The owner is willing to pay Santiago enough to save up for a new flock of sheep and a passage back to his home. Santiago cleans the front window, and the owner subsequently offers him a job. Wandering the streets in search of opportunities, Santiago came across a crystal shop that was struggling financially. So, Santiago continued on his journey toward obtaining his dreams. He had nothing, but he asked the stones if Melchizedek’s blessing was still with him. However, when the young man offers to help Santiago buy a camel, he robs Santiago of all his money. While sitting in a bar alone, Santiago is approached by a young man who, in Spanish, offers to help him to get to the Pyramids where the treasure lays. Upon arriving in Tangiers, Santiago realizes that obtaining his Personal Legend will be more complicated than he first thought. With the money from selling his flock, Santiago buys a ticket from Tarifa to Africa and sets sail to find the treasure. These stones are there in case Santiago is struggling to understand the omens. One stone was black and called Urim (meaning ‘yes’), and the other stone was white and called Thummim (meaning ‘no’). Melchizedek tells Santiago always to follow the omens. Therefore, he decides to sell his flock immediately and gives Melchizedek six for free. Plus, that he can tell Santiago about the treasure in his dream if he gives him one-tenth of his sheep.Īfter deliberation, Santiago decides that his sheep and the merchant’s daughter were just steps on the way to his Personal Legend (the treasure). Melchizedek explains to Santiago that he only appears to people who are ready to achieve their dreams. However, fear and routine obscure our Personal Legends. Just as the gypsy woman said, Melchizedek explains that Personal Legends come from the Soul of the World. Personal Legends are dreams that individuals have wanted to achieve their entire life. This wisdom was that the world believes the lie that fate is preventing people from achieving their Personal Legend. The man reveals himself to be Melchizedek, who is the king of Salem. An old man comes up to Santiago and tells him that he has read the same book before. Upon leaving the gypsy woman’s house, Santiago sits in the plaza to read a book. The woman accepts her payment as being one-tenth of the treasure when Santiago finds it. She explains to Santiago that dreams are a language used by the Soul of the World to communicate with people. The gypsy woman tells Santiago that this treasure is real. However, Santiago wakes up just before he finds out exactly where it is located. Santiago has had a recurring dream where a child shows Santiago to the location of some treasure. This woman claims to be able to interpret dreams. Once Santiago reaches Tarifa, his last stop before the city where his dream girl lives, he visits an old gypsy woman. Part One Section Two – Achieve Your Personal Legend This is why he has been dreaming for the last year about seeing this girl again. Santiago accepts that dreaming about what you don’t have is what makes life interesting. He had once dreamed of traveling the world. However, Santiago realizes that this is not true discovery. He allows his sheep to lead the way, and eventually, he finds a new path. Santiago sees his shepherding life as providing him with great freedom. Hence, Santiago was on the way back to the town where he first met this girl. This shop owner bought from Santiago and encouraged him to come back one year later.

She is a merchant’s daughter he met while delivering wool to a shop she was browsing. Santiago hasn’t stopped thinking about this girl all year. Recently, Santiago’s conversations have been about a girl that he met a year ago at the town that is the next destination on his journey.

He calls each of them by name, his schedule revolves around them, and he has conversations with them. The story starts with Santiago pondering the nature of his work. The main character in The Alchemist is a shepherd, Santiago. Part One Section One – Dreaming is What Makes Life Interesting His ritual is to begin writing a novel when he sees a white feather in January of an odd year. The Alchemist was initially a slow seller but has since become the most translated book by a living author. For example, he has worked as a lawyer, songwriter, actor, journalist, and theatre director. Before becoming a writer, Coelho engaged with multiple professions. Paulo used this hardship and his spiritual awakening, while on his 500-mile journey on Santiago de Compostela, as inspiration for his books. Subsequently, they committed him to a psychiatric hospital on three occasions. He rebelled against his catholic parents’ religion. Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian writer who specializes in spiritually-inspired novels.

Paulo coelho the alchemist audiobook