Once upon a time, on the edge of a tiny village, lived Alyosha and his old father. Of all the people in the village, these two were the most poor. In truth the only thing that Alyosha had that he could call his own, was his horse. She was a fine mare, bold and strong. Every morning, he would leap up onto her back, and ride, and feel the wind in his face, and the thunder of her hooves. These morning rides were Alyosha's joy in life.

He would ride each morning, through the fields surrounding the village, but never did he go into the forest. The woods were not very deep, and on the other side lay the plains. These plains were patrolled by slavers. It was told in the village that once long ago, the slavers had raided the little village. No one really remembered those days. It was only a fireside tale on the old men's lips.

One morning, as Alyosha stood outside his old father's wagon, grooming his mare, she suddenly plunged and reared, her nostrils flaring, and broke the thong that held her. Off she galloped, across the fields and into the forest.

Alyosha called, "Come back! Please come back!" running across the field after her, but she was gone into the forest, and he dared not follow.

When his neighbors saw that his only possession had run off, they all came to visit and sympathize with his great misfortune. They all said how sorry they were for him, and mourned his loss with him.

His old Papa said only, "How do you know that this is not a blessing?"

"Losing my only horse, a blessing?" wondered Alyosha, "How could dat be?"

It was only a few days later, from inside his papa's wagon he heard the sound of hooves, and looking outside, he saw his mare returning home. Behind her came a great stallion. She had gone through the forest to the patrols of the slavers, and cut herself loose a mate.

When the neighbors saw that there were now two horses, where there had been none or one, they came to congratulate Alyosha, and to celebrate his good fortune.

His old Papa narrowed his eyes and warned, "How do you know? Eh? How do you know dat dis is not a disaster?!"

"Gaining two horses where before I had none, Disaster?! How could dat be?" wondered Alyosha.

Later that month, Alyosha found himself feeling bold enough to try to ride the great stallion. The stallion had been used to heavy armor, and a saddle, bridle and spurs, not the bare back and light halter that Alyosha used. The stallion ran. Swift as the wind with the sheer joy of running, he bolted through the fields and into the forest. The only thing Alyosha could do was to wrap his fingers in the stallion's mane, and duck his head as limbs of trees were flying past his face. Suddenly the stallion reared up, and threw him, and galloped off.

There he lay in awful pain for many hours. He had broken his hip in the fall. Eventually the townsfolk came, eyes filled with fear to be so deep in the forest, and carried him home.

His father saw the pain, not only in his son's body, but in his eyes as well, and said, "How do you know? Eh? Perhaps dis is a blessing in disguise, no?"

"How could dat be?" thought Alyosha.

Alyosha's hip did not heal well. He lay in his bed unable to rise. It seemed that he would never be the same again.

Months later, one morning he awoke to the sounds of yelling and alarm bells and drums. Raising himself on his elbow, he looked out of the vardo. Young men and women of the village were running out to the fields with weapons, old and rusted with disuse, or makeshift. It seemed that the village was being raided by the slavers.

On that terrible day, nine out of ten of those who fought to keep their freedom were taken, never to be seen again. Alyosha, with his broken hip could not rise to fight, and would have made a poor and useless slave indeed. His father was thought too old. They were not taken. Alyosha lived a long and happy life, free of slavery, although he limped until the end of his days.

Thus it is often said that just above blessing, hovers disaster, and just below the surface of disaster, the wise will find blessing. It is often difficult to see which, is truly which.