Once upon a time, a war raged between the birds and the beasts. The clever bats tried to survive by switching sides: they sided with the birds when the birds seemed victorious, and then became allies of the beasts when that side turned the tide. Eventually the war ended, the two parties reached an amicable settlement, and a grand celebration of friendship was held. But when it came time for the bats to perform, their fence‑straddling tactics were exposed, and everyone rejected them. Since then, the bats have been too ashamed to show themselves during the day, emerging only at night to flit silently around.