Once upon a time there was a man with one acre of land, one faithful
son, and one beautiful horse. One day his horse got loose and ran away, and all
his family and friends said, "Oh! How unfortunate for you! That's your
only horse, what are you going to do?" But the man just said "I don't
know if it's a good thing or a bad thing."
The horse joined a group of wild horses
and became very thirsty. So the horse found his way back to the farm and
brought 10 wild horses with him. All the farmers family and friends said,
"Oh how fortunate for you. You now have 10 more horses! " and the man
said, "I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing."
One
day while the man's son was out training one of the wild horses, the horse
reared up and landed on the boy, and broke both his legs. The farmer's family
and friends said to him, "Oh! How unfortunate for you. That's your only
son. What are you going to do?" The man just said, "I don't know if
it's a good thing or a bad thing."
The
next week war broke out and all the able-bodied young men in the village were
called to serve in the war. The farmer's son could not go due to his
broken legs, and all the sons of the village were killed on the front. All the
famer's friends bitterly chided, "How fortunate for you, your son did not
have to go to war." The man only replied, "I don't know if it's a
good thing or a bad thing."
After
some time the farmer's son became very depressed because his friends had all
died in the war and he had not been able to fight with them, so he left the
farm and his father to find a better life. As neighbors wondered how he would
be able to go on, he said "I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad
thing."
Five
years later the son returned with a small fortune and a wife, and the old man
was able to retire and sold his farm to his son who became quite wealthy.
Though others looked on in envy, the wise man only smiled.
"I
don't know if it's a good thing, or a bad thing."
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