The Tale of the Bat
Long ago, the world was a paradise where every creature found its place and lived in harmony. The land was home to animals that walked on four legs, those that strode on two, and even the slithering serpents and creeping critters. The waters teemed with life-fish with gleaming scales and shell-covered creatures of the deep. Above, the skies were a realm of wonder, filled with winged beings that soared freely, gifts from the Creator.
For a time, there was peace. Each species respected the boundaries of the others: the land belonged to those who walked, the waters to the swimmers, and the skies to the fliers. But as time passed, envy and discord crept into this serene world.
The trouble began when the birds, who could both fly and walk upon the earth, were seen as overstepping their bounds. The land-dwellers grumbled. "It isn't fair," they said. "Why should they have both the skies and the ground while we are bound to the earth?" Resentment grew, and soon, battle lines were drawn.
On one side, the creatures of the land gathered in unity. Dogs, cats, cows, and even serpents convened beneath a great boulder. “The earth is ours,” they declared. “We will not let the birds trespass!”
On the other side, the birds held their council high in the skies. Pigeons, eagles, owls, and others assembled, their wings catching the sunlight. “Even though we have wings,” they said, “we must land on the ground. It is a part of our world too.”
Caught between these warring factions was the bat. Unlike the others, it was both a creature of the air and the earth, belonging wholly to neither. The bats hesitated, torn between the two sides. “It’s best we hide,” said their leader. “We will stay in the caves until the battle is over. Then, we can side with the victors.”
And so, the day of the great battle arrived. The skies darkened with the flurry of wings, and the earth trembled beneath the stampede of feet. Claws clashed with talons; beaks struck against horns. The birds, agile in the air, struck down with powerful dives, while the land-dwellers countered with sharp bites and relentless charges.
After a long and brutal struggle, the birds emerged victorious. They filled the skies with triumphant cries, their wings casting shadows over the defeated land-dwellers. Hearing the celebration, the bats crept out of their caves and joined the birds in flight, hoping to share in the glory.
But the birds were quick to notice. “Where were you when we needed you in battle?” they demanded. The bats had no answer. “You sought to take the spoils without the struggle,” the birds accused. “We have no place for traitors among us.” And with that, they drove the bats away with jeers and swift kicks.
Humbled and dejected, the bats turned to the land-dwellers, hoping for refuge. But their wings betrayed them. “You belong to the skies,” said the creatures of the earth. “We have no place for those who are neither here nor there.”
Rejected by both sides, the bats were left with no choice but to retreat to their caves, emerging only under the cover of night. From that day on, they became creatures of the dark, avoiding both sky and earth, their dual nature a reminder of their choices.
And so, the bat learned a bitter truth: in trying to belong everywhere, it ended up belonging nowhere.