In the Reign of Coyote/Why the Bat is Blind
WHY THE BAT IS BLIND
HE children went on to the smithy. Wantasson asked, "How did you like the thunder this morning, children?"
"We did n't like it at all. Did you, Wantasson?"
"No, I did not like it, nor the lightning either. I shut the door of the shop, but the light came in so bright that I was afraid my eyes would burn out."
"We hid our eyes, did n't we, Tonio?" The brother vouchsafed no answer.
"I would have covered mine, only I had nothing here but hot iron. That would have been as bad as the pitch the bat used."
"What pitch did the bat use?" asked Juanita.
"Why did the bat use pitch?" and Antonio was all interest.
"Don't you know how the bat came to be blind? No? Well, sit down, and I will rest while we have that story."
Once there was no fire in this land, but the animals knew there was plenty far off in the west. One day, as they were shivering together, Bat said to Lizard, "Why don't you scurry off to the west and get a coal for us?"
Lizard said, "I believe I will." He wriggled off for many suns, until he reached the fiery west. There he took a coal in his mouth and started home.
It had not been much trouble for him to whisk unseen into the west and to take a coal, but it was not easy to get the coal safe to his home. He had to carry the brand up high, so that it would not set the grass afire; and then, too, all the animals were eager to steal fire. He had to travel at night for fear of thieves.
When he was only one sun from home, he suddenly came across a party of cranes sitting up late, gambling by the light of the moon. He crept into the shadow of a log and stole quietly on, but he could not escape their sharp eyes.
"Why, there 's Lizard with a coal," screamed one crane.
"Let 's get the fire. Let 's get it," they all yelled, and started after him with all the speed of their long legs.
They soon overtook him, and as they snatched for the fire, Lizard dropped the coal. In a twinkling the dry grass was ablaze. Lizard speeded for his life. The burning grass followed him in great waves of flame.
Bat saw the fire approaching and rubbed her eyes to see what the matter was. Then her eyes began to pain her. She heard Lizard running in and called: "Oh, Lizard, Lizard! My eyes will be burned out with this great blaze. Please put some pitch over them to keep out the strong light."
"All right," said Lizard. He spread the pitch on, but he was trembling so that he got it on too thick. Bat could not see at all.
"Oh, now I 'm blind indeed," she cried. She jumped this way and that. She fluttered against a tree and fell to the ground. Her feathers caught fire and were all singed off. She lifted herself and flew towards the west. "O, West Wind," she sobbed, "blow on my aching eyes."
The wind heard her and laid its cool fingers upon her. It could not get all the pitch off, and so Bat's eyes have always been covered since. Her feathers, too, have never grown on again, and even to this day she wears a dingy singed coat.
"The poor bat! How does it get around?" and Juanita looked pensive.
"It does not get around very well; it keeps bumping into things. Santo caught one in the barn last night. He had it nailed up on the barn door."
"Oh, let 's go and see it"; and Antonio raced off. Juanita followed, and soon they both were swinging on the lower half of the barn door, examining the bat nailed to the upper half.
Now, Mabel and Joe, I wonder if you have ever learned whether the bat is really blind. Suppose you find out about it.