Bad luck, Good luck

There once was very poor man living in
a village who had a very fine horse. So
fine, in fact, that the lord of the
castle wanted to buy it. But the old man
always refused.

"To me this horse is not merely an
animal. He's a friend. How could I sell
you my friend?"

One morning he went to the stable and
found his horse gone.

All the villagers said, "We told you!
You should have sold your horse. Now
he's been stolen instead. What terrible
luck."

"Bad luck or good luck," the old man
said. "Who can say?"

Everyone laughed at him. But 15 days
later the horse returned, followed by a
whole herd of wild horses. He had
escaped from the stable, courted a young
mare, and returned with the rest of the
herd following behind!

"What luck!" the villagers cried.

The old man and his son began training
the wild horses. But a week later the
man's son broke his leg trying to train
one of the horses.

"Bad luck," said his friends. "What
are you going to do now without your son
to help you? You who are already so
poor."

"Bad luck, good luck, who can say?"
the old man replied.

A few days later an army belonging to
the lord of the land passed through the
village and forced all the young men to
become soldiers. All... except the old
man's son, because of his broken leg.

"How lucky you are," the villagers
cried. "All our children are gone to
war, but you've been able to keep your
son. Our sons will probably be
killed..."

The old man replied, "Bad luck, good
luck... who can say?"

The future comes to us in bits and
pieces. We never know what lies in store
for us. But if you always maintain a
positive attitude the doors of chance
remain open, and you will be a happier
person.