+ The wind has many names. In that part of the world, it was +called the sirocco, because it brought moisture from the oceans to +the east. In the distant land the boy came from, they called it the +levanter, because they believed that it brought with it the sands of +the desert, and the screams of the Moorish wars. Perhaps, in the +places beyond the pastures where his sheep lived, men thought that +the wind came from Andalusia. But, actually, the wind came from no +place at all, nor did it go to any place; that’s why it was stronger +than the desert. Someone might one day plant trees in the desert, +and even raise sheep there, but never would they harness the wind. +“You can’t be the wind,” the wind said. “We’re two very different +things.” +“That’s not true,” the boy said. “I learned the alchemist’s secrets +in my travels. I have inside me the winds, the deserts, the oceans, +the stars, and everything created in the universe. We were all made +by the same hand, and we have the same soul. I want to be like you, +able to reach every corner of the world, cross the seas, blow away +the sands that cover my treasure, and carry the voice of the woman +I love.” +“I heard what you were talking about the other day with the +alchemist,” the wind said. “He said that everything has its own +Personal Legend. But people can’t turn themselves into the wind.” +“Just teach me to be the wind for a few moments,” the boy said. +“So you and I can talk about the limitless possibilities of people and +the winds.” +The wind’s curiosity was aroused, something that had never +happened before. It wanted to talk about those things, but it didn’t +know how to turn a man into the wind. And look how many things +the wind already knew how to do! It created deserts, sank ships, +felled entire forests, and blew through cities filled with music and +strange noises. It felt that it had no limits, yet here was a boy saying +that there were other things the wind should be able to do. +“This is what we call love,” the boy said, seeing that the wind +was close to granting what he requested. “When you are loved, you +can do anything in creation. When you are loved, there’s no need at +all to understand what’s happening, because everything happens +within you, and even men can turn themselves into the wind. As +long as the wind helps, of course.” +The wind was a proud being, and it was becoming irritated with +what the boy was saying. It commenced to blow harder, raising the +desert sands. But finally it had to recognize that, even making its +may around the world, it didn’t know how to turn a man into the +wind. And it knew nothing about love. +“In my travels around the world, I’ve often seen people speaking +of love and looking toward the heavens,” the wind said, furious at +having to acknowledge its own limitations. “Maybe it’s better to ask +heaven.” +“Well then, help me do that,” the boy said. “Fill this place with a +sandstorm so strong that it blots out the sun. Then I can look to +heaven without blinding myself.” +So the wind blew with all its strength, and the sky was filled with +sand. The sun was turned into a golden disk. +At the camp, it was difficult to see anything. The men of the +desert were already familiar with that wind. They called it the +simum, and it was worse than a storm at sea. Their horses cried out, +and all their weapons were filled with sand. +On the heights, one of the commanders turned to the chief and +said, “Maybe we had better end this!” +They could barely see the boy. Their faces were covered with the +blue cloths, and their eyes showed fear. +“Let’s stop this,” another commander said. +“I want to see the greatness of Allah,” the chief said, with respect. +“I want to see how a man turns himself into the wind.” +But he made a mental note of the names of the two men who had +expressed their fear. As soon as the wind stopped, he was going to +remove them from their commands, because true men of the desert +are not afraid. +“The wind told me that you know about love,” the boy said to the +sun. “If you know about love, you must also know about the Soul of +the World, because it’s made of love.” +“From where I am,” the sun said, “I can see the Soul of the World. +It communicates with my soul, and together we cause the plants to +grow and the sheep to seek out shade. From where I am—and I’m a +long way from the earth—I learned how to love. I know that if I +came even a little bit closer to the earth, everything there would die, +and the Soul of the World would no longer exist. So we contemplate +each other, and we want each other, and I give it life and warmth, +and it gives me my reason for living.” +“So you know about love,” the boy said. +
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