The Nail

Once upon a time, there was a merchant who decided to head to the biggest, flashiest fair in the land to sell his goodies. And oh boy, did he sell! By the end of the fair, his stall was emptier than a candy jar after Halloween. His bag was bursting with gold and silver coins, and he was happier than a squirrel in a nut shop.

So, off he went, jingling all the way home. His horse was doing the heavy lifting. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and everything was just peachy until they stopped in a small town for a rest.

Now, as the horse munched on some hay, a helpful helper came by and said, “Uh, excuse me, Sir Merchant, but there’s a nail missing from one of your horse’s shoes.”

The merchant squinted at the horse’s hoof and scratched his head. “Ah, no biggie,” he said. “The shoe will hold up until we get home. I mean, what’s one little nail, right?”

The horse gave the merchant a look that clearly said, “You sure about that, pal?”

Back on the road, they went, clip-clopping along. Later, they stopped again to let the horse have a drink. Another helper popped up, looking all serious. “Sir, I hate to be a bother, but your horse is missing a whole shoe now. Maybe we should visit the blacksmith?”

The merchant, feeling all kinds of rushed, waved it off. “Nah, we’re almost home. The horse can handle it. We don’t have time for blacksmiths and all that fuss.”

The horse sighed. You could almost hear it thinking, “This is going to be a disaster, isn’t it?”

And sure enough, disaster struck! The horse began to limp like it was auditioning for a penguin dance troupe. Then, the limp turned into a stumble, and before you could say “nail,” the poor horse went down like a sack of potatoes, its leg hurting something fierce.

The merchant’s heart sank faster than a stone in a pond. “Oh no, poor horse! I should’ve listened to those helpful helpers! Now look at us!”

The horse, lying on the ground with an expression that said, “Told you so,” watched as the merchant huffed and puffed trying to carry his now super-heavy bag of coins.

By the time the merchant finally got home, he was more tired than a dog chasing its tail all day. He plopped down, panting like he’d just run a marathon.

“All this trouble because of one little nail,” he groaned. “If only I hadn’t been in such a hurry!”

The horse, resting with its leg wrapped up, just blinked at him. If horses could talk, it’d probably say, “Next time, listen to the experts, buddy. They know their nails!”

A merchant traveled to a fair so grand,
With goods to sell from his own hand.
He sold them all, his bag was filled,
With coins of silver, gold, he thrilled.

He placed his coins in a heavy sack,
And on his horse, they started back.
The sun was bright, the day was warm,
They rode with ease, no sign of harm.

In a small town, they stopped to rest,
A helper said, "Sir, it’s best,
To fix your horse’s missing nail,
Or on the road, it might fail."

But in his haste, the merchant said,
"No need to stop, go on instead.
We’ll make it home, the way is clear,
The shoe will last, no need to fear."

Later they stopped, the horse to feed,
Another said, "A shoe you need!"
The merchant sighed, "We’re nearly there,
The horse can manage, don’t despair."

But as they rode, the horse grew tired,
Its pace slowed down, its strength expired.
It stumbled once, then lost its stride,
The merchant now walked by its side.

With every step, he shook his head,
Regretting words that he had said.
"For want of a nail, my horse did fall,
And now I walk, carrying it all."