"
"Let it be wanting," replied the tradesman; "I am in a hurry and the
iron will doubtless hold the six hours I have yet to travel."
Late in the afternoon he had to dismount again, and feed his horse,
and at this place also the boy came and told him that a nail was
wanting in one of the shoes, and asked him whether he should take the
horse to a farrier. "No, no, let it be!" replied the master; "it
will last out the couple of hours that I have now to travel; I am in
haste." So saying he rode off; but his horse soon began to limp, and
from limping it came to stumbling, and presently the beast fell
down and broke its leg. Thereupon the tradesman had to leave his
unfortunate horse lying on the road, to unbuckle the portmanteau, and
to walk home with it upon his shoulder, where he arrived at last late
at night.
"And all this misfortune," said he to himself, "is owing to the want
of a nail. More haste, the less speed!"
* * * * *
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
Once upon a time there lived a poor widow who had an only son named
Jack. She was very poor, for times had been hard, and Jack was too
young to work. Almost all the furniture of the little cottage had been
sold to buy bread, until at last there was nothing left worth selling.
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