A bat, a bramble and a cormorant entered into covenants with articles, to join stocks, and trade in partnership together. The bat's adventure was ready money that he took up at interest; the bramble's was in cloths; and the cormorant's in brass. They put to sea, and it so fell out ,that ship and goods were both lost by stress of weather: but the three merchants by providence got safe to land. Since the time of this miscarriage, the bat never stirs abroad till night, for fear of his creditors. The bramble lays hold of all the deaths he can come at in hope to light upon his own again: and the cormorant is still sauntering by the sea-side, to see if he can find any of his brass cast up.

Any notable misfortune will stick by a man as long as lie live。

蝙蝠、荆棘和鸬鹚订立了契约，决定合伙做生意。蝙蝠借了高利贷，荆棘购买了衣服，而鸬鹚则购买了铜。于是三人乘船出海，不幸的是，天公不作美，船和货物都沉没了；所幸三个商人还都安全地到了岸边。从此以后，蝙蝠怕见到他的债主，只有晚上才敢出来活动；荆棘缠住在他旁边的每一具尸首，希望能从中发现他自己的衣服；而鸬鹚还在海边徘徊，想看看他的铜能不能失而复得。

任何重大的不幸都会跟随人的一辈子。