A farmer and his son had a beloved stallion who helped the family  earn a living.  One day, the horse ran away and their neighbors  exclaimed, "Your horse ran away, what terrible luck!"  The farmer  replied, "Maybe so, maybe not.  We’ll see." A few days later, the horse returned home, leading a few wild mares  back to the farm as well.  The neighbors shouted out, "Your horse has  returned, and brought several horses home with him.  What great luck!"  The farmer replied, "Maybe so, maybe not.  We’ll see." Later that week, the farmer’s son was trying to break one of the  mares and she threw him to the ground, breaking his leg.  The villagers  cried, "Your son broke his leg, what terrible luck!"  The farmer  replied, "Maybe so, maybe not.  We’ll see." A few weeks later, soldiers from the national army marched through  town, recruiting all the able-bodied boys for the army.  They did not  take the farmer’s son, still recovering from his injury.  Friends  shouted, "Your boy is spared, what tremendous luck!"  To which the  farmer replied, "Maybe so, maybe not.  We’ll see."