because he knew that the old man was right

"Gypsies are experts at getting people to do that," sighed the old man. "In any case, it's good that you've

learned that everything in life has its price. This is what the Warriors of the Light try to teach."

The old man returned the book to the boy.

"Tomorrow, at this same time, bring me a tenth of your flock. And I will tell you how to find the hidden

treasure. Good afternoon."

And he vanished around the corner of the plaza.

The boy began again to read his book, but he was no longer able to concentrate. He was tense and

upset, because he knew that the old man was right. He went over to the bakery and bought a loaf of

bread, thinking about whether or not he should tell the baker what the old man had said about him.

Sometimes it's better to leave things as they are, he thought to himself, and decided to say nothing. If he

were to say anything, the baker would spend three days thinking about giving it all up, even though he

had gotten used to the way things were. The boy could certainly resist causing that kind of anxiety for the

baker. So he began to wander through the city, and found himself at the gates. There was a small building

there, with a window at which people bought tickets to Africa. And he knew that Egypt was in Africa.

"Can I help you?" asked the man behind the window.

"Maybe tomorrow," said the boy, moving away. If he sold just one of his sheep, he'd have enough to get

to the other shore of the strait. The idea frightened him.

"Another dreamer," said the ticket seller to his assistant, watching the boy walk away. "He doesn't have

enough money to travel."

While standing at the ticket window, the boy had remembered his flock, and decided he should go back

to being a shepherd. In two years he had learned everything about shepherding: he knew how to shear

sheep, how to care for pregnant ewes, and how to protect the sheep from wolves. He knew all the fields

and pastures of Andalusia. And he knew what was the fair price for every one of his animals.

He decided to return to his friend's stable by the longest route possible. As he walked past the city's

castle, he interrupted his return, and climbed the stone ramp that led to the top of the wall. From there, he

could see Africa in the distance. Someone had once told him that it was from there that the Moors had

come, to occupy all of Spain.

He could see almost the entire city from where he sat, including the plaza where he had talked with the

old man. Curse the moment I met that old man, he thought. He had come to the town only to find a

woman who could interpret his dream. Neither the woman nor the old man were at all impressed by the

fact that he was a shepherd. They were solitary individuals who no longer believed in things, and didn't

understand that shepherds become attached to their sheep. He knew everything about each member of

his flock: he knew which ones were lame, which one was to give birth two months from now, and which

were the laziest. He knew how to shear them, and how to slaughter them. If he ever decided to leave

them, they would suffer.