THE ALCHIMIST

« Pau lo C oelh o - T he A lc h em is t 1 o f 6 8 T he A lc h em is t P au lo C oelh o Tra n sla te d b y A la n R .

C la rk e.

P ublis h ed 1 992.

I S B N 0 -7 225-3 293-8 . C O NTEN TS Part O ne P art T w o Epilo gue P A RT O NE The b oy's n am e w as S an tia g o.

D usk w as f a llin g a s t h e b oy a rriv ed w ith h is h erd a t a n a b an doned c h urc h .

T he r o of h ad f a lle n i n l o ng a g o, a n d a n e n orm ous s y cam ore h ad g ro w n o n t h e s p ot w here t h e s a cris ty h ad o nce s to od. H e d ecid ed t o s p en d t h e n ig ht t h ere .

H e s a w t o i t t h at a ll t h e s h eep e n te re d t h ro ugh t h e r u in ed g ate , a n d t h en l a id s o m e p la n ks a cro ss i t t o p re v en t t h e f lo ck f r o m w an derin g a w ay d urin g t h e n ig ht.

T here w ere n o w olv es i n t h e r e g io n, b ut o nce a n a n im al h ad s tr a y ed d urin g t h e n ig ht, a n d t h e b oy h ad h ad t o s p en d t h e e n tir e n ex t d ay s e arc h in g f o r i t. H e s w ep t t h e f lo or w ith h is j a ck et a n d l a y d ow n, u sin g t h e b ook h e h ad j u st f in is h ed r e ad in g a s a p illo w .

H e t o ld h im se lf t h at h e w ould h av e t o s ta rt r e ad in g t h ic k er b ooks: t h ey l a ste d l o nger, a n d m ad e m ore c o m fo rta b le p illo w s. I t w as s till d ark w hen h e a w oke, a n d, l o okin g u p, h e c o uld s e e t h e s ta rs t h ro ugh t h e h alf - d estr o y ed r o of. I w an te d t o s le ep a l ittle l o nger, h e t h ought.

H e h ad h ad t h e s a m e d re am t h at n ig ht a s a w eek a g o, a n d o nce a g ain h e h ad a w ak en ed b efo re i t e n ded . H e a ro se a n d, t a k in g u p h is c ro ok, b eg an t o a w ak en t h e s h eep t h at s till s le p t.

H e h ad n otic ed t h at, a s s o on a s h e a w oke, m ost o f h is a n im als a ls o b eg an t o s tir .

I t w as a s i f s o m e m yste rio us e n erg y b ound h is l if e t o t h at o f t h e s h eep , w ith w hom h e h ad s p en t t h e p ast t w o y ears , l e ad in g t h em t h ro ugh t h e c o untr y sid e i n s e arc h o f f o od a n d w ate r.

" T hey a re s o u se d t o m e t h at t h ey k now m y s c h ed ule ," h e m utte re d .

T hin kin g a b out t h at f o r a m om en t, h e r e aliz ed t h at i t c o uld b e t h e o th er w ay a ro und: t h at i t w as h e w ho h ad b eco m e a ccu sto m ed t o t h eir s c h ed ule . B ut t h ere w ere c erta in o f t h em w ho t o ok a b it l o nger t o a w ak en .

T he b oy p ro dded t h em , o ne b y o ne, w ith h is c ro ok, c allin g e ach b y n am e.

H e h ad a lw ay s b elie v ed t h at t h e s h eep w ere a b le t o u nders ta n d w hat h e s a id .

S o t h ere w ere t im es w hen h e r e ad t h em p arts o f h is b ooks t h at h ad m ad e a n i m pre ssio n o n h im , o r w hen h e w ould t e ll t h em o f t h e l o nelin ess o r t h e h ap pin ess o f a s h ep herd i n t h e f ie ld s.

S om etim es h e w ould c o m men t t o t h em o n t h e t h in gs h e h ad s e en i n t h e v illa g es t h ey p asse d . B ut f o r t h e p ast f e w d ay s h e h ad s p oken t o t h em a b out o nly o ne t h in g: t h e g ir l, t h e d au ghte r o f a m erc h an t. »