The Old Man and His Son

James Troutman

Date: 2003/07/23
Last revised 2003/07/23

One of my best friends, Frank Scott, used to enjoy reminding me of this story whenever one of my mood swings would take me too far into optimistic territory or pessimistic depths. Frank passed away in 1998, and I can think of no greater homage to his memory than to pass along his version of this ancient story.

The Old Man and His Son

An ancient Chinese story^* as retold by Frank Scott

Once very long ago, before the time of the Five Little Dynasties, there lived an old horse tamer by the name of Ch'ang Chi in the Northern province of Chang-tu.

Old Ch'ang lived in an abandoned house situated on a hill overlooking a small village in an out of the way part of the province. There Old Ch'ang lived with his son Ch'ang Yi, the two men making their living by breaking horses and then selling them to farmers who lived around the village near the house where the Ch'angs lived and worked.

One autumn day, the two men awoke to find their one brood mare had escaped from the pen where they'd left her the night before.

Later that morning, the Ch'angs -- father and son -- were visited by villagers, who, when they discovered what had happened, said to the old man: "How sad you must feel to have lost the only thing of value you own in this world."

Old Ch'ang stood listening to his neighbors for a few moments, and then responded: "What makes you believe the loss of the brood mare is a misfortune?"

The neighbors were completely taken aback by the remark. They walked off back down the hill they'd ascended only a brief time before, wondering amongst themselves as they walked how a sane man could see the situation as anything but a loss.

A week later, the mare returned home with seven other horses following her. All eight horses walked of their own accord into Old Ch'ang's pen. When the neighbors heard what had happened, they made another trek up the hill to congratulate the old man on his good fortune. But once again, the old man asked them what made them think the events represented good luck. And once again, the neighbors muttered about the strength of the old man's mind as they descended the hill.

Now but three days later, the old man's son decided to break a couple of the horses that had come, unexpectedly, to their home, as a way to earn much needed cash. He'd just climbed onto the first horse, when it reared suddenly and threw him to the ground, breaking his pelvis and leaving him with a permanent limp.

"This time," the neighbors said as they trudged up the hill, "surely the old man will see his son's injury as unmistakable misfortune." But once again, the old man merely asked them what made them think the injury represented ill luck. And, of course, by now the almost enraged neighbors, walked down the hill, convinced that Old Man Ch'ang was completely mad.

However, that summer the Duke of Chang-tu conscripted all of the young men in the region to fight a war in South China. Only one young man was spared, Young Mr. Ch'ang, who not only did not have to go to war, but also was given a double rice ration because of his crippled condition.

However, what makes you think this represented good fortune?

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^* I've found many versions of this tale on the web. but Frank's rendition strikes me as a good retelling for a modern audience without descending into moralizing.