Bats have a long history and venerable history of featuring in folk tales. Sometimes they emerge as heroes and sometimes they emerge in a much less kind light. Here are links to just a few of them
Illustration Pablita Verlarde Old Father the Storyteller
Stories
Why the bat has no friends - a Mongolian folktale
Why bats hang upside down- A Laotian folktale
Why the bat fkles at nigt - a Nigerian folktale
Why the Bat Flies at Night - Sierra Leonne Africa#
The Vain Bat -Taino
Bat Creation Myth - Mexico ( Aztec)
Game of the Birds and the Mammals - Cherokee
Why the Bat hangs upside down Apache
The Wise Old Bat - Tibet
Once, a long time ago, a terrible battle broke out between the Birds and the Beasts of this Earth. No one remembers any more what caused this battle to start, but the fighting was so furious that the whole earth shook and the land was covered with broken feathers, bloody hair, and the bodies of fallen creatures.
On one side of the battle swarmed the animals of the air. All the birds, great and small, were massed in the heavens, from the most powerful eagle, sharp-eyed hawk, and swift falcon to the tiniest finch and fragile sparrow. Opposing the birds were formidable adversaries: The kingly lion, menacing tiger, mighty stag, massive bear, and all the other beasts of the land.The only animal in the whole world that did not choose sides in this war was the Bat. As a mouse with wings or a birdy beast, the Bat gambled on its dual nature, waiting to see which side would win. In this way when the time came, it could claim victory with the conquering army. When it looked as though the birds of the air were gaining the advantage, the Bat would become like a bird, flap its wings and screech: “I’m a bird, too! I’ll peck at the beasts below, pierce their skins, and dig my sharp talons into their flesh! Forward to battle, birds!” But when the tide of the great battle shifted, and suddenly it seemed as though the beasts would win, the Bat would hide its wings and flash its mouselike grin. Baring its sharp teeth, it would bark: “Beware! I am a dangerous beast! Come on beasts! Let’s attack the birds and bite them till they fall from the sky! Hooray for the beasts!”
As the battle raged on and on, both the birds and the beasts displayed courage in their terrible fight, never ceasing for a moment to give their best for the sake of their cause. After many weeks of struggle, however, it became clear to everyone that both sides were evenly matched, that neither side would ever be able to overcome the other. And so the birds and the beasts agreed to cease fighting. They declared a truce.
In the quiet that followed, both armies counted their dead, collected their wounded, and called out the names of their brothers, sisters, and friends who might not have perished on the battlefield.
No one called the name of the Bat. No one wanted the one who had darted from one camp to the other throughout the long war, not knowing where it belonged, telling false things to each army in turn.
The animals had seen it fighting like this, first on one side, then on the other side of the battlefield. They were angry. Neither the birds nor the beasts would now, or ever, agree to claim the Bat as one of their own. Instead, for its disloyalty, they banished the Bat from their midst.
The sorry Bat, a traitor to both birds and beasts, was now ashamed of its behavior during the feud. It curled up its mousy body and took flight. Seeking out a remote corner of the world, it entered the recesses of Mother Earth and concealed itself in her black and silent caves, venturing out only at night in search of food.
From that day, the Bat has made its home in the dark, wrapped against the dampness in its leathery cloak, living out the life of a lonely outcast.
Why bats hang upside down
A laotian story with illustrations http://www.highlightskids.com/Stories/Fiction/F1196_bathangs.asp
Why the Bat flies by Night
A southern Nigerian tale
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.
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.
Source http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/fssn/fsn09.htm
Why the Bat Flies at Night
Retold from a legend of the Kono people of Sierra Leone, Africa
Long ago, when first the world was made, it never became dark or cold. All day the sun shone brightly, giving creatures warmth and light. All night the full moon gleamed, making twilight almost as light as day. Until...
One day, Bat accepted a mission to carry a mysterious basket to the moon. In the basket was darkness, but Bat did not know that.
Bat took off to fly to the moon with the basket on his back.
Bother this basket," he said after a while. "Its too heavy and I'm tired and hungry." So Bat put the basket down and went to find some food and take a rest.
Along came some other animals. They saw the basket abandoned along the way.
"That is a large basket," said one of them. "I wonder if it is full of good things to eat?"
"Lets open it and see," said another.
Just as the animals were peeking under the basket lid, Bat came back. But he was too late. Darkness had escaped.
Ever since that time, Bat rests by day so he is ready to fly at twilight. At night, you will see him rushing about everywhere. He is trying to catch all the pieces of dark to put back in the basket, so he can take it to the moon. His mission now is to capture every tatter of darkness.
Source
Taíno Indians, a subgroup of the Arawakan Indians (a group of American Indians in northeastern South America), inhabited the Greater Antilles (comprising Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola [Haiti and the Dominican Republic], and Puerto Rico) in the Caribbean Sea at the time when Christopher Columbus' arrived to the New World.
The Bat
Illustration
When time was yet in the cradle, there was no uglier creature in the world than the bat.
The bat went up to heaven to look for God. He didn't say,
"I'm bored with being hideous. Give me colored feathers." No. He said, "Please give me feathers, I'm dying of cold."
But God had not a single feather left over.
"Each bird will give you a feather," he decided.
Thus the bat got the white feather of the dove and the green one of the parrot, the iridescent one of the hummingbird, the pink one of the flamingo, the red of the cardinal's tuft and the blue of the kingfisher's back, the clayey one of the eagle's wing, and the sun feather that burns in the breast of the toucan.
The bat, luxuriant with colors and softness, moved between earth and clouds. Wherever he went, the air became pleasant and the birds dumb with admiration. According to the Zapotec peoples, the rainbow was born of the echo of his flight.
Vanity puffed out his chest. He acquired a disdainful look and made insulting remarks.
The birds called a meeting. Together they flew up to God.
"The bat makes fun of us," they complained. "And what's more, we feel cold for lack of the feathers he took."
Next day, when the bat shook his feathers in full flight, he suddenly became naked. A rain of feathers fell to earth.
He is still searching for them. Blind and ugly, enemy of the light, he lives hidden in caves. He goes out in pursuit of the lost feathers after night has fallen and flies very fast, never stopping because it shames him to be seen.
Source
In the beginning the earth was flat and full of water, and therefore the corn rotted. The ancient people had to think and work and fast much to get the world in shape. The birds came together to see what they could do to bring about order in the world, so that it would be possible to plant corn.
First they asked the red-headed vulture, the chief of all the birds, to set things right, but he said he could not. They sent for all the birds in the world, one after another, to persuade them to perform the deed, but none would undertake it.
At last came the bat, very old and much wrinkled. His hair and his beard were white with age, and there was plenty of dirt on his face, as never bathes. He was supporting himself with a stick, because he was so old he could hardly walk. He also said that he was no equal to the task, but at last he agreed to try what he could do. That same night he darted violently through the air, cutting outlets for the waters; but he made the valleys so deep that it was impossible to walk about, and the chiefs scolded him for this.
"Then I will put everything back as it was before," he said.
"No, no!" they all said. "What we want is to make the slopes less steep, and to leave some level land, and do not make all the country mountains."
This the bat did, and the chiefs thanked him for it. Thus the world has remained up to this day. (Quoted in Cordry, 1980, p. 186)
Main picture and Pic 5: Photos by Donald Cordry from Mexican Masks by Donald Cordry, ©1980; courtesy of the University of Texas Press
Source. This site has loads of information about the Aztecs
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The following story explains the origin of a custom of the Cherokee Indians of North Carolina. They used to prepare for a popular ball game by holding a dance the night before. While the drummers beat on their drums, the rest of the people chanted songs. Before the game, each player asked the help of the bat and of the flying squirrel. For good luck, each player tied a small piece of bat's wing to the stick he would hit the ball with.
Long ago, the animals sent a message to the birds. "Let us have a big ball game. We will defeat you in a big ball game."
The birds answered, "We will meet you. We will defeat you in a big ball game."
So the plans were made. The day was set. At a certain place, all the animals gathered, ready to throw the ball to the birds in the trees. On the side of the animals were the bear, the deer, and the terrapin or turtle. The bear was heavier than the other animals. He was heavier than all the birds put together. The deer could run faster than the other animals could. The turtle had a very thick shell. So the animals felt sure that they would win the game.
The birds, too, felt sure that they would win. On their side were the eagle, the hawk, and the great raven. All three could fly swiftly. All three had farseeing eyes. All three were strong and had sharp beaks that could tear.
In the treetops the birds smoothed their feathers. Then they watched every movement of the animals on the ground below them. As they watched, two small creatures climbed up the tree toward the leader of the birds. These two creatures were but a little bigger than mice.
"Will you let us join in the game?" they asked the leader of the birds.
The leader looked at them for a moment. He saw that they had four feet.
"Why don't you join the animals?" he asked them. "Because you have four feet, you really belong on the other side."
"We asked to play the game on their side," the tiny creatures answered. "But they laughed at us because we are so small. They do not want us."
The leader of the birds felt sorry for them. So did the eagle, the hawk, and the other birds.
"But how can they join us when they have no wings?" the birds asked each other.
"Let us make wings for the little fellows," one of the birds suggested.
"We can make wings from the head of the drum," another bird suggested.
The drum had been used in the dance the night before. Its head was the skin of a groundhog. The birds cut two pieces of leather from it, shaped them like wings, and fastened them to the legs of one of the little fellows. Thus they made the first bat.
The leader gave directions. He said to the bat, "When I toss the ball, you catch it. Don't let it touch the ground.
The bat caught it. He dodged and circled. He zigzagged very fast. He kept the ball always in motion, never letting it touch the ground. The birds were glad they had made wings for him.
"What shall we do with the other little fellow?" asked the leader of the birds. "We have used up all our leather in making the wings for the bat."
The birds thought and thought. At last one of them had an idea.
"Let us make wings for him by stretching his skin," suggested the eagle.
So eagle and hawk, two of the biggest birds, seized the little fellow. With their strong bills they tugged and pulled at his fur. In a few minutes they stretched the skin between his front feet and his hind feet. His own fur made wings. Thus they made the first flying squirrel.
When the leader tossed the ball, flying squirrel caught it and carried it to another tree. From there he threw it to the eagle. Eagle caught it and threw it to another bird. The birds kept the ball in the air for some time, but at last they dropped it. Just before it reached the ground, the bat seized it. Dodging and circling and zigzagging, he kept out of the way of the deer and other swift animals. At last bat threw the ball in at the goal. And so he won the game for the birds.
Why The Bat Hangs Upside Down Apache
Once, long ago, Coyote thought he would take a wife, but did not know whom to choose. "Why not take the wife of Hawk Chief?" Bat said, for Hawk Chief was missing, and had not been seen for many days.
But Hawk Chief returned and became angry with Bat for giving such ill-considered advice. He picked Bat up and slung him with full force into a juniper bush.
Bat hung upside down in the bush, caught by his long, pointy-toed moccasins. He twisted and he turned, but however much he struggled, he could not get free.
And from that time on bats hang upside down - even when they sleep.
If you are a parable unto yourself--there exists no evil.
Tibetan Proverb.
A LoNG time ago, a very long time ago, when men and animals spoke to each other and understood the languages of one another, there lived a very powerful king. He lived far off in a corner of the world and alone ruled all the animals and men in his jurisdiction. Around his grounds and palace were great forests and in these forests many birds and animals lived. Every one seemed happy, except the king's wife, and she said that so many birds singing at the same time made such frightful discord that it worried her. One day she asked the king to call them all in and cut off their bills so they couldn't sing any more.
"All right," the king said. "We will do that in a few days."
Now, hanging under the eaves of the palace, close to the queen's room, was a little bat, and though he seemed to be asleep, he heard and understood everything the queen had said. He said to himself, "This is very bad indeed. I wonder what I can do to help all the birds."
The next day the king sent letters by runners into every corner of the kingdom, telling all the birds that by the third day at noon--and it mustn't be forgotten, so put this word down in the center of their hearts--that all of them were to assemble at the palace.
The bat heard the order, but because he was very wise and understood everything he sat very still thinking and thinking about what the queen had said and didn't go to the king's audience on the third day, but waited until the fourth. When he entered, the king said angrily:
"What do you mean by coming on the fourth day when I ordered every one to be here on the third day!" Oh, he was very angry indeed.
The bat replied, "All these birds have no business and can come whenever the king calls, but I have many affairs to look after. My father worked and I too must work. My duty is to keep the death rate from ever exceeding what it should be, in order to govern the sex question, by keeping the men and women of equal numbers."
The king, much surprised, said, "I never heard of all this business before. How does it come that you can do this?"
The bat answered, "I have to keep the day and night equal as well."
The king, more surprised, asked, "How do you do that? You must be a very busy and powerful subject to attend to all these matters. Please explain how you do it."
"Well," the bat replied, "when the nights are short I take a little off the morning, and when the nights are long I take a little off the evening and so keep the day and night equal. Besides, the people don't die fast enough. I have to make the lame and the blind to die at the proper time in order to keep the birth and death rate in proportion. Then sometimes there are more men than women, and some of these men say, 'Yes, yes,' to everything a woman asks them to do and think they must do everything a woman says. These men I just turn into women and so keep the sexes even."
The king understood very well what the bat meant, but didn't allow him to know it. He was very angry with himself because he had agreed to do so quickly what the queen had asked, and thought perhaps the bat might change him into a woman.
"I am not a good king," he thought, "when I listen to a woman's words and yield so easily, and I am terribly ashamed to have given this order. I'll just not do what my wife asks, but send these birds all back home and not cut off their bills."
So he called the birds all to him and said, "Heretofore, men haven't known how to mete out punishment and laws for you, but now I am going to make the Cuckoo your king, and what I called you up to-day for is this: I wanted to ask your King and the prime minister, the Hoopoe, to rule wisely, judge justly, and not oppress the people. If big or little come to you in a law-suit you must judge rightly between them and not favor either rich or poor. Now, you may all return to your homes."
But the king in his heart was still angry at the bat because he hadn't obeyed him and came the fourth day instead of the third, and to show him he was the ruler and to be instantly obeyed he gave him a light spanking for his disobedience and then turned him loose