Long ago, a fierce fighting broke out between the beasts and the birds. The birds pecked at the beasts and flew away. The beasts were helpless as the birds used to fly out of their reach after pecking at them. This battle went on for many days. The bats on their part kept themselves aloof. They didn’t join either the birds or the beasts. They preferred to go with the winner. They thought to themselves: “Ours is a special position, we’re birds because we can fly, we’re beasts because we don’t lay eggs”. The bats only watched the birds and the beasts fight with each other.

So the fighting went on. Seeing the birds in a winning position, the bats would join the birds, and the next time they would support the beasts, because the beasts seemed to be winning.

On the other hand, the birds and the beasts seemed to have become tired of their continuous battle. So, they decided to make peace. The king of birds and the king of beasts both sat together to find out some way to a permanent peace. Ultimately, both of them decided to forget the past and become good friends. They also decided not to allow the bats community either to join the birds or the beasts, because they were opportunists.

At last, the bats were left alone. They felt ashamed of themselves. They hid themselves in the dark caves and crevices. They came out of their hiding only at twilight-when the birds were back to their nests and the beasts were not yet out of their dens.

❖ One should avoid fair-weather friends.