How the Bat was Created

Mohawk / Ojibway Story

A long, long time ago, as usual the sun started to rise in the east, in the morning. But this time he came way too close to mother Earth and got tangled in the top branches of a very tall tree. The more he tried to escape, the more he got tangled in the branches of the tree. So Grand Father Sun could not get up high enough in the sky and the dawn did not come.

At the start, the animals and the birds did not notice anything different. Some woke up, and then went back to sleep, thinking that they had been mistaken, and it was not time for the morning to come yet. Some other animals loved the dark of the night, like the Coyote and the Owl and were happy that it stayed dark and that they could hunt their way. But sometime later, after a long time passed, all living things realised that there was something wrong. They called for a meeting in the dark.

“The Sun got lost” said the Eagle, who could fly higher and see farther “I cannot see any light anywhere”.

“We have look for him, in case he is lost, and cannot find his way to us” said the Bear.

So it was that all the animals and birds started to search for Grand Father Sun. They looked in the forests and on the mountains, in the dark caves, on the flat prairies and on the shores of the lakes and oceans. But Grand Father Sun was not to be found by any of them. Then one of the animals, a little brown squirrel, had an idea. “I think that maybe Grand Father Sun is trapped in a very tall tree”.

So it was that the little brown squirrel started to climb tree after tree, going towards the East. Finally at the top of a very, very tall tree, he saw a pale glow of light. The little squirrel climbed up the tree and saw that it was Grand Father Sun. Grand Father’s light was pale and he looked very weak.

“I need your help little brother” said Grand Father.

So the little brown squirrel came closer and started to chew at the branches that were holding Grand Father. The closer he got to Grand Father, the hotter it got. The more branches he chewed off, the stronger Grand Father got, and his light grew hotter.

“Grand Father I really have to stop now”, said the little brown squirrel, “I am getting tired and my fur is burning and turning black”.

“Please do not stop now” said Grand Father “I really need your help badly”.

The little squirrel kept on working and chewing at the branches, but the heat of Grand Father Sun got hotter and hotter and his glow got brighter and brighter.

“My tail is burning away and I am getting very tired” said the squirrel.

“Help me, help me, I am almost free” said Grand Father

So the little squirrel kept on chewing. But the light from Grand Father was so strong that the little squirrel could not see anymore.

Finally he chewed off the last branch, and as soon as he did, Grand Father flew up into the sky and there was light and warmth everywhere, and all the animals and birds were very happy.

Grand Father Sun looked down and saw the little squirrel suffering and said to him “Little brother you helped me so much, now I will give you a gift, what is it that you always wanted, but could not have”.

“I always wanted to fly ” said the squirrel “but I cannot see now and I have lost my tail, it burned off”.

“I grant you your wish” said Grand Father “As of now, you will fly better than any of our flying Brothers, but because you came so close to me, my light will always be way too bright for you, but you will always see in the dark, and you will always hear all that is happening around you. From now on you will sleep when I am awake and you will hunt when I sleep”.

And that is how Grand Father Sun rewarded the little squirrel for his help, by turning him into a Bat.

 

 

I work with Muskwa International Foundation Inc. which is an entity that was formed to assist the street children in the Philippines, mostly in Manila and Davao, the two largest cities in the Philippines.  You can find out about their projects here Street Children and Natural Disasters.

The stories I tell here I learned from the Elders and Story tellers and I am passing them on with their blessings. These stories can be anything from 4,000 to 5,000 years old.