One day, an old Chinese farmer was out tilling his fields when his horse was spooked by a rising flock of birds. The horse broke free and ran away into the hills. With his only horse gone, he would be severely delayed with his harvest. When the neighbors sympathized with him over his bad luck, he replied, "good luck, bad luck- who knows?"
A week later, the horse returned, in company with a herd of wild horses. The locals from around the province came to catch them. They praised the farmer for the good luck he brought. He was glad for the new change, and the horses that were of value to the town. Still, he would reply to anyone who mentioned it; "good luck, bad luck- who knows?"
The horses were young and wild. The farmer's son had been able to catch the strongest colt. But as he was attempting to train it, he fell off of its back and broke his leg. People throughout town thought of it as the worst luck. The farmer was concerned for his son's future if his leg didn't heal correctly. He was also getting older and would not be able to manage working the farm alone. Even so, he would still say, "good luck, bad luck- who knows?"
Some weeks later, an army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found. The farmer's son was spared.
"Good luck, bad luck- who knows?"
