The Chinese farmer

There is a Chinese story of an
old farmer who had an old
horse for tilling his fields. One
day the horse escaped into
the hills and, when all the
farmer's neighbours
sympathised with the old man
over his bad luck, the farmer
replied, 'Bad luck? Good luck?
Who knows?'

A week later the horse
returned with a herd of wild
horses from the hills and this
time the neighbours
congratulated the farmer on
his good luck. His reply was,
'Good luck? Bad luck? Who
knows?'

Then, when the farmer's son
was attempted to tame one of
the wild horses, he fell off its
back and broke his leg.
Everyone thought this very
bad luck. Not the farmer,
whose only reaction was, 'Bad
luck? Good luck? Who
knows?'

Some weeks later the army
marched into the village and
conscripted every able-bodied
youth they found there. When
they saw the farmer's son
with his broken leg they let
him off. Now was that good
luck? Bad luck? Who knows?

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