
The boy who learnt the language of the worlds.
It was about a boy named Santiago, he grew up in Spain(Andalusia).
Then he left his home and started his journey towards finding out what laid beyond his hometown. His father told him that shepherds are the ones who get to travel the lands and are not bound to a particular place. So he decided to become one.
For years he walked the lands of Andalusia in search of greener pastures for his sheeps. He trades their wool for money in some towns whenever he travels.
Santiago is a deep thinker, he marvels at the creation of the world and nature speaks to him because in them he finds signs and omens.
He loves being a shepherd and he reads a lot as well.
Then a time came when he started having recurring dreams about a treasure, a child informed him in the dream that he has a hidden treasure somewhere but whenever the child wants to tell him where it is, he wakes up from the dream.
He believed in good omens. These dreams led him to consult a gypsy, he was told that only gypsies could tell the future and interpret dreams. He met an old woman who read his palm and informed him that it’s true that he has a treasure buried somewhere but she won’t tell him until he makes a promise to give her one tenth of his treasure when he finds it.
He agreed begrudgingly and the gypsy told him that it was hidden in the pyramids of Egypt.
Egypt! ??...The boy was surprised. He loved his life as a shepherd and this treasure they speak of, he is not quite sure he’s going to find it. He wonders how he is going to make enough money to cross to the Arabian lands and he was already infatuated with the daughter of a merchant in another town. He didn’t know what to do.
Until....He came across a man who called himself the king of Salem. Who informed him about omens, and how he needs to find his personal legend (self discovery and following his ambition in life).
What he heard that day from the wise king transformed his life. He made a decision there and then to leave Andalusia in search of his treasure. This came at a price, of course. He sold his sheep to his friend and some he gave to the wise king who gave him 2 precious stones.
The boy then set forth to go to the land where Arabic is their main language, in search of his personal legend.
The wisdom behind looking for one’s personal legend is that: deep inside, you’ve been created for a reason, a purpose and the universe keeps bringing you closer, speaking in different languages through its signs and sometimes through people, to your life goal.
deep inside you you’ve been created for a reason, a purpose and the universe keeps bringing you closer, speaking in different languages through its signs and sometimes through people, to your life goal.
To lead you to your life goals.
Santiago was robbed when he got to Egypt, he lost all his savings and the language was a barrier as well.
But there, he found a crystal merchant and said he would work for him. He was accepted and after a while the business started blooming and kept flourishing for some years.
By now, he had saved up a lot of money, but then he lacked the courage to follow his dream, to pursue his personal legend.
Until he remembered that he had met a king who had informed him of his personal legend. So he summoned up courage and continued. He left the merchant and started his journey towards the pyramids of Egypt.
To get to the pyramids, he needs to cross the desert. There have been stories about how the desert drives men crazy, sometimes they do not return.
He focused on his dream and got on a caravan, where he met an Englishman who is an Alchemist. He learnt some things from this man and so did he.
He met with different hurdles along the way, he almost lost his life several times but still he pushed hard. Along the way he met another Alchemist who guided him and gave him directions to the pyramid.
When he got to the pyramid he was beaten, the gold he had with him was stolen and when he was on the brink of unconsciousness, he was informed by one of the bandits that he also had a dream that there was a hidden treasure located in Spain beneath a ruined church where a shepherd lays but he wasn’t stupid enough to believe that dream and thus didn’t go for it.
He boy had gotten the info he came for. His journey was taking another turn, he never knew the treasure he left home to look for, was where he left behind years ago.
The essence of this story is that each one of us have a personal legend and we will encounter challenges on the road, sometimes things seem uncertain and it’s only our decision to move forward that will propel us to continue. Most times we get discouraged but we will never be happy and truly fulfilled until we achieve our life’s purpose. We shouldn’t settle for less all in the name of comfortability without happiness and fulfilment.
Until we find our personal legend, there will always be a vacuum in our lives.
Summary of the novel titled: The Alchemist by Paul Coelho
