從前有個老人住在邊塞上，
養了匹馬兒真雄壯。
沒想到那天馬兒跑丟了，
驚動了親戚朋友來看望，
都安慰老人莫傷心。
老人說：
“看我哪兒帶傷心樣？
乍一看丟馬好像是壞事，
也可能災禍背後是吉祥。”
過幾天那馬竟然跑回來，
還帶來一匹好馬在一旁。
“塞翁失馬”作成語，
“安知非福”緊配上，
常比喻暫時的挫折或損失，
往往是事物的表麵相。
也許壞事變好事，
其中有辯證的因素藏。
The Old Frontiersman Losing His Horse
Once upon a time，an old man lived in the frontier and raised a horse which was very very strong。Unexpectedly one day the horse had run away，and upon hearing of it，his friends and relatives all came to see him。They consoled him not to be sad。
The old man said，“I don't feel sad at all。For losing a horse looks like a bad thing，but bad things might beget auspiciousness。”A few days later the horse came back bringing a better steed with it。
“The old frontiersman losing his horse”became an idiom，and it is often followed by“How do you know it isn't a blessing？”It means some temporary difficulties and hardships may be of a phenomenal matter。And bad things may be changed into good ones。There's always something dialectical hidden in it。