MORE HASTE, LESS SPEED

Sam yaw has learned, by bitter experience, that a job done in a hurry cause much delay in the end; and that it is better to do a thing slowly and carefully than to rush through it in the hope of saving time.

All his friends, who were going to take the common Entrance Examination at the same time as he was, prepared their uniforms, writing materials and admission cards well in advance, but Sam laughed at them and said there was plenty of time. 

He played football on the afternoon before the examination, then hurried home about four o'clock to wash his uniform. He spread his shorts and shirt out to dry; but at six o'clock it began to rain, and he had to take them in still very wet.

He tried to press the wet clothes, but it was very difficult, especially by lamplight. Twice, in his impatience, he spilt charcoal-ash on to the shirt and had finished and could climb into bed, leaving a damp and rather dirty uniform ready to wear next day.

Having gone to bed so late, he naturally overslept next morning and was awakened at seven o'clock by his aunt shaking his shoulder. 
Jumping out of bed, he washed and dressed with more hurry than care and started to swallow the tea and bread his aunt had prepared for him. 

Trying to his fountain-pen at the same time, he splashed ink on to his aunt's table-cover and on to the ill-used uniform.

With his aunt's scoldings ringing in his ears, he ears, he snatched up his things and hurried off to the lorry-park. He had arranged to meet his school-fellows there at 7.30, so that they could travel together to the examination centre sixteen kilometers away.

Alas! It was almost a quarter to eight by the time Sam reached the lorry-park. Not only had the lorry and his friends left; but no other lorry in the park was going in the right direction. Sam counted the coins in his pocket and found that he had just enough money to pay the taxi-fare to the examination center.

He hailed a taxi and climbed in, telling the driver to go as fast as he could to the next town. The driver protested that he would not hear of any delay and threatened to find another taxi if the driver would not set off immediately.
Off they went, with Sam urging the driver every few moments to go faster. It was at a reckless speed that they tool each corner and overtook lorries and cars. Fortunately, they had no accident, but when they  were still over a kilometre from the town, the taxi's engine splutters and died.

They had run out of petrol!

The angry driver blamed Sam for setting off without filling the tank, and said that he ought to walk to the next petrol-station to fetch five litres of petrol in the jerry-can.

Sam, however, was deaf to any such suggestion and set off hot-foot for the town, taking a short-cut through the bush.
By the time Sam arrived at the examination hall, the examination had already begun. Tired, hot and breathless, Sam told his story to a stern-faced invigilator and asked to be admitted. 

Fortunately, the man accepted Sam's explanation and asked for his admission card. A look of dismay spread over Sam's face. Frantically, he searched every pocket; but he knew that he would not find it, for he had forgotten all about it in his hurry, and it lay in his box at home.

The invigilator was no longer sympathetic. He refused to admit Sam without the card, and the sad, but wiser, boy had to turn away and go back home.'