The story is about a Shepherd boy from Spain whose name is Santiago.He can read and wants to travel. He goes into town one day to sell some of his flock and encounters a tramp-king and a gypsy woman. They urge him to ‘follow his omens’ and leave the world he knows. The gypsy points him toward the pyramids of Egypt, where she says he will find a treasure. Crazily, he believes her, sells his flock and sets sail. A thief in Tangier robs him of his savings.But, strangely, Santiago is not devastated, apprehending a greater feeling of knowing that he is on the right path. He is now living a different life, in which every day is new and satisfying. He keeps reminding himself of what he was told in the market before he left: ‘When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.’