Once upon a time there was an old farmer whose greatest possession in life was a horse with which he tilled the land. One day, he forgot to close the stable doors and the horse escaped into the mountains. The farmer’s neighbors came to comfort him:

“How unlucky you are!” You have lost your horse in the middle of harvest time, they told him. You will be broke.

The farmer replied:

-Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows!

A week later, the horse returned from the mountain with a herd of wild horses. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. But his answer was the same:

-Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows!

A few days later, when the farmer’s son tried to tame one of the wild horses, he fell from it and broke his leg. The farmer’s neighbors came to comfort him:

“How unlucky you are!” -they told them-. Now you will be left in ruins without having someone to help you harvest.

The farmer’s response did not change:

-Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows!

Some weeks later, the emperor’s army came to the village and recruited all the young men for war. They left behind only the farmer’s son; having a broken leg he was unfit for service.

Soon the neighbors arrived and between tears, they said:

— Your son is the only one who has not been sent to war. What good luck you have.

And you, what do you think the farmer replied?

-Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows!