sae ong ji ma haiku

poor old man, lost horse
horse returns and kicks his son
son stays home from war


Well... that's the condensed version, anyway. Sae ong ji ma means "poor old man's horse." The Chinese story from which the image comes tells of a poor old man who undergoes many reversals of fortune, but who has the wisdom to know that reversals are just the way of things: no need to rejoice when times are good, because things can go bad. No need to weep when times are bad, because they can improve.

I've mentioned this proverb before (see here). It's a good one to remember in times of economic trouble, and a call for caution and prudence when times are good.


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