THE SPENDTHRIFT AND THE SWALLOW

A Spendthrift, who had wasted his fortune, and had nothing left but the clothes in which he stood, saw a Swallow one fine day in early spring. Thinking that summer had come, and that he could now do without his coat, he went and sold it for what it would fetch. A change, however, took place in the weather, and there came a sharp frost which killed the unfortunate Swallow. When the Spendthrift saw its dead body he cried, “Miserable bird! Thanks to you I am perishing of cold myself.”

One swallow does not make summer.

败家子和燕子

有一个败家子，他把家中的财产挥霍一空，除了身上穿的衣物，一无所有。一个早春的日子，天气晴朗，他看到了一只燕子，心想夏天就要来了，那么就没有必要穿大衣了。于是他便把大衣卖掉了换钱。但是，天有不测风云，一场猛烈的寒流袭来，那只可怜的燕子被冻死了。败家子看到燕子的尸体，哭道：“唉！倒霉的鸟！都是因为你，我也快要冻死了！”

训诫：一花不成春，一只燕子并不代表夏天来了。