MAYBE
There is a Taoist story of an old
farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away.
Upon hearing the news, his neighbors
came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they
said sympathetically.
“Maybe,”
the farmer replied.
The next morning the horse returned,
bringing with it three other wild horses. “How
wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed.
“Maybe,”
replied the old man.
The following day, his son tried to
ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors
again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.
“Maybe,”
answered the farmer.
The day after, military officials
came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg
was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratualed the farmer on how
well things had turned out.”
“Maybe,”
said the farmer.
—Zen
stories to tell your neighbors, John R Suler.
Copyright © 2012 by THE PYTHAGOREAN STORYTELLER. All
rights reserved.
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