A Bat Tale
When the Great Emperor Yelm first saw Bat and his Wife eating fruit
in the treetops Yelm was greatly angered because of all the creatures that
flew only Bat and his family did not serve the Sun and His Court, so he sent
an army of birds to punish Bat and his kin, stealing all the fruit and driving
Bat and his Wife away. Bat said to his Wife "What shall we do?" and his
Wife replied "Let us wrap ourselves in our cloaks and sit very still, then
the Emperor's army will not see us and we will be safe" and Bat said "That
is wise."
Later, after the Emperor Yelm had been struck down by Death, the skies
grew dark and the land grew cold. Bat and his Wife felt it was safe to eat
fruit again, but the followers of Yelm (looking for a scapegoat to blame
their loss on) cried out "There they are, wicked Bats!" and attacked them
with beaks and talons. Bat said to his Wife "What shall we do?" and his
Wife replied "Let us go below the trees, wrap ourselves in our cloaks and
sit very still, then the angry birds will not see us and we will be safe"
and Bat said "That is wise."
Then Flamal was struck down by Death and all the fruit fell from the
trees and it grew still darker and colder. Bat and his Wife crept down from
the lifeless trees to eat the fallen fruit which they had to find mostly by
smell since it was nearly too dark to see. But the birds heard them and
cried out "Wicked Bats! You are to blame for all our troubles, we shall
have the last of the fruit and eat you too!" Bat said to his Wife "What
shall we do?" and his Wife replied "Let us go into the caves where it is
darkest, wrap ourselves in our cloaks and sit very still, then the vengeful
birds will not see us and we will be safe" and Bat said "That is wise."
Then came a great roaring sound from below them as Zorak Zoran
rushed up out of the cave and began fighting with the army of Yelm, sending
them fleeing in terror in all directions, but Bat and his Wife sat very still
and the Troll War God did not notice them and persued his foes across the
world. Bat and his Wife sat for a while and thought they were safe when
they heard a voice in the Dark. "Who are you, sitting there all quiet and
still, wrapped in your cloaks?" It was Xiola Umbar, sister of Zorak Zoran,
but she did not roar like her brother so Bat and his Wife were not so
frightened. "I am Bat and this is my Wife" said Bat "and we were hiding
from the army of Yelm when the Terrible One ran by us and chased them off.
Now we are alone, hungry and cannot see, for the Dark. "Have you no
friends?" said Xiola Umbar. Bat's Wife said "No, we are the only ones of
our kind and for that the bird-folk hate us." "Then I shall be your
friend" said Xiola Umbar "and teach you what you need to know to live in
the Dark as we Uz do."
Gary R Switzer
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