Household Tales · Chapter
The Nail explained
A merchant, eager to return home after a successful fair, ignores warnings about a missing nail in his horse's shoe.
What happens
A merchant, eager to return home after a successful fair, ignores warnings about a missing nail in his horse's shoe. Despite two opportunities to fix the problem, he prioritizes speed over caution, leading to the horse's injury and forcing him to carry his heavy trunk home on foot, arriving late at night. He reflects that the neglected nail caused the entire disaster.
Themes in this chapter
Promises and Their Consequences
The merchant's repeated promises to himself that the shoe will hold are broken by reality, illustrating how neglecting small responsibilities leads to larger, unavoidable consequences.
Characters to notice
- the merchant
The merchant, driven by haste, ignores two warnings about his horse's shoe, leading to the horse's injury and his own delayed, burdensome journey home.
Key passages
“A nail is wanting, sir, in the shoe of its left hind foot.”
The stable-boy informs the merchant that a nail is missing from the shoe on the horse's left hind foot.
First warning about the missing nail.
“Let it be wanting... the shoe will certainly stay on for the six miles I have still to go. I am in a hurry.”
The merchant dismisses the warning, believing the shoe will hold for the remaining six miles because he is in a rush.
The merchant's first act of neglect due to haste.
“Sir, a shoe is missing from your horse’s left hind foot. Shall I take him to the blacksmith?”
Later, the stable-boy reports that the shoe itself is now missing and offers to take the horse to the blacksmith.
Second warning, now the shoe is gone entirely.
“Let it still be wanting... the horse can very well hold out for the couple of miles which remain. I am in haste.”
The merchant again refuses help, insisting the horse can manage the short distance left because he is in a hurry.
The merchant's second act of neglect.
“And that unlucky nail... has caused all this disaster.”
The merchant blames the missing nail for the entire misfortune.
The merchant's final realization of the cause of his troubles.