The following is a tale endlessly retold. The truest version is below this version.

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Once upon a time, there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years.

One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically, “you must be so sad.”

“We’ll see,” the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it two other wild horses.

“How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed! “Not only did your horse return, but you received two more.  What great fortune you have!”

“We’ll see,” answered the farmer.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.  “Now your son cannot help you with your farming,” they said.  “What terrible luck you have!”

“We’ll see,” replied the old farmer.

The following week, military officials came to the village to conscript young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out. “Such great news. You must be so happy!”

The man smiled to himself and said once again.

“We’ll see.”

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This westernized story, doesn't come from the Christian faith. It doesn't even come from Zen Buddhism. It comes from China around 139 BC. This is from Wikipedia:

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The Huainanzi is an ancient Chinese text that consists of a collection of essays that resulted from a series of scholarly debates held at the court of Liu An, Prince of Huainan, sometime before 139 BC.  The Huainanzi blends Daoist, Confucianist, and Legalist concepts, including theories such as yin and yang and Wu Xing.

The Huainanzi's essays are all connected to one primary goal: attempting to define the necessary conditions for perfect socio-political order.^[1] It concludes that perfect societal order derives mainly from a perfect ruler, and the essays are compiled in such a way as to serve as a handbook for an enlightened sovereign and his court.^[1]

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Below are the actual words, as best as they can be translated:

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As for the revolutions and the mutual generation of calamity and good fortune, their alterations are difficult to perceive.

At the near frontier, there was a [family of] skilled diviners whose horse suddenly became lost out among the Hu [people]. Everyone consoled them. His father said, ‘His will quickly turn to good fortune!”

After several months, the horse returned with a fine Hu steed. Everyone congratulated them. His father said, ‘His will quickly turn to calamity!”

His household was [now] replete with good horses; the son loved to ride, [but] he fell and broke his leg. Everyone consoled them. His father said, ‘This will quickly turn to good fortune!”

After one year, the Hu people entered the frontier in force; the able and strong all stretched their bowstrings and fought. Among the people of the near frontier, nine out of ten died. It was only because of lameness that father and son protected each other. Thus,

good fortune becoming calamity,

calamity becoming good fortune;

their transformations are limitless,

so profound they cannot be fathomed.

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Check out the true translation at archive.org

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