연금술사 (The Alchemist) - 파울로코엘료 (37)

어렸을 때 독서를 워낙 싫어했었기 때문에 

성인이 된 20대 초반에 접한 파울로 코엘료.

당시 인생에 대해 무념무상이었기 때문에

 무감각하게 연금술사를 읽었던 기억이난다.

그 후 20대 중반에 한글판 서적을 다시 읽게 되었었는데, 

그 때 미래에 대한 불안감 때문인지 엄청 감명 깊게 읽으면서,

파울로 코엘료 팬이 되었었다.

그리고 20대 후반엔 영어 공부 겸 영어로된 

핸드북을 구매하여 읽었는데,

이건 뭐 또 다른 감동이었다

(내가 영문서적을 읽다니ㅋㅋ)

영문판에서 아직도 기억에 남는 부분은 

늙은 왕이 들려주는 이야기이다.

“However, I want to ask you a favor,” he added, handling the boy a teaspoon, in which he poured two drops of oil. 

“While you walk, carry this spoon and don’t let the oil spill.”

The young man began to climb up and down the palace staircases, always keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. 

At the end of two hours he returned to the presence of the wise man.

“So,” asked the sage, “did you see the Persian tapestries hanging in my dining room? 

Did you see the garden that the Master of Gardeners took ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?”

Embarrassed, the young man confessed that he had seen nothing. His only concern was not to spill the drops of oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.

“So, go back and see the wonders of my world,” said the wise man. “You can’t trust a man if you don’t know his house.”

Now more at ease, the young man took the spoon and strolled again through the palace, this time paying attention to all the works of art that hung from the ceiling and walls.
He saw the gardens, the mountains all around the palace, the delicacy of the flowers, the taste with which each work of art was placed in its niche. Returning to the sage, he reported in detail all that he had seen.

“But where are the two drops of oil that I entrusted to you?” asked the sage.

Looking down at the spoon, the young man realized that he had spilled the oil.

“Well, that is the only advice I have to give you,” said the sage of sages.
“The Secret of Happiness lies in looking at all the wonders of the world and never forgetting the two drops of oil in the spoon.”