The Zen story “Maybe, Maybe Not”. It goes like this:

A farmer’s horse ran away. His neighbor came over to express his sympathy, but the farmer just said, “Maybe, maybe not.”

A few days later, the horse returned with a herd of wild horses. The neighbor came over to congratulate the farmer, but the farmer just said, “Maybe, maybe not.”

Then the farmer’s son tried to ride one of the wild horses, but he fell off and broke his leg. The neighbor came over to express his sympathy, but the farmer just said, “Maybe, maybe not.”

A few weeks later, the army came to the village to draft young men into the army. The farmer’s son was exempted because of his broken leg. The neighbor came over to congratulate the farmer, but the farmer just said, “Maybe, maybe not.”

The story teaches us that we cannot always predict the outcomes of events, and that what may seem like a misfortune may actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise.