In ancient China there lived an old farmer on a little farm at the edge of the town. He was very poor; lived with his good for nothing son.

One day the farmer went to the mountains and returned in the evening with an extremely handsome horse. The villagers were envious of his prized possession, but congratulated him all the same. He said, it is neither good nor bad, it is as it is. Next day the King of that land saw the horse grazing; while he was returning after his morning walk, to the palace. He at once fell in love with the horse and offered to buy him from the farmer for a huge price. The villagers once again congratulated the farmer for his luck; but he refused to sell the horse because he said, that one does not sell a friend and this horse is my friend, and once again he added, it is neither good nor bad, it is as it is. The people called him a fool and went away.....

The following day the horse ran away, the villagers came to console him and called him a fool for not selling the horse, ‘where is your friend now; they chided; he said, it is neither good nor bad, it is as it is.
A few weeks later the horse returned with his female counterpart, again the envious neighbors came to congratulate him and he repeated, it is neither good nor bad, it is as it is.
One day his son was riding the horse, he fell down and broke his leg, there came again the villagers to tell him how wrong he was, to which he replied, it is neither good nor bad, it is as it is. They all thought he was senile.

Then there was a war; every able bodied young man was asked to go, but it was a war they were bound to lose, all the boys who went died, the moaning villagers came this time again to say, You are lucky at least your son is alive to which the wise man replied, it is neither good nor bad, it is as it is.
And the villagers went away nodding their heads.