For want of a horseshoe nail, 
A kingdom was lost, 
The king’s horse went lame, 
And the battle was the cost. 

For want of a battle, 
The kingdom was lost, 
The people were scattered, 
And the land was tossed. 

For want of a leader, 
The people were lost, 
The kingdom was divided, 
And the line was crossed. 

For want of a vision, 
The people were blind, 
The kingdom was in chaos, 
And the future undefined. 

So let us remember, 
The importance of the small, 
For it is often the little things, 
That lead to our downfall.

The proverb “For want of a nail” is an old proverb that has been used for centuries. The earliest surviving reference in English is by John Gower in the late 14th century in his expansive poem Confessio Amantis (“The Lover’s Confession”). The proverb has been used in many different ways over the years, but it is generally used to illustrate how small things can have big consequences. The proverb tells the story of how a kingdom was lost because of a missing horseshoe nail. The story goes that a blacksmith was asked to put shoes on a horse, but he didn’t have any nails left. He promised to get some more, but he forgot. The horse went lame and the rider couldn’t deliver an important message. This led to a battle being lost and eventually the kingdom was lost .

A kingdom was lost, For want of a horseshoe nail, Small things have big costs.

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