+ “And this is for me,” said the alchemist, keeping one of the parts. +“Because I have to return to the desert, where there are tribal wars.” +He took the fourth part and handed it to the monk. +“This is for the boy. If he ever needs it.” +“But I’m going in search of my treasure,” the boy said. “I’m very +close to it now.” +“And I’m certain you’ll find it,” the alchemist said. +“Then why this?” +“Because you have already lost your savings twice. Once to the +thief, and once to the general. I’m an old, superstitious Arab, and I +believe in our proverbs. There’s one that says, ‘Everything that +happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens +twice will surely happen a third time.’” They mounted their horses. +“I WANT TO TELL YOU A STORY ABOUT DREAMS,” SAID THE alchemist. +The boy brought his horse closer. +“In ancient Rome, at the time of Emperor Tiberius, there lived a +good man who had two sons. One was in the military, and had been +sent to the most distant regions of the empire. The other son was a +poet, and delighted all of Rome with his beautiful verses. +“One night, the father had a dream. An angel appeared to him, +and told him that the words of one of his sons would be learned and +repeated throughout the world for all generations to come. The +father woke from his dream grateful and crying, because life was +generous, and had revealed to him something any father would be +proud to know. +“Shortly thereafter, the father died as he tried to save a child +who was about to be crushed by the wheels of a chariot. Since he +had lived his entire life in a manner that was correct and fair, he +went directly to heaven, where he met the angel that had appeared +in his dream. +“‘You were always a good man,’ the angel said to him. ‘You lived +your life in a loving way, and died with dignity. I can now grant you +any wish you desire.’ +“‘Life was good to me,’ the man said. ‘When you appeared in my +dream, I felt that all my efforts had been rewarded, because my +son’s poems will be read by men for generations to come. I don’t +want anything for myself. But any father would be proud of the +fame achieved by one whom he had cared for as a child, and +educated as he grew up. Sometime in the distant future, I would like +to see my son’s words.’ +“The angel touched the man’s shoulder, and they were both +projected far into the future. They were in an immense setting, +surrounded by thousands of people speaking a strange language. +“The man wept with happiness. +“‘I knew that my son’s poems were immortal,’ he said to the +angel through his tears. ‘Can you please tell me which of my son’s +poems these people are repeating?’ +“The angel came closer to the man, and, with tenderness, led him +to a bench nearby, where they sat down. +“‘The verses of your son who was the poet were very popular in +Rome,’ the angel said. ‘Everyone loved them and enjoyed them. But +when the reign of Tiberius ended, his poems were forgotten. The +words you’re hearing now are those of your son in the military.’ +“The man looked at the angel in surprise. +“‘Your son went to serve at a distant place, and became a +centurion. He was just and good. One afternoon, one of his servants +fell ill, and it appeared that he would die. Your son had heard of a +rabbi who was able to cure illnesses, and he rode out for days and +days in search of this man. Along the way, he learned that the man +he was seeking was the Son of God. He met others who had been +cured by him, and they instructed your son in the man’s teachings. +And so, despite the fact that he was a Roman centurion, he +converted to their faith. Shortly thereafter, he reached the place +where the man he was looking for was visiting.’ +“‘He told the man that one of his servants was gravely ill, and the +rabbi made ready to go to his house with him. But the centurion was +a man of faith, and, looking into the eyes of the rabbi, he knew that +he was surely in the presence of the Son of God.’ +“‘And this is what your son said,’ the angel told the man. ‘These +are the words he said to the rabbi at that point, and they have never +been forgotten: “My Lord, I am not worthy that you should come +under my roof. But only speak a word and my servant will be +healed.””’ +The alchemist said, “No matter what he does, every person on +earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally +he doesn’t know it.” +The boy smiled. He had never imagined that questions about life +would be of such importance to a shepherd. +“Good-bye,” the alchemist said. +“Good-bye,” said the boy. +
+ + +