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Are We Too Quick to Judge?

By Adi Andreeva

March 20, 2022

One elderly man lived in a village. He was very poor, but even the kingenvied him because he had a beautiful white horse. The king repeatedly offered him huge sumsfor the horse, but each time the old man refused to sell it.

"He's not just a horse to me, he's more than a dear comrade." Would you agree to sell your best friend to someone for money? The man replied each time.

But one day, when the old man went to pick up his stallion from a nearby field, he was surprised to find that the horse was gone. He searched for it for several days, but found it nowhere.

Realizing this, all the villagers began to reproach and complain in one voice:

"Did you see?" The people nodded. "You're an unfortunate fool!" If youbhad agreed to sell the horse to the king, you would have had money for at least twenty such horses. And now you have neither thechorse nor the money. What trouble has befallen you! ...

Don't go that far, don't judge so hastily! The old man replied softly. "Just say my horse is gone, that's all we know now." Leave the assumptions. Whether what happened is a disaster or a blessing - none of the villagers accepted the old man's words and ignored them. But two weeks passed and something happened that made everyone in the village speechless. The horse not only returned, but brought with him a dozen other beautiful wild horses.

You were right, old man. Forgive us! - People began to repent. - What happened was not really a misfortune, but a blessing. What luck! .. - the astonished peasants clicked their tongues and enviously looked at the beautiful horses.

"Again, you're jumping to conclusions." The old man shook his white head. - It is obvious that my horse came back and brought with him ten more beautiful horses. But none of us know whether it will be for good or for evil. Only time will tell whether this is a blessing or a misfortune. But you continue to act as if you see only a word in a sentence, and try to judge the content of the whole book by it... 

This time, the people did not comment out loud, but internally again disagreed with the old man's words. Aren't eleven beautiful horses a real grace, each of them wondered! 

The following week, the poor old man's son set about taming the wild horses. But they were violent, and while he was trying to get around one of them, he fell and broke his leg. Then his neighbors began to comment again: 

"He came out right again!" These horses really turned out to be a misfortune for you, not a blessing. Your son was your only support in the hard rural work, and now he is not able to help you. Without his help, you will still be poor and tired. What trouble, man, what trouble! ...

Again, you judge the future situation only by the circumstances of today. - The old man tried to explain to them again in the best possible way. - Life is served to us moment by moment and we have no way of knowing what will happen next. That is why there is no way to know whether what happened is good or bad. All we know now is that my son broke both his legs. The rest will be shown by time... 

A few weeks later, something completely unexpected happened. War broke out in the country and all young men were mobilized in the army.

Only the poor old man's son stayed home because of his broken legs. Everyone in the village cried and wailed because they knew they might never see their sons and husbands again. And then they turned again to the old man with the white horse:

You were right, man. What happened to your son turned out to be another blessing for you. Our children have left for the front and it is unknown whether they will return, and your boy is with you. Pet of your destiny! You are very lucky, old man! ...

And the old man replied:

 "You're judging hastily again." The fact that my son stayed at home might be again good or not, and only the Eternal Creator knows what will happen to us in the future...

Shared with joy

A. A

Stob, Bulgaria

 

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