Once upon a time, there was a military general who was preparing to lead his army into battle.
While drawing up battle plans, the general estimated that the enemy forces were ten times the size of his own.
On way to the battle field, the troops stopped by a small temple to pray for victory.
The general held up a coin and told his troops:
“I am going to implore the gods to help us crush our enemy!
If this coin lands with ‘heads’ on top, we shall win.
If it is ‘tails’, then we shall lose.
Our fate is in the hands of the gods.
So, let us pray wholeheartedly.”
After reciting a short prayer, the general tossed the coin: it landed with ‘heads’ on top.
The troops were overjoyed, and they entered into battle with high spirits.
As the coin had predicted, the general’s men were victorious over their considerably larger enemy forces.
The soldiers were jubilant. “It is good to have the gods on our side! None shall change what they have determined!”
“Are you sure?” the general asked. He then stood up and removed something from his pocket, showing it to his men.
It was the coin: both sides of it were ‘heads’.
— Adapted from a Chinese folk tale.
Abz Sharma 