The tale explains why bats are nocturnal. Oyot, a bush rat, admired his friend Emiong the bat’s delicious soup, unaware it was pre-prepared. Tricked by the bat into believing the soup’s flavor came from boiling himself, Oyot imitated this, leading to his death. Enraged, Oyot’s wife sought justice, but the bat evaded capture by adopting a nocturnal lifestyle, avoiding humans by day.
Source
Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria
by Elphinstone Dayrell
Longmans, Green & Co.
London, New York, Bombay, Calcutta, 1910
► Themes of the story
Cunning and Deception: The bat’s deceit leads to the bush rat’s demise.
Origin of Things: It provides an explanation for why bats are nocturnal.
Good vs. Evil: The bat’s malicious trick contrasts with the bush rat’s innocence.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Nigerian peoples
A bush rat called Oyot was a great friend of Emiong, the bat; they always fed together, but the bat was jealous of the bush rat. When the bat cooked the food it was always very good, and the bush rat said, “How is it that when you make the soup it is so tasty?” The bat replied, “I always boil myself in the water, and my flesh is so sweet, that the soup is good.” He then told the bush rat that he would show him how it was done; so he got a pot of warm water, which he told the bush rat was boiling water, and jumped into it, and very shortly afterwards came out again. When the soup was brought it was as strong and good as usual, as the bat had prepared it beforehand.
► Continue reading…
The bush rat then went home and told his wife that he was going to make good soup like the bat’s. He therefore told her to boil some water, which she did. Then, when his wife was not looking, he jumped into the pot, and was very soon dead.
When his wife looked into the pot and saw the dead body of her husband boiling she was very angry, and reported the matter to the king, who gave orders that the bat should be made a prisoner. Every one turned out to catch the bat, but as he expected trouble he flew away into the bush and hid himself. All day long the people tried to catch him, so he had to change his habits, and only came out to feed when it was dark, and that is why you never see a bat in the daytime.
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Dreamtime Whispers 