The Comprehensive Summary of the Alchemist Book

Photo credit: Swarajya Singh

          Santiago was an Andalusian shepherd. Back to his life, his father wanted him to be a priest; therefore, he attended a seminary until he was sixteen. He had studied Latin, Spanish, and Theology. But ever since he had been a child, he had wanted to know the world – passionate of travelling – and this was much more important to him than knowing God. One day, he visited to his family; he told his dad that he had not ready to became a priest. The boy argued with his father that people from all over the world are passing through his village to search for new things, and he want to see their land and castles in their towns.  

The father argued with the boy “The people who come here have a lot of money to spend, so they can afford to travel but amongst us, the only ones who travel are the shepherds.” The boy however answered, "Well, then I'll be a shepherd!" his dad could not say any more but just gave him a pouch that held three ancient Spanish gold coins to buy flocks of sheep, and gave his blessings to the boy.

Since then, the boy was a shepherd travelling around the countryside of Andalusia. Nevertheless, the boy spent one night in a region while keeping his sheep and preventing from the wolves – though there were no wolves in that region, but it was one of his duties anyhow. At that night, he had had the same dream as a week ago, and once again he had awakened before it ended. The boy arose and, taking up his crook and went with his sheep without worrying his dream.

The boy had always carried thick books because they lasted longer, and he can use as a comfortable pillows while sleeping. On the other side, the boy and his flocks seemed as friends, he had always believed that the sheep were able to understand what he said when he would tell them of the loneliness or the happiness of a shepherd in the fields.

During daytime of that day he had remembered that in Tarifa there was an old woman who interprets dreams. He found the women and she led to her room at the back of her house and moreover told him to be seated. Then she took both of his hands in hers, and began quietly to pray. From the boy’s point of view, the woman’s prayer sounded like a Gypsy prayer.

People said that Gypsies spent their lives tricking others they also traveled, but they had no flocks of sheep. It was also said that they had a pact with the devil, and that they kidnapped children and made them their slaves. As a child, the boy had always been frightened to death that he would be captured by Gypsies, and this childhood fear returned when the old woman took his hands in hers. But he tried to reassure himself. He didn't want his hand to begin trembling and showing the old woman that he was fearful. But anyway he told her that he didn’t come there to read his palm but rather to interpret his dreams.

The boy took the talk and said "I have had the same dream twice," he continued by saying. "I dreamed that I was in a field with my sheep, when a child appeared and began to play with the animals. I don't like people to do that, because the sheep are afraid of strangers. The child went on playing with my sheep for quite a while, and suddenly, the child took me by both hands and transported me to the Egyptian Pyramids. The child said to me, if you come here, you will find a hidden treasure.” The boy said, and just as she was about to show me the exact location, I woke up both times.

The interpretation of the women was “you must go then to the Pyramids in Egypt, there you will find a treasure that will make you a rich man” The boy surprised, he didn’t know how to get there but anyways he left her, seemed like she was not serious, thought the boy.

One of the days when the sun was on its zenith, he sat a bench in a plaza and as he was reading a book he had bought, an old man approached him and tried to strike up a conversation but the boy didn’t want to be interrupted, he concentrated on his reading. The man was trying to converse him, but after quite while the boy noticed that the man's clothing was strange, he looked like an Arab, the old man claimed that he is the king of Salem.

After conversing, the old man said give me one-tenth of your sheep, and I'll tell you how to find the hidden treasure without even being asked by the boy. He thought another gypsy come to his life but the king wanted to tell the boy how to realize his destiny. However, the king gave the boy necessary advices about life, to achieve his dream and never give it up.

The next day, the boy brought six sheep. The king said the treasure is in Egypt near the Pyramids just like the old women. Besides that, the king showed the boy a breastplate of gold covered with precious stones on his chest, he gave the two stones from the breastplate to use the boy as a sign of omens.

As the time passed, the boy decided to sell his sheep and go to oversee since he had already known all Andalusian cities. The boy came to Africa; Africa was just in a few hours on boat. The boy experienced the strange people and language in Africa but he has nothing to worry about because the sale of his sheep had left him with enough money in his pouch. “Whoever has money is never really alone” the boy thought. He also thought in just a few days, he would be at the Pyramids, his destination. But that was far from the reality.

The boy sat in a bar to drink a tea, he met a young man from his city there. For the sake of some confidences he had, he shared his dream with the Spanish man, he began to tell his treasure and in addition he showed the money he could travel further. The Spanish guy told the boy that Tangier is not like other countries in Africa, it is a port and it has many thieves. The boy had been easily convinced the dangerous situation of the city, therefore, he trusted his money with in the hands of his new friend. Then, they walked together in the streets of Tangier, the new friend said that they will be in Pyramids by tomorrow. For a moment, the boy distracted while they had been in big marketplace, the boy looked at a beautiful sword he had never ever seen, but after he turned back he couldn’t find his new friend, all he could see were the people in the market.

The sun began its departure as the boy was waiting the return of his friend, “Perhaps he went somewhere and may come back” thought the boy. But there was no way he could be back, he was a thief. The sun set down and the boy realized that he has been betrayed, and became a victim of a thief. He had nothing except the two precious stones from the old king. He spent the whole night in an empty marketplace while weeping. But instead of considering himself as a victim he considered as adventurer, because there wasn’t a way to go back home neither continue his journey.

 At the lunch time of the next day, a crystal merchant in the marketplace saw the boy, he could see that the boy had no money to spend food. The boy move on to the shop and asked the merchant to clean up his crystal glasses for exchange something to eat. The boy had been permitted to do so. When he completed the work, the merchant took him to a lunch, after the lunch, the merchant offered to the boy to work for him in the shop. The boy agreed to work until the dawn and in return he needs the money to get Egypt by tomorrow. The merchant laughed and told him even if he works throughout the year and also earned a good commission, he would still need to borrow extra money to get an Egypt; thousands of kilometers are between the Tangier and Egypt said the merchant.

In that situation, the boy had frustrated and decided to get back to his sheep since his dream irritated him much, and the treasure was nothing but a painful memory. The boy had been working for the crystal merchant for an entire year; the boy received a good commission for each piece he sold. He had been able to put some money aside, the money he earned was even double of what he wanted. The merchant was selling better than ever since he hired the boy because it was the boy who suggested improving the business. He added an idea to sell tea in crystal classes; therefore, people could enjoy it. He brought many customers into the crystal shop. Therefore, the boy earned more many. He was proud of himself since he had learned some important things, like how to deal in crystal shop.

The boy decided to go back to his sheep, he backed up his bags and said goodbye to his boss. But before reaching the port he first decided to see the warehouse of the crystals and ask them about the distance of Egypt, perhaps he could know the distance before he gone. By there, he met an Englishman who was seeking someone knows the universal language; an Alchemist. The boy and Englishman started a conversation at the front of the crystal warehouse. Fortunately, the warehouse boss shouted you're in luck guys, there's a caravan leaving today for Al-Fayoum whoever interested there, he may go. The Englishman was going to Al-Fayoum to find an Alchemist. The boy said but I want to go to Egypt, the Englishman said “Al-Fayoum is in the desert of Egypt”.

Ultimately, the boy, the Englishman and almost two hundred people and four hundred animals; camels, horses, mules, and fowl tend to the desert of Egypt. Many months in the desert, the boy was learning alchemist in the books of Englishman. As they were close to the Pyramids, the caravan got a rumor of a tribal war existence in the desert. Again, the camel drivers have got the true news that the war between tribes has begun and the caravan would be very lucky to reach at the Oasis. Finally, the people and the animals had arrived at the Oasis peacefully, they were relieved and happy. The leader of the caravan brought all his people together and told them the group will remain there at the Oasis until the conflict between tribes was over. The war was seemed a curse from the boy’s view point, but when he got Fatima, his dreamed girl, the war seemed as a blessing for him.

The boy had finally met the alchemist – who transforms the base metals into gold – on his way to his tent one night at the Oasis. He has got many ideas from him. One day, the tribal chieftain called for the boy, and presented him with fifty pieces of gold because of the boy’s prediction that an arms were coming to the Oasis. They asked the boy to become the counselor of the Oasis, and he did so. Eventually, the alchemist guided the boy to the direction of the Pyramids while following him. The alchemist was helping the boy to achieve his dream. They crossed the long desert for few days, almost a month. The boy reached his destination, the Pyramids. He thought he realized his dream but he was told that he could find his treasure in Andalusia not there while he was trying to dig the treasure. Anyhow, he went back to his home and got enough gold from a place that he slept one night while he was a shepherd.