Part I

This is the story of a shepherd boy named Santiago. He moved around the area of Andalucia, Spain, rearing his sheep. On one of his stops, he met and became enamored of the raven-haired daughter of a shopkeeper, who used to buy wool from him. He was looking forward to seeing her again this year on his trip back to her area.

He used to wander the hinterland of Spain with his flock of sheep; they trusted him to take them to food and water. He would keep a jacket handy for the cold nights but did not like carrying it during the heat of the day. But one must be ready for change; be it day or night, or the larger changes of life; he would tell himself.

His family had wanted him to become a priest, but he wanted to travel and chose to become a shepherd so he could wander with his flock of sheep.
He had had twice a particular dream while he was resting inside a church at night. In the dream, the Sacristy was broken, and a Sycamore tree had grown there. He went to the town of Tarifa to meet a mystic woman who could interpret dreams. The gypsy woman explained her interpretation of the dream to Santiago; and told him that he had to go to the Pyramids in Egypt, where and he shall find a treasure. When he found it, he was to pay the gypsy woman one-tenth of the treasure as a finder-fee.

The boy did not think much of the interpretation and went about his business in the city. He was then approached by an old man who struck up a conversation with him. Though Santiago was not very interested, the old man managed to engage his undivided attention with his wisdom. The old man introduced himself as the King of Salem; and helped Santiago focus on his destiny, which was to find the foretold treasure. He explained to the young shepherd that he usually comes along in some form or manner to help push people towards their destiny. Santiago was about to give up, so the King of Salem had to come to him and put him back on the right path. He told the boy that life always gives clues and signs to a person to help decide their direction of flow. He asked the young man to pay him with a tenth of his flock for the next lesson.

The following day Santiago arrived at the appointed time and was given two stones: one white and one black.  The old man explained it was so that he could make a decision if ever he was confused during his quest. Santiago was also advised to watch out for omens that would guide him to his destiny. Just then, a butterfly flew in front of Santiago’s face, which was a good omen.

The young man had reached Tangier, Africa, and was sitting at a bar when he was approached by another young man. He spoke to him in Spanish about what Santiago wanted to do in this new land; this was an omen. Santiago told the man that he wanted to go to the pyramids, and could pay him for being his guide. The man took his money and vanished into the busy market, leaving Santiago with nothing.

Santiago was very sad but remembered the two stones. He took them out and remembered the encouraging words of the old man, “When you really want something very badly, the entire universe conspires to help you achieve it“. The two stones helped him realize that the old man was still with him in spirit, and this gave him the strength to keep searching for the treasure.

Despite losing his money; Santiago survived using the instincts he had learned as a shepherd; and this increased his self-confidence.
He chanced upon a crystal seller and offered his services in exchange for food. He ended up cleaning the glassware and was taken for lunch by the shopkeeper. While he was cleaning the glassware, two customers purchased from the shop; this was a good omen for the shopkeeper, as he too believed in omens. He decided to continue to employ Santiago. But Santiago wanted money to go to the pyramids. The shopkeeper laughed at him and said it would take too much money, as the pyramids were thousands of kilometers away. This stalled Santiago, and he agreed to work for enough money to buy more sheep, so he could return to where he had been born.

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PART II

The boy wanted to make a new cabinet for displaying the crystals; hoping to earn more money and return to his former life as a shepherd. The shopkeeper obliged, as he wanted Santiago to achieve his dream. The shopkeeper himself dreamt of going to Mecca; and had not been able to do so. He felt he should help Santiago fulfill his dream.

Santiago advised the shopkeeper to start selling tea in crystal glasses to attract more customers. Though the shop was doing well, and he didn`t really want to add more work to expand; the shopkeeper agreed, attributing the decision to ‘destiny’. This choice changed everything; the shop became famous and a huge commercial success.

After earning money for his sheep, Santiago wanted to leave; and he sought the shopkeeper’s blessings. The blessings were given, but he predicted that Santiago would not be going back to Spain. Santiago went about collecting his belongings; with them he once again put the King’s two stones in his pocket.

Just as he was about to leave for Andalucia, he began thinking about the experience he had just been through. He realized that he could always go back to rearing sheep; but he would never be able to travel to the pyramids again. The two stones in his pocket had once again been instrumental in changing his mind. Santiago continued his journey towards the pyramids.

He reached a warehouse, where he met an Englishman who identified with the shepherd in many ways. He also recognised the two stones that Santiago carried. This was an omen for Santiago.

The two of them joined a caravan, commanded by a bearded man, which was to take them to Egypt. The caravan started its journey through the desert. Initially, there was a lot of commotion, but very soon everyone settled into a rhythm, and silence reigned.

During the journey, Santiago bonded with his camel’s driver, and they exchanged stories about their lives. Both of them realized a philosophical truth; it seemed that everything in life was pre-ordained, because of the ease with which life`s events would lead so seamlessly to the next.

Their journey was often aided by the appearance of Bedouins, the mysterious protector tribe of the deserts. They would relay information about bandits and wars to the caravan and then disappear.

Once, they got news of a possible tribal war. This worried them, but turning around was not an option. And when turning back is not an option, then moving forward in the more prudent way is the only concern left to be addressed.

As they moved forward in their journey, the Englishman became more interested in the desert, and Santiago became more interested in the Englishman’s books; a sort of role reversal took place. The Englishman was interested in the art of alchemy, of making any metal turn to gold. But the more Santiago read the books, the more he was confused; the language and symbols were beyond his abilities. He wanted to know how alchemy could exist, but was told by the Englishman that higher knowledge comes to only those put in the extra time studying the subject, and then, by becoming the subject.

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