Grimms' fairy tales
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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."
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.
Ein Kaufmann hatte auf der Messe gute Geschäfte gemacht, alle Waren verkauft und seine Geldkatze mit Gold und Silber gespickt. Er wollte jetzt heimreisen und vor Einbruch der Nacht zu Haus sein. Er packte also den Mantelsack mit dem Geld auf sein Pferd und ritt fort. Zu Mittag rastete er in einer Stadt: als er weiter wollte, führte ihm der Hausknecht das Roß vor, sprach aber: "Herr, am linken Hinterfuß fehlt im Hufeisen ein Nagel." - "Laß ihn fehlen," erwiderte der Kaufmann, "die sechs Stunden, die ich noch zu machen habe, wird das Eisen wohl festhalten. Ich habe Eile." Nachmittags, als er wieder abgestiegen war und dem Roß Brot geben ließ, kam der Knecht in die Stube und sagte: "Herr, Eurem Pferd fehlt am linken Hinterfuß ein Hufeisen. Soll ichs zum Schmied führen?" - "Laß es fehlen," erwiderte der Herr, "die paar Stunden, die noch übrig sind, wird das Pferd wohl aushalten. Ich habe Eile." Er ritt fort, aber nicht lange, so fing das Pferd zu hinken an. Es hinkte nicht lange, so fing es an zu stolpern, und es stolperte nicht lange, so fiel es nieder und brach ein Bein. Der Kaufmann mußte das Pferd liegen lassen, den Mantelsack abschnallen, auf die Schulter nehmen und zu Fuß nach Haus gehen, wo er erst spät in der Nacht anlangte. "An allem Unglück," sprach er zu sich selbst, "ist der verwünschte Nagel schuld."
Eile mit Weile.