Why the Bat Flies at Night

In the beginning, a great war broke out between the birds of the air and the beasts of the land. The Bat, with his leathery wings and his furry, mouse-like body, did not know which side to join. When he saw the birds winning, he would fly up and join them, screeching, "See my wings! I am a bird!" But when the beasts began to win, he would drop to the ground, hide his wings, and say to them, "See my teeth and my fur! I am a beast!" He switched sides whenever it suited him. Finally, the war ended, and the two sides made peace. They held a great festival to celebrate their reconciliation. The Bat tried to join the celebration, but he was rejected by both sides. The King of the Birds said, "You are no bird; you deserted us in our time of need." The King of the Beasts said, "You are no beast; you betrayed us when you thought we would lose." Ashamed and cast out by all, the Bat went to hide in a dark cave, never to show his face in the light of day again. He now flies only in the twilight, belonging to neither the world of the day (the birds) nor the world of the ground (the beasts).