"this is good"
A story is told of a King in Africa who had a good friend with whom he grew up. The friend had a habit of looking at every situation that happened to him in his life (positive or negative) and remarking, "This is good".
One day the King and his friend were out on a hunting trip. The friend would load and prepare the guns for the King. The friend had apparently done something wrong when loading one of the guns, for, after taking the gun from his friend and firing it, the king blew off his thumb.
Looking at the situation, the friend remarked "this is good".
The King replied "NO this is Not good!" and sent his friend to jail.
About a year later, the King was hunting in an area he knew he shouldn't. Cannibals captured him and proceeded to their village where they bound his hands and feet and tied him to a stake.
As they were about to light the fire beneath him the cannibals noticed his thumb was missing. As their Tradition forbade them to eat anything that was incomplete they released him immediately.
Returning home the King reflected on the event that had resulted in his losing his thumb, felt great remorse and immediately realeased his friend.
"You were right my friend, it Was good that I lost thumb" and told him of the events with the cannibals. "I am sorry for sending you to jail, that was a bad thing to do".
"No", replied his friend, "This is good".
"What do you mean, 'This is good?', how could it be good that I sent my friend to jail?.
"If I had NOT been in jail I would have been with you!".