A Short Summary of the Alchemist - Part 1

Though I recommend everybody to read the entire book by Paulo Coelho. The intention of this post is to serve as a good reason for you to read the book by giving you a gist of the story (while avoiding any spoilers :P)

SANTIAGO’S DREAM

THAT NIGHT HE WOKE UP TO THE SAME DREAM HE HAD A WEEK AGO. SANTIAGO BEGAN TO AWAKEN HIS SHEEP FROM THEIR DEEP SLUMBER THOUGH MOST OF THEM WERE ALREADY STIRRING AS IF THEY KNEW THAT HE WAS AWAKE. THERE WAS SOME SORT OF MYSTERIOUS FORCE THAT BOUND SANTIAGO TO HIS SHEEP. AFTER ALL THEY WERE HIS DEPENDENTS FOR FOOD AND WATER. IN EXCHANGE THEY OFFERED HIM THEIR COMPANIONSHIP , WOOL AND SOMETIMES EVEN THEIR MEAT. THE SHEEP WERE ALL THAT SANTIAGO HAD APART FROM HIS JACKET AND A BOOK TO READ. HE FELT THE SHEEP UNDERSTOOD HIM. HE WOULD TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE PLACES HE HAD TRAVELLED,THE PEOPLE HE MET.

SINCE A FEW DAYS HE WAS ONLY TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THE MERCHANT’S DAUGHTER. SANTIAGO KNEW THAT ALL SHEPHERDS JUST LIKE SEAMEN AND SALESMAN EVENTUALLY WOULD FIND SOMEONE WHO WOULD MAKE THEM FORGET THE JOYS OF CAREFREE WANDERING. SANTIAGO WAS AN ADVENTURER , HE HAD TRAVELLED TO AMPLE NUMBER OF PLACES AND MET MANY WOMEN BUT NONE LIKE THE MERCHANT’S DAUGHTER. IT WAS ALMOST A YEAR SINCE HE LAST MET HER.

LAST YEAR ABOUT THE SAME TIME HE HAD VISITED THE MERCHANT TO SELL SOME WOOL. AS THE MERCHANT WAS BUSY HE ASKED SANTIAGO TO WAIT.SANTIAGO BEGAN TO READ HIS BOOK WHEN SUDDENLY THE MERCHANT’S DAUGHTER INTERRUPTED HIS READING. HE WAS AWESTRUCK BY HER BEAUTY. THEY CONVERSED ABOUT THEIR INDIVIDUAL LIVES. SANTIAGO SECRETLY WISHED TIME WOULD STOP AND THEY COULD JUST KEEP TALKING.

HOWEVER THE MERCHANT TURNED UP IN SOME TIME AND ASKED HIM TO REAR HIS SHEEP.HE PAID AND ASKED HIM TO RETURN AFTER A YEAR. IT WAS FINALLY A YEAR AND NOW SANTIAGO COULD MEET THE MERCHANT’S DAUGHTER AGAIN.

AS HE WAS TRAVELLING TOWARDS TARIFA WHERE THE MERCHANT LIVED, HE REMEMBERED A CONVERSATION THAT HE HAD WITH HIS FATHER. SANTIAGO’S FAMILY WANTED HIM TO BECOME A PRIEST AND BRING PRIDE TO THEIR FARM FAMILY. BUT RIGHT SINCE CHILDHOOD SANTIAGO WANTED TO KNOW THE WORLD, HE WANTED TO TRAVEL. ONE DAY AFTER CHURCH HE GATHERED THE COURAGE TO TELL HIS FATHER THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO BE A PRIEST.

HIS FATHER WAS AT FIRST RELUCTANT BUT EVENTUALLY GAVE IN. HE GAVE SANTIAGO THREE ANCIENT GOLD COINS TO BUY HIS FLOCK. SINCE THEN SANTIAGO HAS NEVER LOOKED BACK. HE HAD ALMOST TRAVELLED THE ENTIRE ANDALUSIAN LAND.

AS HE WAS REACHING TARIFA HE REMEMBERED THAT THERE LIVED A WOMAN WHO INTERPRETED DREAMS. HE DECIDED TO VISIT HER BEFORE GOING TO THE MERCHANT. THE WOMAN, A GYPSY, BEGAN BY READING HIS PALMS. SHE THEN ASKED HIM TO EXPLAIN WHAT HE SAW IN HIS DREAM. SANTIAGO EXPLAINED THAT HE SAW A CHILD PLAYING WITH HIS SHEEP AND THEN THE CHILD TOOK HIM BY BOTH HIS HANDS AND TRANSPORTED HIM TO THE EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS AND TOLD HIM “IF YOU COME HERE YOU WILL FIND THE HIDDEN TREASURE”. THE WOMAN AFTER KEENLY LISTENING TO HIS DREAM ASKED HIM TO PROMISE HER THAT IN RETURN OF HER EXPLANATION HE WOULD GIVE HER 1/10 TH OF THE TREASURE.

SHE ASKED HIM TO VISIT THE EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS AS INDICATED IN THE DREAM.SANTIAGO LEAVES THE PLACE, HAPPY THAT HE DID NOT HAVE TO PAY THE GYPSY BUT WAS DISAPPOINTED BY THE EXPLANATION AND DECIDED TO NEVER BELIEVE IN DREAMS.AS IT WAS NEARING DAWN HE DECIDED TO CONTINUE HIS TRAVEL THE NEXT MORNING.HE WENT TO THE MARKET, EXCHANGED HIS BOOK , BOUGHT SOME WINE AND SAT ON A BENCH READING THE BOOK WHEN SUDDENLY AN OLD MAN TRIED TO STRIKE UP A CONVERSATION WITH HIM. HE ASKED SANTIAGO WHAT WAS HE READING. SANTIAGO WAS ALREADY IRRITATED BY THE GYPSY’S EXPLANATION OF HIS DREAM AS SHE DID NOT TELL HIM ANYTHING NEW AND NOW THIS OLD MAN WAS TRYING TO TALK TO HIM.

HE DID NOT WANT TO BE RUDE AND SO HANDED THE BOOK TO THE OLD MAN.SANTIAGO WAS SHOCKED TO KNOW THAT THE OLD MAN COULD NOT ONLY READ BUT HAD ALREADY READ THE BOOK.THE OLD MAN CLAIMED TO BE THE KING OF SALEM, MELCHIZEDEK. SANTIAGO WAS CURIOUS TO KNOW WHY A KING WOULD TALK TO A SHEPHERD. THE KING WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT IT WAS HIS JOB TO HELP PEOPLE REALIZE THEIR DESTINY. SANTIAGO HAD DISCOVERED LONG AGO HIS PURPOSE BUT WAS ON THE VERGE TO GIVE UP EVERYTHING. THE KING ASKED HIM TO GIVE 1/10TH OF HIS SHEEP AND HE WOULD TELL HIM THE LOCATION OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE.

IT WAS SANTIAGO’S DECISION TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE COMFORT OF BEING A SHEPHERD OR DIVING INTO UNCERTAINTY TO FULFILL HIS DREAM