A Charcoal¹-burner carried on his trade in his own house. One day he met a friend, a fuller（漂洗工） , and entreated²（恳求，请求） him to come and live with him, saying that they should be far better neighbors and  that their housekeeping expenses would be lessened³. The Fuller replied, "The arrangement is impossible as far as I am concerned,  for whatever I should whiten, you would immediately blacken again  with your charcoal（木炭） ."  

Like will draw like.   

烧炭人在一所房子里干活，看见有一个漂布人搬迁到他的旁边来住时，满怀高兴地走上去劝他与自己同住，并解释说这样彼此更亲密，更方便，还更省钱。漂布人却回答说：“也许你说的是真话，但完全不可能办到，因为凡我所漂白的，都将被你弄黑。”

这故事说明，不同类的人难相处。