A farmer had an old horse to help plough his fields.
One day, the horse escaped and galloped off. When the farmer’s neighbors sympathized with the man over the bad news. The farmer says nonchalantly, “Good? or Bad? Who knows?”
A week later, the horse returned with a herd of wild horses. This time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on this good news. “The farmer says again nonchalant, “Good? or Bad? Who knows?”
Then when the farmer’s son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off the horse and broke his leg. Everyone thought this was very bad news. The farmer is still nonchalant, “Good? or Bad? Who knows?”
Some weeks later, army marched into the village requiring every able-bodied youth they found to enlist. When they saw the farmer’s son with this broken leg, they let him off. The neighbors congratulated on the good fortune, as the son would have been very likely to die or injured in the war. Farmer still nonchalant “Good? or Bad? Who knows?”
Original source: Chinese
