Many years ago, in a poor Chinese village, there lived a farmer and his son. His only material possession, apart from the land and a small hut, was a horse he had inherited from his father. One day, the horse ran away, leaving the man with no animal with which to work the land. His neighbors, who respected him for his honesty and diligence, went to his house to say how much they regretted his loss.
He thanked them for their visit, but asked: “How do you know that what happened was a misfortune in my life?”
The other villagers were taken aback. They thought to themselves: “He obviously doesn’t want to face facts. The horse was his only possession, with which his son plowed his land. Yet, he does not want to acknowledge the obvious fact that it is a great misfortune.” But they felt it was too cruel to tell him that, and so they quietly left the place, feeling sorry for the man.
A week later, the horse returned to its stable, but it was not alone; it brought with it a beautiful mare for company. It had befriended the mare in the nearby forests, and persuaded her to return with him to a life where security is assured, unlike in the forests. The inhabitants of the village were thrilled when they heard the news, for only then did they understand the reply the man had given them. They went back to the farmer’s house to congratulate him on his good fortune. “Instead of one horse, you’ve got two. Congratulations!” they said.
“Many thanks for your visit and for your solidarity,” replied the farmer. “But how do you know that what happened is a blessing in my life?”
The neighbours looked at each other in disbelief, feeling: “Doesn’t the man realize that he has a free gift of an additional horse now to plow the land and get a better crop than before? What else is it if not a blessing?” But, again, they did not want to voice their opinion openly, so they left quietly.
A month later, the farmer’s son decided to break the mare in. However, the animal – being used to the free life of the forest - bucked wildly and threw the boy off. The boy fell awkwardly and broke his leg. The neighbours returned to the farmer’s house, bringing presents for the injured boy. The mayor of the village solemnly presented his condolences to the father, saying how sad they all were about what had occurred.
The man thanked them for their visit and for their kindness, but he asked: “How do you know that what happened was a misfortune in my life?”
These words left everyone dumbstruck, because they were all quite sure that the son’s accident was a real tragedy. As they left the farmer’s house, they said to each other: “Now he really has gone mad; his only son could be left permanently crippled, and he’s not sure whether the accident was a misfortune or not!”
A few months went by, and Japan declared war on China. The emperor’s emissaries scoured the country for healthy young men to be sent to the front. When they reached this village, they forcibly recruited all the young men, except the farmer’s son, whose leg had not yet mended.
None of the other young men came back alive. The farmer’s son was the only young man left in the village. He recovered fast, and the two horses – apart from the wonderful crop they produced from the land - also produced foals that were all sold for a good price.
The farmer made it a point to regularly visit all his neighbors, since they had always shown him such solidarity. He attempted his best to console them in the great sorrow of their lost sons, and to help them in any way he could.
Whenever any of them complained, the farmer would say: “How do you know that what happened was a misfortune?”
And, if someone was overjoyed about something, he would ask: “How do you know that what happened was a blessing?”
And the people of the village came to understand that life has other meanings that go beyond mere appearances.
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