The Nails

Ma shook`ar chavo,

Here be the story that you wished for, the story of The Nails.  The history of this story in interesting, as it was used (in the 1300's and on); to explain why the Gypsies never stay in one place.  The Rom used the story to gain letters of safe conduct through lands, claiming to be on a sacred pilgrimage to lift the curse of being the people that made the nails that killed Christ.  What the people of the Middle Ages could not know, however was that the Rom were not in Jerusalem at the time of Christ's crucifixion.

Clopin sits down and his voice shifts to that hypnotic lilt of the storyteller.

"A black smith that non can even remember his name, was working hard as his forge.  He had a very small shop and needed all the business he could get to stay alive.  Now, on a certain day two Roman soldiers came to his shop and said they needed nails.  They said they needed four sharp nails, long and sturdy, to place a man on a cross.  Now this Rom had no idea who they intended to execute, after all, executions happened everyday.

Now these soldiers paid in advance. Good coin for good nails. Now the smith, he should have thought as to why they paid him first, but he did not.  What he did not know was that they had gone to many other smiths that had known who the nails were for and had refused to make them, not for any amount.

The Rom set about to make the nails, good and strong, as asked, so that maybe the Romans would return to him with more orders.  He made those four nails that were destined to kill the Son of God.  That night he finished his work and was resting by his window when he heard the people in the streets talking of the three who would be crucified the following morning.

He was horrified to hear that the Romans wanted four good nails to use on this man called Jesus to make sure he would not free himself from the cross.  Before he could think of what to do there was a knock at the door.  The Romans had come for the four nails!

They pounded on the door while the poor Rom tried to decide what to do.  To be known as the one who made the nails??  To be killed by the Romans for refusing to give them over after being paid??  What should he do?

So he hid one nail, away in secret.  Surely, if they did not have enough nails, then they could not kill the Christ.  The Romans beat him for not making the fourth nail, but he was sure he had done the best thing.

That next day, the Christ, the Son of God, was crucified.  And Died.

The people hated the Blacksmith!  What he had done!  So he fled, into the wilderness.  He and all his familia, forced to never remain in one place to long, lest people discover his secret.  And it is to this day we wander, forced to always run and hide.  This is why we are what we are today.  A scattered people."

* Clopin bows his head, taking a sip of his drink, a gesture he had finished his story.

There are other versions of this story, one where the fourth nail, no matter where the blacksmith hides it, turns up again, over and over, generation after generation.  Another story says that one of the thieves crucified with Christ was a Rom.  When you dat remembers all of that story (and finds it again) he will tell it to you.

Your dat missed putting you to bed tonight, but tomorrow we can have a good play of it, provided we have no more gadji popping in unannounced!  Sleep well, ma chavo, and Clopin leaves you with this part of a song he likes.

Don't be shy, Get out and there and go and try! Believing that you’re the guy that they are dying to see! 'Cuz a dreams no crime, not once upon a time! Keep your dream alive Dreaming is still how the strong survive. -- (Disney)

Your loving dat,

Clopin