This fable illustrates that good and bad fortune are often interconnected.
Biānsài yǒu gè lǎowēng tā jiā de mǎ wúgù pǎo dào sàiwài qù le
边塞Biānsài🔊有yǒu🔊个gè🔊老翁lǎowēng🔊，他家的tā jiā de🔊马mǎ🔊无故wúgù🔊跑到pǎo dào🔊塞外去了sàiwài qù le🔊。
Línjū men dōu lái ānwèi tā
邻居们Línjū men🔊都来dōu lái🔊安慰他ānwèi tā🔊。
Tā què shuō zhè zěnme zhīdào bù shì yí jiàn hǎo shì ne
他Tā🔊却说què shuō🔊：这zhè🔊怎么知道zěnme zhīdào🔊不是bù shì🔊一件好事呢yí jiàn hǎo shì ne🔊？
Jǐ gè yuè hòu nà pǐ mǎ dài zhe yì pǐ hǎo mǎ huílái le
几个月后Jǐ gè yuè hòu🔊，那匹马nà pǐ mǎ🔊带着dài zhe🔊一匹yì pǐ🔊好马hǎo mǎ🔊回来了huílái le🔊。
Línjū men dōu lái zhùhè tā
邻居们Línjū men🔊都来dōu lái🔊祝贺他zhùhè tā🔊。
Tā què shuō zhè zěnme zhīdào bù shì yí jiàn huài shì ne
他Tā🔊却说què shuō🔊：这zhè🔊怎么知道zěnme zhīdào🔊不是bù shì🔊一件坏事呢yí jiàn huài shì ne🔊？
Hòulái tā de érzi qí mǎ shuāi duàn le tuǐ
后来Hòulái🔊他的tā de🔊儿子érzi🔊骑马qí mǎ🔊摔断了腿shuāi duàn le tuǐ🔊。
Línjū men yòu lái ānwèi tā
邻居们Línjū men🔊又来yòu lái🔊安慰他ānwèi tā🔊。
Tā yòu shuō zhè zěnme zhīdào bù shì yí jiàn hǎo shì ne
他Tā🔊又说yòu shuō🔊：这zhè🔊怎么知道zěnme zhīdào🔊不是bù shì🔊一件好事呢yí jiàn hǎo shì ne🔊？
Yì nián hòu Húrén rùqīn niánqīng rén dōu qù dǎzhàng le
一年后Yì nián hòu🔊，胡人Húrén🔊入侵rùqīn🔊，年轻人niánqīng rén🔊都去dōu qù🔊打仗了dǎzhàng le🔊。
Tā de érzi yīnwèi tuǐ qué méiyǒu bèi zhēngzhào fùzǐ dōu bǎozhù le xìngmìng
他的Tā de🔊儿子érzi🔊因为yīnwèi🔊腿瘸tuǐ qué🔊，没有méiyǒu🔊被征召bèi zhēngzhào🔊，父子fùzǐ🔊都dōu🔊保住了bǎozhù le🔊性命xìngmìng🔊。
English Translation:
There was an old man at the frontier whose horse ran away. His neighbors came to comfort him. But he said: "How do we know this isn't a blessing?" Months later, the horse returned with a fine horse. The neighbors came to congratulate him. But he said: "How do we know this isn't a curse?" Later, his son fell off the horse and broke his leg. The neighbors came to comfort him again. He said: "How do we know this isn't a blessing?" A year later, the Hu people invaded. All young men were drafted. His son, because of his lame leg, was not conscripted, and both father and son survived.