
1:35:40king the boy said
1:35:42the stranger didn't answer instead he
1:35:45put his hand in his pocket
1:35:47took out two stones that were the same
1:35:49as the boys
1:35:50did you say king he asked i guess you
1:35:53don't believe that a king would talk to
1:35:54someone like me a shepherd he said
1:35:56wanting to end the conversation
1:35:58not at all it was shepherds who were the
1:36:01first to recognize a king that the rest
1:36:02of the world refused to acknowledge
1:36:05so it's not surprising that kings would
1:36:06talk to shepherds
1:36:08and he went on fearing that the boy
1:36:10wouldn't understand what he was talking
1:36:12about
1:36:12it's in the bible the same book that
1:36:14taught me about urem and thumim
1:36:17these stones are the only form of
1:36:18divination permitted by god
1:36:21the priest carried them in a golden
1:36:23breastplate
1:36:24the boy was suddenly happy to be there
1:36:27at the warehouse
1:36:28maybe this is an omen said the
1:36:30englishman half aloud
1:36:32who told you about omens the boy's
1:36:35interest was increasing by the moment
1:36:37everything in life is an omen to the
1:36:39englishman now closing the journal he
1:36:40was reading
1:36:41there is a universal language understood
1:36:43by everybody but already forgotten
1:36:46i'm in search of that universal language
1:36:48amongst other things that's why i'm here
1:36:50i have to find a man who knows that
1:36:52universal language an
1:36:53alchemist the conversation was
1:36:56interrupted by the warehouse boss
1:36:58you're in luck you too the fat arab said
1:37:01there's a caravan leaving today for
1:37:03al-fayoom
1:37:04but i'm going to egypt the boy said
1:37:07al-fayoom is in egypt
1:37:09said the arab what kind of arab are you
1:37:12that's a good luck omen the englishman
1:37:14said after the fact i'd ever gone out
1:37:16if i could i'd write a huge encyclopedia
1:37:19just about the words
1:37:20luck and coincidence it's with those
1:37:22words that the universal language is
1:37:24written
1:37:25he told the boy it was no coincidence
1:37:27that he had met him with you rim and
1:37:29threw me in his hand
1:37:31and he asked the boy if he too were in
1:37:33search of the alchemist
1:37:35i'm looking for a treasure said the boy
1:37:37and he immediately regretted having said
1:37:39it but the englishman appeared not to
1:37:40attach any importance to it
1:37:43in a way so am i he said
1:37:46i don't even know what alchemy is the
1:37:48boy was saying when the warehouse boss
1:37:50called to them to come outside
1:37:52[Music]
1:37:54i'm the leader of the caravan said the
1:37:57dark-eyed
1:37:58bearded man i hold the power
1:38:02of life and death for every person i
1:38:04take with me
1:38:06the desert is a capricious lady and
1:38:09sometimes she drives men crazy
1:38:12there were almost 200 people gathered
1:38:15there and 400
1:38:16animals camels horses mules and fowl
1:38:20in the crowd were women children and a
1:38:22number of men with swords at their belts
1:38:24and rifles slung on their shoulders
1:38:26the englishman had several suitcases
1:38:29filled with books
1:38:30there was a babble of noise and the
1:38:33leader had to repeat himself several
1:38:34times for everyone to understand what he
1:38:36was saying
1:38:38there are a lot of different people here
1:38:40and each
1:38:41has his own god but the only god i serve
1:38:45is allah
1:38:46and in his name i swear that i will do
1:38:48everything possible once again
1:38:50to win out over the desert but i want
1:38:53each and every one of you to swear by
1:38:55the god you believe in
1:38:57that you will follow my orders no matter
1:38:59what
1:39:00in the desert disobedience means death
1:39:04there was a murmur from the crowd each
1:39:07was swearing quietly to his or her own
1:39:09god
1:39:10the boy swore to jesus christ the
1:39:13englishman
1:39:14said nothing and the murmur lasted
1:39:17longer than the simple vow would have
1:39:19the people were also praying to heaven
1:39:21for protection
1:39:23a long note was sounded on a bugle and
1:39:25everyone mounted up
1:39:27the boy and the englishman had bought
1:39:29camels and climbed uncertainly onto
1:39:31their backs
1:39:33the boy felt sorry for the englishman's
1:39:35camel loaded down as he was with the
1:39:37cases of books
1:39:39there's no such thing as coincidence
1:39:41said the englishman picking up the
1:39:42conversation where it had been
1:39:43interrupted in the warehouse
1:39:45i'm here because a friend of mine heard
1:39:47of an arab who
1:39:49but the caravan began to move and it was
1:39:52impossible to hear what the englishman
1:39:53was saying
1:39:55the boy knew what he was about to
1:39:56describe though
1:39:58the mysterious chain that lings one
1:40:00thing to another
1:40:01the same chain that had caused him to
1:40:03become a shepherd that had caused his
1:40:05recurring dream
1:40:06that had brought him to a city near
1:40:08africa to find a king
1:40:10and to be robbed in order to meet a
1:40:11crystal merchant and
1:40:13the closer one gets to realizing his
1:40:15personal legend
1:40:17the more that personal legend becomes
1:40:19his true reason for being thought the
1:40:21boy
1:40:24the caravan moved toward the east it
1:40:26traveled during the morning
1:40:28halted when the sun was at its strongest
1:40:30and resumed late in the afternoon
1:40:33the boys spoke very little with the
1:40:34englishman who spent most of his time
1:40:36with his books
1:40:38the boy observed in silence the progress
1:40:40of the animals and people across the
1:40:42desert
1:40:43now everything was quite different from
1:40:45how it was that day they'd set out
1:40:48then there'd been confusion and shouting
1:40:50the cries of children and the winning of
1:40:52animals all mixed with the nervous
1:40:53orders of the guides and the merchants
1:40:56but in the desert there was only the
1:40:58sound of the eternal wind
1:41:00and of the hoof beats of the animals
1:41:03even the guides spoke very little to one
1:41:05another
1:41:07i've crossed these sands many times said
1:41:09one of the camel drivers one night
1:41:11but the desert is so huge and the
1:41:13horizon's so distant
1:41:15that they make a person feel small
1:41:18as if he should remain silent
1:41:21the boy understood intuitively what he
1:41:24meant
1:41:25even without ever having set foot in the
1:41:27desert before
1:41:29whenever he saw the sea or a fire he
1:41:32fell silent
1:41:33impressed by their elemental force
1:41:37i've learned things from the sheep and
1:41:39i've learned things from crystal he
1:41:41thought
1:41:42i can learn something from the desert
1:41:44too it seems old and wise
1:41:49the wind never stopped and the boy
1:41:51remembered the day he had sat at the
1:41:53fort in tarifa
1:41:54with this same wind blowing in his face
1:41:57it reminded him of the wolf from his
1:41:58sheep
1:41:59his sheep who were now seeking food and
1:42:01water in the fields of andalusia
1:42:03as they always had but they're not my
1:42:06sheep anymore he said to himself without
1:42:08nostalgia
1:42:09they must be used to their new shepherd
1:42:11and have probably already forgotten me
1:42:13that's good
1:42:16creatures like the sheep that are used
1:42:18to traveling
1:42:19know about moving on he thought of the
1:42:22merchant's daughter
1:42:24and was sure that she had probably
1:42:25married perhaps to a baker
1:42:27or to another shepherd who could read
1:42:29and could tell her exciting stories
1:42:31after all he probably wasn't the only
1:42:33one
1:42:34but he was excited at his intuitive
1:42:36understanding of the camel driver's
1:42:38comments
1:42:39maybe he was also learning the universal
1:42:41language that deals with the past and
1:42:43the present of all people
1:42:45hunches his mother used to call them the
1:42:48boy was beginning to understand that
1:42:50intuition
1:42:51is really a sudden immersion of the soul
1:42:53into the universal current of life
1:42:56where the histories of all people are
1:42:58connected and we are able to know
1:43:00everything because it's all written
1:43:02there
1:43:04mack tube the boy said remembering the
1:43:07crystal merchant
1:43:09the desert was all sand in some
1:43:12stretches and rocky in others
1:43:14when the caravan was blocked by a
1:43:16boulder it had to go around it
1:43:18if there was a large rocky area they had
1:43:20to make a major detour
1:43:22if the sand was too fine for the
1:43:24animal's hooves they sought away where
1:43:26the sand was more substantial
1:43:28in some places the ground was covered
1:43:30with the salt of dried up lakes
1:43:33the animals barked at such places and
1:43:35the camel drivers were forced to
1:43:36dismount and unburden their charges
1:43:40the drivers carried the freight
1:43:41themselves over such treacherous footing
1:43:43and then reloaded the camels if a guide
1:43:47were to fall ill or die
1:43:49the camel drivers would draw lots and
1:43:51appoint a new one
1:43:53but all this happened for one basic
1:43:55reason
1:43:56no matter how many detours and
1:43:58adjustments it made
1:44:00the caravan move toward the same compass
1:44:02point
1:44:03once obstacles were overcome it returned
1:44:06to its course
1:44:07citing on a star that indicated the
1:44:09location of the oasis
1:44:12when the people saw that star shining in
1:44:14the morning sky
1:44:15they knew they were on the right course
1:44:17toward water palm trees shelter
1:44:20and other people it was only the
1:44:22englishman who was unaware of all this
1:44:25he was for the most part immersed in
1:44:27reading his books
1:44:29the boy too had his book and he had
1:44:32tried to read it during the first few
1:44:33days of the journey but he found it much
1:44:35more interesting to observe the caravan
1:44:37and listen to the wind as soon as he had
1:44:40learned to know his camel better
1:44:42and to establish a relationship with him
1:44:45he threw the book away
1:44:47although the boy had developed a
1:44:49superstition that each time he opened
1:44:51the book he would learn something
1:44:52important
1:44:53he decided it was an unnecessary burden
1:44:57he became friendly with the camel driver
1:44:59who traveled alongside him
1:45:01at night as they sat around the fire the
1:45:04boy related to the driver his adventures
1:45:06as a shepherd
1:45:08during one of these conversations the
1:45:10driver told of his own life
1:45:12i used to live near el-khairum he said
1:45:16i had my orchard my children and a life
1:45:19that would not change at all until i
1:45:22died
1:45:23one year when the crop was the best ever
1:45:25we all went to mecca
1:45:27and i satisfied the only unmet
1:45:29obligation in my life
1:45:31i could die happily and that made me
1:45:33feel good
1:45:35one day the earth began to tremble and
1:45:38the nile
1:45:39overflowed its banks it was something i
1:45:42thought could only happen to others
1:45:43never
1:45:44to me my neighbors feared they would
1:45:46lose all their olive trees in the flood
1:45:48and
1:45:48my wife was afraid we would lose our
1:45:50children i thought that
1:45:52everything i owned would be destroyed
1:45:55land was ruined and i had to find some
1:45:57other way to earn a living so
1:45:58now i'm a camel driver but that disaster
1:46:02taught me to understand the word of
1:46:03allah
1:46:04people need not fear the unknown if they
1:46:07are capable of achieving what they need
1:46:09and want
1:46:11we are afraid of losing what we have
1:46:13whether it's our life or our possessions
1:46:15and property
1:46:16but this fear evaporates when we
1:46:18understand that our life stories and the
1:46:20history of the world
1:46:21were written by the same hand sometimes
1:46:25their caravan met with another one
1:46:28always had something that the other
1:46:30needed
1:46:31as if everything were indeed written by
1:46:32one hand
1:46:34as they sat around the fire the camel
1:46:36drivers exchanged information about
1:46:38windstorms and
1:46:39told stories about the desert at other
1:46:43times
1:46:43mysterious hooded men would appear
1:46:47they were bedouins who did surveillance
1:46:49along the caravan route
1:46:51they provided warnings about thieves and
1:46:53barbarian tribes
1:46:55they came in silence and departed the
1:46:58same way dressed in black garments that
1:47:00showed only their eyes
1:47:02one night a camel driver came to the
1:47:04fire where the englishman and the boy
1:47:05were sitting
1:47:07there are rumors of tribal wars he told
1:47:09them
1:47:10the three fell silent the boy noted
1:47:14that there was a sense of fear in the
1:47:16air
1:47:17even though no one said anything once
1:47:20again
1:47:20he was experiencing the language without
1:47:23words
1:47:25the universal language
1:47:28the englishman asked if they were in
1:47:31danger
1:47:32once you get into the desert there's no
1:47:34going back said the camel driver
1:47:37and when you can't go back you have to
1:47:39worry only about the best way of moving
1:47:41forward
1:47:43the rest is up to allah including the
1:47:46danger
1:47:47and he concluded by saying the
1:47:49mysterious word
1:47:53you should pay more attention to the
1:47:55caravan the boy said to the englishman
1:47:57after the camel driver had left
1:47:59we make a lot of details but we're
1:48:00always heading for the same destination
1:48:03and you ought to read more about the
1:48:05world answer the englishman
1:48:07books are like caravans in that respect
1:48:11the immense collection of people and
1:48:12animals began to travel faster
1:48:15the days had always been silent but now
1:48:17even the nights
1:48:18when the travelers were accustomed to
1:48:19talking around the fires had also become
1:48:22quiet
1:48:23and one day the leader of the caravan
1:48:25made the decision that the fires should
1:48:27no longer be lighted
1:48:29so as not to attract attention to the
1:48:31caravan
1:48:33the travelers adopted the practice of
1:48:35arranging the animals in a circle at
1:48:36night
1:48:37sleeping together in the center as
1:48:39protection against the nocturnal cold
1:48:41and the leader posted armed sentinels at
1:48:44the fringes of the group
1:48:46the englishman was unable to sleep one
1:48:48night he called to the boy
1:48:50and they took a walk along the dunes
1:48:52surrounding the encampment
1:48:54there was a full moon and the boy told
1:48:57the englishman the story of his life
1:49:00the englishman was fascinated with the
1:49:01part about the progress
1:49:03achieved at the crystal shop after the
1:49:04boy began working there
1:49:06that's the principle that governs all
1:49:08things he said in alchemy
1:49:10it's called the soul of the world when
1:49:12you want something with all your heart
1:49:14that's when you are closest to the soul
1:49:16of the world it's always a positive
1:49:18force
1:49:19you also said that this was not just a
1:49:21human gift that everything on the face
1:49:22of the earth had a soul whether mineral
1:49:24vegetable or animal
1:49:26or even just a simple thought everything
1:49:29on earth is being continuously
1:49:31transformed because the earth is alive
1:49:33and
1:49:34it has a soul we are part of that cell
1:49:37so we really recognize that it is
1:49:38working for us but
1:49:40in the crystal shop you probably realize
1:49:42that even the glasses were collaborating
1:49:44in your success
1:49:46the boy thought about that for a while
1:49:47as he looked at the moon and the
1:49:49bleached sands
1:49:51i've watched the caravan as it crossed
1:49:52the desert he said
1:49:54the caravan and the desert speak the
1:49:56same language
1:49:58and it's for that reason that the desert
1:49:59allows it the crossing
1:50:01it's going to test the caravans every
1:50:03step to see if it's in time and if it is
1:50:06we will make it to the oasis if either
1:50:09of us had joined this caravan based only
1:50:11on personal courage but without
1:50:12understanding that language this journey
1:50:14would have been much more difficult
1:50:17they stood there looking at the moon
1:50:19that's the magic of omens
1:50:21said the boy i've seen how the guides
1:50:24read the signs of the desert
1:50:26and how the soul of the caravan speaks
1:50:29to the soul of the desert
1:50:31the englishman said i'd better pay more
1:50:33attention to the caravan
1:50:36and i'd better read your books said the
1:50:38boy
1:50:38[Music]
1:50:41they were strange books they spoke about
1:50:44mercury salt dragons and kings
1:50:49and he didn't understand any of it
1:50:52but there was one idea that seemed to
1:50:53repeat itself throughout all the books
1:50:56all things are the manifestation of one
1:50:58thing only
1:51:01in one of the books he learned that the
1:51:03most important text in the literature of
1:51:05alchemy contained only a few lines
1:51:08and had been inscribed on the surface of
1:51:10an emerald
1:51:11it's the emerald tablet said the
1:51:13englishman proud that he might teach
1:51:15something to the boy
1:51:17well then why do we need all these books
1:51:19the boy asked
1:51:21so that we can understand those few
1:51:23lines the englishman answered without
1:51:25appearing really to believe what he said
1:51:28the book that most interested the boy
1:51:30told the stories of the famous
1:51:31alchemists
1:51:33they were men who had dedicated their
1:51:35entire lives to the purification of
1:51:37metals in their laboratories
1:51:39they believed that if a metal were
1:51:41heated for many years
1:51:43it would free itself of all its
1:51:44individual properties and what was left
1:51:47would be the soul of the world
1:51:50this soul of the world allowed them to
1:51:53understand
1:51:53anything on the face of the earth
1:51:55because it was the language with which
1:51:57all things communicated
1:52:00they called that discovery the master
1:52:02work
1:52:03it was part liquid and part solid
1:52:07can't you just observe men and omens in
1:52:09order to understand the language the boy
1:52:11asked
1:52:12you have a mania for simplifying
1:52:14everything after the englishman
1:52:16irritated
1:52:17alchemy is a serious discipline every
1:52:19step has to be followed exactly as it
1:52:21was followed by the masters
1:52:24the boy learned that the liquid part of
1:52:26the masterwork was called the elixir of
1:52:28life
1:52:29and that it cured all illnesses it also
1:52:33kept the alchemist from growing old
1:52:35and the solid part was called the
1:52:38philosopher's stone
1:52:40it's not easy to find the philosopher's
1:52:42stone said the englishman
1:52:44the alchemists spent years in their
1:52:45laboratories observing the fire that
1:52:47purified the metals
1:52:49they spent so much time close to the
1:52:51fire that gradually they gave up the
1:52:52vanities of the world
1:52:55they discovered that the purification of
1:52:57the metals had led to a purification of
1:52:59themselves
1:53:01the boy thought about the crystal
1:53:02merchant he had said that it was a good
1:53:05thing for the boy to clean the crystal
1:53:06pieces
1:53:07so that he could free himself from
1:53:09negative thoughts
1:53:11the boy was becoming more and more
1:53:12convinced that alchemy could be learned
1:53:14in one's daily life
1:53:16also said the englishman the
1:53:19philosopher's stone has a fascinating
1:53:21property
1:53:22a small sliver of the stone can
1:53:24transform large quantities of metal into
1:53:26gold
1:53:28having heard that the boy came even more
1:53:31interested in alchemy
1:53:33he thought that with some patience he'd
1:53:35be able to transform everything into
1:53:37gold
1:53:38he read the lives of the various people
1:53:40who have succeeded in doing so
1:53:42helvetius elias fulcanelli
1:53:46and gaber they were fascinating stories
1:53:50each of them lived out his personal
1:53:52legend to the end
1:53:54they traveled spoke with wise men
1:53:56performed miracles for the incredulous
1:53:59and owned the philosopher's stone and
1:54:00the elixir of life
1:54:03but when the boy wanted to learn how to
1:54:05achieve the masterwork
1:54:06he became completely lost they were just
1:54:10drawings coded instructions and obscure
1:54:13texts
1:54:14[Music]
1:54:17why did they make things so complicated
1:54:20he asked the englishman one night
1:54:22the boy had noticed that the englishman
1:54:24was irritable and missed his books
1:54:27so that those who have the
1:54:28responsibility for understanding can
1:54:30understand
1:54:31he said imagine if everybody went around
1:54:33transforming lead into gold gold would
1:54:35lose its value
1:54:37it's only those who are persistent and
1:54:39willing to study things deeply who
1:54:41achieve the masterwork
1:54:42that's why i'm here in the middle of the
1:54:44desert i'm seeking a true alchemist who
1:54:46will help me to decipher the codes
1:54:49when were these books written the boy
1:54:51asked many centuries ago
1:54:54they didn't have the printing press in
1:54:55those days the boy argued there was no
1:54:57way for everyone to know about alchemy
1:54:59why did they use such strange language
1:55:01with so many drawings
1:55:04the englishman didn't answer him
1:55:05directly
1:55:07he said that for the past few days he'd
1:55:09been paying attention to how the caravan
1:55:10operated
1:55:11and that he hadn't learned anything new
1:55:13the only thing he'd noticed was that the
1:55:15talk of war was becoming more and more
1:55:17frequent
1:55:20then one day the boy returned the books
1:55:22to the englishman
1:55:24did you learn anything the englishman
1:55:26asked eager to hear what it might be
1:55:29he needed someone to talk to so says to
1:55:31avoid thinking about the possibility of
1:55:33war
1:55:35i learned that the world has a soul and
1:55:37that whoever understands that soul can
1:55:39also understand the language of things
1:55:43i learned that many alchemists realized
1:55:45their personal legends
1:55:47and wound up discovering the soul of the
1:55:49world the philosopher's stone
1:55:51and the elixir of life but above all
1:55:55i learned that these things are all so
1:55:56simple that they could be written on the
1:55:58surface of an emerald
1:56:01the englishman was disappointed the
1:56:03years of research the magic symbols the
1:56:06strange words and the laboratory
1:56:07equipment
1:56:09none of this had made any impression on
1:56:11the boy
1:56:12his soul must be too primitive to
1:56:14understand those things he thought
1:56:16he took back his books and packed them
1:56:18away again in their bags
1:56:20go back to watching the caravan he said
1:56:23that didn't teach me
1:56:24anything either the boy went back to
1:56:27contemplating the silence of the desert
1:56:30and the sand raised by the animals
1:56:34everyone has his or her own way of
1:56:36learning things he said to himself
1:56:38his way isn't the same as mine nor mine
1:56:41as his
1:56:43but we're both in search of our personal
1:56:44legends and i respect him for that
1:56:50the caravan began to travel day and
1:56:52night
1:56:54the hooded bedouins reappeared more and
1:56:56more frequently and the camel driver
1:56:58could become a good friend of the boys
1:57:00explained that the war between the
1:57:02tribes had already begun
1:57:04the caravan would be very lucky to reach
1:57:06the oasis
1:57:09the animals were exhausted and the men
1:57:11talked among themselves less and less
1:57:14the silence was the worst aspect of the
1:57:16night
1:57:17when the mere groan of a camel which
1:57:19before had been nothing but the groan of
1:57:20a camel
1:57:21now frightens everyone because it might
1:57:23signal a raid
1:57:26the camel driver though seemed not to be
1:57:28very concerned with the threat of war
1:57:31i'm alive he said to the boy as they ate
1:57:33a bunch of dates one night
1:57:35with no fires and no moon when i'm
1:57:38eating that's all i think about
1:57:40if i'm on the march i just concentrate
1:57:42on marching
1:57:44if i have to fight it'll be just as good
1:57:46a day to die as any other
1:57:49because i don't live in either my past
1:57:51or my future i'm interested only in the
1:57:53present
1:57:55if you can concentrate always on the
1:57:56present you'll be a happy man
1:57:58you'll see that there is a life in the
1:58:00desert that there are stars in the
1:58:02heavens and the tribesmen
1:58:03fight because they are part of the human
1:58:06race
1:58:07life will be a party for you a grand
1:58:09festival because life is the moment
1:58:11we're living right now
1:58:15two nights later as he was getting ready
1:58:17to bed down
1:58:19the boy look for the star they followed
1:58:20every night
1:58:22he thought that the horizon was a bit
1:58:24lower than it had been
1:58:26because he seemed to see stars on the
1:58:27desert itself
1:58:30it's the oasis said the camel driver
1:58:34well why don't we go there right now the
1:58:35boy asked
1:58:37because we have to sleep
1:58:41the boy awoke as the sun rose there in
1:58:44front of him
1:58:45where the small stars had been the night
1:58:47before was an endless row of date palms
1:58:50stretching across the entire desert
1:58:53we've done it said the englishman who
1:58:55had also awakened early
1:58:56[Music]
1:58:58but the boy was quiet he was at home
1:59:01with the silence of the desert
1:59:03and he was content just to look at the
1:59:05trees
1:59:06he still had a long way to go to reach
1:59:08the pyramids
1:59:10and someday this morning would be just a
1:59:12memory
1:59:13but this was the present moment the
1:59:16party
1:59:16the camel driver had mentioned and he
1:59:19wanted to live it
1:59:20as he did the lessons of his past and
1:59:22his dreams of the future
1:59:24although the vision of the date palms
1:59:26would someday be just a memory
1:59:28right now it signified shade water
1:59:31and a refuge from the wall
1:59:34yesterday the camel's drone signaled
1:59:36danger and now
1:59:38a row of date palms could herald a
1:59:40miracle
1:59:42the world speaks many languages the boy
1:59:44thought
1:59:48the times rush past and so do the
1:59:50caravans
1:59:52fought the alchemists as he watched the
1:59:54hundreds of people and animals arriving
1:59:56at the oasis
1:59:58people were shouting at the new arrivals
2:00:00dust obscured the desert sun
2:00:03and the children of the oasis were
2:00:04bursting with excitement of the arrival
2:00:06of the strangers
2:00:08the alchemists saw the tribal chiefs
2:00:10greet the leader of the caravan
2:00:12and converse with him at length but none
2:00:15of that mattered to the alchemist
2:00:17he'd already seen many people come and
2:00:19go and the desert remained as it was
2:00:23he'd seen kings and beggars walking the
2:00:25desert sands
2:00:27the dunes were changed constantly by the
2:00:29wind
2:00:30yet these were the same sounds he had
2:00:32known since he was a child
2:00:35he always enjoyed seeing the happiness
2:00:36that the travelers experienced when
2:00:38after weeks of yellow sand and blue sky
2:00:41they first saw the green of the date
2:00:43palms
2:00:45maybe god created the desert so that man
2:00:48could appreciate the date trees he
2:00:50thought
2:00:51he decided to concentrate on more
2:00:53practical matters
2:00:55he knew that in the caravan there was a
2:00:58man to whom he was to teach
2:00:59some of his secrets the omens had told
2:01:03him so
2:01:04he didn't know the man yet but his
2:01:06practiced eye would recognize him when
2:01:08he appeared
2:01:10he hoped that it would be someone as
2:01:11capable as his previous apprentice
2:01:15i don't know why these things have to be
2:01:16transmitted by word of mouth he thought
2:01:19it wasn't exactly that they were secrets
2:01:22god revealed his secrets easily to all
2:01:24his creatures
2:01:26he had only one explanation for this
2:01:28fact
2:01:30things have to be transmitted this way
2:01:32because they were made up from the pure
2:01:34life
2:01:35and this kind of life cannot be captured
2:01:37in pictures or words
2:01:40because people become fascinated with
2:01:41pictures and words and wind up
2:01:43forgetting the language of the world
2:01:48the boy couldn't believe what he was
2:01:50seeing
2:01:51the oasis rather than being just a well
2:01:53surrounded by a few palm trees
2:01:55as he had seen once in a geography book
2:01:57was much larger than many towns back in
2:01:59spain
2:02:00there were 300 wells fifty thousand date
2:02:04trees and innumerable colored tents
2:02:06spread among them
2:02:08it looks like a thousand and one nights
2:02:10said the englishman impatient to meet
2:02:12with the alchemist
2:02:13they were surrounded by children curious
2:02:16to look at the animals and people that
2:02:17were arriving
2:02:19the men of the oasis wanted to know if
2:02:21they had seen any fighting
2:02:22and the women competed with one another
2:02:24for access to the cloth
2:02:25and precious stones brought by the
2:02:27merchants
2:02:29the silence of the desert was a distant
2:02:31dream the travelers in the caravan were
2:02:33talking incessantly laughing and
2:02:35shouting as if they had emerged from the
2:02:37spiritual world and found themselves
2:02:38once again in the world of people
2:02:40they were relieved and happy
2:02:42[Music]
2:02:44they had been taking careful precautions
2:02:46in the desert but the camel driver
2:02:48explained to the boy that oacs
2:02:50were always considered to be neutral
2:02:51territories because the majority of the
2:02:53inhabitants were women and children
2:02:56there were oases throughout the desert
2:02:58but the tribesmen
2:02:59fought in the desert leaving their oases
2:03:02as places of refuge
2:03:05with some difficulty the leader of the
2:03:07caravan brought all his people together
2:03:09and gave them his instructions
2:03:11the group was to remain there at the
2:03:14oasis until the conflict between the
2:03:16tribes was over
2:03:18since they were visitors they would have
2:03:19to share living space with those who
2:03:21lived there
2:03:22and would be given the best
2:03:23accommodations that was the law of
2:03:25hospitality
2:03:27then he asked that everyone including
2:03:29his own sentinels hand over their arms
2:03:31to the men appointed by the tribal
2:03:32chieftains
2:03:34those are the rules of war the leader
2:03:36explained
2:03:38the oases may not shelter armies or
2:03:40troops
2:03:42to the boy's surprise the englishman
2:03:45took a chrome-plated revolver out of his
2:03:47bag
2:03:47and gave it to the men who were
2:03:48collecting the arms
2:03:51why a revolver he asked it helped me to
2:03:54trust in people the englishman answered
2:03:58meanwhile the boy thought about his
2:04:00treasure
2:04:02the closer he got to the realization of
2:04:04his dream
2:04:05the more difficult things became it
2:04:07seemed as if what the old king had
2:04:09called beginner's luck was no longer
2:04:11functioning
2:04:12in his pursuit of the dream he was being
2:04:14constantly subjected to tests of his
2:04:16persistence and courage
2:04:19so he could not be hasty nor impatient
2:04:22if he pushed forward impulsively he
2:04:24would fail to see the signs and omens
2:04:26left by god along his path
2:04:29god placed them along my path he'd
2:04:32surprised himself with the thought
2:04:34until then he had considered omens to be
2:04:37things of this world
2:04:38like eating or sleeping or like seeking
2:04:40love or finding a job
2:04:42he'd never thought of them in terms of a
2:04:44language used by god to indicate what he
2:04:46should do
2:04:48don't be impatient he repeated to
2:04:50himself it's like the camel driver said
2:04:53eat when it's time to eat and move along
2:04:56when it's time to move along
2:05:00that first day everyone slept from
2:05:02exhaustion
2:05:03including the englishman the boy was
2:05:06assigned a place far from his friend in
2:05:07a tent with five other young men of
2:05:09bhati's age
2:05:11they were people of the desert and
2:05:13clamored to hear his stories about the
2:05:15great cities
2:05:17the boy told them about his life as a
2:05:19shepherd and was about to tell them of
2:05:21his experiences at the crystal shop
2:05:23when the englishman came into the tent
2:05:26i've been looking for you all morning he
2:05:28said
2:05:28as he led the boy outside i need you to
2:05:31help me to find out where the alchemist
2:05:32lives
2:05:35first they tried to find him on their
2:05:37own
2:05:38an alchemist would probably live in a
2:05:40manner that was different from that of
2:05:41the rest of the people of the oasis
2:05:43and it was likely that in his tent an
2:05:46oven was continuously burning
2:05:48they searched everywhere and found that
2:05:51the oasis was much larger than they
2:05:53could have imagined
2:05:54there were hundreds of tents we've
2:05:57wasted almost the entire day
2:06:00said the englishman sitting down with
2:06:01the boy near one of the wells
2:06:04maybe we better ask someone the boy
2:06:06suggested
2:06:08the englishman didn't want to tell
2:06:10others about his reasons for being at
2:06:12the oasis
2:06:12and couldn't make up his mind but
2:06:15finally he agreed that the boy who spoke
2:06:17better arabic than he
2:06:18should do so the boy approached a woman
2:06:21who had come to the well
2:06:22to fill a goatskin with water good
2:06:25afternoon
2:06:26i'm trying to find out where the
2:06:28alchemist lives here at the oasis
2:06:31the woman said she'd never heard of such
2:06:33a person and hurried away
2:06:35but before she fled she advised the boy
2:06:38that he had better not try to converse
2:06:40with women who were dressed in black
2:06:41because they were married women he
2:06:43should respect tradition
2:06:46the englishman was disappointed it
2:06:49seemed he had made the long journey for
2:06:51nothing
2:06:52the boy was also saddened his friend was
2:06:55in pursuit of his personal legend
2:06:58and when someone was in such a pursuit
2:06:59the entire universe made an effort to
2:07:01help him succeed
2:07:02that's what the old king had said he
2:07:05couldn't have been wrong
2:07:08i had never heard of alchemists before
2:07:10the boy said
2:07:11maybe no one here has either the
2:07:14englishman's eyes lit up that's
2:07:16it maybe no one here knows what an
2:07:19alchemist is
2:07:21find out who it is who cures the
2:07:23people's illnesses several women dressed
2:07:26in black
2:07:27came to the well for water but the boy
2:07:29would speak to none of them
2:07:31despite the englishman's insistence then
2:07:34a man approached
2:07:35do you know someone here who cures
2:07:37people's illnesses the boy asked
2:07:40allah cures our illnesses said the man
2:07:42clearly frightened the strangers
2:07:44you're looking for witch doctors he
2:07:47spoke some verses from the quran and
2:07:49moved on
2:07:51another man appeared he was older and
2:07:53was carrying a small bucket
2:07:55the boy repeated his question why do you
2:07:58want to find that sort of person the
2:08:00arabist
2:08:01because my friend here has traveled for
2:08:03many months in order to meet with him
2:08:05the boy said if such a man is here at
2:08:08the oasis he must be a
2:08:10very powerful one said the old man after
2:08:12thinking for a few moments
2:08:14not even the tribal chieftains are able
2:08:16to see him when they want to
2:08:18only when he consents wait for the end
2:08:22of the war
2:08:23and leave with the caravan don't try to
2:08:26enter into the life of the oasis
2:08:28he said and walked away
2:08:32but the englishman was exultant they
2:08:34were on the right track
2:08:37finally a young woman approached who was
2:08:39not dressed in black
2:08:41she had a vessel on her shoulder and her
2:08:43head was covered by a veil but her face
2:08:46was uncovered
2:08:47the boy approached her to ask about the
2:08:49alchemist
2:08:51at that moment it seemed to him the time
2:08:55stood still and the soul of the world
2:08:59surged within him when he looked into
2:09:03her dark
2:09:03eyes and saw that her lips were poised
2:09:06between a laugh
2:09:08and silence he learned the most
2:09:10important part of the language that all
2:09:12the world spoke
2:09:14the language that everyone on earth was
2:09:17capable of
2:09:17understanding in their heart it was love
2:09:22something older than humanity more
2:09:24ancient
2:09:25than the desert something that exerted
2:09:28the same force whenever two pairs of
2:09:30eyes met
2:09:31as had theirs here at the well she
2:09:34smiled
2:09:36and that was certainly a nomen the omen
2:09:39he had been awaiting
2:09:40without even knowing he was for all his
2:09:44life
2:09:45the omen he had sought to find with his
2:09:47sheep
2:09:48and in his books in the crystals
2:09:51and in the silence of the desert
2:09:55it was the pure language of the world
2:09:58it required no explanation just as the
2:10:01universe needs none as it travels
2:10:03through endless time
2:10:05what the boy felt at that moment was
2:10:07that he was in the presence of the only
2:10:09woman in his life
2:10:11and that with no need for words she
2:10:14recognized the same thing
2:10:16he was more certain of it than of
2:10:18anything in the world
2:10:21he had been told by his parents and
2:10:22grandparents that he must fall in love
2:10:25and really know a person before becoming
2:10:27committed
2:10:29but maybe people who felt that way had
2:10:31never learned the universal language
2:10:33because when you know that language it's
2:10:36easy to understand that someone in the
2:10:37world awaits you
2:10:38whether it's in the middle of the desert
2:10:40or in some great city
2:10:42and when two such people encounter each
2:10:44other and their eyes meet
2:10:45the past and the future become
2:10:47unimportant
2:10:48there is only that moment and the
2:10:51incredible certainty that everything
2:10:54under the sun has been written by one
2:10:56hand only it is the hand that evokes
2:10:59love
2:11:00and creates a twin soul for every person
2:11:02in the world
2:11:04without such love one's dreams
2:11:07would have no meaning mactube
2:11:12thought the boy
2:11:15the englishman shook the boy come on ask
2:11:17her
2:11:19the boys stepped closer to the girl and
2:11:21when she smiled
2:11:23he did the same what's your name
2:11:26he asked fatima
2:11:29the girl said averting her eyes that's
2:11:32what some women in my country are called
2:11:35it's the name of the prophet's daughter
2:11:37fatima said
2:11:38the invaders carried the name everywhere
2:11:41the beautiful girl spoke of the invaders
2:11:43with pride
2:11:45the englishman prodded him and the boy
2:11:47asked her about the man who cured
2:11:48people's illnesses
2:11:50that's the man who knows all the secrets
2:11:53of the world she said
2:11:55he communicates with the genies of the
2:11:57desert
2:11:59the genies were the spirits of good and
2:12:01evil
2:12:02and the girl pointed to the south
2:12:04indicating that it was there the strange
2:12:06man lived
2:12:08then she filled her vessel with water
2:12:11and left
2:12:13the englishman vanished too gone to find
2:12:15the alchemist
2:12:17and the boy sat there by the well for a
2:12:20long time
2:12:21remembering that one day in tarifa the
2:12:23levanta had bought to him the perfume of
2:12:26that woman
2:12:27and realizing that he had loved her
2:12:29before he even knew she existed
2:12:32he knew that his love for her would
2:12:34enable him to discover every treasure in
2:12:36the world
2:12:38[Music]
2:12:39the next day the boy returned to the
2:12:42well
2:12:42hoping to see the girl to his surprise
2:12:46the englishman was there
2:12:47looking out at the desert i waited all
2:12:50afternoon and evening he said
2:12:53he appeared with the first stars of
2:12:54evening i told him what i was seeking
2:12:56and he asked me if i had ever
2:12:58transformed lead into gold
2:13:01i told him that was what i'd come here
2:13:02to learn
2:13:04he told me i should try to do so that's
2:13:06all he said go and try
2:13:10the boy didn't say anything the poor
2:13:12englishman had traveled all this way
2:13:14only to be told that he should repeat
2:13:16what he'd already done so many times
2:13:19so then try he said to the englishman
2:13:22that's what i'm going to do i'm going to
2:13:24start now
2:13:26as the englishman left fatima arrived
2:13:30and filled her vessel with water i came
2:13:33to tell you just one thing
2:13:34the boy said i want you to be my wife
2:13:38i love you the girl dropped the
2:13:41container and the water spilled
2:13:43i'm going to wait here for you every day
2:13:46i've crossed the desert in search of a
2:13:48treasure that is somewhere near the
2:13:49pyramids
2:13:50and for me the war seemed a curse
2:13:54but now it's a blessing because it
2:13:56brought me to you
2:13:58the war is going to end someday the girl
2:14:01said
2:14:03the boy looked around him at the date
2:14:05palms
2:14:06he reminded himself that he had been a
2:14:08shepherd
2:14:09and that he could be a shepherd again
2:14:12fatima was more important than his
2:14:13treasure
2:14:15the tribesman are always in search of
2:14:17treasure the girl said
2:14:18as if she had guessed what he was
2:14:20thinking and the women of the desert are
2:14:22proud of their tribesmen
2:14:25she refilled her vessel and left
2:14:28the boy went to the well every day to
2:14:30meet with fatima
2:14:32he told her about his life as a shepherd
2:14:34about the king
2:14:35and about the crystal shop they became
2:14:37friends
2:14:39and except for the 15 minutes he spent
2:14:41with her each day
2:14:43seemed that it would never pass
2:14:46when he had been at the oasis for about
2:14:48a month the leader of the caravan called
2:14:50a meeting of all the people traveling
2:14:52with him we don't know when the war will
2:14:55end so we can't continue our journey
2:14:57he said the battles may last for a long
2:15:00time
2:15:01perhaps even years there are powerful
2:15:04forces on both sides
2:15:06and the war is important to both armies
2:15:08it's not a battle of good against evil
2:15:10it's a war between forces that are
2:15:12fighting for the balance of power
2:15:14and when that type of battle begins it
2:15:16lasts longer than others because
2:15:17allah is on both sides
2:15:21the people went back to where they were
2:15:22living and the boy went to meet with
2:15:24fatima that afternoon
2:15:26he told her about the morning's meeting
2:15:29the day after we met fatima said you
2:15:32told me that you loved me
2:15:35you taught me something of the universal
2:15:37language and the soul of the world
2:15:40because of that i have become a part of
2:15:43you
2:15:45the boy listened to the sound of her
2:15:47voice and thought it to be more
2:15:49beautiful
2:15:50than the sound of the wind in the date
2:15:51paths
2:15:53i have been waiting for you here at this
2:15:55oasis for a long time
2:15:58i have forgotten about my past about my
2:16:01traditions
2:16:02and the way in which men of the desert
2:16:04expect women to behave
2:16:06ever since i was a child i have dreamed
2:16:09that the desert would bring me a
2:16:10wonderful present
2:16:12now my presence has arrived and it's you
2:16:18the boy wanted to take a hand but
2:16:20fatima's hands held to the handles of
2:16:22her jug
2:16:24you have told me about your dreams about
2:16:27the old king
2:16:27and your treasure and you've told me
2:16:30about omens
2:16:32so now i fear nothing because it was
2:16:34those omens that brought you to me
2:16:37i am a part of your dream a part of your
2:16:40personal legend as you call it
2:16:43that's why i want you to continue toward
2:16:45your goal
2:16:46if you have to wait until the war is
2:16:48over then wait but if you have to go
2:16:50before then
2:16:52go on in pursuit of your dream the dunes
2:16:55are changed by the wind but the desert
2:16:57never changes
2:16:59that's the way it will be with our love
2:17:01for each other
2:17:03maktube she said
2:17:06if i am really a part of your dream
2:17:09you'll come back one day
2:17:11[Music]
2:17:13the boy was sad as he left her that day
2:17:16he thought of all the married shepherds
2:17:18he had known
2:17:19they had a difficult time convincing
2:17:21their wives that they had to go off into
2:17:23distant fields
2:17:25love required them to stay with the
2:17:26people they loved
2:17:29he told fatima that at their next
2:17:30meeting
2:17:32the desert takes our men from us and
2:17:34they don't always return
2:17:36she said we know that and we are used to
2:17:39it
2:17:40those who don't return become a part of
2:17:42the clouds a part of the animals that
2:17:44hide in the ravines
2:17:46and of the water that comes from the
2:17:48earth they become
2:17:49a part of everything they become the
2:17:52soul of the world
2:17:54some do come back and then the other
2:17:57women are happy because they believe
2:17:58that their men may one day return as
2:18:00well
2:18:02i used to look at those women and envy
2:18:04them their happiness
2:18:06now i too will be one of the women who
2:18:08wait
2:18:10i'm a desert woman and i'm proud of that
2:18:14i want my husband to wander as free as
2:18:16the wind that shapes the dunes
2:18:19and if i have to i will accept the fact
2:18:22that he's become a part of the clouds
2:18:24and the animals
2:18:25and the water of the desert
2:18:29the boy went to look for the englishman
2:18:31he wanted to tell him about fatima
2:18:33he was surprised when he saw that the
2:18:35englishman had built himself a furnace
2:18:37outside his
2:18:38tent it was a strange furnace fueled by
2:18:41firewood with a transparent flask
2:18:43heating on the top
2:18:45as the englishman stared out at the
2:18:47desert his eyes seemed brighter than
2:18:49they had when he was reading his books
2:18:52this is the first phase of the job he
2:18:53said i have to separate out the sulfur
2:18:55now to do that successfully i must have
2:18:57no fear of failure
2:18:59it was my fear of failure that first
2:19:01kept me from attempting the master work
2:19:04now i'm beginning what i could have
2:19:05started 10 years ago but i'm happy at
2:19:07least that i didn't wait 20 years
2:19:11he continued to feed the fire and the
2:19:13boys stayed on until the desert turned
2:19:15pink in the setting sun
2:19:17he felt the urge to go out into the
2:19:19desert to see if its silence held the
2:19:21answers to his questions
2:19:24he wandered for a while keeping the date
2:19:27palms of the oasis within sight
2:19:29he listened to the wind and felt the
2:19:32stones beneath his feet
2:19:34here and there he found a shell and
2:19:36realized that the desert in remote times
2:19:38had been a seed
2:19:40he sat on a stone and allowed himself to
2:19:43become hypnotized by the horizon
2:19:46he tried to deal with the concept of
2:19:47love as distinct from possession
2:19:50and couldn't separate them but fatima
2:19:53was a woman of the desert and if
2:19:55anything could help him to understand
2:19:57it was the desert as he sat there
2:20:01thinking
2:20:02he sensed movement above him looking up
2:20:05he saw a pair of hawks flying high in
2:20:08the sky
2:20:10he watched the hawks as they drifted on
2:20:12the wind
2:20:13although their flight appeared to have
2:20:14no pattern it made a certain kind of
2:20:17sense to the boy
2:20:19it was just that he couldn't grasp what
2:20:21it meant
2:20:23he followed the movement of the birds
2:20:25trying to read something into it
2:20:28maybe these desert birds could explain
2:20:30to him the meaning of love
2:20:32without ownership he felt sleepy
2:20:36in his heart he wanted to remain awake
2:20:38but he also wanted to sleep
2:20:40i'm learning the language of the world
2:20:43and everything in the world is beginning
2:20:45to make sense to me
2:20:46even the flight of the hawks he said to
2:20:48himself
2:20:49and in that mood he was grateful to be
2:20:52in love
2:20:53when you're in love things make even
2:20:56more sense he thought
2:20:58suddenly one of the hawks made a
2:20:59flashing dive through the sky
2:21:01attacking the other as it did so a
2:21:03sudden fleeting image came to the boy
2:21:06an army with its swords at the ready
2:21:08riding into the oasis
2:21:10the vision vanished immediately but it
2:21:12had shaken him
2:21:14he had heard people speak of mirages and
2:21:16he had already seen some himself
2:21:19they were desires that because of their
2:21:21intensity materialized over the sounds
2:21:23of the desert
2:21:24but he certainly didn't desire that an
2:21:26army invade the oasis
2:21:30he wanted to forget about the vision and
2:21:31return to his meditation
2:21:33he tried again to concentrate on the
2:21:35pink shades of the desert and its stones
2:21:38but there was something there in his
2:21:40heart that wouldn't allow him to do so
2:21:43always heed the omens the old king had
2:21:46said
2:21:47the boy recalled what he had seen in the
2:21:49vision and sensed
2:21:50that it was actually going to occur
2:21:54he rose and made his way back toward the
2:21:56palm trees
2:21:58once again he perceived the many
2:21:59languages and the things about him
2:22:02this time the desert was safe and it was
2:22:04the oasis that had become dangerous
2:22:08the camel driver was seated at the base
2:22:09of a palm tree observing the sunset
2:22:12he saw the boy appear from the other
2:22:14side of the dunes
2:22:15an army is coming the boy said i had a
2:22:18vision
2:22:19the desert fills men's hearts with
2:22:21visions the camel driver answered
2:22:25but the boy told him about the hawks
2:22:27that he had been watching their flight
2:22:29and had suddenly felt himself to have
2:22:31plunged to the soul of the world
2:22:35the camel driver understood what the boy
2:22:37was saying
2:22:38he knew that any given thing on the face
2:22:41of the earth could reveal the history of
2:22:42all things
2:22:44one could open a book to any page or
2:22:46look at a person's hand
2:22:48one could turn a card or watch the
2:22:50flight of the birds
2:22:52whatever the thing observed one could
2:22:54find a connection with his experience of
2:22:56the moment
2:22:57actually it wasn't those things in
2:22:59themselves revealed anything at all it
2:23:01was just that people
2:23:03looking at what was occurring around
2:23:04them could find a means of penetration
2:23:07to the soul of the world the desert was
2:23:10full of men who earned their living
2:23:12based on the ease with which they could
2:23:14penetrate to the soul of the world
2:23:16they were known as sears and they were
2:23:19held in fear by women
2:23:20and the elderly tribesmen were also wary
2:23:24of consulting them because it would be
2:23:25impossible to be effective in battle if
2:23:27one knew
2:23:28that he was fated to die the tribesmen
2:23:31preferred the taste of battle and the
2:23:32thrill of not knowing what the outcome
2:23:34would be
2:23:35the future was already written by allah
2:23:37and what he had written was always for
2:23:39the good of man
2:23:40so the tribesmen lived only for the
2:23:42present because the present was full of
2:23:44surprises
2:23:45they had to be aware of many things
2:23:48where was the enemy's sword
2:23:50where was his horse what kind of blow
2:23:52should one deliver next in order to
2:23:53remain alive
2:23:55the camel driver was not a fighter and
2:23:57he had consulted with sears
2:24:00many of them had been right about what
2:24:01they said while some had been wrong
2:24:04then one day the oldest seer he had ever
2:24:07sought out
2:24:08and the one most to be feared had asked
2:24:11why the camel driver was so interested
2:24:13in the future
2:24:15well so i can do things he had responded
2:24:19and so i can change those things that i
2:24:21don't want to happen
2:24:23but then they wouldn't be part of your
2:24:24future the seer had said
2:24:26well maybe i just want to know the
2:24:28future so i can prepare myself for
2:24:29what's coming
2:24:31if good things are coming they will be a
2:24:33pleasant surprise
2:24:34said the seer if bad things are and you
2:24:37know in advance you will suffer greatly
2:24:39before they even occur
2:24:42i want to know about the future because
2:24:43i'm a man the camel driver has said to
2:24:45the seer
2:24:46and men always lived their lives based
2:24:48on the future
2:24:50the seer was a specialist in the casting
2:24:53of twigs
2:24:54he threw them on the ground and made
2:24:56interpretations based on how they fell
2:24:59that day he didn't make a cast
2:25:03he wrapped the twigs in a piece of cloth
2:25:05and put them back in his bag
2:25:08i make my living forecasting the future
2:25:10for people he said
2:25:12i know the science of the twigs and i
2:25:14know how to use them to penetrate to the
2:25:16place where all is written
2:25:18there i can read the past discover what
2:25:22has already been forgotten
2:25:23and understand the omens that are here
2:25:25in the present
2:25:27when people consult me it's not that i'm
2:25:30reading the future
2:25:32i am guessing at the future the future
2:25:35belongs to god
2:25:37and it is only he who reveals it under
2:25:40extraordinary circumstances
2:25:43how do i guess at the future based on
2:25:46the omens of the present
2:25:48the secret is here in the present if you
2:25:51pay attention
2:25:52to the present you can improve upon it
2:25:54and if you improve on the present
2:25:56what comes later will also be better
2:26:00forget about the future and live each
2:26:02day
2:26:03according to the teachings confident
2:26:06that god loves his children
2:26:08each day in itself brings with it
2:26:11an eternity the camel driver had asked
2:26:15what the circumstances were under which
2:26:17god would allow him to see the future
2:26:20only when he himself reveals it
2:26:23and god only rarely reveals the future
2:26:27when he does so it is for only one
2:26:29reason
2:26:30it's a future that was written so as to
2:26:32be altered
2:26:35god had shown the boy a part of the
2:26:37future the camel driver thought
2:26:39why was it that he wanted the boy to
2:26:41serve as his instrument
2:26:43go and speak to the tribal chieftains
2:26:45said the camel driver
2:26:47tell them about the armies that are
2:26:48approaching
2:26:50they'll laugh at me now they are men of
2:26:53the desert
2:26:54and the men of the desert are used to
2:26:56dealing with omens
2:26:58well then they probably already know
2:27:00they're not concerned with
2:27:02that right now they believe that if they
2:27:05have to know about something
2:27:06allah wants them to know someone will
2:27:08tell them about it
2:27:10it has happened many times before but
2:27:12this time the person is you the boy
2:27:16thought of fatima
2:27:18and he decided he would go to see the
2:27:20chiefs of the tribes
2:27:21[Music]
2:27:24the boy approached the guard at the
2:27:25front of the huge white tent at the
2:27:27center of the oasis
2:27:29i want to see the chieftains i brought
2:27:31omens from the desert
2:27:34without responding the guard entered the
2:27:36tent where he remained for some time
2:27:39when he emerged it was with a young arab
2:27:41dressed in white and gold the boy told
2:27:44the younger man what he had seen
2:27:46and the man asked him to wait there he
2:27:49disappeared into the tent
2:27:52night fell and an assortment of fighting
2:27:54men and merchants entered and exited the
2:27:56tent
2:27:57one by one the campfires were
2:27:59extinguished and the oasis fell as quiet
2:28:01as the desert
2:28:03only the lights in the great tent
2:28:04remained
2:28:06during all this time the boy thought
2:28:08about fat in her
2:28:09but he was still unable to understand
2:28:11his last conversation with her
2:28:14finally after hours of waiting the guard
2:28:17bad the boy enter
2:28:19the boy was astonished by what he saw
2:28:21inside
2:28:22never could he have imagined that here
2:28:24in the middle of the desert there
2:28:26existed a tent like this one
2:28:28the ground was covered with the most
2:28:30beautiful carpets he'd ever walked upon
2:28:33and from the top of the structure hung
2:28:34lamps of hand-drawn gold
2:28:36each with a lighted candle the tribal
2:28:39chieftains
2:28:40were seated at the back of the tent in a
2:28:42semicircle resting upon richly
2:28:44embroidered silk
2:28:45cushions servants came and went
2:28:49with silver trays laden with spices and
2:28:51tea
2:28:53other servants maintained the fires in
2:28:54the hookers the atmosphere was suffused
2:28:57with the sweet scent of smoke
2:29:00there were eight chieftains but the boy
2:29:03could see immediately which one of them
2:29:04was the most important
2:29:06an arab dressed in white and gold seated
2:29:08at the center of the semicircle
2:29:11at his side was the young arab the boy
2:29:13had spoken with earlier
2:29:14who is this stranger who speaks romans
2:29:17asked one of the chieftains eyeing the
2:29:19boy
2:29:20it is i the boy answered and he told
2:29:23what he had seen
2:29:25why would the desert reveal such things
2:29:27to a stranger when it knows that we have
2:29:29been here for generations
2:29:31said another of the chieftains because
2:29:33my eyes are not yet accustomed to the
2:29:35desert
2:29:36the boy said i can see things that eyes
2:29:38habituated to the desert might not see
2:29:42and also because i know about the soul
2:29:44of the world he thought to himself
2:29:46the oasis is neutral ground no one
2:29:48attacks an oasis said the third
2:29:50chieftain
2:29:51i can only tell you what i saw if you
2:29:54don't want to believe me you don't have
2:29:55to do anything about
2:29:56it the men fell into animated discussion
2:30:00they spoke in an arab dialect the boy
2:30:02didn't understand
2:30:04but when he made to leave the guard told
2:30:05him to stay
2:30:07the boy became fearful the omens told
2:30:09him that something was wrong
2:30:11he regretted having spoken to the camel
2:30:13driver about what he had seen in the
2:30:15desert
2:30:15suddenly the elder at the center smiled
2:30:18almost imperceptibly
2:30:20and the boy felt better the man hadn't
2:30:22participated in the discussion
2:30:24and in fact hadn't said a word up to
2:30:26that point
2:30:28but the boy was already used to the
2:30:29language of the world
2:30:31and he could feel the vibrations of
2:30:33peace throughout the tent
2:30:35now his intuition was that he'd been
2:30:37right in coming
2:30:40the discussion ended the chieftains were
2:30:42silent for a few moments as they
2:30:44listened to what the old man was saying
2:30:46then he turned to the boy this time his
2:30:49expression was cold
2:30:50and distant two thousand years ago
2:30:54in a distant land a man who believed in
2:30:58dreams was thrown into a dungeon
2:31:00and then sold as a slave the old man
2:31:03said
2:31:03now in the dialect the boy understood
2:31:06our merchants bought that man and
2:31:09brought into egypt
2:31:11all of us know that whoever believes in
2:31:13dreams
2:31:14also knows how to interpret them
2:31:18the elder continued when the pharaoh
2:31:20dreamed of cows that were thin and cows
2:31:23that were fat
2:31:24this man i'm speaking of rescued egypt
2:31:27from
2:31:28famine his name was joseph
2:31:31he too was a stranger in a strange land
2:31:34like you
2:31:35and he was probably about your age
2:31:38he paused and his eyes were still
2:31:40unfriendly
2:31:42we always observe the tradition
2:31:45the tradition saved egypt from famine in
2:31:48those days
2:31:50and made the egyptians the wealthiest of
2:31:52peoples
2:31:53the tradition teaches men how to cross
2:31:56the desert and how their children should
2:31:58marry
2:31:59the tradition says that an oasis is
2:32:02neutral territory
2:32:03because both sides have oases and so
2:32:06both
2:32:06are vulnerable no one said a word as the
2:32:09old man continued
2:32:11but the tradition also says that we
2:32:13should believe the messages of the
2:32:16desert
2:32:17everything we know was taught to us by
2:32:20the desert
2:32:22the old man gave a signal and everyone
2:32:25stood the meeting was over
2:32:26the hookers were extinguished and the
2:32:28guards stood at detention
2:32:30the boy made ready to leave but the old
2:32:32man spoke again
2:32:34tomorrow we are going to break the
2:32:36agreement that says no one at
2:32:38the oasis may carry arms
2:32:41throughout the entire day we will be on
2:32:43the lookout for our enemies
2:32:45when the sun sets the men will once
2:32:48again surrender their arms to me
2:32:50for every ten dead men among our enemies
2:32:54you will receive a piece of gold
2:32:58but arms cannot be drawn unless they
2:33:01also go into battle
2:33:03arms are as capricious as the desert and
2:33:06if they are not used
2:33:07the next time they might not function if
2:33:10at least
2:33:11one of them hasn't been used by the end
2:33:13of the day tomorrow
2:33:15one will be used on you
2:33:19when the boy left the tent the oasis was
2:33:21illuminated only by the light of the
2:33:23full moon
2:33:25he was 20 minutes from his tent and
2:33:27began to make his way there
2:33:30he was alarmed by what had happened he
2:33:33had succeeded in reaching through to the
2:33:35soul of the world
2:33:36and now the price for having done so
2:33:38might be his life
2:33:40it was a frightening bet but he had been
2:33:42making risky bets ever since the day he
2:33:44had sold his sheep to pursue his
2:33:46personal legend
2:33:48as the camel driver had said to die
2:33:50tomorrow was no worse than dying on any
2:33:51other day
2:33:53every day was there to be lived or to
2:33:55mark one's departure from this world
2:33:58everything depended on one word mactube
2:34:03walking along in the silence he had no
2:34:05regrets
2:34:06if he died tomorrow it would be because
2:34:09god was not willing to change the future
2:34:12he would at least have died after having
2:34:13crossed the strait after having worked
2:34:15in a crystal shop and after having known
2:34:17the silence of the desert
2:34:18and fatima's eyes he had lived every one
2:34:22of his days
2:34:23intensely since he had left home so long
2:34:25ago
2:34:26if he died tomorrow he would already
2:34:28have seen more than other shepherds
2:34:30and he was proud of that suddenly he
2:34:33heard a thundering sound and he was
2:34:35thrown to the ground by a wind such as
2:34:37he had never known
2:34:38the area was swirling in dust so intense
2:34:41that it hid the moon from view before
2:34:44him
2:34:44was an enormous white horse rearing over
2:34:47him with a frightening scream
2:34:51when the blinding dust had settled a bit
2:34:53the boy trembled at what he saw
2:34:56astride the animal was a horseman
2:34:58dressed completely in black
2:35:00with a falcon perched on his left
2:35:03shoulder
2:35:04he wore a turban and his entire face
2:35:07except for his eyes
2:35:08were covered with a black kerchief he
2:35:11appeared to be a messenger from the
2:35:13desert
2:35:13but his presence was much more powerful
2:35:15than that of a mere messenger
2:35:18the strange horseman drew an enormous
2:35:21curved sword from a scabbard mounted on
2:35:23his saddle
2:35:25the steel of its blade glittered in the
2:35:27light of the moon
2:35:29who dares to read the meaning of the
2:35:30flight of the hawks he demanded
2:35:33so loudly that his words seem to echo
2:35:35through the fifty thousand palm trees of
2:35:36al fayoum
2:35:38it is i who dared to do so said the boy
2:35:42he was reminded of the image of santiago
2:35:44matamoros
2:35:45mounted on his white horse with the
2:35:47infidels beneath his hooves
2:35:49this man looked exactly the same
2:35:52except that now the roles were reversed
2:35:55it is i who dared to do so he repeated
2:35:59and he lowered his head to receive a
2:36:01blow from the sword
2:36:03many lives will be saved because i was
2:36:05able to see through to the soul of the
2:36:07world
2:36:09the sword didn't fall instead
2:36:13the stranger lowered it slowly until the
2:36:16point
2:36:16touched the boy's forehead it drew
2:36:20a droplet of blood the horseman
2:36:23was completely immobile as was the boy
2:36:28it didn't even occur to the boy to flee
2:36:31in his heart
2:36:32he felt a strange sense of joy he was
2:36:35about to die
2:36:36in pursuit of his personal legend
2:36:39and for fatima the omens had been true
2:36:42after all
2:36:43here he was face to face with his enemy
2:36:46but there was no need to be concerned
2:36:48about dying
2:36:49the soul of the world awaited him and he
2:36:52would soon be a part of it
2:36:54and tomorrow his enemy would also be a
2:36:57part of that soul
2:37:00the stranger continued to hold the sword
2:37:02of the boy's forehead
2:37:04why did you read the flight of the birds
2:37:08i read only what the birds wanted to
2:37:09tell me they wanted to save the oasis
2:37:13tomorrow all of you will die because
2:37:16there are more men at the oasis than
2:37:18you have the sword remained where it was
2:37:22who are you to change what allah has
2:37:24willed
2:37:25allah created the armies and he also
2:37:28created the hawks
2:37:30allah taught me the language of the
2:37:32birds
2:37:33everything has been written by the same
2:37:35hand the boy said remembering the camel
2:37:37driver's words
2:37:39the stranger withdrew the sword from the
2:37:41boy's forehead
2:37:42and the boy felt immensely relieved but
2:37:45he still couldn't
2:37:46flee be careful with your
2:37:49prognostications
2:37:50said the stranger when something is
2:37:53written
2:37:54there is no way to change it all i saw
2:37:58was an army
2:37:59said the boy i didn't see the outcome of
2:38:01the battle
2:38:03the stranger seemed satisfied with the
2:38:05answer but he kept the sword in his hand
2:38:08what is a stranger doing in a strange
2:38:11land
2:38:13i'm following my personal legend it's
2:38:15not something you would understand
2:38:18the stranger placed his sword in its
2:38:20scabbard and the boy relaxed
2:38:23i had to test your courage the stranger
2:38:26said
2:38:27courage is the quality most essential to
2:38:29understanding the language of the world
2:38:33the boy was surprised the stranger was
2:38:35speaking of things
2:38:37very few people knew about you must not
2:38:40let
2:38:40up even after having come so far he
2:38:43continued
2:38:45you must love the desert but never trust
2:38:48it
2:38:48completely because the desert tests all
2:38:52men
2:38:52it challenges every step and kills those
2:38:55who become
2:38:56distracted what he said reminded the boy
2:38:59of the old king
2:39:01if the warriors come here and your head
2:39:04is still on your shoulders at sunset
2:39:06come and find me
2:39:07said the stranger the same hand that had
2:39:11brandished the sword
2:39:12now held a whip the horse reared again
2:39:15raising a cloud of dust where'd you live
2:39:19shouted the boy as the horseman rode
2:39:21away
2:39:22the hand with the whip pointed to the
2:39:24south
2:39:26the boy had met the alchemist
2:39:32next morning there were two thousand
2:39:34armed men
2:39:35scattered throughout the palm trees at
2:39:37al fayoom
2:39:38before the sun had reached its high
2:39:40point 500 tribesmen
2:39:43appeared on the horizon the mounted
2:39:45troops entered the oasis from the north
2:39:48it appeared to be a peaceful expedition
2:39:51but they all carried arms
2:39:54hidden in their robes when they reached
2:39:56the white tent at the center of
2:39:58al-fayoom
2:39:59they withdrew their scimitars and rifles
2:40:02and they attacked
2:40:03an empty tent the men of the oasis
2:40:07surrounded the horsemen from the desert
2:40:09and within half an hour all but one of
2:40:11the intruders were dead
2:40:14the children had been kept at the other
2:40:15side of a grove of palm trees
2:40:17and saw nothing of what had happened the
2:40:20women had remained in their tents
2:40:22praying for the safe keeping of their
2:40:24husbands and saw nothing of the battle
2:40:25either
2:40:27were it not for the bodies there on the
2:40:28ground it would have appeared to be a
2:40:31normal day at the oasis
2:40:34the only tribesmen spared was the
2:40:36commander of the battalion
2:40:38that afternoon he was brought before the
2:40:41tribal chieftains who asked him why he
2:40:43had violated the tradition
2:40:45the commander said that his men had been
2:40:47starving and thirsty exhausted from many
2:40:49days of battle
2:40:50and had decided to take the oasis so as
2:40:53to be able to return to the war
2:40:56the tribal chieftain said that he felt
2:40:58sorry for the tribesmen
2:41:00but that the tradition was sacred he
2:41:03condemned the commander to death without
2:41:05honor
2:41:06rather than being killed by a blade or a
2:41:08bullet he was hanged from a dead palm
2:41:11tree
2:41:12where his body twisted in the desert
2:41:14wind
2:41:16the tribal chieftain called for the boy
2:41:18and presented him with fifty pieces of
2:41:20gold
2:41:22he repeated his story about joseph of
2:41:24egypt
2:41:25and asked the boy to become the
2:41:26counsellor of the oasis
2:41:31when the sun had set and the first stars
2:41:34made their appearance
2:41:35the boy started to walk to the south he
2:41:38eventually sighted a single tent
2:41:40and a group of arabs passing by told the
2:41:42boy that it was a place inhabited by
2:41:44genies
2:41:46but the boy sat down and waited
2:41:49not until the moon was high did the
2:41:51alchemist ride into view
2:41:53he carried two dead hawks over his
2:41:56shoulder
2:41:57i'm here the boy said you shouldn't be
2:42:00here
2:42:01the alchemist answered or is it your
2:42:04personal legend
2:42:05that brings you here with the wars
2:42:08between the tribes
2:42:09it's impossible to cross the desert so
2:42:11i've come here
2:42:14the alchemist dismounted from his horse
2:42:16and signaled that the boy should enter
2:42:17the tent with him
2:42:19it was a tent like many at the oasis
2:42:22the boy looked around for the ovens and
2:42:24other apparatus used
2:42:26in alchemy but saw none there were only
2:42:28some books in a pile
2:42:30a small cooking stove and the carpets
2:42:33covered with mysterious designs
2:42:36sit down we'll have something to drink
2:42:38and eat these hawks said the alchemist
2:42:42the boy suspected that they were the
2:42:43same hawks he had seen on the day before
2:42:45but he said nothing
2:42:47the alchemist lighted the fire and soon
2:42:49a delicious aroma
2:42:50filled the tent it was better than the
2:42:53scent of hookers
2:42:54why did you want to see me the boy asked
2:42:57because of the omens
2:42:59the alchemist answered the wind told me
2:43:02you would be coming
2:43:03and that you would need help it's not i
2:43:06the wind spoke about
2:43:07it's the other foreigner the englishman
2:43:09he's the one that's looking for you
2:43:11he has other things to do first but he's
2:43:13on the right track
2:43:15he has begun to try to understand the
2:43:18desert
2:43:19and what about me when a person really
2:43:22desires something all the universe
2:43:24conspires to help that person to realize
2:43:26his dream
2:43:27said the alchemist echoing the words of
2:43:29the old king
2:43:31the boy understood another person was
2:43:34there to help him towards his personal
2:43:36legend
2:43:37so are you going to instruct me no
2:43:41you already know all you need to know i
2:43:44am only going to point you in the
2:43:46direction of your treasure
2:43:48but there's a tribal war the boy
2:43:49reiterated i know what's happening in
2:43:52the desert
2:43:54i've already found my treasure i have a
2:43:56camel i have my money from the crystal
2:43:58shop
2:43:59and i have 50 gold pieces in my own
2:44:02country i'd be a rich man
2:44:04but none of that is from the pyramids
2:44:06said the alchemist
2:44:08i also have fatima she's a treasure
2:44:10greater than anything else i've won
2:44:13she wasn't found at the pyramids either
2:44:17they ate in silence the alchemist opened
2:44:20a bottle
2:44:20and poured a red liquid into the boy's
2:44:22cup
2:44:24it was the most delicious wine he had
2:44:26ever tasted
2:44:27isn't wine prohibited here the boy asked
2:44:30it's not what enters men's mouths that's
2:44:33evil said the alchemist
2:44:34it's what comes out of their mouths that
2:44:37is
2:44:39the alchemist was a bit daunting but as
2:44:42the boy drank the wine
2:44:43he relaxed after they finished eating
2:44:46they sat outside the tent under a moon
2:44:49so brilliant that it made the stars
2:44:51pale drink and enjoy yourself
2:44:54said the alchemist noticing that the boy
2:44:56was feeling happier
2:44:58rest well tonight as if you were a
2:45:00warrior preparing for combat
2:45:02remember that wherever your heart is
2:45:05there you will find your treasure you've
2:45:09got to find the treasure
2:45:10so that everything you have learned
2:45:12along the way can
2:45:14make sense tomorrow sell your camel
2:45:18and buy a horse camels are treacherous
2:45:22they walk thousands of paces and never
2:45:24seem to tire then suddenly
2:45:25they kneel and die but horses tire bits
2:45:29by bit
2:45:30you always know how much you can ask of
2:45:32them and when it is that they are about
2:45:35to die
2:45:39the following night the boy appeared at
2:45:41the alchemist tent with a horse
2:45:43the alchemist was ready and he mounted
2:45:45his own steed and placed the falcon on
2:45:47his left shoulder
2:45:48he said to the boy show me where there
2:45:50is life out in the desert
2:45:52only those who can see such signs of
2:45:54life are able to find treasure
2:45:58they began to ride out over the sands
2:46:00with the moon lighting their way
2:46:02i don't know if i'll be able to find
2:46:03life in the desert the boy thought
2:46:06i don't know the desert that well yet
2:46:09he wanted to say so to the alchemist but
2:46:11he was afraid of the man
2:46:13they reached the rocky place where the
2:46:15boy had seen the hawks in the sky
2:46:17but now there was only silence on the
2:46:19wind
2:46:20i don't know how to find life in the
2:46:22desert the boy said i know that there's
2:46:24life here but
2:46:25i don't know where to look life attracts
2:46:29life the alchemist answered
2:46:32and then the boy understood
2:46:36he loosened the reins on his horse who
2:46:38galloped forward over the rocks and sand
2:46:40the alchemist followed as the boy's
2:46:42horse ran for almost half an hour
2:46:45they could no longer see the palms of
2:46:46the oasis only the gigantic moon above
2:46:49them and its silver reflections from the
2:46:50stones of the desert
2:46:52suddenly for no apparent reason the
2:46:54boy's horse began to slow
2:46:57there's life here the boy said to the
2:46:59alchemist
2:47:00i don't know the language of the desert
2:47:01but my horse knows the language of life
2:47:05they dismounted and the alchemist said
2:47:07nothing
2:47:08advancing slowly they searched among the
2:47:10stones
2:47:12the alchemist stopped abruptly and bent
2:47:14to the ground
2:47:15there was a hole there among the stones
2:47:18the alchemist put his hand into the hole
2:47:20and then his entire arm up to his
2:47:22shoulder
2:47:23something was moving there and the
2:47:26alchemist's eyes
2:47:27the boy could only see his eyes squinted
2:47:30with his effort
2:47:31his arms seemed to be battling with
2:47:33whatever was in the hole
2:47:35then with a motion that startled the boy
2:47:37he withdrew his arm and leapt to his
2:47:38feet
2:47:39in his hand he grasped a snake by the
2:47:41tail
2:47:43the boy left as well but away from the
2:47:45alchemist the snake fought frantically
2:47:47making hissing sounds that shattered the
2:47:49silence of the desert
2:47:50it was a cobra whose venom could kill a
2:47:52person in minutes
2:47:54watch out for his venom the boy said but
2:47:57even though the alchemist had put his
2:47:58hand in the hole
2:47:59and had surely already been bitten his
2:48:01expression was calm
2:48:03the alchemist is 200 years old the
2:48:05englishman had told him
2:48:07he must know how to deal with snakes in
2:48:08the desert
2:48:11the boy watched as his companion went to
2:48:13his horse and withdrew a scimitar
2:48:15with its blade he drew a circle in the
2:48:17sand and then he placed the snake within
2:48:19it
2:48:20the serpent relaxed immediately not to
2:48:23worry to the alchemist
2:48:25you won't leave the circle you found
2:48:28life
2:48:29in the desert the o men that i needed
2:48:32why was that so important because the
2:48:35pyramids are surrounded by deserts
2:48:39the boy didn't want to talk about the
2:48:41pyramids his heart was heavy
2:48:44and he had been melancholy since the
2:48:46previous night
2:48:47to continue his search for the treasure
2:48:49meant that he had to abandon fatima
2:48:51i am going to guide you across the
2:48:53desert the alchemist said
2:48:55i want to stay at the oasis the boy
2:48:57answered i found fatima
2:48:59and as far as i'm concerned she's worth
2:49:01more than treasure
2:49:03fatima is a woman of the desert said the
2:49:05alchemist
2:49:06she knows that men have to go away in
2:49:09order to return and she already has her
2:49:11treasure
2:49:12it's you now she expects that you will
2:49:14find what it is you're looking for
2:49:17well what if i decide to stay let me
2:49:20tell you what will happen
2:49:22you'll be the counsellor of the oasis
2:49:25you have enough gold
2:49:27to buy many sheep and many camels you'll
2:49:30marry
2:49:30fatima and you'll both be happy for a
2:49:34year
2:49:35you'll learn to love the desert and
2:49:38you'll get to know every one of the
2:49:39fifty thousand pounds
2:49:42you'll watch them as they grow
2:49:43demonstrating how the world is always
2:49:45changing
2:49:46and you'll get better and better at
2:49:48understanding omens
2:49:50because the desert is the best teacher
2:49:52there is
2:49:54sometime during the second year you'll
2:49:57remember
2:49:58about the treasure the omens will begin
2:50:01insistently to speak of it and you'll
2:50:04try to ignore them
2:50:05you'll use your knowledge for the
2:50:07welfare of the oasis and its inhabitants
2:50:10the tribal chieftains will appreciate
2:50:12what you do
2:50:13and your camels will bring you wealth
2:50:15and power
2:50:17during the third year the omens will
2:50:20continue to speak of your treasure and
2:50:22your personal legend
2:50:25you'll walk around night after night at
2:50:28the oasis
2:50:29and fatima will be unhappy because
2:50:31she'll feel it with she who interrupted
2:50:33your quest
2:50:34but you will love her and she'll return
2:50:36your love
2:50:37you'll remember that she never asked you
2:50:40to stay
2:50:41because a woman of the desert knows that
2:50:43she must await her man
2:50:45so you won't blame her but many times
2:50:48you'll walk the sands of the desert
2:50:50thinking that maybe you could have left
2:50:53that you could have trusted more in your
2:50:56love for fatima
2:50:58because what kept you at the oasis was
2:51:00your own fear
2:51:01that you might never come back at that
2:51:05point
2:51:06the omens will tell you that your
2:51:08treasure is buried
2:51:10forever then sometime
2:51:13during the fourth year the omens will
2:51:16abandon you
2:51:18because you stopped listening to them
2:51:21the tribal chieftains will see that
2:51:23and you'll be dismissed from your
2:51:25position as counsellor
2:51:27but by then you'll be a rich merchant
2:51:29with many camels and a great deal of
2:51:31merchandise
2:51:33you'll spend the rest of your days
2:51:35knowing that you didn't pursue
2:51:37your personal legend and that now
2:51:41it's too late you must understand that
2:51:45love
2:51:46never keeps a man from pursuing his
2:51:48personal legend
2:51:50if he abandons that pursuit it's because
2:51:52it wasn't true love
2:51:54the love that speaks the language of the
2:51:57world
2:51:57[Music]
2:51:59the alchemist raised the circle in the
2:52:01sand
2:52:02and the snake slithered away among the
2:52:05rocks
2:52:06the boy remembered the crystal merchant
2:52:08who had always wanted to go to mecca
2:52:10and the englishman in search of the
2:52:12alchemist he thought of the woman who
2:52:15had trusted in the desert
2:52:17and he looked out over the desert that
2:52:19had brought him to the woman he loved
2:52:23they mounted their horses and this time
2:52:25it was the boy who followed the
2:52:26alchemist back to the oasis
2:52:29the wind brought the sounds of the oasis
2:52:31to them
2:52:32and the boy tried to hear fatima's voice
2:52:36but that night as he had watched the
2:52:38cobra within the circle
2:52:41the strange horseman with the falcon on
2:52:43his shoulder had spoken of love
2:52:45and treasure of the women of the desert
2:52:48and of his personal legend i'm going
2:52:51with you
2:52:52the boy said and he immediately felt
2:52:55peace in his heart
2:52:57we'll leave tomorrow before sunrise was
2:53:00the alchemist's only response
2:53:05the boy spent a sleepless night two
2:53:08hours before dawn he awoke one of the
2:53:10boys who slept in his tent and asked him
2:53:12to show him where fatima lived
2:53:14they went to her tent and the boy gave
2:53:16his friend enough gold to buy a sheep
2:53:18[Music]
2:53:20then he asked his friend to go into the
2:53:21tent where fatima was sleeping
2:53:23and to awaken her and tell her that he
2:53:25was waiting outside
2:53:27the young arab did as he was asked and
2:53:29was given enough gold to buy yet another
2:53:31sheep
2:53:32now leave us alone said the boy to the
2:53:34young arab
2:53:35the arab returned to his tent to sleep
2:53:37proud to have helped the councillor of
2:53:39the oasis
2:53:40and happy at having enough money to buy
2:53:42himself some sheep
2:53:44fatima appeared at the entrance to the
2:53:46tent
2:53:47the two walked out among the palms the
2:53:50boy knew it was a violation of the
2:53:52tradition
2:53:54but that didn't matter to him now i'm
2:53:56going away he said
2:53:58and i want you to know that i'm coming
2:54:00back
2:54:02i love you because don't say anything
2:54:04fatima interrupted
2:54:06one is loved because one is love
2:54:10no reason is needed for loving but the
2:54:13boy continued
2:54:15i had a dream and i met with a king i
2:54:18sold crystal and crossed the desert
2:54:21and because the tribes declared war i
2:54:23went to the well
2:54:24seeking the alchemist so i love you
2:54:28because the entire universe conspired to
2:54:31help me find you
2:54:33the two embraced it was the first time
2:54:36either had touched the other i'll be
2:54:39back
2:54:40the boy said before this
2:54:44i always looked to the desert with
2:54:45longing said fatima
2:54:48now it will be with hope my father went
2:54:50away one day but
2:54:52he returned to my mother and he has
2:54:54always come back since then
2:54:58they said nothing else they walked a bit
2:55:00further among the palms
2:55:02and then the boy left her at the
2:55:04entrance to her tent
2:55:06i'll return just as your father came
2:55:08back to your mother he said
2:55:10he saw that fatima's eyes were filled
2:55:12with tears
2:55:14you're crying i'm a woman of the desert
2:55:17she said averting her face
2:55:19but above all i'm a woman
2:55:24fatima went back to her tent and when
2:55:27daylight came
2:55:28she went out to do the chores she had
2:55:30done for years
2:55:31but everything had changed the boy
2:55:35was no longer at the oasis and the oasis
2:55:38would never again have the same meaning
2:55:40it had had only yesterday
2:55:42it would no longer be a place with 50
2:55:44000 palm trees and 300 wells where the
2:55:47pilgrims arrived
2:55:48relieved at the end of their long
2:55:49journeys
2:55:51from that day on the oasis would be an
2:55:54empty place for her
2:55:58that day on it was the desert that would
2:56:00be important
2:56:02she would look to it every day and would
2:56:04try to guess which star the boy was
2:56:06following in search of his treasure
2:56:08she would have to send her kisses on the
2:56:10wind hoping that the wind would touch
2:56:11the boy's face
2:56:12and would tell him that she was alive
2:56:15that she was waiting for him
2:56:16a woman awaiting a courageous man in
2:56:19search of his treasure
2:56:20from that day on the desert would
2:56:23represent only one thing to her
2:56:25the hope for his return
2:56:30don't think about what you've left
2:56:32behind the alchemist said to the boy
2:56:35as they began to ride across the sounds
2:56:36of the desert
2:56:38everything is written in the soul of the
2:56:40world and
2:56:41there it will stay forever men dream
2:56:45more about coming home than about
2:56:46leaving the boy said
2:56:48he was already reaccustomed to the
2:56:50desert silence
2:56:52if what one finds is made of pure matter
2:56:55it will never spoil and one can always
2:56:58come back
2:57:00if what you had found was only a moment
2:57:02of light like the explosion of a star
2:57:05you would find nothing on your return
2:57:08the man was speaking the language of
2:57:10alchemy but the boy knew he was
2:57:12referring to fatima
2:57:15it was difficult not to think about what
2:57:16he had left behind
2:57:18the desert with its endless monotony put
2:57:20into dreaming
2:57:22the boy could still see the palm trees
2:57:24the wells and the face of the woman he
2:57:26loved
2:57:27he could see the englishman at his
2:57:28experiments and the camel driver
2:57:31who was a teacher without realizing it
2:57:33maybe the alchemist has never been in
2:57:35love
2:57:36the boy thought the alchemist rode in
2:57:39front with the falcon on his shoulder
2:57:41the bird knew the language of the desert
2:57:43well and whenever they stopped he flew
2:57:46off in search of game
2:57:48on the first day he returned with a
2:57:50rabbit and on the second
2:57:52with two birds at night
2:57:55they spread their sleeping gear and kept
2:57:57their fires hidden
2:57:59the desert nights were cold and were
2:58:01becoming darker and darker as the phases
2:58:03of the moon
2:58:04passed they went on for a week speaking
2:58:07only of the precautions they needed to
2:58:09follow
2:58:10in order to avoid the battles between
2:58:11the tribes
2:58:13the war continued and at times the wind
2:58:16carried the sweet sickly smell of blood
2:58:19battles had been fought nearby and the
2:58:22wind reminded the boy that there was the
2:58:24language of omens
2:58:26always ready to show him what his eyes
2:58:28had failed to observe
2:58:31on the seventh day the alchemist decided
2:58:34to make camp
2:58:35earlier than usual the falcon flew off
2:58:37to find game
2:58:39and the alchemist offered his water
2:58:40container to the boy
2:58:42you are almost at the end of your
2:58:44journey said the alchemist
2:58:46i congratulate you for having pursued
2:58:49your personal legend
2:58:51and you've told me nothing along the way
2:58:53said the boy
2:58:55i thought you were going to teach me
2:58:56some of the things you know a while ago
2:58:58i rode through the desert with a man who
2:59:00had books on alchemy
2:59:01but i wasn't able to learn anything from
2:59:03them
2:59:04there is only one way to learn the
2:59:06alchemist
2:59:08it's through action everything you need
2:59:11to know
2:59:11you have learned through your journey
2:59:14you need to learn only one thing
2:59:16more the boy wanted to know what that
2:59:20was
2:59:21but the alchemist was searching the
2:59:22horizon looking for the falcon
2:59:25why are you called the alchemist
2:59:28because that's what i am and what went
2:59:32wrong when other alchemists tried to
2:59:33make gold and were unable to do so
2:59:36they were looking only for gold
2:59:39his companion answered they were seeking
2:59:42the treasure of their personal legend
2:59:44without
2:59:45wanting actually to live out the
2:59:47personal legend
2:59:49what is it that i still need to know the
2:59:52boy asked
2:59:54but the alchemist continued to look to
2:59:56the horizon
2:59:58and finally the falcon returned with
2:59:59their meal
3:00:01they dug a hole and lit their fire in it
3:00:03so the light of the flames would not be
3:00:05seen
3:00:06i'm an alchemist simply because i'm an
3:00:10alchemist
3:00:11he said as he prepared the meal i
3:00:13learned the science from my grandfather
3:00:15who learned it from his father
3:00:17and so on back to the creation of the
3:00:19world
3:00:21in those times the master work could be
3:00:24written
3:00:24simply on an emerald but men began to
3:00:28reject
3:00:28simple things and to write tracts
3:00:31interpretations and philosophical
3:00:33studies
3:00:35they also began to feel that they knew a
3:00:37better way than others had
3:00:39yet the emerald tablet is still alive
3:00:42today
3:00:44what was written on the emerald tablet
3:00:45the boy wanted to know
3:00:48the alchemists began to draw in the sand
3:00:51and completed his drawing in less than
3:00:53five minutes
3:00:54as he drew the boy thought of the old
3:00:56king and the plaza where they had met
3:00:59that day it seemed as if it had taken
3:01:01place
3:01:02years and years ago this
3:01:05is what was written on the emerald
3:01:07tablet said the alchemist when he had
3:01:09finished
3:01:11the boy tried to read what was written
3:01:13in the sand
3:01:14it's a code said the boy a bit
3:01:16disappointed
3:01:18it looks like what i saw in the
3:01:19englishman's books
3:01:21no the alchemist answered it's like the
3:01:24flight of those two hawks
3:01:26it can't be understood by reason alone
3:01:29the emerald tablet is a direct passage
3:01:33to the soul of the world
3:01:36the wise men understood that this
3:01:38natural world
3:01:40is only an image and a copy of paradise
3:01:44the existence of this world is simply a
3:01:48guarantee that there exists a world
3:01:50that is perfect god created the world
3:01:54so that through its visible objects men
3:01:57could understand his spiritual teachings
3:02:00and the marvels of his wisdom
3:02:02that's what i mean by action
3:02:06should i understand the emerald tablet
3:02:08the boy asked
3:02:09perhaps if you were in a laboratory of
3:02:12alchemy this would be the right time to
3:02:14study the best way to understand
3:02:16the emerald tablet but you are in the
3:02:18desert
3:02:19so immerse yourself in it the desert
3:02:22will give you an understanding of the
3:02:24world
3:02:25in fact anything on the face of the
3:02:27earth will do that
3:02:29you don't even have to understand the
3:02:31desert all you have to do
3:02:33is contemplate a simple grain of sand
3:02:36and you will see in it all the marvels
3:02:39of creation
3:02:41how do i immerse myself in the desert
3:02:44listen
3:02:44to your heart it knows
3:02:48all things because it came from the soul
3:02:51of the world
3:02:52and it will one day return there
3:02:58they crossed the desert for another two
3:03:00days in silence
3:03:02the alchemist had become much more
3:03:04cautious because they were approaching
3:03:06the area where the most violent battles
3:03:08were being waged
3:03:10as they moved along the boy tried to
3:03:12listen to his heart
3:03:15it was not easy to do in earlier times
3:03:18his heart had always been ready to tell
3:03:19its story but lately that wasn't true
3:03:22there have been times when his heart
3:03:24spent hours telling of its sadness
3:03:26and at other times it became so
3:03:27emotional over the desert sunrise
3:03:30that the boy had to hide his tears his
3:03:33heart beat
3:03:33fastest when it spoke to the boy of
3:03:35treasure
3:03:36and more slowly when the boys stared
3:03:39entranced at the endless horizons of the
3:03:41desert
3:03:42but his heart was never quiet even when
3:03:45the boy and the alchemists had fallen
3:03:46into silence
3:03:49why do we have to listen to our hearts
3:03:51the boy asked when they had made camp
3:03:52that day
3:03:54because wherever your heart is
3:03:57that is where you'll find your treasure
3:04:00but my heart is agitated the boy said
3:04:02it has its dreams it gets emotional and
3:04:05it's become passionate over a woman of
3:04:07the desert
3:04:08it asks things of me and it keeps me
3:04:10from sleeping many nights when i'm
3:04:11thinking about her
3:04:13well that's good your heart is alive
3:04:17keep listening to what it has to say
3:04:22the next three days the two travelers
3:04:24passed by a number of armed tribesmen
3:04:26and saw others on the horizon the boy's
3:04:29heart began to speak of fear
3:04:31it told him stories it had heard from
3:04:33the soul of the world
3:04:35stories of men who sought to find their
3:04:37treasure and never succeeded
3:04:40sometimes it frightened the boy with the
3:04:41idea that he might not find his treasure
3:04:44or that he might die there in the desert
3:04:47at other times
3:04:48it told the boy that it was satisfied it
3:04:50had found
3:04:51love and riches my heart is a traitor
3:04:55the boy said to the alchemist when they
3:04:56had paused to rest their horses
3:04:59it doesn't want me to go on bro that
3:05:02makes sense the alchemist answered
3:05:04naturally it's afraid that in pursuing
3:05:07your dream you might lose everything
3:05:09you've won
3:05:10well then why should i listen to my
3:05:12heart
3:05:13because you will never again be able to
3:05:15keep it quiet
3:05:17even if you pretend not to have heard
3:05:20what it tells you
3:05:21it will always be there inside you
3:05:23repeating to you what you're thinking
3:05:25about life
3:05:26and about the world you mean i should
3:05:28listen
3:05:29even if it's treasonous treason is a
3:05:32blow that comes unexpectedly
3:05:35if you know your heart well it will
3:05:37never be able to do that to you
3:05:39because you'll know its dreams and
3:05:41wishes and will know how to deal with
3:05:44them
3:05:45you will never be able to escape from
3:05:47your heart so it's better to listen to
3:05:49what it has to say
3:05:51that way you'll never have to fear an
3:05:54unanticipated blow
3:05:57the boy continued to listen to his heart
3:05:59as they cross the desert
3:06:01he came to understand its dodges and
3:06:03tricks
3:06:04and to accept it as it was he lost his
3:06:07fear
3:06:08and forgot about his need to go back to
3:06:09the oasis because one afternoon
3:06:12his heart told him that it was happy
3:06:15even though i complained sometimes it
3:06:16said
3:06:17it's because i'm the heart of a person
3:06:20and people's hearts are that way
3:06:22people are afraid to pursue their most
3:06:24important dreams
3:06:25because they feel they don't deserve
3:06:27them or that they'll be unable to
3:06:28achieve them
3:06:30we their hearts become fearful just
3:06:32thinking of loved ones who go away
3:06:34forever
3:06:35or of moments that could have been good
3:06:36but weren't or of treasures that might
3:06:39have been found but were forever hidden
3:06:41in the sands
3:06:42because when these things happen we
3:06:45suffer terribly
3:06:47my heart's afraid it'll have to suffer
3:06:48the boy told the alchemist one night as
3:06:50they looked up at the moonless sky
3:06:52tell your heart that the fear of
3:06:55suffering is worse than the suffering
3:06:57itself
3:06:58and that no heart has ever suffered when
3:07:01it goes in search of its dreams
3:07:03because every second of the search is a
3:07:05second's encounter with god
3:07:07and with eternity every second of the
3:07:11search is an encounter with god
3:07:13the boy told his heart when i have been
3:07:16truly searching for my treasure
3:07:18every day has been luminous because i've
3:07:20known that every hour was a part of the
3:07:22dream that i would find it
3:07:24when i have been truly searching for my
3:07:26treasure i've discovered things along
3:07:28the way that
3:07:29i never would have seen had i not had
3:07:30the courage to try things that seemed
3:07:32impossible for a shepherd to achieve
3:07:35so his heart was quiet for an entire
3:07:38afternoon
3:07:39[Music]
3:07:40that night the boy slept deeply and when
3:07:43he awoke
3:07:44his heart began to tell him things that
3:07:46came from the soul of the world
3:07:49it said that all people who are happy
3:07:52have god within them and that happiness
3:07:55could be found in a grain of sand from
3:07:57the desert as the alchemist has said
3:07:59because a grain of sand is a moment of
3:08:02creation
3:08:03and the universe has taken millions of
3:08:05years to create it
3:08:07everyone on earth has a treasure that
3:08:09awaits him his heart said
3:08:11we people's hearts seldom say much about
3:08:14those treasures because people no longer
3:08:16want to go in search of them
3:08:18we speak of them only to children later
3:08:20we
3:08:21simply let life proceed in its own
3:08:23direction towards its own fate
3:08:25but unfortunately very few follow the
3:08:28path laid out for them
3:08:30the path to their personal legends and
3:08:32to happiness
3:08:33most people see the world as a
3:08:35threatening place and because they do
3:08:36the world turns out indeed to be a
3:08:38threatening place
3:08:40so we their hearts speak more and more
3:08:42softly
3:08:43we never stop speaking out but we begin
3:08:46to hope that our words won't be heard
3:08:48we don't want people to suffer because
3:08:50they don't follow their hearts
3:08:52why don't people's hearts tell them to
3:08:54continue to follow their dreams
3:08:56the boy asked the alchemist because
3:08:58that's what makes a heart suffer most
3:09:01and hearts don't like to suffer
3:09:05from then on the boy understood his
3:09:08heart
3:09:09he asked it please never to stop
3:09:11speaking to him
3:09:13he asked that when he wandered far from
3:09:15his dreams
3:09:16his heart pressed him and sound the
3:09:18alarm
3:09:19the boy swore that every time he heard
3:09:21the alarm he would heed its message
3:09:25that night he told all of this to the
3:09:28alchemist
3:09:29and the alchemist understood that the
3:09:31boy's heart had returned to the soul of
3:09:33the world
3:09:34so what should i do now the boy asked
3:09:37continue in the direction of the
3:09:39pyramids said the alchemist
3:09:42and continue to pay heed to the omens
3:09:45your heart is still capable of showing
3:09:47you where the treasure is
3:09:49is that the one thing i still needed to
3:09:51know no
3:09:53the alchemist answered what you still
3:09:55need to know is this
3:09:57before a dream is realized the soul of
3:10:00the world
3:10:02tests everything that was learned along
3:10:04the way
3:10:06it does this not because it is evil
3:10:09but so that we can in addition to
3:10:12realizing
3:10:13our dreams master the lessons we've
3:10:16learned as we've moved towards that
3:10:18dream
3:10:20that's the point at which most people
3:10:23give up
3:10:24it's the point at which as we say in the
3:10:26language of the desert
3:10:28one dies of thirst just when the palm
3:10:31trees have appeared on the horizon
3:10:34every search begins with beginners luck
3:10:37and every search ends with the victors
3:10:40being severely
3:10:41tested the boy remembered an old proverb
3:10:45from his country
3:10:47it said that the darkest hour of the
3:10:49night came just before the dawn
3:10:55on the following day the first clear
3:10:57sign of danger appeared
3:10:59three armed tribesmen approached and
3:11:02asked what the boy and the alchemist
3:11:03were doing there
3:11:05i'm hunting with my falcon the alchemist
3:11:07answered
3:11:08we're going to have to search you to see
3:11:10whether you're armed
3:11:11one of the tribesmen said the alchemist
3:11:14dismounted slowly
3:11:15and the boy did the same why are you
3:11:18carrying money
3:11:19asked the tribesman when he had searched
3:11:21the boy's bag
3:11:22i i need to get to the pyramids he said
3:11:26the tribesmen who were searching the
3:11:28alchemists belongings
3:11:29found a small crystal flask filled with
3:11:31a liquid
3:11:32and a yellow glass egg that was slightly
3:11:34larger than a chicken's egg
3:11:36what are these things he asked
3:11:39that's the philosopher's stone and the
3:11:42elixir of life
3:11:44it's the master work of the alchemists
3:11:47whoever swallows that elixir will never
3:11:49be sick again
3:11:51and the fragment from that stone turns
3:11:54any metal into gold
3:11:57the arabs laughed at him and the
3:11:59alchemists laughed along
3:12:01they thought his answer was amusing and
3:12:03they allowed the boy and the alchemist
3:12:05to proceed with all of their belongings
3:12:07are you crazy the boy asked the
3:12:09alchemist when they'd moved on
3:12:11what did you do that for to show you one
3:12:14of life's
3:12:14simple lessons the alchemist answered
3:12:17when you possess
3:12:18great treasures within you and try to
3:12:21tell others of them
3:12:23seldom are you believed
3:12:26they continued across the desert with
3:12:29every day that passed
3:12:30the boy's heart became more and more
3:12:32silent
3:12:33it no longer wanted to know about things
3:12:35of the past or future
3:12:37it was content simply to contemplate the
3:12:39desert and to drink with the boy
3:12:41from the soul of the world and the boy
3:12:45and his heart had become friends
3:12:48and neither was capable now of betraying
3:12:51the other
3:12:51[Music]
3:12:53when his heart spoke to him it was to
3:12:55provide a stimulus to the boy and to
3:12:57give him strength
3:12:58because the days of silence there in the
3:13:00desert were wearison
3:13:02his heart told the boy what his
3:13:04strongest qualities were
3:13:06his courage in having given up his sheep
3:13:08and in trying to live out his personal
3:13:10legend
3:13:11and his enthusiasm during the time he
3:13:13had worked at the crystal shop
3:13:16and his heart told him something else
3:13:18that the boy had never noticed
3:13:20it told the boy of dangers that had
3:13:22threatened him
3:13:23but that he had never perceived his
3:13:26heart said that one time
3:13:27it had hidden the rifle the boy had
3:13:29taken from his father
3:13:31because of the possibility that the boy
3:13:32might wound himself
3:13:34and it reminded the boy of the day when
3:13:36he had been ill
3:13:37and vomiting out in the fields after
3:13:39which he had fallen into a deep sleep
3:13:42there had been two thieves further ahead
3:13:44who were planning to steal the boy's
3:13:46sheep and murder him
3:13:48but since the boy hadn't passed by they
3:13:50had decided to move on
3:13:52thinking that he had changed his route
3:13:56does a man's heart always help him the
3:13:59boy asked the alchemist
3:14:01mostly just the hearts of those who are
3:14:03trying to realize their personal legends
3:14:06but they do help children drunkards and
3:14:09the elderly too
3:14:11does that mean i'll never run into
3:14:12danger it means only that the heart
3:14:15does what it can the alchemist said
3:14:20one afternoon they passed by the
3:14:22encampment of one of the tribes
3:14:24at each corner of the camp were arabs
3:14:26garbed in beautiful white robes with
3:14:28arms at the ready
3:14:30the men were smoking their hookers and
3:14:32trading stories from the battlefield
3:14:34no one paid any attention to the two
3:14:36travelers
3:14:38there's no danger the boy said when they
3:14:40had moved on past the encampment
3:14:43the alchemist sounded angry trust in
3:14:45your heart but never forget
3:14:46that you're in the desert when men are
3:14:49at war with one another
3:14:50the soul of the world can hear the
3:14:52streams of battle
3:14:53no one fails to suffer the consequences
3:14:56of everything under the sun
3:14:59all things are one the boy thought and
3:15:02then
3:15:02as if the desert wanted to demonstrate
3:15:04that the alchemist was right
3:15:06two horsemen appeared from behind the
3:15:08travelers
3:15:09you can't go any further one of them
3:15:11said you're in the area where the tribes
3:15:13are at war
3:15:15i'm not going very far the alchemist
3:15:18answered
3:15:18looking straight into the eyes of the
3:15:20horsemen they were silent for a moment
3:15:23and then agreed that the boy and the
3:15:25alchemist could move along
3:15:27the boy watched the exchange with
3:15:29fascination
3:15:30you dominated those horsemen with the
3:15:32way you looked at them he said
3:15:34your eyes show the strength of your soul
3:15:37answered the alchemist that's true the
3:15:41boy thought
3:15:42he'd noticed that in the midst of the
3:15:44multitude of armed men back at the
3:15:45encampment
3:15:46there had been one who stared fixedly at
3:15:48the two
3:15:50he'd been so far away that his face
3:15:51wasn't even visible but the boy was
3:15:53certain that he had been looking at them
3:15:57finally when they had crossed the
3:15:59mountain range that extended along the
3:16:01entire horizon
3:16:02the alchemist said that they were only
3:16:04two days from the pyramids
3:16:07if we are going to go our separate ways
3:16:08soon the boy said then teach me about
3:16:11alchemy
3:16:12you already know about alchemy it is
3:16:15about penetrating to the soul of the
3:16:17world
3:16:18and discovering the treasure that has
3:16:21been reserved for you
3:16:23no that's not what i mean i'm talking
3:16:25about transforming lead into gold
3:16:29the alchemist fell as silent as the
3:16:31desert
3:16:32and answered the boy only after they had
3:16:35stopped to eat
3:16:36everything in the universe evolved
3:16:40he said and for wise men
3:16:44gold is the metal that evolved the
3:16:46furthest
3:16:47don't ask me why i don't know why i just
3:16:50know that the tradition is always right
3:16:53men have never understood the words of
3:16:56the wise
3:16:57so gold instead of being seen as a
3:17:00symbol of evolution
3:17:02became the basis for conflict there are
3:17:05many languages spoken by things the boy
3:17:07said
3:17:08there was a time when for me a camel's
3:17:10winning was nothing more than winning
3:17:12then it became a signal of danger and
3:17:15finally
3:17:16it became just a winning again but then
3:17:19he stopped
3:17:20the alchemist probably already knew all
3:17:22that
3:17:23i have known true alchemists the
3:17:26alchemist continued
3:17:28they locked themselves in their
3:17:29laboratories and tried to evolve
3:17:32as gold had and they found the
3:17:35philosopher's stone
3:17:36because they understood that when
3:17:38something evolves
3:17:40everything around that thing evolves as
3:17:42well
3:17:44others stumbled upon the stone by
3:17:47accident
3:17:48they already had the gift and their
3:17:51souls were readier for such things than
3:17:53the souls of others
3:17:55they don't count they're quite rare
3:17:59and then there were the others who were
3:18:00interested only
3:18:02in gold they never found the secret
3:18:06they forgot that lead copper and iron
3:18:09have their own personal legends to
3:18:11fulfill
3:18:12and anyone who interferes with the
3:18:14personal legend of another thing
3:18:16never will discover his own
3:18:19the alchemist words echoed out like a
3:18:22curse
3:18:23he reached over and picked up a shell
3:18:26from the ground
3:18:27this desert was once a sea he said
3:18:31i noticed that the boy answered
3:18:35the alchemist told the boy to place the
3:18:37shell over his ear
3:18:39he had done that many times when he was
3:18:40a child and had heard the sound of the
3:18:42sea
3:18:44the sea has lived on in this shell
3:18:47because that's its personal legend
3:18:50it will never cease doing so until the
3:18:53desert is once again
3:18:55covered by water they mounted their
3:18:58horses
3:19:00and rode out in the direction of the
3:19:02pyramids of
3:19:04egypt
3:19:07the sun was setting when the boy's heart
3:19:09sounded a danger signal
3:19:11they were surrounded by gigantic dunes
3:19:14and the boy looked at the alchemist
3:19:15to see whether he had sensed anything
3:19:18but he appeared to be unaware of it in
3:19:20danger
3:19:21five minutes later the boy saw two
3:19:24horsemen
3:19:24waiting ahead of them before he could
3:19:26say anything to the alchemist
3:19:28the two horsemen had become ten and then
3:19:30a 100
3:19:32and then they were everywhere in the
3:19:34dunes
3:19:36they were tribesmen dressed in blue with
3:19:38black rings surrounding their turbans
3:19:42their faces were hidden behind blue
3:19:43veils with only their eyes showing
3:19:47even from a distance their eyes conveyed
3:19:49the strength of their souls
3:19:52and their eyes spoke of death
3:19:57the two were taken to a nearby military
3:19:59camp
3:20:00a soldier shoved the boy and the
3:20:02alchemist into a tent where the chief
3:20:04was holding a meeting with his staff
3:20:06these are the spies said one of the men
3:20:09we're just travellers the alchemist
3:20:11answered
3:20:13you were seen at the enemy camp three
3:20:14days ago and you were talking with one
3:20:16of the troops there
3:20:18oh i'm just a man who wanders the desert
3:20:20and knows the stars
3:20:22said the alchemist i have no information
3:20:25about troops or about the movement of
3:20:27the tribes
3:20:29i was simply acting as a guide for my
3:20:32friend here
3:20:34who is your friend the chief asked an
3:20:37alchemist
3:20:38said the alchemist he understands the
3:20:41forces of nature
3:20:43and he wants to show you his
3:20:45extraordinary powers
3:20:47the boy listened quietly and fearfully
3:20:51what's a foreigner doing here asked
3:20:53another of the men
3:20:55he has brought money to give to your
3:20:57tribe
3:20:58said the alchemist before the boy could
3:21:00say a word and seizing the boy's bag
3:21:03the alchemist gave the gold coins to the
3:21:05chief
3:21:07the arab accepted them without a word
3:21:10there was enough there to buy a lot of
3:21:12weapons
3:21:14what is an alchemist he asked finally
3:21:17it's a man who understands nature and
3:21:20the world
3:21:21if he wanted to he could destroy this
3:21:24camp just with the force of the wind
3:21:27the men laughed they were used to the
3:21:30ravages of war
3:21:31and knew that the wind could not deliver
3:21:33them a fatal blow
3:21:35yet each felt his heart beat a bit
3:21:37faster
3:21:38they were men of the desert and they
3:21:40were fearful of sorcerers
3:21:42i want to see him do it said the chief
3:21:45who he needs
3:21:46three days answered the alchemist
3:21:49he's going to transform himself into the
3:21:52wind
3:21:52just to demonstrate his powers if he
3:21:56can't do it
3:21:57we humbly offer you our lives for the
3:21:59honor
3:22:00of your tribe you can't offer me
3:22:02something that's already mine
3:22:04the chief said arrogantly but he granted
3:22:07the travelers three days
3:22:10the boy was shaking with fear but the
3:22:13alchemist helped him out of the tent
3:22:15don't let them see you're afraid the
3:22:17alchemist said
3:22:19they are brave men and they despise
3:22:22cowards
3:22:24but the boy couldn't even speak he was
3:22:27able to do so only after they had walked
3:22:29through the center of the camp
3:22:31there was no need to imprison them the
3:22:33arabs simply confiscated their horses
3:22:36so once again the world had demonstrated
3:22:39its many languages
3:22:40the desert only moments ago had been
3:22:43endless and free
3:22:45and now it was an impenetrable wall
3:22:49you gave them everything i had the boy
3:22:51said everything i've saved in my entire
3:22:53life
3:22:55well what good would it be to you if you
3:22:57had to die
3:22:58the alchemist answered your money saved
3:23:01us for three
3:23:02days it's not often that money saves a
3:23:05person's life
3:23:06[Music]
3:23:07but the boy was too frightened to listen
3:23:09to words of wisdom
3:23:11he had no idea how he was going to
3:23:13transform himself into the wind
3:23:15he wasn't an alchemist
3:23:18the alchemist asked one of the soldiers
3:23:20for some tea
3:23:22and poured some on the boy's wrists a
3:23:24wave of relief washed over him
3:23:27and the alchemist muttered some words
3:23:28that the boy didn't understand
3:23:31don't give in to your fears said the
3:23:34alchemist
3:23:35in a strangely gentle voice if you do
3:23:39you won't be able to talk to your heart
3:23:42but i have no idea how to turn myself
3:23:44into the wind
3:23:46if a person is living out his personal
3:23:48legend
3:23:50he knows everything he needs to know
3:23:53there is only one thing that makes a
3:23:54dream impossible to achieve
3:23:57the fear of failure i'm not afraid of
3:24:00failing it's just
3:24:01i don't know how to turn myself into the
3:24:03wind
3:24:05well you'll have to learn your life
3:24:08depends on it
3:24:09but what if i can't then you'll die
3:24:13in the midst of trying to realize your
3:24:15personal legend
3:24:17well that's a lot better than dying like
3:24:19millions of other people who never even
3:24:20knew what their personal legends were
3:24:23but don't worry the alchemist continued
3:24:26usually the threat of death makes people
3:24:28a lot more aware of their lives
3:24:34the first day passed there was a major
3:24:37battle nearby
3:24:38and a number of wounded were brought
3:24:39back to the camp
3:24:41the dead soldiers were replaced by
3:24:42others and life went on
3:24:45death doesn't change anything the boy
3:24:47thought
3:24:48you could have died later on a soldier
3:24:51said to the body of one of his
3:24:52companions
3:24:54you could have died after peace be
3:24:55declared but in any case
3:24:58you were going to die at the end of the
3:25:02day
3:25:02the boy went looking for the alchemist
3:25:04who had taken his falcon out into the
3:25:06desert
3:25:07i still have no idea how to turn myself
3:25:10into the wind
3:25:11the boy repeated remember what i told
3:25:14you
3:25:15the world is only the visible aspect of
3:25:18god
3:25:19and that what alchemy does is to bring
3:25:22spiritual perfection into contact with
3:25:24the material plane
3:25:27what are you doing feeding my falcon
3:25:31if i'm not able to turn myself into the
3:25:34wind we're gonna die
3:25:35the boy said why feed your falcon
3:25:38you're the one who may die the alchemist
3:25:41said
3:25:42i already know how to turn myself into
3:25:45the wind
3:25:48on the second day the boy climbed to the
3:25:51top of a cliff near the camp
3:25:53the sentinels allowed him to go they had
3:25:55already heard about the sorcerer who
3:25:57could turn himself into the wind
3:25:59and they didn't want to go near him in
3:26:02any case the desert was impossible
3:26:05he spent the entire afternoon of the
3:26:07second day looking out over the desert
3:26:09and listening to his heart the boy knew
3:26:12the desert sensed his fear they both
3:26:16spoke the same language
3:26:21on the third day the chief met with his
3:26:23officers
3:26:25he called the alchemist to the meeting
3:26:26and said let's go and see the boy who
3:26:28turns himself into the wind
3:26:30let the alchemist answered
3:26:34the boy took them to the cliff where he
3:26:36had been on the previous day
3:26:38he told them all to be seated it's
3:26:42going to take a while the boy said
3:26:45we're in no hurry the chief answered we
3:26:48are men of the desert
3:26:50the boy looked out at the horizon
3:26:53there were mountains in the distance and
3:26:55there were dunes
3:26:56rocks and plants that insisted on living
3:26:59where
3:27:00survival seemed impossible there was the
3:27:03desert that he had wandered for so many
3:27:05months
3:27:06despite all that time he knew only a
3:27:09small part of it
3:27:10within that small part he had found an
3:27:13englishman
3:27:14caravans tribal wars and an oasis with
3:27:1850 000 palm trees and 300 wells
3:27:22what you want here today the desert
3:27:24aston didn't you spend enough time
3:27:26looking at me yesterday
3:27:28somewhere you're holding the person i
3:27:31love the boy said
3:27:32so when i look out over your sounds i'm
3:27:34also looking at her
3:27:36i want to return to her and i need your
3:27:39help so that i can turn myself into the
3:27:41wind
3:27:42what is love the desert asked love
3:27:46is the falcon's flight over your sands
3:27:49because for him
3:27:50you are a green field from which he
3:27:52always returns with game
3:27:54he knows your rocks your dunes and your
3:27:56mountains
3:27:57and you are generous to him the falcons
3:28:00beak carries bits of me myself
3:28:02the desert said for years i care for
3:28:05this game
3:28:05feeding it with the little water that i
3:28:07have and then i show him where the game
3:28:09is and
3:28:10one day as i enjoy the fact that his
3:28:11game thrives on my surface the falcon
3:28:14dives out of the sky and takes away what
3:28:15i've created
3:28:17but that's why you created the game in
3:28:19the first place the boy answered
3:28:20to nourish the falcon and the falcon
3:28:23then nourishes man
3:28:25and eventually man will nourish your
3:28:27sands where the game will once again
3:28:29flourish that's how the world goes
3:28:31so is that what love is yes that's what
3:28:34love is
3:28:35it's what makes the game become the
3:28:37falcon the fork and become the man
3:28:39and man in his turn the desert it's what
3:28:42turns lead into gold and makes the gold
3:28:44return to the earth
3:28:46i don't understand what you're talking
3:28:47about the desert said
3:28:49but you can at least understand that
3:28:51somewhere in your sand there is a woman
3:28:53waiting for me
3:28:55and that's why i have to turn myself
3:28:57into the wind
3:28:59the desert didn't answer him for a few
3:29:01moments
3:29:02then it told him i'll give you my sands
3:29:05to help the wind to blow
3:29:06but alone i can't do anything you have
3:29:09to ask help from the wind
3:29:11a breeze began to blow
3:29:14the tribesmen watched the boy from a
3:29:16distance talking among themselves in a
3:29:18language that the boy couldn't
3:29:19understand
3:29:21the alchemist smiled
3:29:24the wind approached the boy and touched
3:29:26his face
3:29:28it knew of the boy's talk with the
3:29:29desert because the winds know everything
3:29:32they blow across the world without a
3:29:34birthplace and with no place to die
3:29:37help me the boy said one day you carried
3:29:41the voice of my loved one to me
3:29:43who taught you to speak the language of
3:29:45the desert and the wind
3:29:46my heart the boy answered
3:29:50the wind has many names in that part of
3:29:53the world
3:29:54it was called the sirocco because it
3:29:56brought moisture from the oceans to the
3:29:58east
3:29:59in the distant land the boy came from
3:30:02they called it the levanta
3:30:03because they believed that it brought
3:30:05with it the sands of the desert
3:30:07and the screams of the moorish wars
3:30:10perhaps
3:30:10in the places beyond the pastures where
3:30:12his sheep lived men thought that the
3:30:14wind came from andalusia
3:30:16but actually the wind came from no place
3:30:19at all
3:30:20nor did it go to any place that's why it
3:30:23was stronger than the desert
3:30:25someone might one day plant trees in the
3:30:27desert and even raise sheep there
3:30:29but never would they harness the wind
3:30:32you can't be the wind the wind said
3:30:35we're two very different things
3:30:37that's not true the boy said i learned
3:30:40the alchemist secrets in my travels
3:30:43i have inside me the winds the deserts
3:30:46the oceans the stars and everything
3:30:47created in the universe
3:30:49we were all made by the same hand and we
3:30:51all had the same soul
3:30:54i want to be like you able to reach
3:30:56every corner of the world cross the seas
3:30:58blow away the sands that cover my
3:31:00treasure
3:31:01and carry the voice of the woman i love
3:31:04i have what you were talking about the
3:31:05other day with the alchemist the wind
3:31:07said
3:31:07he said that everything has its own
3:31:09personal legend but
3:31:10people can't turn themselves into the
3:31:12wind
3:31:14just teach me to be the wind for a few
3:31:16moments the boy said
3:31:17so you and i can talk about the
3:31:19limitless possibilities of people and
3:31:21the winds
3:31:23the winds curiosity was aroused
3:31:26something that had never happened before
3:31:28it wanted to talk about those things but
3:31:30it didn't know how to turn a man into
3:31:32the wind
3:31:33and look how many things the wind
3:31:34already knew how to do it created
3:31:36deserts
3:31:37sank ships felled entire forests and
3:31:40blew
3:31:40through cities filled with music and
3:31:42strange noises
3:31:44it felt that it had no limits yet here
3:31:46was a boy
3:31:47saying that there were other things the
3:31:49wind should be able to do
3:31:51this is what we call love the boy said
3:31:54seeing that the wind was close to
3:31:55granting what he requested
3:31:57when you're loved you can do anything in
3:31:59creation
3:32:01when you are loved there's no need at
3:32:03all to understand what's happening
3:32:04because
3:32:05everything happens within you and even
3:32:07men can turn themselves into the wind
3:32:09as long as the wind helps of course
3:32:12the wind was a proud being and it was
3:32:15becoming irritated
3:32:16with what the boy was saying it
3:32:18commenced to blow harder
3:32:20raising the desert sands but finally
3:32:23it had to recognize that even making its
3:32:26way around the world
3:32:27it didn't know how to turn a man into
3:32:29the wind
3:32:30and it knew nothing about love in my
3:32:34travels around the world
3:32:35i've often seen people speaking of love
3:32:37and looking towards the heavens
3:32:38the wind said furious at having to
3:32:40acknowledge its own limitations
3:32:43maybe it's better to ask heaven well
3:32:45then
3:32:46help me to do that the boy said fill
3:32:48this place with a sandstorm
3:32:50so strong that it blots out the sun then
3:32:52i can look to heaven without blinding
3:32:54myself
3:32:56so the wind blew with all its strength
3:32:58and the sky was filled with sand
3:33:00the sun was turned into a golden disk
3:33:04at the camp it was difficult to see
3:33:06anything the men of the desert were
3:33:09already familiar with that wind
3:33:11they called it the simum and it was
3:33:13worse than a storm at sea
3:33:16their horses cried out and all their
3:33:18weapons were filled with sand
3:33:21on the heights one of the commanders
3:33:23turned to the chief and said
3:33:24maybe we'd better end this they could
3:33:27barely see the boy
3:33:29their faces were covered with the blue
3:33:30cloths and their eyes
3:33:32showed fear let's stop this another
3:33:36commander said
3:33:38i want to see the greatness of allah the
3:33:40chief said with respect
3:33:42i want to see how a man turns himself
3:33:45into the wind
3:33:47but he made a mental note of the names
3:33:48of the two men who had expressed their
3:33:50fear
3:33:51as soon as the wind stopped he was going
3:33:53to remove them from their commands
3:33:55because true men of the desert are not
3:33:57afraid
3:33:58the wind told me that you know about
3:34:00love the boy said to the sun
3:34:03if you know about love you must also
3:34:06know about the soul of the world because
3:34:08it's made of love from where i
3:34:11am the sun said i can see the soul of
3:34:14the world
3:34:15it communicates with my soul and
3:34:18together
3:34:19we cause the plants to grow and the
3:34:21sheep to seek out
3:34:22shade from where i am and i'm a long way
3:34:26from the earth
3:34:28i learned how to love i know
3:34:31that if i came even a little bit closer
3:34:34to the earth
3:34:36everything there would die and the soul
3:34:38of the world would no longer
3:34:40exist so we contemplate
3:34:43each other and we want each other
3:34:46and i give it life of warmth and it
3:34:50gives me my reason for living
3:34:52so you know about love the boy said
3:34:56and i know the soul of the world because
3:34:58we've
3:34:59talked to great lengths to each other
3:35:01during this endless trip through the
3:35:03universe
3:35:04it tells me that its greatest problem is
3:35:06that up until now
3:35:09only the minerals and vegetables
3:35:11understand that all things are one
3:35:13that there's no need for iron to be the
3:35:16same as
3:35:17copper or copper the same as gold
3:35:20each performs its own exact function as
3:35:23unique
3:35:24being and everything would be a symphony
3:35:26of peace
3:35:27if the hand that wrote all this had
3:35:28stopped on the fifth day of creation
3:35:32but there was a sixth day
3:35:35the sun went on you are wise because you
3:35:39observe everything from a distance the
3:35:40boy said
3:35:42but you don't know about love
3:35:45if there hadn't been a sixth day man
3:35:47would not exist
3:35:49copper would always be just copper and
3:35:51lead just lead
3:35:53it's true that everything has its
3:35:55personal legend but one day
3:35:57that personal legend will be realized so
3:36:00each thing has to transform itself into
3:36:02something better
3:36:03and to acquire a new personal legend
3:36:06until sunday
3:36:07the soul of the world becomes one thing
3:36:09only
3:36:11the sun thought about that and decided
3:36:15to shine more brightly
3:36:17the wind which was enjoying the
3:36:18conversation started to blow with
3:36:20greater force
3:36:21so the sun would not blind the boy this
3:36:25is why alchemy exists the boy said
3:36:27so that everyone will search for his
3:36:29treasure find it
3:36:31and then want to be better than he was
3:36:32in his former life
3:36:34lead will play its role until the world
3:36:36has no further need for lead
3:36:38and then lead will have to turn itself
3:36:40into gold
3:36:42that's what alchemists do they show that
3:36:44when we strive to become better than we
3:36:46are
3:36:47everything around us becomes better too
3:36:50well why did you say that i don't know
3:36:52about love
3:36:54son asked the boy because it's not love
3:36:57to be static like the desert
3:36:59nor is it love to roam the world like
3:37:01the wind
3:37:03and it's not love to see everything from
3:37:05a distance like you do
3:37:08love is the force that transforms and
3:37:11improves the soul of the world when i
3:37:15first reached through
3:37:16to it i thought the soul of the world
3:37:18was perfect
3:37:19but later i could see that it was like
3:37:21other aspects of creation
3:37:23and had its own passions and wars
3:37:26it is we who nourish the soul of the
3:37:28world
3:37:29and the world we live in will be either
3:37:31better or worse depending on whether we
3:37:33become better or worse
3:37:35and that's where the power of love comes
3:37:37in because when we love
3:37:39we always strive to become better than
3:37:41we are
3:37:42so what do you want of me the sun asked
3:37:46i want you to help me turn myself into
3:37:48the wind
3:37:49the boy answered nature knows me
3:37:53as the wisest being in creation the sun
3:37:56said but i don't know how to turn you
3:38:00into the wind
3:38:02then whom should i ask the sun
3:38:05thought for a minute the wind was
3:38:08listening closely
3:38:09and wanted to tell every corner of the
3:38:10world that the sun's wisdom
3:38:12had its limitations but it was unable to
3:38:15deal with this boy
3:38:17who spoke the language of the world
3:38:20but speak to the hand that wrote all
3:38:23said the sun
3:38:24the wind screamed with delight and blew
3:38:27harder than ever
3:38:28the tents were being blown from their
3:38:29ties to the earth and the animals were
3:38:31being freed from their tethers
3:38:33on the cliff the men clutched at each
3:38:35other as they sought to keep from being
3:38:37blown away
3:38:40the boy turned to the hand that wrote
3:38:42all
3:38:43as he did so he sensed that the universe
3:38:46had fallen silent
3:38:48and he decided not to speak
3:38:52a current of love rushed from his heart
3:38:54and the boy
3:38:56began to pray it was a prayer that he'd
3:38:59never said before
3:39:00because it was a prayer without words or
3:39:03please
3:39:04his prayer didn't give thanks for his
3:39:06sheep having found new pastures
3:39:08it didn't ask that the boy be able to
3:39:10sell more crystal
3:39:11and it didn't beseech that the woman he
3:39:13had met continued to await his return
3:39:17in the silence the boy understood
3:39:20that the desert the wind and the sun
3:39:23were also trying to understand the signs
3:39:25written by the hand
3:39:27and were seeking to follow their paths
3:39:30and to understand
3:39:31what had been written on a single
3:39:33emerald
3:39:35he saw that omens were scattered
3:39:37throughout the earth
3:39:38and in space and that there was no
3:39:41reason or significance attached to their
3:39:43appearance
3:39:45he could see that not the deserts nor
3:39:47the winds nor the sun
3:39:48nor people knew why they had been
3:39:50created
3:39:52but that the hand had a reason for all
3:39:55of this
3:39:56and that only the hand could perform
3:39:59miracles
3:40:00or transform the sea into a desert
3:40:04or a man into the wind
3:40:07because only the hand understood that it
3:40:10was a larger design that had moved the
3:40:12universe to the point at which six days
3:40:14of creation had evolved into a
3:40:17masterwork
3:40:19the boy reached through to the soul of
3:40:22the world
3:40:23and saw that it was a part of the soul
3:40:25of god
3:40:27and he saw that the soul of god was his
3:40:31own soul and that he
3:40:35a boy could perform miracles
3:40:41the simum blew that day as it had never
3:40:44blown before
3:40:46for generations thereafter the arabs
3:40:49recounted the legend of a boy
3:40:51who had turned himself into the wind
3:40:53almost destroying a military camp in
3:40:55defiance of the most
3:40:56powerful chief in the
3:40:59when desert simone ceased to blow
3:41:01everyone looked to the place where the
3:41:03boy had been
3:41:04but he was no longer there he was
3:41:07standing next to a sand covered sentinel
3:41:10on the far
3:41:10side of the camp the men were terrified
3:41:14at his sorcery
3:41:15but there were two people who were
3:41:17smiling the alchemist
3:41:19because he had found his perfect
3:41:21disciple and the chief
3:41:24because that disciple had understood the
3:41:26glory of god
3:41:29the following day the general bad the
3:41:32boy and the alchemist farewell
3:41:34and provided them with an escort party
3:41:36to accompany them as far as they chose
3:41:41they rode for the entire day toward the
3:41:44end of the afternoon
3:41:45they came upon a coptic monastery the
3:41:48alchemist dismounted
3:41:49and told the escorts they could return
3:41:51to the camp
3:41:52from here on you will be alone the
3:41:55alchemist said
3:41:56you are only three hours from the
3:41:58pyramids
3:42:00thank you said the boy you taught me the
3:42:03language of the world
3:42:05i only invoked what you already knew the
3:42:10alchemist knocked on the gate of the
3:42:11monastery
3:42:12a monk dressed in black came to the
3:42:14gates they spoke for a few minutes in
3:42:16the coptic tongue
3:42:18and the alchemist bad the boy enter i
3:42:21asked him to let me use the kitchen for
3:42:24a while
3:42:25the alchemist smiled they went to the
3:42:28kitchen at the back of the monastery
3:42:30the alchemist lighted the fire and the
3:42:32monk brought in some lead
3:42:34which the alchemists placed in an iron
3:42:36pan
3:42:37when the lead become liquid the
3:42:39alchemist took from his pouch
3:42:41the strange yellow egg he scraped from
3:42:44it a sliver
3:42:45as thin as a hair wrapped it in wax and
3:42:48added it to the pan in which the lead
3:42:50had melted
3:42:52the mixture took on a reddish color
3:42:54almost the color of blood
3:42:57the alchemist removed the pan from the
3:42:59fire and set it aside to cool
3:43:02as he did so he talked with the monk
3:43:04about the tribal wars
3:43:07i think they're going to last for a long
3:43:09time he said to the monk
3:43:12the monk was irritated the caravans have
3:43:14been stopped at giza for some time
3:43:16waiting for the wars to end
3:43:18but god's will be done the monk said
3:43:21exactly
3:43:21answered the alchemist when the pan had
3:43:25cooled
3:43:26the monk and the boy looked at it
3:43:28dazzled
3:43:29the lead had dried into the shape of the
3:43:32pan
3:43:32but it was no longer lead it was gold
3:43:37well i learned to do that someday the
3:43:39boy asked
3:43:41this was my personal legend not yours
3:43:44the alchemist answered
3:43:46but i wanted to show you that it was
3:43:48possible
3:43:49[Music]
3:43:50they returned to the gates of the
3:43:51monastery there the alchemist separated
3:43:54the disc into four parts
3:43:57this is for you he said holding one of
3:43:59the parts out to the monk
3:44:01it's for your generosity to the pilgrims
3:44:04but this payment goes well beyond my
3:44:06generosity the monk responded
3:44:09don't say that again life might be
3:44:11listening
3:44:12and give you less the next time
3:44:15alchemist turned to the boy
3:44:17this is for you to make up for what you
3:44:20gave to the general
3:44:23the boy was about to say that it was
3:44:24much more than he'd given to the general
3:44:26but he kept quiet because he had heard
3:44:28what the alchemist said to the monk
3:44:30and this is for me said the alchemist
3:44:34keeping one of the parts
3:44:35because i have to return to the desert
3:44:38where there are tribal wars
3:44:40he took the fourth part and handed it to
3:44:42the monk
3:44:44this is for the boy if he ever needs it
3:44:47but i'm going in search of my treasure
3:44:49the boy said i'm very close to it now
3:44:52and i'm certain you'll find it the
3:44:54alchemist said
3:44:55then why this because you have already
3:44:59lost your savings twice
3:45:00once to the thief and once to the
3:45:02general
3:45:04i'm an old superstitious arab and i
3:45:07believe in our proverbs
3:45:09there's one that says everything that
3:45:12happens once
3:45:13can never happen again but everything
3:45:16that happens twice
3:45:17will surely happen a third time
3:45:21they mounted their horses
3:45:26i want to tell you a story about dreams
3:45:30said the alchemist the boy brought his
3:45:32horse closer
3:45:35in ancient rome at the time of emperor
3:45:37tiberius there lived a good man who had
3:45:40two sons one was in the military
3:45:43and had been sent to the most distant
3:45:45regions of the empire
3:45:46the other son was a poet and delighted
3:45:49all of rome with his beautiful verses
3:45:52one night the father had a dream
3:45:56an angel appeared to him and told him
3:45:59that the words of one of his sons would
3:46:01be learned and repeated throughout the
3:46:03world for all generations to come
3:46:06the father woke from his dream grateful
3:46:09and crying
3:46:10because life was generous and had
3:46:12revealed to him
3:46:13something any father would be proud to
3:46:15know
3:46:17shortly thereafter the father died as he
3:46:20tried to save a child
3:46:22who was about to be crushed by the
3:46:23wheels of a chariot
3:46:25since he had lived his entire life in a
3:46:28manner that was correct and fair
3:46:29he went directly to heaven where he met
3:46:32the angel
3:46:33that had appeared in his dream you were
3:46:36always a good man the angel said to him
3:46:39you lived your life in a loving way and
3:46:42died with dignity
3:46:44i can now grant you any wish you desire
3:46:48life was good to me the man said
3:46:51when you appeared in my dream i felt
3:46:54that all my efforts had been rewarded
3:46:56because my son's poems will be read by
3:46:58men for generations to come
3:47:00i don't want anything for myself but any
3:47:04father would be proud of the fame
3:47:06achieved by one
3:47:07whom he had cared for as a child and
3:47:09educated as he grew up
3:47:12sometime in the distant future i would
3:47:15like to see my son's words
3:47:18the angel touched the man's shoulder and
3:47:21they were both projected fired to the
3:47:23future
3:47:25they were in an immense setting
3:47:27surrounded by thousands of people
3:47:29speaking in a strange language
3:47:32the man wept with happiness i
3:47:35knew that my son's poems were immortal
3:47:38he said to the angel through his tears
3:47:40can you please tell me which of my son's
3:47:42poems these people are repeating
3:47:46the angel came closer to the man and
3:47:48with tenderness
3:47:50led him to a bench nearby where they sat
3:47:53down
3:47:54the verses of your son who was the poet
3:47:56were very popular in rome the angel said
3:47:59everybody loved them and enjoyed them
3:48:01but when the reign of tiberius ended his
3:48:04poems
3:48:04were forgotten the words you're hearing
3:48:07now
3:48:08are those of your son in the military
3:48:12the man looked at the angel in surprise
3:48:16your son went to serve at a distant
3:48:19place
3:48:20and became a centurion he was just and
3:48:24good
3:48:25one afternoon one of his servants fell
3:48:27ill
3:48:28and it appeared that he would die your
3:48:31son
3:48:32had heard of a rabbi who was able to
3:48:34cure illnesses
3:48:36and he rode out for days and days in
3:48:38search of this man
3:48:40along the way he learned that the man he
3:48:43was seeking
3:48:44was the son of god he met others who had
3:48:47been cured by him
3:48:49and they instructed your son in the
3:48:50man's teachings
3:48:52and so despite the fact he was a roman
3:48:55centurion
3:48:56he converted to their faith shortly
3:49:00thereafter
3:49:01he reached the place where the man he
3:49:03was looking for
3:49:04was visiting he told the man
3:49:07that one of his servants was gravely ill
3:49:10and the rabbi
3:49:11made ready to go to his house with him
3:49:14but the centurion was a man of faith and
3:49:17looking into the eyes of the rabbi
3:49:20he knew that he was surely in the
3:49:22presence of the son of god
3:49:25and this is what your son said the angel
3:49:28told the man
3:49:30these are the words he said to the rabbi
3:49:33at that point
3:49:35and they have never been forgotten
3:49:38my lord i am not worthy
3:49:41that you should come under my roof
3:49:44but only speak a word and my servant
3:49:48will be healed the alchemist said
3:49:52no matter what he does every person on
3:49:56earth
3:49:56plays a central role in the history of
3:49:59the world
3:50:00and normally he doesn't know it
3:50:05the boy smiled he had never imagined
3:50:08that questions about life
3:50:10would be of such importance to a
3:50:12shepherd
3:50:14goodbye the alchemist said
3:50:18goodbye said the boy
3:50:23the boy rode along through the desert
3:50:25for several hours listening avidly to
3:50:27what his heart had to say
3:50:30it was his heart that would tell him
3:50:31where his treasure was hidden
3:50:34where your treasure is there also will
3:50:36be your heart
3:50:38the alchemist told him but his heart was
3:50:41speaking of other things
3:50:43with pride it told the story of a
3:50:46shepherd who had left his flock to
3:50:47follow a dream he had on two different
3:50:49occasions
3:50:51it told of personal legend and of the
3:50:54many men who had wandered in search of
3:50:55distant lands or beautiful women
3:50:58confronting the people of their times
3:51:00with their preconceived notions
3:51:02it spoke of journeys discoveries books
3:51:06and change as he was about to climb
3:51:10yet another dune his heart whispered
3:51:13be aware of the place where you are
3:51:15brought to tears
3:51:17that's where i am and that's where your
3:51:20treasure is
3:51:23the boy climbed the dune slowly a full
3:51:26moon rose again in the starry sky
3:51:29it had been a month since he had set
3:51:30forth from the oasis
3:51:32the moonlight cast shadows through the
3:51:34dunes creating the appearance of a
3:51:36rolling sea
3:51:37it reminded the boy of the day that the
3:51:39horse had reared in the desert
3:51:41and he had come to know the alchemist
3:51:44and the moon
3:51:44fell on the desert silence and on a
3:51:47man's journey in search of treasure
3:51:49[Music]
3:51:50when he reached the top of the dune his
3:51:52heart leapt
3:51:53there illuminated by the light of the
3:51:56moon and the brightness of the desert
3:51:58stood the solemn and majestic pyramids
3:52:01of egypt the boy
3:52:05fell to his knees and wept he
3:52:08thanked god for making him believe in
3:52:10his personal legend and for leading him
3:52:12to meet a king
3:52:13a merchant an englishman and an
3:52:16alchemist
3:52:17and above all for his having met a woman
3:52:20of the desert
3:52:21who had told him that love would never
3:52:23keep a man from his personal legend
3:52:27if he wanted to he could now return to
3:52:29the oasis
3:52:30go back to fatima and live his life as a
3:52:33simple shepherd
3:52:34after all the alchemist continued to
3:52:36live in the desert
3:52:37even though he understood the language
3:52:39of the world and knew how to transform
3:52:41lead into gold
3:52:42he didn't need to demonstrate his
3:52:44science and art to anyone
3:52:46the boy told himself that on the way
3:52:49toward realizing his own personal legend
3:52:51he had learned all he needed to know and
3:52:54had experienced everything he might have
3:52:56dreamed of
3:52:58but here he was at the point of finding
3:53:01his treasure
3:53:02and he reminded himself that no project
3:53:05is completed
3:53:06until its objective has been achieved
3:53:09the boy looked at the sands around him
3:53:11and saw that where his tears had fallen
3:53:14a scarab beetle was scuttling through
3:53:16the sand
3:53:18during his time in the desert he had
3:53:20learned that in egypt
3:53:22the scarab beetles are a symbol of god
3:53:26another omen the boy began to dig into
3:53:29the dune
3:53:30as he did so he thought of what the
3:53:32crystal merchant had once said
3:53:34that anyone could build a pyramid in his
3:53:36backyard
3:53:37the boy could see now that he couldn't
3:53:39do so if he placed stone upon stone
3:53:41for the rest of his life throughout the
3:53:45night
3:53:45the boy dug at the place he had chosen
3:53:47but found nothing he felt weighted down
3:53:51by the centuries of time since the
3:53:52pyramids had been built
3:53:54but he didn't stop he struggled to
3:53:56continue digging as he fought the wind
3:53:58which often blew the sand back into the
3:54:00excavation
3:54:01his hands were abraded and exhausted but
3:54:04he listened to his heart
3:54:06it had told him to dig where his tears
3:54:08fell
3:54:10as he was attempting to pull out the
3:54:11rocks he encountered he heard footsteps
3:54:14several figures approached him their
3:54:16backs were to the moonlight
3:54:18and the boy could see neither their eyes
3:54:19nor their faces
3:54:21what you doing here one of the figures
3:54:23demanded
3:54:25because he was terrified the boy didn't
3:54:27answer
3:54:28he had found where his treasure was and
3:54:30was frightened of what might happen
3:54:33we're refugees from the tribal wars and
3:54:34we need money the other figure said
3:54:37what are you hiding there i'm not hiding
3:54:39anything the boy answered
3:54:41but one of them sees the boy and yanked
3:54:43him back out of the hole
3:54:45another who was searching the boy's bags
3:54:47found the piece of gold
3:54:49there's gold here he said the moon shone
3:54:52on the face of the arab who had seized
3:54:54him
3:54:54and in the man's eyes the boy saw death
3:54:58he's probably got more gold hidden in
3:54:59the ground
3:55:00[Music]
3:55:02they made the boy continue digging but
3:55:04he found nothing
3:55:06as the sun rose the men began to beat
3:55:08the boy
3:55:10he was bruised and bleeding his clothing
3:55:12was torn to shreds that he felt the
3:55:14death was near
3:55:16what good is money to you if you're
3:55:18gonna die
3:55:19it's not often that money can save
3:55:22someone's life
3:55:23the alchemist had said finally the boy
3:55:26screamed at the men
3:55:26i'm digging for treasure and although
3:55:29his mouth was bleeding and swollen
3:55:31he told his attackers that he had twice
3:55:33dreamed of a treasure hidden near the
3:55:34pyramids of egypt
3:55:37the man who appeared to be the leader of
3:55:39the group spoke to one of the others
3:55:41leave him he doesn't have anything else
3:55:44he must have stolen this gold
3:55:47the boy fell to the sand nearly
3:55:49unconscious
3:55:50the leader shook him and said we're
3:55:52leaving
3:55:54but before they left he came back to the
3:55:56boy and said
3:55:58you're not gonna die you'll live and
3:56:00you'll learn that a man shouldn't be so
3:56:02stupid
3:56:04two years ago right here on this spot i
3:56:07had a recurrent dream too
3:56:10i dreamed that i should travel to the
3:56:11fields of spain
3:56:13and look for a ruined church where
3:56:15shepherds and their sheep slept
3:56:17in my dream there was a sycamore growing
3:56:20out of the ruins of the sacristy
3:56:21and i was told that if i dug at the
3:56:23roots of the sycamore
3:56:25i would find a hidden treasure i'm not
3:56:27so stupidest across an entire desert
3:56:29just because of her a current dream
3:56:32and they disappeared the boy
3:56:35stood up shakily and looked once more of
3:56:39the pyramids
3:56:41they seemed to laugh at him and he
3:56:44laughed back
3:56:45his heart bursting with joy
3:56:49because now he knew where his treasure
3:56:52was
3:56:55[Music]
3:56:56the boy reached the small abandoned
3:56:58church just as night was falling
3:57:01the sycamore was still there in the
3:57:03sacristy and the stars could still be
3:57:05seen through the half-destroyed roof
3:57:08he remembered the time he had been there
3:57:10with his sheep
3:57:11it had been a peaceful night except for
3:57:14the dream
3:57:16now he was here not with his flock but
3:57:19with a shovel
3:57:22he sat looking at the sky for a long
3:57:24time
3:57:25then he took from his knapsack a bottle
3:57:27of wine and drank some
3:57:30he remembered the night in the desert
3:57:32when he had sat with the alchemist as
3:57:34they looked at the stars and drank wine
3:57:36together
3:57:37he thought of the many roads he had
3:57:39traveled and of the strange way god had
3:57:42chosen to show him his treasure
3:57:45if he hadn't believed in the
3:57:46significance of recurrent dreams
3:57:48he would not have met the gypsy woman
3:57:51the king
3:57:52the thief or well it's a long list
3:57:56but the path was written in the omens
3:57:59and there was no way i could go wrong
3:58:01he said to himself he fell asleep
3:58:06and when he awoke the sun was already
3:58:07high
3:58:09he began to dig at the base of the
3:58:11sycamore
3:58:13you old sorcerer the boy shouted up to
3:58:16the sky
3:58:16you knew the whole story you even left a
3:58:20bit of gold at the monastery so i could
3:58:21get back to this church
3:58:24the monk laughed when he saw me come
3:58:26back in tatters couldn't you have saved
3:58:27me from that
3:58:30no he heard the voice on the wind say
3:58:35if i have told you you wouldn't have
3:58:37seen the pyramids
3:58:39they're beautiful aren't they
3:58:42the boy smiled and continued digging
3:58:46half an hour later his shovel hit
3:58:48something solid
3:58:49an hour later he had before him a chest
3:58:52of spanish gold coins
3:58:55there were also precious stones gold
3:58:57masks adorned with red and white
3:58:59feathers
3:59:00and stone statues embedded with jewels
3:59:04the spoils of a conquest that the
3:59:06country had long ago forgotten
3:59:07and that some conquistador had failed to
3:59:10tell his children about
3:59:13the boy took out urim and thumim from
3:59:15his bag
3:59:17he had used the stones only once
3:59:20one morning when he was at a marketplace
3:59:24his life and his path had always
3:59:26provided him with enough omens
3:59:30he placed urim and tumim in the chest
3:59:33they were also a part of his new
3:59:35treasure because they were a reminder of
3:59:37the old king
3:59:39whom he would never see again
3:59:42it's true life really is generous to
3:59:46those who pursue their personal legend
3:59:48the boy thought
3:59:50then he remembered that he had to get to
3:59:52tarifa so he could give one tenth of his
3:59:55treasure to the gypsy woman as he had
3:59:57promised
3:59:58those gypsies are really smart he
4:00:00thought
4:00:01maybe it was because they moved around
4:00:03so much
4:00:05the wind began to blow again it was the
4:00:08levanta
4:00:09the wind that came from africa
4:00:12it didn't bring with it the smell of the
4:00:14desert nor the threat of moorish
4:00:16invasion
4:00:18instead it brought the scent of a
4:00:20perfume
4:00:21he knew well and the touch of a kiss
4:00:26a kiss that came from far away
4:00:29slowly slowly
4:00:33until it rested on his lips
4:00:36the boy smiled it was the first time she
4:00:40had done that
4:00:41[Music]
4:00:43i'm coming fatima he's

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