The Nail (Grimm)
Division into chapters is editorial.
The merchants hasty journey and ignored warnings
A merchant had completed successful business dealings at a local fair, selling all his merchandise and filling his money bags with gold and silver coins. Eager to return home before nightfall, he loaded his trunk containing the money onto his horse and set off on his journey homeward.
A merchant had done good business at the fair; he had sold his wares, and lined his moneybags with gold and silver. Then he wanted to travel homewards, and be in his own house before nightfall.
When noon arrived, the merchant stopped to rest in a town along his route. As he prepared to continue his journey, a stable-boy approached him with concerning news about his horse. The young man informed him that a nail was missing from the shoe of the horse's left hind foot, suggesting it needed attention before continuing the journey.
However, the merchant dismissed the stable-boy's concern with impatience. He declared that the missing nail could remain wanting, confident that the horseshoe would certainly stay on for the remaining six miles of his journey. His primary concern was speed, as he emphasized that he was in a hurry to reach his destination.
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.
Later in the afternoon, the merchant made another stop to have his horse fed. Once again, the same stable-boy approached him with an even more urgent warning. This time, he reported that an entire shoe was now missing from the horse's left hind foot and offered to take the animal to a blacksmith for proper repair. The situation had clearly deteriorated since the morning, but the merchant remained stubbornly determined to continue without delay. He repeated his dismissive attitude, insisting that the horse could very well hold out for the couple of miles that remained. His impatience had only grown stronger, and he declared once more that he was in great haste to complete his journey.
Despite the stable-boy's repeated warnings and offers of assistance, the merchant mounted his horse and rode forth, determined to reach his home as quickly as possible. His pride and impatience had overruled the practical wisdom offered by the observant young stable worker.
The costly consequences of haste
The merchant's decision to ignore the stable-boy's warnings soon proved to be a grave mistake. Before long, his horse began to limp noticeably, struggling with the damaged hoof. The limping did not last long before the condition worsened significantly, and the horse began to stumble as it tried to maintain its pace along the road.
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 progression from a missing nail to complete disaster happened with frightening speed. The stumbling quickly escalated to a catastrophic fall, and the horse broke its leg, rendering it completely unable to continue the journey. The merchant found himself in a desperate situation, forced to abandon his injured animal where it had fallen.
With no other option available, the merchant had to unbuckle his heavy trunk full of gold and silver coins from the disabled horse. He hoisted the valuable but burdensome load onto his back and began the long walk home on foot, carrying all his wealth with him. The journey that he had hoped to complete swiftly on horseback now became an arduous trek.
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.
The merchant's journey, which should have concluded before nightfall as he had originally planned, extended far into the night. He did not reach his home until quite late, exhausted from carrying his heavy load and walking the remaining distance. As he reflected on the day's events, he realized the true cost of his impatience and pride.
And that unlucky nail, said he to himself, has caused all this disaster.
Hasten slowly.