Bad news, good news, who knows?
A long time ago, there was a wise farmer. Every day, the farmer couldn't have cared for his crops and animals without the help of his faithful horse.
However, the horse managed to get away one day. Everyone in the community came to offer their sympathies.
"What bad news!"
But the farmer just shrugged and muttered, "Bad news. Good news. Who knows?"
The locals did not know what they should think of him, but they decided to ignore him.
A few days later, while working outside in the afternoon, the farmer spotted his horse again. However, his horse wasn't alone. In fact that horse was the part of the herd. This resulted in farmer's acquisition of four more horses. Everyone in the town came by to express their complement to the farmer. "Wow, that's good news!"
"Bad news. Good news. Who knows?" the farmer said.
After a few weeks, the farmer's son came to visit and join in with the farm chores. The farmer's son fractured his leg while trying to tame one of the horses. The neighbours came by to offer their sympathies and say things like, "How horrible! What a shocking thing to happen! What bad news!"
Once again the farmer responded, "Bad news. Good news. Who knows?"
The farmer's sick son didn't get better even after a month. Because of his disability, he could not help his father in the field.
Suddenly, war broke out with a neighbouring country. The army stormed the town and enlisted every man of fighting age. The soldiers passed by the injured farmer's son lying on the floor and just left him there.
Every resident of the town saw and said, "Wow! This is a miraculous stroke of luck. Wow, this is really a good news!"
You already know now how the farmer must have responded.
