Chapter 3 "The Shepherd Boy's Fantastic Journey" Chapter Two

The boy began to read his book again, but could no longer concentrate.He was nervous and frustrated because he knew the old man was right.So he went to the bakery and bought a loaf of toast, hesitating whether to tell the baker what the old man had said about him. Sometimes things are better left alone, he thought, and decided it was better not to talk.If he had said it, the baker might have spent three days thinking about whether to give up all this--all this life he had become more and more used to.The boy did not want to confuse the baker.So he started wandering around the city, and noticed that there was a window of a small house selling tickets to Africa.He knew that the pyramids were in Africa.

"Need anything?" asked the man behind the window. "Let's talk about it tomorrow!" the boy said and walked away.As long as he sells a sheep, he has money to go to the other side of the channel.The thought frightened him. "Another daydreamer," said the conductor, watching the boy walk away, to his assistant. "He has no money to travel." As he stood in front of the ticket window, the boy thought about his flock and decided he should go back and be a shepherd.In the past two years, he has learned all the skills that a shepherd should possess: he can shave sheep, take care of pregnant ewes, and have the ability to protect the flock from wild wolves.He knew all the good pastures in Andalusia, and he knew the fair price for each sheep.

He decided to take the longest detour he could get back to his friend's stable.When he passed the castle, he improvised and climbed to the top of the city wall along the stone slope.From the top of the wall he could see Africa.He had been told that from there the Moors came and invaded all of Spain. From where he stood he had a bird's-eye view of almost the whole city, including the square where he was talking to the old man. Curse that moment I met him, the boy thought.He had just come into town to find someone to interpret his dreams, but the gypsy woman and the old man didn't care that he was a shepherd.None of them understood that the shepherd was supposed to be with his livestock.He knew everything about each sheep: which sheep was lame, which sheep had lambs in two months, and which sheep were the laziest.He knew how to shave them and how to kill them.If he decides to leave them, the sheep will surely die.

got windy.He knew this kind of wind, and the locals called it the Levantine wind, because the Moors came from the Levant on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea by riding this kind of wind back then. The Levantine winds blow stronger and stronger.Here I am, between my flock and my treasure, thought the boy.He has to choose between what he is used to and what he wants to have.And the merchant's daughter.She wasn't as important as the flock though, because she didn't depend on him for a living, and maybe she didn't remember him at all.He was sure that the day he showed up was just like any other day to her.For her, every day is the same, and the days are the same because people fail to appreciate what happens every day.

I left my parents, my mother, and my town.They gradually got used to not having me, and I got used to not having them.Someday my sheep will get used to not having me around, the boy thought. From where he sat now, he could observe the square.People streamed in and out of the bakery.A young couple was kissing on the bench where he and the old man had sat. "The baker..." he said to himself, but thought no further. The Levantine winds continued to build, and he could feel them beating against his face.The wind that brought the Moors also brought the smell of the desert and the veiled woman.The wind mingled with sweat and the dreams of men who had left their homes for the unknown, gold, adventure -- and the pyramids.

The boy envied the freedom of the wind, and at the same time saw that he could have the same freedom.Nothing can stop him, except himself.The sheep, the merchant's daughter, the Andalusian steppes, were but a step towards the end of his destiny! At noon the next day, the boy and the old man met.He gave the old man six sheep. "I was surprised," said the boy, "that my friend bought the other sheep right away. He said he had always dreamed of being a shepherd, and that was a good sign." "It's always been like that," said the old man. "It's called what you want. When you play poker for the first time, it always wins. Beginner's luck."

"Why is this happening?" "Because there is a powerful force that wants to fulfill your destiny, and it allows you to taste the sweetness first." The old man began to examine the flock and found the lame sheep.Don't worry too much about its lame leg, the boy explained, because it is the smartest sheep in the flock and it produces the most wool. "Where is the treasure?" he asked. "In Egypt, near the pyramids." The boy froze.The gypsy woman said the same thing without charging him. "You have to follow the omens to discover the treasure. God has paved the way for everyone, you just need to interpret the omens He left you."

Before the boy could answer, a butterfly appeared and fluttered between the boy and the old man.The boy remembered what his grandmother had said once, that butterflies were a good omen, like crickets, like lizards, and sycamores. "That's right," said the old man, as if he could read the boy's mind, "like your grandmother taught you, these are good omens." The old man unfastened his cloak, and the boy was startled by what he saw.Under the cloak the old man wore an armor of thick gold flakes studded with all kinds of precious stones.The boy recalled the intense light he had seen the day before.

He was indeed a king!He must have used camouflage to ward off the thieves. "These two are for you," said the old man, and removed from the armor a white stone and a black stone that were originally attached to the center of the armor. "They are called Urim and Thummim. Black stones mean 'yes' and white stones mean 'no.' They help you when you can't read the omens. Remember, only ask the key questions .” "But you try to make up your own mind as best you can. The treasure is in the pyramid; you already knew that, but I'll take six sheep as a price, because I helped you make up your mind."

The boy put the stones in the bag.From now on, he has to make his own decisions. "Don't forget that everything you meet is for one thing and nothing else. And don't forget to read the omens. Above all, don't forget to follow your destiny to the end. Before I go, I I also want to tell you a little story. A shopkeeper taught his son to learn the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world.The boy then traveled across the desert for forty days, and finally came to a beautiful castle built on the top of a mountain.That's where the wise live. He thought he would meet a wise man who had escaped the mundane world, but as soon as he stepped into the castle hall, he saw a noisy party, businessmen came and went, people crowded in every corner to chat, and a small orchestra was playing lyrical music , and a table filled with all kinds of delicacies.While the wise man was talking to everyone, the boy had to wait for two hours until finally it was his turn to talk to the wise man.

The wise man listened attentively to the boy's explanation of why he was here, but said that he did not have time to explain the secret of happiness right away.He advised the boy to go for a walk and come back in two hours. "At the same time, I want you to do one thing." The wise man handed the boy a spoon, on which two drops of oil dripped. 'Don't let the oil drip out when you're poking around. ' The boy began to climb up and down the castle stairs without taking his eyes off the spoon for a moment.Two hours later, he returned to the hall and found the wise man. 'Well,' asked the wise man, 'have you seen the Persian tapestry hanging in the dining room?Did you admire that well-designed main garden?That took ten years to build.Have you noticed that beautiful parchment in the library? ' Embarrassed, the boy confessed that he wasn't paying attention to anything at all.All he could do was to keep the oil from dripping out. 'Then go back and enjoy the beauty and magnificence of this castle! ' Said the wise man, 'You should not trust a man if you do not know his house. ' So the boy relaxed and began to explore the castle.This time, he carefully admired the ceiling, floor, and paintings on the poles. He looked at the garden, and also looked at the surrounding mountain scenery, beautiful flowers, and carefully selected artworks.When he returned to the wise man, he described in detail what he had seen. 'But what about the oil? ' asked the wise man. The boy looked down at the spoon, and found that the oil in the spoon was long gone. 'I can only offer you one advice,' said the wisest man, 'that the secret of happiness is to see all the wonders of the world, but don't forget the oil in the spoon. '" The shepherd did not speak.He understood the stories the old man told him.A shepherd may love to travel, but never forget his flock. The old man stared at the boy, raised his hands, and made some strange gestures on the boy's shoulder.Then he left with the sheep. On the highest point of Tailifa stands an ancient castle, which was built by the Moors.Africa can be seen from the walls. That very afternoon, Melchizedek, king of Salem, came to the wall and sat there with the Levantine wind blowing on his face.The sheep stirred restlessly nearby, not yet used to their new masters, and so many changes.They want food and water. Melchizedek watched as a ship sailed out of port.He would not see the boy again, any more than he had seen Abraham afterward, since he had charged Abraham a tenth.This is his job. (Note 9) Gods should not have desires, because they have no destiny.However, the king of Salem desperately wanted the boy to succeed. What a shame, the boy will soon forget my name, he thought.I should have read it to him again.Then when he mentions me, he will say that I am Melchizedek king of Salem. He looked up to the sky, feeling a little shy and said, "I know it's futile, as you say, my lord. But an old king still needs to be proud of himself sometimes." Africa is a strange place, the boy thought. He was sitting in a bar like any other in the narrow lanes of Tangier the boy had just passed.Around him sat men who were passing a huge pipe and smoking it in turn.In the past few hours, he has seen the men of the city walking arm in arm, the veiled women, and the priests climbing the tower to pray-while everyone around him suddenly knelt down On the ground, forehead touching the ground. (Note 11) "Pagan rites," he said to himself.When he was studying in seminary, he always looked at St. Matamoros on a white horse.At St. St. Diego's Mattamoros held the drawn sword in his hand, and a group of similar people were prostrate at his feet.Boys feel uncomfortable and isolated.These heretics really look like devils. In addition, the boy suddenly remembered a terrible thing: because he was on the road in too much haste, he forgot one thing—just a detail, but it would take him a long time to find his treasure—he Forget, in this country, only Arabic is spoken. When the owner of the bar came over, the boy pointed to the wine that the people at the next table were drinking.It turned out to be a cup of bitter tea.Boys prefer alcohol. But he doesn't need to care about these now.All he thought about was his treasure, and how to find it.He had a good fortune in his purse from the sale of the sheep, and the boy knew that money could do wonders; a rich man was never alone.It won't take long, maybe just a few days, for him to reach the pyramids.The old man wouldn't lie to him, anyway, an old man in gold armor needn't lie to him for six sheep. The old man had spoken of signs and omens, and he had thought of omens as the boy crossed the Channel.The old man was right: when the boy was still on the plains of Andalusia, he had gradually learned to choose his path by observing the land and the sky.He found that the presence of a certain type of bird indicated that snakes were nearby, and that the presence of a certain type of bush indicated the presence of water in the area.This is what his flock taught him. If God can lead the sheep so well, I believe he should also guide people, the boy thought, which made him feel better.The tea doesn't taste so bitter anymore. "Who are you?" he heard a voice ask him in Spanish.The boy breathed a sigh of relief.He was thinking about the omen when someone appeared. "How do you speak Spanish?" he asked.The other party was a young man in western clothes.The man looked to be about the boy's age and height. "Almost everyone here speaks Spanish, and we're only two hours away by boat from Spain." "Sit down, I want to do business with you," said the boy, "order me a glass of wine, I hate this kind of tea." "Alcohol is not served in this country," said the young man. "The religion here forbids alcohol." Then the boy told the young man that he wanted to go to the pyramids.He almost tells about the treasure, but decides not to.If he had said so, perhaps the Arab would have asked him for part of the treasure as a reward for leading him to the pyramids.He remembered what the old man said, don't use the wealth you haven't got as a reward. "I wish you would take me there, if you could. I'll pay for your guide." "Do you know how to get there?" asked the new friend. The boy noticed the barkeeper standing near them, listening intently to their conversation.The presence of the bar owner made him feel very uncomfortable, but he had just found a guide and didn't want to lose the opportunity. "You have to cross the entire Sahara Desert," said the young man. "If you want to cross the desert, you have to have enough money." The boy thought the question was strange, but he trusted the old man when he said that when you really want something, the whole universe will help you. The boy took the money out of the bag and showed it to the young man.The bar owner also came up to watch.The two exchanged a few words in Arabic, and the bar owner looked annoyed. "Let's get out of here first!" said the new friend, "he told us to leave." The boy breathed a sigh of relief.He stood up to pay, but the bar owner grabbed him and started yelling at him in a barrage of angry sentences.The boy thought he was strong enough to fight back, but he was in a strange country.His new friend pushes the bar owner away and pulls him closer to him. "He wants your money," he said. "Tangier is a port like nowhere else in Africa, and there are always thieves in ports." The boy trusted his new friend, who helped him out of danger.The boy took out the money and counted it. "By tomorrow, we can reach the pyramid." The young man took the money and said, "But I have to buy two camels." Together they walked through the narrow streets of Tangier.The streets are lined with various stalls with symbols for items for sale.Then they came to the middle of a large square where there was a market.Thousands were shouting prices, selling and buying; vegetables were hawked among daggers, rugs were displayed beside tobacco.But the boy was still staring intently at his new friend.After all, the young man took all his money.He thought about asking the young man to pay him back the money, but worried that it would not be kind enough to do so.He really doesn't know much about the customs of this country. "I'll just keep an eye on him," he said to himself.He is much stronger than his new friends. Suddenly, amidst the chaos, he saw a beautiful sword.The scabbard was inlaid with silver, and the hilt was black, studded with precious stones.The boy decided that when he answered from the pyramid, he must come back and buy the sword. "Ask the stall owner how to sell that sword?" he said to his new friend, and then he suddenly realized that he had been let down--just when he turned his head to look at the sword.His heart twisted, as if his chest was suddenly compressed.He dared not look up, for he knew what he was about to find.He continued to stare at the beautiful sword for a second or two, and did not turn around until he gathered enough courage. All around him was the same market, with crowds coming and going, the sound of hawking one after another, and the smell of strange food... He saw everything, but he couldn't see his new partner. The boy tried his best to convince himself that his new friend had just been separated from him accidentally, and he decided to stand where he was and wait for him to come back.While he waited, a priest climbed a nearby tower and began to pray.Everyone in the market knelt down, touching their foreheads to the ground, and prayed.Then, like a colony of industrious ants, the market folk unload their stalls and leave. The sun was also starting to set.The boy watched the setting sun slide down its tracks until it disappeared into the surrounding white peaks that surrounded the square.He remembered that he was on another continent that morning when he watched the sun rise; he was a shepherd with sixty sheep, waiting to meet a girl.This morning he was very clear about what was about to happen to him, and he stepped on a grassland he knew well.But when the sun goes down, he is in a different country, a stranger in a strange country, and he doesn't even speak their language.He was no longer a shepherd, and he had no money to go home and start his life anew. It all happened between sunrise and sunset, the boy thought.He felt self-pity and regret that his life had changed so quickly and so drastically. He was a little ashamed to find himself wanting to cry.He hadn't even cried before his own sheep before, but now the square was empty and he was so far from home.He cried because God had treated him unfairly, because God was punishing a man who believed in dreams for all this happened. I am happy when I have my sheep and I make everything around me happy.People are glad to see me coming, too, he thought.But now I am sad and alone.I'm on the verge of becoming bitter and suspicious just because someone betrayed me.I also get jealous of people who find treasure, just because I can't find mine.And I would despise myself more and more because I was too small to conquer the world. He opened the bag to see what else he had: maybe a sandwich or two leftover from the boat.All that was found was a heavy book, his jacket, and two gems the old man had given him. He stared at the two gems, and his mood suddenly became much lighter.For he exchanged six sheep for these two precious stones, which had been plucked from a golden armor.He could sell the gems and buy a return boat ticket.But this time, I'll be smarter, thought the boy, taking both gems out of the bag and putting them in his pockets instead.It was a port city, and a trusted friend of mine once told me that port cities were always full of thieves. Now he finally understands why the bar owner rose up so much.The boss kept trying to tell him not to trust the young man. "I'm like most people—I only want to believe what I want to believe, and I don't want to see what's really going on." He ran his fingers slowly over the stones, feeling the surface of the stones and their warmth.They are his treasures.Just holding them made him feel better.They reminded him of old people. "When you really desire something, the whole universe will unite to help you achieve it." The old man said so. The boy tried to understand the true meaning of the old man's words.Now he was in an empty market, with no dime on him, no sheep to lead through the night.However, these two gems proved that he had indeed met a king - a king who knew all about the boy's past. "They are called Urim and Thummim, and they can help you read omens." The boy put the gems back into the bag, and decided to do an experiment.The old man once said that one must ask very specific questions, and one must know what he is asking before asking.So, he asked, is the blessing of the old man still there? He pulled a rock out of the bag, and it was "yes." "Will I find my treasure?" he asked. He reached into the bag to grab one of the stones, but both gems slipped through the hole in the bag and fell to the ground.The boy never noticed that there was a hole in his bag.He knelt down and tried to pick up the Urim and the Thummim and put them back in the bag.But when he saw them scattered on the ground, another sentence that the old man said sounded in his mind. "Learn to recognize the omens and obey them," said the old king. an omen.The boy smiled to himself.He picked up two gems and put them back in the bag.He wasn't going to mend the hole in the bag either—the two gems could fall out of the bag anytime they wanted, anyway.He had learned that there were some things he shouldn't ask, and likewise, he shouldn't try to escape his destiny. "I swear, I'll make up my own mind," he said to himself. But the jewel told him that the old man was still with him, which made the boy feel more confident.He looked around the empty square again, feeling less hopeless this time.This is not a strange place, this is a new place. After all, that's what he's always wanted: to meet new places.Even if he still couldn't reach the pyramid in the end, he still traveled the furthest than any other shepherd he knew.Oh, they were amazed just to know how different these two cities are, exactly, two hours away by boat!Even though his new world was so empty at this moment, he had seen the vitality of this square once, and he would never forget the sight. He remembered the sword.The thought pained him a little, but he had never seen a sword like that.Meditating on this, it suddenly dawned on him that he was at a decision point—perhaps seeing himself as the victim of a thief, or seeing himself as an explorer, looking for his treasure. "I'm an explorer, and I'm on my way to find my treasure." He was shaken awake.He fell asleep in the square, and everything in the square will be revived at this moment. He looked around, searching for his flock, and suddenly realized that he was in a new world.But instead of being sad, he felt happy.He no longer needs to find food and water for his flock, he only needs to find his own treasure.He didn't have a penny in his pocket, but he had faith.He had decided last night that he was going to be like the great explorers he had read about. He walked slowly through the market.The merchants were setting up their tents, and the boy helped one of the candy sellers set up his stall.The candy vendor has a smile on his face: he's happy because he knows what he's doing with his life and he's ready to start a new day at work.The candy vendor's smile reminded the boy of the old man—the mysterious old king he had met. "The candy seller didn't sell candy because he could travel someday, or marry a shopkeeper's daughter, he did it because he liked selling candy," thought the boy.He knew he could be like the old man—feeling whether a man was moving towards or away from his destiny.Just watch them.It's not that hard, it's just that I've never done it before, he thought. When the booth was ready, the candy vendor gave the boy the first dessert of the day.The boy thanked him, ate his sweets, and continued on his way.When the boy walked a few steps away, he suddenly recalled that when the two were setting up the booth just now, one spoke Arabic while the other spoke Spanish. They both knew exactly what the other meant. There must be a language in this universe that doesn't depend on words, the boy thought.I have discovered this from the experience of getting along with sheep, and it turns out that the same can be done between people. He learned a little bit of new things, although some of them he had already experienced, but this was the first time he recognized them.He never knew this before because he wasn't ready.Now he understands: If I can understand a language that does not depend on words, then I can understand the world. He decided to relax and walk leisurely through the narrow streets of Tangier.Only then can he interpret the omen.He knew it would take a little patience, but the last thing a shepherd needs is patience.Once he saw this, he found that even in a strange land he could use the wisdom he had learned from the sheep. "All things are one," said the old man once. Early this morning, the Crystal Merchant woke up with the usual longing in his heart.He has been in this place for thirty years: there is a small shop on the top of a slope, and few customers pass by here.It was too late to change anything now, the only thing he could do was buy and sell crystal glass supplies.There was a time when his crystal shop was famous, and Arab merchants, geographers from France and England, German soldiers who were always well-dressed, they would come to his shop.At that time, selling crystals was a very pleasant thing, and he also imagined that one day he would become rich and still be accompanied by beautiful women when he was old. But, as time passed, Tangier changed.Neighboring Ceuta developed faster than Tangier, and Tangier's commerce declined.The neighbors have all moved away, and there are only one or two small shops left on the hillside.No one toiled up the hill any more just to buy a few small shops. But this crystal merchant has no choice!He had spent thirty years buying and selling crystals, and it was too much fun for him to do anything else. He spent the morning observing the little-traveled street.He's been doing this for years and knows exactly when and who will pass the door.But just before lunchtime, a boy stopped in front of his shop.The boy was dressed in ordinary clothes, but the shrewd eyes of the owner of the crystal shop had already seen through that the boy had no money to buy crystals.Out of nowhere, the owner of the crystal shop decided to postpone lunch until the boy had gone away. A sign on the door stated that the people in this store spoke several languages.The boy saw a man behind the store counter. "As long as you want, I can help you wipe the crystal objects behind the window." The boy said to the man, "They are in such a state that they can't attract people's desire to buy them at all." The man stared at him without responding. "The price is that you provide me with food." The man remained silent, and the boy sensed that he had a choice to make.In his bag, there was a jacket -- he didn't need a jacket in the desert.He took out his jacket and began to polish the crystal glasses.In half an hour, he had wiped all the glass in the window, and during the time he was cleaning, two customers came to the door and bought some crystals. When he was done wiping, he asked the man to give him something to eat. "Let's go out to lunch!" said the crystal shop owner. He hung a notice on the door and took the boy to a small nearby café.The Crystal Merchant laughed as they sat down at the only table in the café. "Actually, you don't need to rub those crystals at all. The Koran tells me that I must feed the hungry." "Oh, so why did you let me keep doing it?" the boy asked. "Because those crystals are dirty, and you and I need to get the bad thoughts out of our heads." When they were full, the crystal merchant said to the boy, "I wish you to come and work in my shop. It is a good omen that two customers come to my door while you are working." Everyone is talking about omens, thought the Shepherd.But they don't really understand what it is they're talking about.Like I didn't understand it all these years, I've been speaking to my sheep in a wordless language. "Would you like to work for me?" asked the businessman. "I can help you till the end of the day," the boy replied, "I can work until midnight, or even until dawn, and wipe all the crystals in the store. I want you to pay me so that I can go on the road tomorrow Go to the pyramids." The store owner laughed, "Even if you help me clean all the crystal glasses in the store for a whole year... Even if you sell a piece of crystal glass, I will let you take a cut, you still need to borrow money to get it." Pyramids. It's thousands of kilometers away from the pyramids!" In an instant, a deep silence enveloped everything around, and the whole city seemed to have fallen asleep.There was not a sound in the market place, no peddlers asking prices, no one climbed the tower to pray.No hope, no adventure, no old king, no destiny, no treasure, no pyramids.It seemed that the whole world fell silent instantly, because the boy's soul was silent.He sat, staring blankly at the door of the cafe, wishing that he had died suddenly and everything in the world would have ended forever in that moment. The businessman looked at the boy in bewilderment.The joy he had seen in the boy this morning was suddenly gone. "I can give you enough money to return to your country, young man," said the Crystal Merchant. The boy didn't say anything.He got up, straightened his clothes, and picked up his bag. "I work for you," he said. After a long silence, he added, "I need money to buy some sheep."