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 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."
Make haste slowly.
The End
