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What does Melchizedek give Santiago to help him on this journey, and how does he tell the boy to use the gift? In the hero's journey model, what is the term we use to describe this sort of object given by a mentor to an initiate? Hint: this gift has symbolic meaning. Can you guess what the gift symbolizes?

Melchizedek gives Santiago two stones called Urim and Thummim that will help him to read the omens and make decisions along the way. A talisman is the gift given by a mentor in the Hero's Journeys. Talisman has symbolic meaning and it can have emotional significance.

Santiago realizes that he has a choice to make: he has to choose between thinking of himself as a poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer in quest of this treasure? What choice does he make, and how does this relate to the idea of Tests and Ordeals in the hero model?

He chooses to think about himself as an adventurer or explorer in quest of this treasure, instead. This relates to the Tests or Ordeals because he notices and remembers ho far he has come in this journey and it's too late to just stop or give up.

The Crystal Merchant tells Santiago that even if the boy worked for a year in the shop his earnings wouldn't pay for his passage across the Sahara Desert to Egypt. What does Santiago say in response to this news? How does his response confirm the omen that was revealed when he asked the stones if he would find his treasure?

He responds with accepting the job offer in order for him to buy back his flock sheep and his response shows the omens were true that he has to work to get his treasure, this shows that he will find his treasure because the decisions he makes puts him in control of his fate which is how you find your treasure.

How has the character of the Crystal Merchant been tricked over time into believing "the world's greatest lie," as Melchizedek called it?

He was tricked because the way he lives has been the same for thirty years and he didn't want to do anything other than being a crystal merchant because that's all he knew how to do and he had been doing it for so long that it was normal to him.

after he has been robbed of all his money in Tangier, Santiago at first begins to despair and regret that he ever set out on his journey. As he gazes at the stones, however, he realizes what his mistake was in dealing with the thief who robbed him. What was his mistake, and how will need to change in order to find his treasure?

His mistake was giving his money to a random friend, when he lives in a town full of thieves. In order to change and find his treasure he will need to be more aware and in the present of what is happening and going on at that time.

Melchizedek tells Santiago the fable of the oil and the spoon. Those who understand the moral of the fable hold the key to happiness. Santiago believes he understands the moral of the story. What does he think the lesson of the story is?

Santiago believes that the lesson is to explore all parts of the world but don't forget about stuff while exploring and traveling, he thought this related to his flock of sheep and how he wants to travel, but while doing that he also needs to remember about his flock. The lesson is if achieve what you want to achieve you have to stay in the present.The fable in the spoon is having a dram to work but don't get lost.

After he meets Melchizedek, Santiago considers traveling to Africa to start his journey. He even goes so far as to approach a ticket window to book passage on a ship to Africa (across the Strait of Gibraltar to Tangier in Morocco). In the hero's journey model, Santiago is, perhaps, standing right on the Threshold of Adventure: he has to decide whether to respond to The Call, or not. At this point, we see his uncertainty when he momentarily changes his mind and decides to stay and continue being a shepherd. What makes Santiago hesitate?

Santiago hesitated because if he sold one of his sheep he'd have enough to get to the other shore of the straight, that idea frightened him and he remembered his flock and decided he should go back to being a shepherd.

The King tells the boy that when you really desire something "all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." And he explains the principle of "favorability," or beginner's luck. How has Santiago benefited from beginner's luck so far? What can we anticipate will happen at some point in his journey based on his favorable luck so far?

Santiago was benefited by beginners luck when his friend bought all the sheep for him. We can anticipate that Santiago will follow his path and find his treasure.

One of the first major diversions from Santiago's journey is the theft of his money in Tangiers. How is Santiago's money stolen? Using the terminology of the hero's journey model, we could describe this experience as a Test/Ordeal. How does the fable of the oil and the spoon relate to this Test?

Santiago's money was stolen when he met a friend who held onto his money in a bar and then he got distracted by looking at a sword, then his friend and money were nowhere to be seen. This is test that relates to the oil and spoon because Santiago took his eyes off the man with his money just like the boy took his eyes off the spoon with oil on it so it spilled. He was thinking when he gets older he is going to buy the sword when he get older, he had his first challenged an dhe bombed it.

As he stands gazing across the Strait toward Africa, Santiago feels a strong wind, called the "levanter" on his face. What does he realize that the wind symbolizes, and how does this realization help him decide to cross the Threshold and start on his journey? How do we know that Melchizedek's advice helps him make this decision?

The wind symbolizes freedom. The wind can travel anywhere it wants.Santiago crosses the threshold when the levantar (wind) travels to Spain from Levant, Santiago then realized how far the wind had to travel, and the only thing holding him back from traveling was himself. Then he remembered the story about the baker and realized that he wanted to do something but waited too long and eventually got to old to do it, so Santiago decided that it was time to cross the threshold and travel. We know that Melchizedek helps him make a decision because he tells Santiago "In order to find your treasure, you have to follow the good omens". This means that he need to follow his path. He goes goes to maroca and he lands in the city of tanger. As he looks across the water he remembering the lesson from the baker.

What happens when Santiago asks the stones to tell him if he will find his treasure? Santiago believes this is an omen. What might it mean?

When he asks the stones, they fall through a hole in the bag. When he went to pick up the stones they said when you see omens follow them. This means that there are somethings you shouldn't ask so you don't ignore or escape someone's Personal Legend. The stones are telling him that its up to him to find his treasure.