A bat, a bramble and a cormorant entered into a partnership, agreeing to pool their capital and trade together. The bat contributed money borrowed at interest, the bramble invested in cloth, and the cormorant in brass. They set sail, but a violent storm sank both their ship and cargo. By providence, the three merchants safely reached shore.
Since that disaster, the bat only ventures out at night, fearing his creditors. The bramble clings to every corpse it can reach, hoping to find its lost cloth. The cormorant still lingers by the sea, watching for any trace of its brass to wash ashore.
Any notable misfortune will stick by a man as long as he lives.