Short Story of the Day-7: "Making Haste Slowly, a Tale from the Philippines"

MAKING HASTE SLOWLY, A TALE FROM THE PHILIPHINES

A trader bought a large number of coconuts at a village, and loading them on to his horse cart set off for home. Encountering a boy, a little later, he asked him how long it would take to reach the main road.

"Go slowly, and you will reach it in ten minutes," replied the lad, "but if you go fast, it will take you half an hour or more."

"Fool!" shouted the trader, and drove away at breakneck speed. Fifty metres down the road, one of the wheels struck a stone. The jolt sent the coconuts flying in all directions. It took the man a long time to gather all the coconuts and put them back in the cart. Afterwards, he climbed back wearily into the driver's seat, and with the boy's words ringing in his ears, drove slowly and cautiously the rest of the way.