An old Chinese folktale…
A farmer and his son had a beloved stallion who helped the family earn a living.
One day, the horse ran away and their neighbors exclaimed, “Your horse ran away, what terrible luck!”
The farmer replied,
“Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”
A few days later, the horse returned home, leading a few wild mares back to the farm as well. The neighbors shouted out, “Your horse has returned, and brought several horses home with him. What great luck!”
The farmer replied,
“Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”
Later that week, the farmer’s son was trying to break one of the mares and she threw him to the ground, breaking his leg. The villagers cried, “Your son broke his leg, what terrible luck!”
The farmer replied,
“Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”
A few weeks later, soldiers from the national army marched through town, recruiting all the able-bodied boys for the army. They did not take the farmer’s son, still recovering from his injury. Friends shouted, “Your boy is spared, what tremendous luck!”
To which the farmer replied,
“Maybe so, maybe not. We’ll see.”
Related short stories:
-) The Egg
-) Two Babies in the Womb
-) Six Blind Men and One Elephant
-) The Investment Banker and the Fisherman
-) The Stonecutter that wanted to be the Sun
-) Life is a Dance, not a Marathon
-) The Man, the Boy and the Donkey
-) The House with a 1000 Mirrors
-) Empty your Cup