English Original
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.
中文翻译
蝙蝠、荆棘和鸬鹚订立契约，决定合伙经商。蝙蝠投入了借来的高利贷，荆棘投资了布匹，鸬鹚则投资了黄铜。他们一同乘船出海，然而一场猛烈的风暴使船只与货物尽数沉没。所幸，三位商人安然无恙地登上了岸。
自那场灾难后，蝙蝠因惧怕债主，只在夜间外出。荆棘缠住所及的每一具尸体，希望能找回它丢失的布匹。鸬鹚至今仍在海边徘徊，期盼着它的黄铜能被海浪冲回岸边。
任何重大的不幸，都将伴随人的一生。