The Old Man Who Lost His Horse

Once upon a time, there was an old man who lived with his son in a quiet little village. They raised horses—fancy horses. Horses that would probably say, “I’m too cool for this stable,” if they could talk.

One day, one of their finest horses decided to make a break for it. It ran off to who-knows-where, probably thinking it was off to star in its own adventure. The neighbors, always looking for some excitement, rushed over to the old man’s house.

“Oh no! Your best horse has run away! How terrible!” they gasped, shaking their heads like it was the biggest disaster since someone dropped a pie at last year’s village fair.

But the old man just smiled and said, “Who knows? Maybe losing the horse isn’t such bad luck.”

The neighbors blinked. “Okay... that’s weird,” they thought, but they shrugged and went home, still wondering what he meant.

A few weeks later, surprise! The runaway horse came back. And not only that, it brought along a new friend—a wild horse! The neighbors, hearing this, rushed back, bouncing with excitement.

“You’re so lucky! Now you have two horses! This is amazing!” they cheered, like the old man had just won the world’s biggest prize.

But the old man didn’t look as thrilled as they expected. Instead, he just said, “Who knows? This new horse might not be such a great thing.”

The neighbors scratched their heads. “Huh? First, losing a horse wasn’t bad, and now gaining a horse isn’t good? This guy is confusing!” they mumbled to each other. But off they went, because there was nothing more to gossip about.

Now, the old man’s son, who loved riding horses, couldn’t wait to try out the wild horse. “Let’s see what this one can do!” he said, hopping on with a grin. But the wild horse? Oh no, it wasn’t ready to be tamed. Before the son could even enjoy the ride, the horse bucked him off—*whoosh*—he flew through the air like a kite on a windy day and landed with a thud. Ouch! He broke his leg.

Once again, the neighbors came rushing over, this time with long faces. “Oh no, your son has broken his leg! This is terrible!” they said, shaking their heads as if they were in the middle of a sad story.

But the old man, calm as ever, just shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe this isn’t such bad luck after all.”

The neighbors didn’t know what to say. “This guy sure has a strange way of looking at things,” they whispered, but they left him alone.

A few weeks later, something really big happened—a war broke out! Soldiers came to the village, looking for all the young men to join the army. The neighbors were worried sick, watching their sons leave for the battlefield. But guess what? The old man’s son didn’t have to go—because of his broken leg, he got to stay home, resting and safe.

The neighbors came back, wide-eyed. “You know what? Maybe that broken leg was a good thing after all!” they said, finally understanding the old man’s wise words.

And the old man just smiled his little smile, because sometimes, you never really know what’s good or bad until much later.

Once in a village, peaceful and small,
Lived an old man and his son so tall.
They raised their horses, swift and bright,
Riding together, filled with delight.

One day, their best horse galloped away,
Far to the hills, where it wished to stay.
The neighbors rushed, with sorrow to share,
"Oh, what bad luck, it isn’t fair!"

The old man smiled, gentle and wise,
“Who knows what hides behind this surprise?”
The neighbors left, confused and still,
The old man calm, as was his will.

Weeks went by, then what a sight!
The lost horse returned, with one more in flight.
A wild one came, strong and free,
“Oh, what luck! Now two you see!”

But again the man, with a nod and a glance,
Said, “Who knows? This might not enhance.”
The neighbors wondered, scratching their heads,
And quietly went back to their beds.

His son took the wild horse out for a ride,
But the horse got scared, and bucked to the side.
The boy fell down, his leg broke clean,
"Oh, such bad luck!" the neighbors convene.

But the old man sighed and shook his head,
“Who knows? It might not be as you said.”
Time moved on, the village knew peace,
Until the soldiers came to seize.

Young men marched, to war they went,
But the boy stayed home, his leg still bent.
Many were lost in battles so grim,
Yet the son remained safe, thanks to him.

The neighbors, then, with eyes so wide,
Saw wisdom in the old man’s side.
What seemed like sorrow was grace in disguise,
For life, they learned, holds many surprise.