A very useful story
Once in a village lived a poor old man, who had a beautiful horse that helped him at all his chores. The horse was so beautiful and strong that he became known in the entire region.
One day a prince who had heard about the horse, came to that peasant and being impressed by the beauty of that horse, wanted to buy him, offering a big sum of money to that old man. But the man didn’t want to sell his dear horse since he had become so fond of him in all those years. After the prince had left, the villagers said:
“Well, are you that stupid?” “Sell him for your own benefit!” “You will get a lot of money and you will be happy.”
“I can’t sell him, because the horse helps me at my chores.” “Does anyone knows what’s good and what’s bad?” “Only God knows.”
Thus the horse remained at the old peasant, as his best companion.
One morning when the old man woke up he saw that his horse had left. Then the villagers gathered to express their sympathy and said:
“What a big trouble you’re facing!” “Now who is going to help you at your chores?” “You were a fool because you didn’t sell him then.” “Now you have no money and no horse.”
But the old man, with the calmness he always had, answered:
“And who knows what is good and what is bad?” “Only God knows.”
Then the villagers left thinking that the old man had lost his mind. But after a few days the horse came back with some wild horses just as beautiful as himself. He had met them in the forest. The villagers gathered again at that old man’s house and said:
“How lucky you are!” “What a fortune you’ve got cause now you have more horses to help you.”
“Who knows what is good and what is bad?” “Only God knows.” “But I’m confessing I’m very happy cause my horse came back.”
The villagers looked contemptuously at him and left.
After a few days the son of that old man, while mounting on the horse, fell down and broke his leg, becoming disabled. The villagers came again and said:
“What trouble are you facing now?” “With the horses that you got you lost your right hand – your son – and now you don’t have anyone else to help you at your chores.”
But the old man answered again:
“Who knows what is good and what is bad?” “Only God knows.”
It didn’t pass a week from the accident and a neighboring country declared war to his own one. Then the army passed through their village and took all the young men for war. But they didn’t take the son of that old man, because he was crippled, so he didn’t participate at the fierce battles that followed.
The villagers came again and said:
“You’re very lucky, cause you have your son here, beside you, while our sons go to die in the war.”
Then the old man answered gently:
“We, people, never know enough to be able and judge if something is a blessing or a misfortune.” “Brothers, didn’t you understand that only God knows what is good and what is bad for us?”
Therefore we should prove full trust in our Lord, not by words, but by deeds. Is it there any circumstance in which to experience grief, worry, sorrow if we entrust ourselves to God’s will as some small children?
