The Astrologer

There there was an astrologer noted for his prodigious foresight who lived in a land far, far away. One day, a wealthy businessman approached the astrologer and asked him to forecast his destiny.

The astrologer promised the merchant that he would soon become extremely wealthy after gazing up at the stars and consulting his charts. The businessman was ecstatic to hear this and as a token of appreciation, he paid the astrologer a large quantity of money.

But a few weeks later, the merchant's whole fortune was destroyed when all of his ships were lost at sea. When his prediction did not come true, the merchant was distraught and went back to the astrologer to find out why.

The astrologer's response was brief: "I never asserted that your fortune would endure indefinitely. I merely stated that you would prosper. And for a while, you did as such. Wealth and success, however, are transient, just like everything else."

Because no one can foretell the future with confidence, the moral of the narrative is that we shouldn't place too much faith in them. And even when positive things occur to us, we shouldn't assume that they will continue indefinitely. We must always strive to make the most of what we have and be ready for both good and terrible times.