A man’s horse ran away. His neighbor came to him and said, “Bad luck that your horse has run away.”
The man said, “Good luck, bad luck, what do I know?”
But a week later, the horse came back, with 20 wild horses in his wake.
The neighbor said, “Good luck – you now have many more horses.”
The man said, “Good luck, bad luck, what do I know?”
Trying to tame one of the new horses, the man’s son was kicked, and his leg was broken.
The neighbor said, “Bad luck, your son’s leg being broken.”
The man said, “What do I know about good luck and bad luck?”
A few days later a bunch of thugs came by in search of able-bodied young men for their gang. They were about to kidnap the man’s son. But when they found out that his leg was broken, they left him behind and moved on to the next house.
The neighbor said, “What good luck that your son’s leg is broken!”