第十八回 男孩的禮物

Paulo Coelho

是什么讓男孩決定送禮物給老人？ 他送了什么作為禮物呢？

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“That baker...” he said to himself, without completing the thought.

The levanter was still getting stronger, and he felt its force on his face. That wind had brought the Moors, yes, but it had also brought the smell of the desert and of veiled women. It had brought with it the sweat and the dreams of men who had once left to search for the unknown, and for gold and adventure—and for the Pyramids.

The boy felt jealous of the freedom of the wind, and saw that he could have the same freedom. There was nothing to hold him back except himself. The sheep, the merchant's daughter,and the fields of Andalusia were only steps along the way to his personal legend.

The next day, the boy met the old man at noon. He brought six sheep with him.

“I'm surprised,” the boy said. “My friend bought all the other sheep immediately. He said that he had always dreamed of being a shepherd,and that it was a good omen（兆頭）.”

“That's the way it always is,” said the old man. “It's called the principle of favorability.When you play cards the first time, you are almost sure to win beginner's luck.”

“Why is that?”

“Because there is a force that wants you to realize your personal legend; it whets （刺激）your appetite with a taste of success.”

Then the old man began to inspect the sheep, and he saw that one was lame. The boy explained that it wasn't important, since that sheep was the most intelligent of the flock, and produced the most wool.

“Where is the treasure?” he asked.

“It's in Egypt, near the Pyramids.”

The boy was startled. The old woman had said the same thing. But she hadn't charged him anything.

Reading Check

Why did the boy feel jealous of the wind?

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