<h3><SPAN name="chap184"></SPAN>184 The Nail</h3>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.”</p>
<p>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.”</p>
<p>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.”</p>
<p>Hasten slowly.</p>
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