Intensive Language Teaching Centre

THE
ALCHIMIST ‘SUMMURY’

Ms Rezkallah

Level : B 1.1.

Student’s name : HADJ OMAR Karima

 The Alchimist

The Alchemist is a philosophical tale about a young shepherd who believes he is

on a quest for treasure, and understands, along the way, that this journey is
much more a spiritual quest. Through this story, the reader will be able to
identify with the hero and understand that every man must follow his own
dreams and that he must do so at all costs. This is the meaning of life

While tending his sheep, Santiago, a young shepherd, was surprised by the
astonishing closeness that he and his animals had. More than a closeness, it was
like a complicity, he who had always been convinced that they understood him.
That's why he liked to tell them some passages of books that marked him, to
confide to them his solitude and all the pleasures of his nomadic life. Lately, his
main topic of discussion was this young girl that he would certainly meet soon,
during his passage in his next stage.

Santiago met a young brunette girl on his way to sell the wool of his sheep in the
city. During this first contact, when she was surprised to see a sheep herder
take a book out of his bag, he told her about his life and his travels. For once he
could talk to someone other than his animals! "But if you can read, why are you
just a simple shepherd?" the merchant's daughter asked him. Certain that she
could not understand his taste for this nomadic life, he only sought to enjoy all
this time spent with her. He realized that he had never felt this way about
anyone before.

In four days he would arrive again in this village... He could hardly hide his
impatience at the idea of seeing the girl again, trying as he could, to anticipate a
possible disappointment. After all, maybe she had forgotten him?

Looking at his sheep, Santiago began to reflect on the luck or bad luck of not
having to make any decisions... In the end, his animals have nothing to do but
follow their master, he thought. The young man thought back to the same dream
he had had, without finishing it, and stopped complaining about the load of his
coat that he had to carry despite the crushing heat. He put it into perspective.
After all, he had never had to complain about the early morning cold. This time
he intended to explain to the girl why a young shepherd can read.

Even though he came from a modest family, his parents wanted him to become a
priest. That's why he had studied. But for him it was much more important to

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discover the world than to know God. After explaining his choice to his parents,
who tried to dissuade him, Santiago received some gold coins and his father's
blessing before leaving.

For nothing in the world would the young man wish to exchange his life of
adventure for that of a man of the cloth. The fact that every day is a new epic,
seemed so precious to him. His sheep, on the other hand, did not realize how
fortunate they were to travel through new landscapes every day. As each day
approached his hypothetical meeting with the merchant's daughter, Santiago
thought to himself that it was the possibility of realizing a dream that made life
interesting.

When he arrived in Tarifa, his next stop, Santiago met an old gypsy woman who
knew how to interpret dreams. He asked her the meaning of the dream he had
already had twice : that of a child playing with his sheep and finally leading him
to the Pyramids of Egypt, explaining that there was a treasure hidden there. He
thought the old woman was crazy when she refused to charge him for the
consultation, but demanded a tenth of the treasure. The gypsy's interpretation
told him that he had to go to the Pyramids.

Disappointed, the young man continued on his way, cherishing his freedom which
allowed him to meet new people every day. This was the case when Santiago met
and talked with an old man. The latter surprised him by his words. He seemed to
proclaim that the life of a human being is governed by fate. This old man claimed
to be called Melchisedec and to be a king, the king of Salem. This announcement
made Santiago skeptical. His indiscreet questions ended up annoying the young
shepherd who decided to put an end to their conversation, until his interlocutor
asked him to give him one of his sheep... in exchange for his explanations on how
to reach his hidden treasure.

After giving him a brief but convincing demonstration of his clairvoyance,

Melchisedec said he wanted to help him because he deserved it, for having
succeeded in fulfilling his "Personal Legend". According to the king, Santiago had
succeeded in pursuing what every man has in his heart, since always, the will to
realize himself. When you sincerely and deeply want something, it is because
this desire is born in the Soul of the universe. "When you want something, the
whole Universe conspires to allow you to realize your desire. When the young
shepherd asked the king why he was giving him this advice, his answer was
simple: "because you were about to give up on your personal legend. Melchisedec
explained that this was his role and that in exchange for a tenth of his flock, he
would reveal information that would help him find his treasure.

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After these last two encounters, Santiago thought about all that he had learned
and understood, especially about the importance that freedom had for him. He
understood that his sheep, the merchant's daughter, the plains of Andalusia
were the stages of his own "Personal Legend".

The day came when, in exchange for six sheep, he received information from the
old king that the treasure was in Egypt near the Pyramids. He also advised him
to be on the lookout for God's signs and gave him two precious stones that would
help him to make decisions on his own. He simply had to be careful to always ask
objective questions. Before letting him go, the old King told him a story about
how the secret of happiness was to be able to look at the wonders of the world
without ever forgetting what was most important to you.

When he arrived in Tangier, wondering what the signs of the sky were that
Melchisedec had told him about, Santiago was a bit confused by the cultural
differences he observed. By chance, he met a young Arab who quickly gained his
trust and offered to guide him across the Sahara to the Pyramids.
Unfortunately, his judgment was a bit hasty and he was robbed of all the money
he had on him, finding himself alone, without his flock sold and what's more, in a
foreign country whose language he didn't even speak. He cursed this unjust God,
regretting having dared to believe in his dreams.

With nothing left, Santiago approached his adventure with the eyes of a free
man. He realized that he could read the faces of the men who were on the
tracks of their "Personal Legend", thanks to the blooming of their faces.

The crystal merchant had been selling his gems for thirty years and his trade
had no secrets for him. However, the business was declining year after year.
One day, a young, modest-looking stranger entered his store.

In exchange for a meal, the shepherd began to polish the vases on sale in the
shop window. Afterwards, seeing the beneficial effects on his business, the
merchant asked him to work for him, before discouraging him, explaining that
his dreams of going to Egypt with the money he had saved were illusory... Faced
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with the young shepherd's despondency, the merchant offered him enough
money to allow him to return to his country. The shepherd thought for a moment
and decided to persevere in his quest, finally agreeing to work for the merchant
until he could buy back some sheep.

Time went by and the young man's work was always so beneficial to his boss.
However, the latter had difficulty in changing his habits, refusing the risk of
doing less well. His employee explained to him that he should trust the signs and
believe in the Favourable Principle encouraging beginners to live their Personal
Legend. When the young shepherd's stubbornness in pursuing his plan to win the
Pyramids was challenged, the merchant admitted that he was afraid to follow his
dreams for fear of losing his purpose once they were fulfilled.

One evening, after closing the store, the merchant spoke with the young
shepherd and told him that he had been a blessing to him. Without his new
vision, he would never have dared to do anything and would have ended up
unhappy for having wasted his life. However, he also recognized that he could no
longer hide from the fact that his destiny was in his own hands and that this
frightened him. "Mektoub" he pronounced, "it's written"!

Nine months after arriving in Africa, the young shepherd enjoyed the success of
his plans. He had enough money to buy 120 sheep and his boss had enough money
to fulfill his life's dream of going to Mecca. However, one evening, his boss,
while preparing tea, surprised him with his words... "Mektoub! Neither me nor
you will realize our dreams!"

Once he had left the merchant, as he was about to turn back and head for
Spain, the country he came from, the shepherd thought that there was a
language in the world, understood by all. It was the language of enthusiasm, of
doing things with love, with passion for a result. He hesitated, thinking that
maybe his boss was right, and then after all, if he became a shepherd again, he
would know how to do... But, no! He finally thought that he did not have much
risk to try the adventure and then in the end, life had given him the money and
he now had the time. "I am always by the side of those who live their Personal
Legend" the King of Salem had told him. He had nothing to lose and went on his

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way to his treasure, his way to the Pyramids.

An English traveler, met on the way, was waiting for a caravan. This brilliant
man, who spoke several languages and was very knowledgeable about religions,
had set out to find the Philosopher's Stone. To do this, he had to find an
alchemist, who, he was told, had the power to change any metal into gold.
Santiago advised the Englishman to pay more attention to the caravans, which,
according to him, "make many detours but always head towards the same point".
The Englishman, on the other hand, swore by the books, which he said had the
same function. The two men agreed on the progress they each had to make. For
Santiago, if the Desert, though so dangerous, allowed the caravan to cross it, it
was precisely because, like him, he spoke the same Universal Language.

Why did his fellow traveler carry so many books? "To help understand the few
lines," the Englishman replied, referring to the most important text in Alchemy.
Once it was explained that the Philosopher's Stone could purify the soul but also
transform any simple metal into gold, the young man's interest in Alchemy was
immense. However, he quickly understood that completing the Great Work was
not so simple...

Even though the shepherd seemed frustrated that he had retained so little
from all his books, the Englishman accepted the idea that everyone could have
their own way of learning. He respected him most for being like him, in search of
his own personal legend.

The camel driver did not seem to be overly concerned about the threat of war
that was becoming more and more pressing around them. He explained to the
young man that the only thing that mattered was the present moment and that
he was alive after all.

As the caravan reached its destination, the shepherd realized that he still had a
long way to go to reach the Pyramids. But from now on, it was the present
moment that counted and he would try in the future to live with the lessons of
his past and the dreams of his future.

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The Alchemist, seeing the caravan arrive in the Oasis, knew that he was going to
have to teach a part of his secrets to a person who was unknown to him. Taking
refuge in the Oasis, the young man knew that he was safe from the wars
between the desert clans. However, he understood that what the old king had
called "beginner's luck" was no longer available. Now he knew that he would have
to face the test of stubbornness and courage in order to realize his Personal
Legend.

With the Englishman, they set out to find the Alchemist, but found that the
Oasis was larger than they had thought. Moreover, the inhabitants did not seem
to want to help in their quest, two foreigners with little respect for tradition.
But it was at this moment that the young shepherd met the eyes of the one he
knew was the woman of his life. Through their exchange of glances, he
understood what the Universal Language meant. He understood that there is
always a person in the world waiting for another person. It is The Hand that
gives birth to love. "Mektoub" he said to himself. Her name was Fatima.

The Englishman, for his part, was deeply disappointed by the only advice the
Alchemist gave him: "Go try! after he asked him if he had ever tried to turn lead
into gold.

The shepherd, for his part, confessed his feelings to the girl and asked her to
become his wife, considering the war as a blessing, since thanks to her he was
immobilized near Fatima. She too believed in the signs and knew that their
meeting was written, but despite this, she encouraged the young man to realize
his personal Legend. If she was part of it, he would return to her sooner or
later.
In his corner, the Englishman had built an oven in order to reach his goal. From
then on, he took the events of his life with philosophy, refusing to see the lost
years but considering, on the contrary, all the time that remained to him.

The camel driver wanted to know his future because men live according to their
future, he said. This is why he consulted the diviner who explained to him that
only God decided whether or not to send signs, but that he rarely did so. The
reason was that God considered that the future was written to be changed.

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For his part, having had a vision of an imminent attack on the caravan, the young
shepherd went to warn the tribal leaders of the convoy. "Why would the Gods
choose a stranger to pass on such a message," they asked him. "Because my eyes
are not yet accustomed to the desert, so I can see things that accustomed eyes
can no longer see," the young man replied. The clan leader agreed to break with
tradition and prepare for war, promising him money if his prediction proved
correct, but death if it did not.

As he wondered if immersing himself in the Soul of the World would be a curse

for him after all, he saw a huge, menacing horseman emerge from a cloud of
dust. He did not care about the danger, however, because he was going to die
for his personal Legend. Faced with the threat of the horseman's sword, the
coherence of his explanations about his quest and his beliefs in the existence of
a World Soul, made him escape the sentence. The young man had just met the
Alchemist.

The next day, as the shepherd had predicted, the oasis was attacked but easily
defended. The shepherd was given fifty gold coins and offered the role of
Advisor to the oasis.

The Alchemist invited the young man into his tent and they talked. "When you
want something, the whole universe conspires to make your dream come true,"
he said, echoing the words of the old king. Santiago understood that another
man was on his way, to lead him to his Personal Legend. In spite of the war
between the clans, he offered to guide him through the desert, because he was
ready according to him. "Your heart is where your treasure is, and your treasure
must be found to make sense of all the discoveries you have made along the way.

The Alchemist asked the young man to show him life in the desert, as a token of
the fact that he could find treasures there. When the Alchemist admitted that
he could not show him life in such a place, he explained that life attracts life.
When asked why it was so important to know the desert, the wise man explained
that it was because the Pyramids were in the middle of the desert. But the
shepherd, had less and less desire to continue his quest admitting that he
preferred to stay at the side of the woman he loved.

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It was at this point that the Alchemist explained to him that he could indeed
postpone the deadline for the realization of his Personal Legend by settling in
the oasis with Fatima, but that it would catch up with him sooner or later. Love
in no way prevents a man from following his Personal Legend. Finally, the young
man decided to follow the Alchemist and felt peace settle in his heart.

Having made his decision, the young man felt the need to see Fatima, to explain
to her that he was going to leave but that he would return. He told her that his
love was linked to the fact that it was the Universe that had conspired to bring
him to her. From then on, the girl, very saddened by this news, would consider
the oasis as an empty place and the desert as the hope of the return of the man
she loved.

On their way through the desert, the Alchemist explained to the young
shepherd that only the present moment counted and that if what he had
experienced was made of pure matter, he would be able to return to it one day.
Santiago was surprised when the wise man explained to him that he had almost
reached the end of his journey and congratulated him for having followed his
Personal Legend. He had not taught him anything... " There is only one way to
learn," said the Alchemist, "and that is by doing. It was his journey that had
taught him! He added that if he wanted to understand the world he had to listen
to his own heart, for he too came from the Soul of the world.

As they continued on their way, the young man tried to listen to his heart. "Why
do we have to listen to our hearts?" he asked. "Because where your heart is,
your treasure will be," he said, "because you will never be able to silence it. The
shepherd described his as restless, as dreaming, as in love, as deceitful. The
Alchemist reassured him: "That's fine. Your heart is alive. "If you know your
heart well, it will never surprise you. Accepting this advice, the young man
stopped being afraid and stopped wanting to go back. Every man on earth has a
treasure waiting for him, his heart told him. Unfortunately, few men follow the
path that is laid out for them.

On the way, the Alchemist demonstrated another law of the world. Stopped by
three warriors, the wise man revealed that he was carrying a Philosopher's
Stone, transforming metal into gold, as well as the Elixir of Long Life. These

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revelations made the three men burst out laughing. The young man was shocked
at the risks taken by his fellow traveler in revealing such secrets, but the
Alchemist explained that he was not afraid of anything because, according to
him, men do not believe in treasure.

While they had only two days of walking left to reach the pyramids, the young
man pressed the wise man to teach him the secrets of alchemy. You already
know what there is to know. "All you have to do is enter the Soul of the World
and discover the treasure it has reserved for each of us," he told him. But the
shepherd really wanted to know the secret of turning lead into gold. As the sun
declined, the two men found themselves surrounded by an army of warriors.

The two travelers were taken to the tribal chief and when they introduced
themselves, the Alchemist explained the extent of his powers. When he
mentioned that the boy was able to destroy the camp using his powers to turn
into wind, the men laughed. The clan leader took him at his word and gave him
three days to fulfill his prophecy. If not, the two travelers would offer him
their lives. "There is only one thing that can make a dream impossible, and that
is the fear of failure," the wise man replied to the young shepherd who thought
he was incapable of keeping such a commitment. "The world is only the visible
part of God, and alchemy is simply bringing spiritual perfection to the material
plane," he added.

The Desert advised him to speak to the winds. The winds had heard the
conversation because the winds always know everything.

"Who taught you to speak the language of the desert and the wind?" the wind
asked the boy.

"My heart!" replied Santiago. "That's what we call love!".

Faced with the determination of the shepherd, the wind, very proud and
annoyed, began to blow harder and advised Santiago to address himself to
another power.

Thus, the young boy addressed the sun.

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"If you know love you also know the soul of the World, which is made of Love.

Everyone has his or her Personal Legend, until the day it is fulfilled. Then one
must transform oneself into something better, and have a new Personal Legend
until the Soul of the World is really one and the same", the sun answered him.

"Love does not consist in staying still like the desert, nor in running the world
like the wind, nor in seeing everything from afar like you," concluded the young
man.

"To turn yourself into the Wind, see the Hand that wrote everything," said the
sun. The wind gave a cry of satisfaction and blew harder than ever. Then the
young man turned to the Hand that had written it all down, before diving into
the Soul of the World, realizing that it was part of the Soul of God and seeing
that the Soul of God was his own soul.

He understood that he could now perform miracles.

The Alchemist smiled because he had found his disciple.

Once he arrived at a Coptic monastery, the Alchemist left the young boy to
continue his journey alone. "I only reminded you of what you already knew," he
replied to the boy's thanks. Before that, the wise man transformed lead into
gold, before the amazed eyes of the shepherd. When the young man asked him
if he could also do it, the Alchemist replied that it was his own Personal Legend,
not his own. Before leaving him, he told him a last story full of new teachings:
"No matter what he does, every person on earth always plays the main role in
the history of the world. And normally, they know nothing about it. With these
words, the two men said goodbye.

The young shepherd walked through the desert, trying to listen more carefully
to the messages that his heart could send him. The Alchemist had told him that
it was his heart that would tell him the exact place. Be careful where you cry
because that's where I am, and where your treasure is," he had told her. At the

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top of a dune, his heart leapt in his chest, before him stood the majestic and
imposing Pyramids.

"What is the use of money if you have to die?" the Alchemist once told him. "I'm
looking for treasure," he replied. After explaining the story that had led him
there, the three men left him, face down, calling him crazy... Crazy, for having
crossed a desert just because he had the same dream twice. He looked at the
Pyramids who smiled at him. He did the same in return, his heart filled with joy,
he had found the treasure.

Santiago arrived at the small abandoned church. He remembered all the way
back and thought that if he hadn't believed in dreams, he would never have met
the gypsy, never have met the thief, never have exchanged with the king... But
he also realized that he had been guided by many signs along the way and that
finally, he couldn't have been wrong. He began to dig until he found a treasure
of gold and precious stones. "Truly, life is generous for the one who lives his
Personal Legend", he thought. The wind brought him a perfume that he knew and
appreciated... " Here I am Fatima," he said. I'm coming".

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