Once upon a time there was a poor but very brave man called Ali. He worked for Ammar, a rich old merchant.
One winter’s night Ammar said: “nobody can spend a night like this on top of the mountain without a blanket or food. But you need money, and if you can manage to do that you will receive a great reward. If you don’t, you will work for thirty days without pay”.
Ali answered: “tomorrow I shall do this test”.
But when he left the shop, he saw that a really icy wind was blowing and became scared, so he decided to ask his best friend, Aydi, if it was crazy of him to accept that bet.
After reflecting a while, Aydi answered: “I shall help you. Tomorrow, when you are at the top of the mountain, look ahead. I will be on the top of the mountain next to yours, where I will spend the whole night with a bonfire lit for you. You look at the fire and think about our friendship – that will keep you warm. You will manage, and later on I shall ask you something in return.”
Ali won the test, got the money, and went to his friend’s house: “You told me you wanted some payment.”
Aydi answered: ”Yes, but it isn’t money. Promise that if at any time a cold wind passes through my life, you will light the fire of friendship for me.”
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I had not been the best of friends throughout my life. However, God made way into my heart little by little, and it’s been not so long since I feel I´m finally open to people, ready to accept them in my life. Paulo, my spiritual Master, has everything to do with this wonderful improvement.
Paulo,love you to bits
Adriana
Beautiful! The best currency is not made of coin or paper.
Thanks.
That’s Such a Beautiful tale! :0 )
God Bless you Always,
Lydia Xx xxxxxxxx>
beautiful story, paulo.
… muy linda y me, nos hace pensativos … !
The power of true friendship is mighty.
Dear WOL,
A few days ago I was meditating on the meaning of love. Can love be defined? This is a question that I’ve been asking myself for quite some time now. Today as I was reading one of Paulo’s biographies I followed a link to Saint-Jordi Asociados and while looking through the publications of his books I came accross THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD by Henry Drummond. (I found it here on this link for anybody interested in reading it http://henrydrummond.wwwhubs.com/greatest.htm#analysis)
Beautifully put together, there is no definition for love. It’s got to be felt. Once again, God speaks through books and writtings. I was thinking if I was capable of loving and I came to realize how much I still need to learn and once again God is giving me the chance.
It’s like the love and support Paulo writes in this short story about friendship and support, how much love must the friend feel for his friend that he climbed the mountain and spent time up there so his friend could “feel” this support. How many times do I keep myself from loving and enjoying the opportunities I have to love.
Thank you all and Thank you God for continue believing in me.
Love
Monica
I hope they will publish my adaptation of this wonderful book (I called it The Supreme Gift) early next year
The story is good. But I could only see Selfishness. May be its not in the story but in me..
Try thinking of it as a hand reaching out when you’re in need and, thus, beginning a strong friendship. You might not say you would lend a hand but it is understood. Perhaps some would say it. And perhaps both friendships are just as strong.
A true friend gives and never asks for reward
A true friend doesnt ask you if you need help,but rather sees whats missing and fills in the blanks…
A true friend passes by you as a soft breeze in spring,reaching the deepest of your depths and leaving a sense of beauty and everlasting moments of peace
Dear Salam,
And this is done by a loving heart!!!! We go back to love….the answer is in having an immense heart that does not get tired with giving so much love!!!
Monica
I include my friends each day when I kneel and say ‘I am grateful for all the good in my life, including the loving bond and friendship I have with my four beautiful (grown up!!) children.
love Breda
I really really can relate to this story! It’s very beautiful! Thanks a lot for sharing this!
xoxo
R.
Linda história,fez eu ter uma sensação boa de sentir que precisamos uns dos outros.
Abs
Alice
What an important thing ”friendship”Thank you Mr.Paulo for this meaningfull article,unfortunately in our era we’re losing day to day peace,brotherhood also the source of friendship…In this Era’s main idea:Money=Power=Hegomony=Guns->changed people,changed friends,changed World…
This is a very warm story, thank you.
Errei a digitação…
Onde se lê:
“Seus livros tem o dom de nos fazer a gente o que estava na nossa frente há muito tempo e não tínhamos percebido.”
Leia:
” Seus livros tem o dom de nos fazer ver o que estava na nossa frente há muito tempo e não tínhamos percebido.”
Que texto lindo! O que mais gosto em seus escritos é como vc fala de tudo com simplicidade.
As pessoas que não gostam dos seus textos têm mania de dizer que vc é óbvio. É a crítica q sempre escuto qdo digo que adoro seus livros.
Pois o que mais gosto em seu belo trabalho como escritor é justamente sua capacidade de falar de forma simples de coisas simples. E também de falar de forma simples de coisas complexas, facilitar o entendimento.
Muitas vezes o óbvio está bem debaixo do nosso nariz e a gente ñ enxerga, não é?
Seus livros tem o dom de nos fazer a gente o que estava na nossa frente há muito tempo e não tínhamos percebido.
Tenho duas pessoas em minha vida que q acenderam fogueiras qdo eu estava congelando.
Duas é bastante, nesse mundo de solitários. :-)))
Orei por elas lendo seu texto.
Deus te ilumine, guerreiro!
bjos!
I read a story..I found it great..I dont know where I read it..it goes like this..
There were two Best friends in army…once during the fighting…one of them comes under heavy fire from the enemies and is fatally wounded..the other one asks permission from his superior to go under that heavy firing and see to his friend…His commander replies: Your friend is going to die anyways…why are you risking your own life…the friend says…Pls allow me…I have to…he gets the permission and goes..is able to get to his friend and comes back after some time…His commander tells him…what happened…He said ..my friend died…the commander said…didnt I tell you…He said…Yes Sir…you did…but when i reached there he was alive and he said…” I knew you would come…Now I can die peacefully”
i read it before to such great one
The hardest thing to do is to accept a friend join you in your one-man war against all the obstacles.
What a beautiful,beautiful story about TRUE friendships.
One only hasa few true friends who would do anything for you.
They should be forever treasured,and never misused,or forgotten!
Glenice
Friends are Flowers in the garden of life. Each one has different fragrance and their individuality makes our life beautiful.
That’s a truly beautiful saying.. Thank you.
“Ο φίλος τόν φίλο εν κινδύνοις γιγνώσκει”.An ancient Greek quote. A friend knows his friend when he is in danger.
I have a friend since we were 8 years old. I know she is always there for me, even when we do not meet very often. When we met lately I turned to her husband and told him: We are ‘two’ times sisters; because with the relatives you do not have a choice. Our friends mirror ourselves!
Another quote says: Show me your friend and I will tell you who you are!
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
true friend means helping each other without expecting any material thing or money in return,what important is you’re always there for your friend no matter what happen..
I like this story better than what Kahlil Gibran says about friendship. An example of true friendship.
Something like BFF!!!! ;-] maybe from a .. past life!
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
So many people are only friends with people in the ‘good times’. A friend is someone who will be there at any time, celebrating with the friend when times are good and supporting the friend when times are bad. Without judgement.
I have some truly amazing friends, I know that they would go to extreme lengths for my friendship in the same way as I would for them. Someone said to me the other day. “It is better to have friends in the mountain to live in the village alone.” I will remember that phrase.
Love Alex xx
sorry the quote should read “It is better to have friends in the mountain, rather than live in the village alone” :/
for me, a good parent is like this story… a friend in need. It makes the world of difference when I can turn to my parents, as friends. This doesn’t mean they are anything LESS of a parent, but with double capacity ;o)
Thanks for the beautiful story Paulo
I agree. Thank you, Catherine.
I think it should be the aim of all parents to play a double role – Parent/Friend. This allows their children to grow and become themselves; knowing that they are understood and accepted for who they are, whatever happens.
Love, Theresa
A perfect definition of genuine friendship. Beautiful. Thank you.
Thank you Paulo for this great story
This is beautiful got me a little teary eyed
“На крик его:руку!сказавшая:вот!”(М.Цветаева “Подруга”)
Keep the fire burning.
J’ai lu ceci hier .Que c’;est beau et tellement vrai.
“Si quelqu’un me guerit et me retire mon mal, j’entends aussi qu’il me hisse au niveau de conscience que j’aurais atteint si j’avais moi-meme resolu ce que ce mal devait m’apprendre.
Sinon, s’il me laisse dans le meme etat de conscience, apres avoir retire mon mal, il me vole l’outil de ma croissance que peut-etre cette maladie.” Yvan Amar
Un ami n’abandonne jamais ses amis.
L’amitie est essentielle pour le voyage.
Avec amour
Marie-Christine :)
True friendship conquers all! Spread the word….x
I should forward this to all my friends today!
to let them know that I have fire for them and they lit it for me too.
Paulo from where this story is?! Sounds from the Arab world…
Thank U, U made my friendship to others look different, and not all about materialistics.
A beautiful story.
Warmth of friendship. Like the color of the sky, at sunset earlier.
I promise too.
Love, Jane : )
Dear Sheela Nandini,
It is so nice to see you here again. I was wondering where you were.
Take care.
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
It’s a beutiful story.
so warm is friendship, and so difficult to find, that if we have a friend able to light a fire for us, we shouldn’t let him/her go.
Love.
Chris
Wonderful story…A true friend is a treasure, indeed, and has no price. Friendship is one of the most wonderful things in life.
An extract from my blog:
Helping does not necessary entails taking responsibility for others problems and solving them on their behalf, as we are then taking away their chance to experience and to grow from the situation they are facing. Helping is about being there to assist when needed to, but with no conditions and or expectations. It is not about wanting to control the person we are assisting by gaining power over him/her and therefore crossing the line by starting to organize his/her life as per our will. Doing so does takes away his/her freedom to be “Who she/he wants to be” imposing on her/his the burden of becoming “who we want him/her to be”.
Aydi gives us a great sample of friendship and its meaning: he doesn’t offered his friend to do the task for him, or question him for doing such silly thing or turned away from him… on the contrary, he gives his friend the support he needs to go through the test. For Ali knowing that Aydi is close by is more than enough to endure the task.. he knows his friend is there for him no matter what!!
Lovely story Paulo, thank you for sharing.
loveNlight
Gabi
I think that friendship is as important as love in any person’s life. i have a friend for more than 13 years! I think it is wonderful when you have somebody near you whom you can trust fully.It is desperately important in our money twisted world!
o the Great Guider …..
Thanks…. i promise i will do ….
Nice story..
But i have heard this familiar story in arabian nights
love it.
thank you, dear Paulo.
C’est beau : merci mille fois!
So lovely, it shows that true friendship exceeds limitations.
love
CarmenMaria
“A friend in need is a friend indeed” English Proverb
Money is nothing compared to a true friend. I consider myself rich, and ask God’s blessings for my true friends who have gone through fire and water to be at my side in times of need.
God bless. Thank you.
i really like that., friendship is time spent with another.
That’s quite a warming story. Thank you!
Btw. Ammar seems like a tyran, the way that the story is told!
Why make such a bet? (Was based on a threat a bit – no pay for 30 days).
Of course on the other hand, it was an opportunity for Ali, and he chose to take it. (Luckily succeeded, aswell. With the help of a friend.)
L,
L.
Hi Liina,
I think the bet was the risk he had to take to get the reward he was after. But even Ali, in offering money to his friend, hadn’t realised that as soon as he asked for help and shared his plight with Aydi, he could not lose the bet. The great reward was his the second he asked for it and committed to his path.
Similarly, Paulo asked of the WOLs that they risk spending money on a journey and quest that may have “no return”, many probably lost income as well for the time they took to go in search of the sword.
Lots of meanings here. What is risk? What is true reward? It reminds me of a children’s story I read to my boys. Having heard a rumour, two friends go in search of treasure at the bottom of a rainbow. Along the way they meet many people who have different idea’s of what treasure is. At the end of the journey they discover the boundless love that is their friendship.
With love, Daniel
I am crying.
Thank You!
This is what one of the meanings of friendship would be. Looking out for our friends, offering them strenght of spirit/soul, but letting them walk their journeys.
Aydi helped a friend, but neither cheating on the task. Just a simple fire, which represents warmth in itself (one of the representations of fire), would do, to make Ali stronger.
How was the sentence Paulo recently posted on twitter – The only thing that makes a dream impossible is a fear of failure.
Not sure if it was Ali’s dream. But it sure was something to aspire for.
Best of luck,
Liina
Thanks Paulo…
Two friends far away on 2 mountains…Nice telepathy between them.
In true friendship you want your friend to be happy. In false friendship you want money and power.
Ohhh…What a scenario. Happens. We must take care of friends, for they hard to found. The true.
Love
Alexandra
This describes some of my own experience of good, loving friendships,
Love Breda
Now you are melting my heart. Yes BFF!!! past, present & future life :)
Love & admiration,
Heart
xxx
I agree with you Alexandra, take care of the good friends who will be with you during the good and the not so good times. Unfortunately there are people out there who will take advantage of every opportunity they have and it is tough knowing that somebody took advantage, but the good deed will be rewarded in a different way!!! Never loose hope…
Love
Monica
Dear Paulo,
And I’ll be there ready to continue learning about the marvelous wonderful magical world of love…..
Monica
..cant wait to have that wonderful book..
thank you so much for such a great author..u inspired me.
So is this your next book, dear Paulo Coelho?? Did you see the …. FEATHER?????? Two years have already passed since the last one!
Have a wonderful day.
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
Thats true, I cant stop helping people who left me alone in hard times, for I know how it feels.Just dont want to be that way, would be not me. But they dont understand I do not because I am stupid.Ok, maybe was not about that, anyways I focus now on less things, the most important.
Love
Alexandra
OMG! I love this song! I use to sing it in Italian, because it is much more funny than in English and I know it better, with my sisters and some of my friends. I Love love love Hakuna Matata. heheheh
Thank you Annie!
Love
Olta
aaaahhhhhh!
great found :o)
forgot this.
-k
Thanks for your reply.
i’ve been living again with my mother…
who lived abroad for several years.
Now I remember how fortunate time together is
and more so, how easy and loving the parent relationship can be. Sometimes I forget she is my parent because I am enjoying our friendship ;o) But most of all, it is reassuring to have a parent who doesn’t condemn or betray or anything else like so-called friends may do. It’s also wonderful to know the other side of parenthood, which is unconditional love for their children… and this is certainly the best element of friendship… unconditional love ;o)
oh I love the Lion King!!!!
Thank you dear Annie…..it is so nice!!!!
But they are MEN in the story, so it is FIRE! And it took four boxes of matches and half a can of petrol to light it, but it is LIT, and now they sit beside it not talking, but knowing what to say and what not to say, and drinking beer. And occasionally they poke at at the fire so it almost goes out, and they toss branches that are too big onto it, because the sparks fly up and challenge the sky. And when it rains they ignore it because they are MEN and the FIRE will protect them.
Parasol indeed.. ;-D
It will be fantastic to have your friends through all days… of your life! But, ANNIE, if they are true friends to you, you will have them… or at least one of them will saty all the time besides you… because it is damn so hard to go through life on your own… and it is no pleasure in doing that… I need to have lots of friends, indeed… but I need to have one very close to my heart to can enjoy the pleasure and the joy the other brings into my LIFE!
I hope that you have found your best true friend already?
Love, Gabriela Romaria
of course ….
“He performs activities which are often shamanistic, but also sometimes quite silly.”
wikipedia… I like this ….
Oh dear Annie, I love Timon he is hilarious!!! I love the journey of a 1000 steps LOL!!!!! Hakuna Matata takes the worries away!!!!
Thank you Paulo, your blog is a wonderful place to find true friends!!!!
Love
Monica
Dear Alexandra,
My meditations about love continue. Today as I was talking to a very nice friend who has a great heart I could tell she did not feel good. In a room full of people I only focused on her because I could “see” her pain and loneliness and I was telling her that she has a great heart, it is very difficult to love and yet she loves. Earlier I posted a link (to which Paulo commented there will be a publication of his interpretation of a reading in the bible). Through this I see that those who can love without asking for anything back, like my friend and yourself are very fortunate.
For me, it’s very difficult because I become resentful, which I am working on for I must learn to enjoy giving without expecting anything back as by now I should know the Lord and life gives back the love I’ve given. Please don’t feel bad about loving; people make their choices and if they cannot see the goodness in your heart God will.
Love
Monica
So Annie and Katie when and where do we start?? LOL, think about me when you all arrive at Melk, my spirit will travel to reach you all and dance will joy!!!!
Love
Monica
and dear Olta I almost left you out, you are part of the lion king Paulo Coelho’s version too LOL, sorry I forgot to mention you…
Love
Monica
OMG Lion king….Melk is full of promises
Timon this is not so easy!
I will be home, not in melk.
but I will invent a new shamanistic ritual.
I will help you.
you may need to do 2 travels that night.
I will begin drawing your picture at the wall.
Hakuna matata.
rafiki
p.s. the funny stuff: I just had a dream in which a moose occurred changing its physical form: moose-human-moose :o)
Monica don’t worry about that!
HAKUNA MATATA!
Love
so when you are there it will be night time for me and I will be doing astral travel through my dreams. I cannot do it awake but I will concentrate and convince my spirit to be with you all.
Daniel… your imagination is sparkling… So beautiful description I like I very much!
:)
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