Once upon a time, there was a man who had a very beautiful horse. The horse was so rare and valuable that even emperors wished to buy it—no matter the price. But the old man always refused.
One morning, it was discovered that the horse had been stolen.
Entire village gathered, expressing sorrow, “What a misfortune! You could have gotten a lot of money for that horse. You were stubborn and foolish. Now the horse is gone, and you have nothing!”
Old man laughed and said, “Don’t talk nonsense! Just say that the horse is no longer in the stable. What the future will bring, we will know later.”
Some days later, horse returned, not alone, but with twelve similar wild horses from the forest.
Whole village gathered at old man’s house again and said, “You were right! Your horse came back and brought twelve beautiful horses with it! Now you can earn as much as you want! It was a blessing in disguise. Forgive us, we could not understand God’s ways or the future.”
Old man replied, “Nonsense! All I know is that the horse came back and brought twelve horses with it. What will happen tomorrow, who knows?”
The very next day, old man’s only son tried to tame one of the horses and fell from it. He broke his legs.
Villagers came again, “Alas! returning of your horse was a curse. It would have been better if the horse had not returned. Now your son will be crippled for life.”
Old man said, “Don’t reach a conclusion so quickly. Just say that my son has broken his legs, that’s it.”
Some days later, news came that the country was going to war, and the government had forcibly recruited all young men into the army.
Only the old man’s son was spared because he was disabled and deemed unfit for service.
Villagers came weeping, “Our sons are gone! The enemy is too powerful – they are all going to die. But you still have your son with you, even if he limps.”
Old man calmly said, “Just say that your sons were taken, and my son stayed here. Don’t draw conclusions from it.”
Learning:
Whatever happens call it neither a curse nor a blessing. Don’t interpret it. Stay present, observe events without judgment, and trust that time will reveal their true meaning, keeping calm and balanced through all changes.
You May Also Like: What is Value of Life – Man Question to Buddha
Search Keywords: Old Man and Horse Story – Fortunate or Unfortunate Events! Inspirational Indian Parable, Villagers Changing Opinions Short Story, Blessings in Disguise Story, Fortune and Misfortune Tale, Sanatan Dharma Life Lesson, Rural Village Folk Story, Unexpected Twists in Life, Patience and Waiting Moral, Fate Changing Events, Moral Village Tale, Ancient Wisdom on Judgment, Unpredictable Events Story, God’s Plan in Life, Time Reveals Truth, Indian Philosophy Moral Story