Back in old Russia, an elderly peasant, employed as a coachman, came home tired yet happy one night. The fellow had been trading back and forth with a notoriously crooked Gypsy for years. On each deal one man would best the other, but now it appeared the coachman had the upper hand and tricked the Gypsy out of a valuable horse earlier in the day.
"All I paid was twenty silver coins," he bragged. "The horse is worth fifty at least."
"That's good," replied his wife.
"No, that's bad," countered the coachman, "It's a very small horse."
"Then he won't be able to pull a heavy load," observed the wife, "Yes, that's bad."
"No, that's good. The horse is exceptionally strong. The only trouble is that he limps."
"That's bad," the wife continued, "A crippled horse can't work."
"No, that's good. The foolish Gypsy didn't notice the small nail in his hoof. I pulled it out and the limp is gone."
"Then you have a perfect horse for only twenty silver coins," said the wife. "That's good."
"No, that's bad," replied the coachman. "By mistake I gave him fifty silver coins."
"Oh," wailed the wife, "That's bad."
"No, that's good," said the coachman with a look of extreme satisfaction. "The extra money was counterfeit ..."