Escaped horses

From Elfi

Once upon a time there was an old man living with his son in China, and they had but a single horse with which to work their farm. It was the season for planting, and one day their horse broke out of the stable and ran off. Now the man’s neighbor came and said to him, “What a difficult thing, to lose your only horse.” And the man simply replied, “Is it?” A week passed, and the two managed the farm as best they were able. In the morning, they looked out at their fields and saw their horse returning, with two wild horses following him home. Again the neighbor came to him and said, “What a lucky thing, to have so multiplied your wealth.” And again the man smiled and asked, “Is it?” Now the son started taming the wild horses, and one day, he was thrown from the back of one of them, breaking his leg. The doctor who came by said that, while it would heal with rest, the boy would forever walk with a limp. The man now took on all the work of the farm himself. Again the neighbor came by, saying, “It is so unfortunate that your son has been injured. He will surely have a difficult time finding a wife.” The man simply smiled, asked, “Is it?” and continued with his work. Now several months later, a war broke out, and the Emperor ordered that all the able bodied youth would enlist, being crippled, the man’s son was able to stay home. The neighbor came to the man and said, “How lucky that your son is able to stay home and tend the farm with you. Mine has gone to be a soldier.” Still, the man smiled and asked, “Is it?” …