Why the Bat Flies at Night: A Traditional African Folktale for Kids About Honesty and Friendship
Why the Bat Flies at Night
Long, long ago, in the warm jungles of Southern Africa, there lived a small bush rat named Karoo. Karoo was kind, friendly, and hardworking. He had soft brown fur and a very long tail. He was proud of his long tail because it helped him balance when he ran fast.
Karoo had a close friend named Emiong, the bat. Emiong had wide wings and sharp little eyes. During the day, he liked to rest in trees. At night, he flew around the jungle. Even though they were different animals, Karoo and Emiong were best friends.
Every day, they met near a big old tree to eat together. They loved to share a warm bowl of soup. The soup smelled nice and tasted even better. Karoo always said, “Eating with a friend makes the food taste sweeter.”
But there was one small problem.
Emiong was a little jealous of Karoo’s long tail. He wished he had something special like that. Instead of being happy for his friend, he felt unhappy inside. Emiong was also known in the jungle as a prankster. He liked playing tricks on others.
One afternoon, while they were eating soup, Karoo smiled and said, “Emiong, your soup tastes so good today! It is the best soup I have ever tasted. What is your secret?”
Emiong’s eyes shined. He thought, “This is my chance to play a trick.”
He looked at Karoo and said in a serious voice, “Karoo, I will tell you my secret. But you must come to my house this evening.”
Karoo nodded happily. “Of course! I want to learn how to make such tasty soup.”
That evening, when the sun was going down, Karoo went to Emiong’s home. Emiong lived inside a hollow tree. Karoo could smell soup again.
“Welcome, my friend,” said Emiong with a smile.
“Please tell me your secret,” Karoo said eagerly.
Emiong looked around and then whispered, “The secret ingredient is very special.”
“What is it?” asked Karoo.
Emiong said, “When the soup is boiling, I jump into the pot for two seconds and then jump out. That is why it tastes so good.”
Karoo’s eyes grew wide. “You jump into the boiling soup?”
“Yes,” Emiong said proudly. “Watch me.”
But what Karoo did not know was that the soup in the pot was not hot at all. It was cold water.
Emiong quickly jumped into the pot and counted, “One… two!” Then he jumped out.
“See?” he said. “That is the secret.”
Karoo believed him. He trusted his friend.
“Thank you, Emiong,” Karoo said. “Tomorrow, I will try this in my own home.”
The next day, Karoo worked hard to make his soup. He added vegetables and herbs. Soon, the soup began to boil. The steam rose into the air.
Karoo remembered Emiong’s words. “Jump in for two seconds,” he said to himself.
But Karoo was a careful animal. He thought, “Let me test the soup first.”
He slowly put his right paw into the pot.
“Ahhhhh!” Karoo cried out loudly.
The soup was very hot. His paw was badly burned. He quickly pulled it out and ran to the river to cool it in the water.
Karoo’s paw hurt very much. He wrapped it in leaves and bandaged it carefully. Tears filled his eyes—not only from pain, but from sadness.
“My friend lied to me,” he said softly. “Why would he do that?”
Karoo was very angry. He decided to go to Samba the Lion, the king of the jungle. Samba was strong and wise. All the animals came to him when they needed justice.
Karoo walked slowly to Samba’s cave.
“Your Majesty,” Karoo said, bowing his head, “I need your help.”
Samba looked down at the small bush rat. “What has happened, Karoo?”
Karoo told him the whole story. He showed his burned paw.
Samba’s face became serious. “This is not right,” he said. “A friend should never lie. A trick that causes pain is not a joke.”
He roared loudly so the jungle could hear him. “Bring Emiong the bat to me!”
But Emiong had already heard that Karoo had gone to the lion. He felt afraid.
“I made a mistake,” Emiong said to his family. “The lion will punish me.”
His family asked, “What will we do?”
Emiong thought for a moment. Then he said, “We must hide. We will only come out when it is dark and no one can see us.”
That night, when the jungle was quiet and the sun had set, Emiong flew out carefully. The moon was shining. No lion was in sight.
From that day on, Emiong and his family slept during the day and came out only at night. They were too afraid to face the lion or the other animals.
Samba waited for Emiong, but the bat never came. The lion finally said, “If he is too ashamed to show himself, that is his punishment. He must live in hiding.”
Karoo’s paw slowly healed, but he never forgot the lesson. He learned that even good friends can make bad choices. And Emiong learned that jealousy and lies can destroy friendship.
The animals of the jungle often told this story to their children.
They would say, “That is why the bat flies at night and hides during the day. He is still ashamed of the trick he played long ago.”
And so, even today, when you see a bat flying under the moonlight, you can remember this old African folktale.
THE END
Basic Understanding Questions
1. Who were the two main characters in the story?
Answer: The two main characters were Karoo the bush rat and Emiong the bat.
2. Where did the story take place?
Answer: The story took place in the jungles of Southern Africa.
3. What did Karoo and Emiong like to eat together?
Answer: They liked to eat a bowl of soup together.
4. What was Emiong jealous of?
Answer: Emiong was jealous of Karoo’s long tail.
5. What did Emiong say was the secret ingredient in his soup?
Answer: He said the secret ingredient was jumping into the boiling soup for two seconds.
6. Why did Karoo’s paw get burned?
Answer: Karoo’s paw got burned because the soup was really hot and boiling.
7. Who was Samba?
Answer: Samba was the lion and the king of the jungle.
8. Why did Emiong hide in the bushes?
Answer: He hid because he was afraid of being punished for his trick.
9. When does the bat come out now?
Answer: The bat comes out at night.
10. What is the main lesson of the story?
Answer: The lesson is to be honest and not to hurt others with lies or tricks.
Thinking Questions (For Discussion)
11. Do you think Emiong was a good friend? Why or why not?
Sample Answer: No, because a good friend should not lie or hurt someone on purpose.
12. How do you think Karoo felt when he found out the truth?
Sample Answer: He felt hurt, angry, and sad because his friend tricked him.
13. Was Emiong’s prank funny? Why or why not?
Sample Answer: No, because it caused pain and was not kind.
14. What should Emiong have done instead of lying?
Sample Answer: He should have told the truth or shared his real recipe.
15. Why is jealousy a bad feeling?
Sample Answer: Jealousy can make people act in a mean way and hurt others.
Moral and Life Lesson Questions
16. What happens when we lie to our friends?
Answer: We can lose their trust and friendship.
17. Why is honesty important in friendship?
Answer: Honesty builds trust and keeps friendships strong.
18. What can we learn about pranks from this story?
Answer: Pranks should never hurt someone physically or emotionally.
19. If you were Karoo, would you forgive Emiong? Why?
Sample Answer: Yes, if he said sorry and promised not to lie again. (Answers may vary.)
20. If you were Emiong, what would you do after making the mistake?
Sample Answer: I would apologize and try to fix the problem.
Creative Thinking Questions
21. Can you think of a different ending for the story?
Sample Answer: Maybe Emiong could say sorry and become friends with Karoo again.
22. What would you name this story if you gave it a new title?
Sample Answer: “The Bat’s Big Mistake” or “The Soup Trick.”
23. What do you think happened to their friendship later?
Sample Answer: Maybe they slowly became friends again after forgiveness.
24. What would you do if a friend played a hurtful trick on you?
Sample Answer: I would talk to them and tell them how I feel.
25. What makes someone a true friend?
Sample Answer: Being kind, honest, and caring.
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