THE WAR BETWEEN THE BIRDS AND THE BEASTS

            There was once a war between the birds and the beasts. They fought many battles, but neither the birds nor the beasts could win the war.

            At last the birds asked the bats for help. They said, "Can you join us in the war against the beasts, since you are birds, too?"

            "No, we are not birds," answered the bats. "Look at us! We have teeth and lips, but you have bills or beaks. We have fur, but you have feather. We have large ears, but your ears are only holes. You lay eggs, but we do not. So you can see that we are not birds and can not fight for you."

            Later, the beasts asked the bats for help. They said, "Can you join us in the war against the birds since you are beasts, too?"

            "No, we are not beasts," replied the bats. "You see we can fly, but you can not. How can we help you fight against the birds?"

            In the long war many birds and beasts were killed. Both sides soon got tired of the killing. Finally they had to make peace, and the war came to an end.

            Now the birds and beasts each held great rejoicing to celebrate the peace. The bats flew to the birds and asked to join their party, but the birds did not welcome them. Then they flew to the beasts and asked to join their party, but the beasts did not welcome them, either.

            The bats felt unhappy, for they could not call themselves either birds or beasts. So they flew away and hid in mountain caves and dark corners of broken rocks. They have never showed their faces again in the daylight.