une petite fable pour le plaisir (en anglais sorry) The Farmer & the Horse There was a farmer in a small village with a single horse who helped him earn a living for his family. The other villagers constantly told the farmer how lucky he was to have such a great horse. “Maybe,” he would reply. One day, the horse ran away. The villagers came to the farmer to express their sympathies. “Your horse ran away. How unfortunate!” the villagers exclaimed. “Maybe,” the farmer replied. A few days later, the horse returned home, with ten strong wild horses in tow. “What good fortune. What incredible luck,” the villagers crowed. “Maybe,” the farmer again replied. The following week, the farmer’s son was riding one of the wild horses in the fields, when it kicked him off and broke his leg. The villagers arrived to express their dismay. “What dismal luck,” they said. “Maybe,” the farmer replied. The next month, a military officer marched into the village, recruiting able-bodied young men for the war. The farmer’s son, with his broken leg, was left behind. The villagers were joyful, “Your son has been spared. What beautiful luck!” The farmer simply smiled. “Maybe.”