The Nail

A merchant had done good business at the fair; he had sold his wares,
and lined his money-bags with gold and silver. Then he wanted to travel
homewards, and be in his own house before nightfall. So he packed his
trunk with the money on his horse, and rode away.

At noon he rested in a town, and when he wanted to go farther the
stable-boy brought out his horse and said, "A nail is wanting, sir, in
the shoe of its left hind foot." "Let it be wanting," answered the
merchant; "the shoe will certainly stay on for the six miles I have
still to go. I am in a hurry."

In the afternoon, when he once more alighted and had his horse fed, the
stable-boy went into the room to him and said, "Sir, a shoe is missing
from your horse's left hind foot. Shall I take him to the blacksmith?"
"Let it still be wanting," answered the man; "the horse can very well
hold out for the couple of miles which remain. I am in haste."

He rode forth, but before long the horse began to limp. It had not
limped long before it began to stumble, and it had not stumbled long
before it fell down and broke its leg. The merchant was forced to leave
the horse where it was, and unbuckle the trunk, take it on his back,
and go home on foot. And there he did not arrive until quite late at
night. "And that unlucky nail," said he to himself, "has caused all
this disaster."

Hasten slowly.
