Tell Me a Story:
THE PARTNERSHIP

  Long ago, before the world looked the way it does today, a pelican and a bat became friends. Before long, they took a notion to befriend a small thornbush who seemed so terribly lonely

"Having friends is the best thing in the world:" the thombush said. The others agreed, and after some times they decided to try to do something together.

"We'll form a partnership," the bat said. "We'll go into business together."

"And we'll make lots of money," said the pelican, "for money will make us happier still."

"We'll make our friendship stronger," the thornbush said happily.

The very next day the bat flew off to visit everyone he'd ever known. When he had borrowed a great deal of money, he returned to his friends.

"We'll buy a boat," the bat said, "and we'll become traders." The others thought that sounded fine.

They found a nice little wooden vessel docked at the seashore. "That is the boat for us!" the bat said.

"No question," agreed the thornbush.

"I love this boat," the pelican nodded.

And so they purchased her.

"Just one thing now," the thornbush said. "We must look like real businessmen." He bought a suit of clothes for each of them, made of the finest cloth.

"We'll need something to trade," said the pelican, and he went to sea to see what he could find. As luck would have it, he found a sack of gold caught among the rocks near the shore. He picked it up and flew back to his friends.

"When we reach a faraway land, we'll sell our gold for a high price." the bird said. "Then we'll be on our way to success."

"And so much happiness!" the others said.

At dawn the next day they set sail.

Alas, in their haste the three friends hadn't thought about the weather. Soon after they had sailed away, a winter storm blew in. The ocean swelled. Their little boat began to rock and to roll, and as it tossed, the sack of gold slid into the wild sea.

The pelican flew from the deck and searched until he was exhausted. The sky grew dark; the wind howled madly, and though he dived and dived, he found nothing. He returned to the ship looking tattered.

He wept while the bat and the thornbush struggled to steer the boat to shore. Fortunately they managed to reach safety, but not before their spirits were crushed.

"The boat is wrecked," the bat groaned.

"Our clothes are ruined," the thornbush cried.

The gold is gone, the pelican mourned.

All is lost, they wailed.

The three partners began to squabble about who had caused this disaster. Soon their squabbles grew to arguments, their arguments to fights. And soon they went their separate ways.

Ever since that day, the bat has had no time for friendship. He flies around at night, fearing that his creditors might see him in the daylight and ask for their money.

The pelican sails over the sea and shore and has no time for making friends. He is searching for nuggets of gold.

As for the thornbush, he disappeared into the countryside. There he hides alone by the side of the road. Whenever people walk by him, he reaches out to touch their garments, hoping he might snatch another fine set of clothes and once again look handsome.