Why the Bat Flies by Night is a traditional tale about friendship, jealousy and the consequences of deception. It follows two friends, a bat named Emiong and a bush rat called Oyot, whose relationship takes a tragic turn when the bat decides to deceive his companion.
When Oyot asks how his friend prepares such delicious soup, Emiong gives him a dangerous explanation that leads to a fatal mistake. The tragedy attracts the king’s attention, forcing the bat to flee into the bush to escape punishment.
Through this chain of events, the tale offers a traditional explanation for why bats are associated with the night. It also explores the dangers of misplaced trust and the harm that jealousy and dishonesty can cause.
Two Friends Who Shared Their Meals
Long ago, a bush rat named Oyot and a bat named Emiong were close friends. They often spent time together and shared their food.
Their friendship appeared peaceful, and eating together was a regular part of their lives. However, the bat harboured a feeling that threatened their relationship: he was jealous of the bush rat.
Whenever Emiong prepared soup, it tasted delicious. Oyot noticed the difference and wondered how his friend managed to make such tasty food.
One day, unable to contain his curiosity, the bush rat asked the bat what made his soup so good.
Instead of giving an honest answer, Emiong decided to deceive him.
The Bat’s Dangerous Secret
The bat told Oyot that his soup tasted good because he boiled himself in the water. According to Emiong, his own flesh made the soup rich and delicious.
The bush rat believed his friend and wanted to learn the supposed secret for himself.
Emiong then offered to demonstrate the process. He prepared a pot of warm water and deliberately told Oyot that it was boiling water.
The bat climbed into the pot and came out again shortly afterwards.
The demonstration seemed convincing. Oyot had watched his friend enter the water and emerge unharmed, so he accepted the explanation without questioning it.
Explore more stories from our Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria collection.
What the bush rat did not know was that the bat had prepared the soup beforehand. The meal was already ready, and the demonstration had been staged to make the lie appear true.
Emiong had not revealed a genuine cooking method. He had used his friend’s trust to create a dangerous deception.
The Bush Rat Follows the Advice
After returning home, Oyot told his wife that he had discovered how to prepare soup as delicious as the bat’s.
He instructed her to boil some water. She did as he asked, unaware of what he intended to do.
When his wife was not looking, the bush rat climbed into the pot, believing that the water would help him produce a tasty meal.
Unlike the bat’s earlier demonstration, however, this was no harmless trick. The bush rat was unable to survive the boiling water and died.
When his wife looked into the pot and discovered her husband’s body, she was furious and distressed. She understood that something terrible had happened and decided to report the matter to the king.
The bat’s deception had now brought about a death, and the bush rat’s wife wanted the king to take action.
The King Orders the Bat’s Arrest
After hearing the report, the king ordered that Emiong should be captured and made a prisoner.
The people turned out to search for the bat. The danger he had feared was now real: the authorities were looking for him because of the bush rat’s death.
Emiong anticipated what was coming. Rather than remain where the people could find him, he flew away into the bush and hid.
The search continued throughout the day. The bat remained concealed, avoiding the people who had been sent to catch him.
His situation had changed completely. Once, he had moved freely and shared meals with his friend. Now, his own dishonesty had left him afraid of being seen.
Why the Bat Comes Out at Night
The people continued looking for Emiong during the day, making it difficult for him to emerge safely.
According to the folktale, the bat therefore changed his habits. He began coming out to feed only after darkness had fallen, when he was less likely to encounter those searching for him.
From then on, the bat hid during daylight and emerged at night to find food.
The story ends by presenting this change as the reason people do not see bats during the day.
Emiong’s jealousy had led him to deceive his friend. The trick caused the bush rat’s death, brought the king’s anger upon the bat, and forced him to hide from the people.
The folktale uses these events to explain a familiar feature of the bat’s behaviour through a traditional story about friendship and betrayal.
Explore our complete Historic Folklore & Fairy-Tale Collections archive.
Moral of the Story
Jealousy and dishonesty can cause serious harm. The bat used his friend’s trust to deceive him, and the consequences affected both animals. The tale also encourages caution: advice should be questioned when following it could put someone in danger.
Knowledge Check: Questions and Answers
1. What were the names of the two friends in the story?
The bush rat was called Oyot, and the bat was called Emiong.
2. Why did the bush rat ask the bat about his soup?
He noticed that the bat’s soup was always delicious and wanted to know how he prepared it.
3. What false explanation did the bat give?
He claimed that his flesh made the soup tasty because he boiled himself in the water.
4. How did the bat make his trick appear believable?
He used warm water, entered the pot briefly and relied on soup he had prepared beforehand.
5. What happened when the bush rat tried the same method?
He climbed into the pot of boiling water and died.
6. Why did the bat begin coming out only at night?
After the king ordered his capture, the bat hid in the bush and began feeding after dark to avoid the people searching for him.
Source
Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria, West Africa, by Elphinstone Dayrell, first published in 1910, with an introduction by Andrew Lang. “Why the Bat flies by Night,” Chapter VII, page 36.
