Part 2 Chapter 2Two more months passed, and the shelf brought many customers into the crystal shop. The boy estimated that, if he worked for six more months, he could return to Spain and buy sixty sheep, and yet another sixty. In less than a year, he would have doubled his flock, and he would be able to do business with the Arabs, because he was now able to speak their strange language. Since that morning in the marketplace, he had never again made use of Urim and Thummim, because Egypt was now just as distant a dream for him as was Mecca for the merchant. Anyway, the boy had become happy in his work, and thought all the time about the day when he would disembark at Tarifa as a winner."You must always know what it is that you want," the old king had said. The boy knew, and was now working toward it. Maybe it was his treasure to have wound up in that strange land, met up with a thief, and doubled the size of his flock without spending a cent.He was proud of himself. He had learned some important things, like how to deal in crystal, and about the language without words… and about omens. One afternoon he had seen a man at the top of the hill, complaining that it was impossible to find a decent place to get something to drink after such a climb. The boy, accustomed to recognizing omens, spoke to the merchant."Let's sell tea to the people who climb the hill.""Lots of places sell tea around here," the merchant said."But we could sell tea in crystal glasses. The people will enjoy the tea and want to buy the glasses. I have been told that beauty is the great seducer of men."The merchant didn't respond, but that afternoon, after saying his prayers and closing the shop, he invited the boy to sit with him and share his hookah, that strange pipe used by the Arabs."What is it you're looking for?" asked the old merchant."I've already told you. I need to buy my sheep back, so I have to earn the money to do so."The merchant put some new coals in the hookah, and inhaled deeply."I've had this shop for thirty years. I know good crystal from bad, and everything else there is to know about crystal. I know its dimensions and how it behaves. If we serve tea in crystal, the shop is going to expand. And then I'll have to change my way of life.""Well, isn't that good?""I'm already used to the way things are. Before you came, I was thinking about how much time I had wasted in the same place, while my friends had moved on, and either went bankrupt or did better than they had before. It made me very depressed. Now, I can see that it hasn't been too bad. The shop is exactly the size I always wanted it to be. I don't want to change anything, because I don't know how to deal with change. I'm used to the way I am."The boy didn't know what to say. The old man continued, "You have been a real blessing to me. Today, I understand something I didn't see before: every blessing ignored becomes a curse. I don't want anything else in life. But you are forcing me to look at wealth and at horizons I have never known. Now that I have seen them, and now that I see how immense my possibilities are, I'm going to feel worse than I did before you arrived. Because I know the things I should be able to accomplish, and I don't want to do so."It's good I refrained from saying anything to the baker in Tarifa, thought the boy to himself.They went on smoking the pipe for a while as the sun began to set. They were conversing in Arabic, and the boy was proud of himself for being able to do so. There had been a time when he thought that his sheep could teach him everything he needed to know about the world. But they could never have taught him Arabic.There are probably other things in the world that the sheep can't teach me, thought the boy as he regarded the old merchant. All they ever do, really, is look for food and water. And maybe it wasn't that they were teaching me, but that I was learning from them."Maktub," the merchant said, finally."What does that mean?""You would have to have been born an Arab to understand," he answered. "But in your language it would be something like 'It is written.' "And, as he smothered the coals in the hookah, he told the boy that he could begin to sell tea in the crystal glasses. Sometimes, there's just no way to hold back the river.
how is sweet if u can convince others to do sth.I think it's an spatial power that no body has it but some serious pepole who have got serious target in their lives !
Yes you are right noBODY has it ability to convince others to do something , but if you think about HEARTS instead of BODIES you will find out every one can do it easily.
Yes I'm happy for joining this great group. I loved "the little prince" and I'm eager to know how it will be ended :)
Thanks again.
Skoon...
Darius said:
Oh my dear Skoon
Thank you very much ! " the little prince " is my favorite story . I'm so glad to hear it that you are following that story . Go on please and please leave your lovely comments about each chapter . your comments show to all other members that there is another story in discussions and we can talk about both stories at the same time. Skoon Al-Bahr said:
Yes, I've taken a look on it and I've printed it and downloaded its mp3. I like it. Thanks a lot. But I'm reading now the "the little prince" I want to finish it firt then I will read this one. Your idea about posting the words for each part is awesome. I'm really glad for all of your discussions. You are active and full of beans dear Darius ;). Thanks again for your effort. Wish you all the best.
Thank you very much !
" the little prince " is my favorite story . I'm so glad to hear it that you are following that story . Go on please and please leave your lovely comments about each chapter . your comments show to all other members that there is another story in discussions and we can talk about both stories at the same time.
Skoon Al-Bahr said:
Yes, I've taken a look on it and I've printed it and downloaded its mp3. I like it. Thanks a lot. But I'm reading now the "the little prince" I want to finish it firt then I will read this one. Your idea about posting the words for each part is awesome. I'm really glad for all of your discussions. You are active and full of beans dear Darius ;). Thanks again for your effort. Wish you all the best.
Yes, I've taken a look on it and I've printed it and downloaded its mp3. I like it. Thanks a lot. But I'm reading now the "the little prince" I want to finish it firt then I will read this one. Your idea about posting the words for each part is awesome. I'm really glad for all of your discussions. You are active and full of beans dear Darius ;). Thanks again for your effort. Wish you all the best.
Hi dear Skoon al Bahr
You can find the first chapter and its parts ( from the first ) there in the previous pages of the discussion. I would be so glad if you take a look at them .
Skoon Al-Bahr said:
Thanks Darius. But I think that I Must read the first chapter to understand better.
Replies
Thanks again.
Skoon...
Darius said:
Thank you very much !
" the little prince " is my favorite story . I'm so glad to hear it that you are following that story . Go on please and please leave your lovely comments about each chapter . your comments show to all other members that there is another story in discussions and we can talk about both stories at the same time.
Skoon Al-Bahr said:
You can find the first chapter and its parts ( from the first ) there in the previous pages of the discussion. I would be so glad if you take a look at them .
Skoon Al-Bahr said:
Skoon...