Why Battie the Bat obtained wings

By Wamu Kwaleyela

ONCE upon a time, there were three friends, Battie the Bat, Rattie the Rat  and Mousie the Mouse.

During those far off days, Battie the Bat had no wings. He was just like Rattie the Rat and Mousie the Mouse.

At that time Pussy the Cat lived at the farm of Mister Jimi who had a wife, Missus Jeni Jimi, a son, Joni, and Baby Jenifa who used to cry too much

Mister Jimi was always busy, and Missus Jeni Jimi was always at the market selling farm produce, and Joni was looking after Molly the Cow, and Calvin the Calf, Jalubeke the Ox and Bully the Bull as they grazed in the fields enjoying nice, delicious, tasty, tender, green grass.

So Pussy the Cat was always at home looking after Baby Jenifa who cried too much. At  that time Pussy the Cat was not eating Battie the Bat, Rattie the Rat or Mousie the Mouse.

He was only looking after Baby Jenifa. Whenever  Baby Jenifa cried, Pussy the Cat would go and sing a lullaby to her:

Through the window

By the cradle,

Creeps sunshine

Sweet and golden.

Sleep Baby Jenifa,

Fear no danger,

None can harm you,

Pussy is near.

Then Baby Jenifa would sleep soundly and Pussy the Cat would softly walk outside and lick nice, delicious, tasty, white, creamy, fresh milk. Then he would get his ball and play.

The three friends, Battie the Bat, Rattie the Rat and Mousie the Mouse always came to watch Pussy the Cat play his ball game. They admired him as he threw the ball into the air and caught it. One day the three friends asked Pussy: "Please, teach us how to play the ball game."

"Okay, I will be your coach," agreed Pussy the Cat.

He was just about to start coaching them when Baby Jennifer started crying, so he rushed into the house and sang his lullaby to Baby Jenifa:

Through the window

By the cradle,

Creeps sunshine

Sweet and golden.

Sleep Baby Jenifa,

Fear no danger,

None can harm you,

Pussy is near.

After that Baby Jenifa slept soundly and Pussy the Cat returned outside but first, he licked his delicious, nice, tasty, white, creamy, fresh milk. Then he resumed his coaching lessons.

This time Battie the Bat could throw the ball to Ratty the Rat. Ratty the Rat could catch the ball and throw it to Mousie the Mouse, who would throw it back to Battie the Bat.

When they could not catch the ball, Pussy the Cat would shout at them: "Always watch the ball. Never lose sight of it, and you must always catch it at the right moment."

The three friends were attending lessons everyday under coach Pussy the Cat. One day Pussy the Cat was coaching the three friends and then Baby Jenifa started crying. He went to sing his lullaby to her:

Through the window

By the cradle,

Creeps sunshine

Sweet and golden.

Sleep Baby Jenifa,

Fear no danger,

None can harm you,

Pussy is near.

While Pussy the Cat was inside the house, Battie the Bat, Rattie the Rat and Mousie the Mouse decided to taste Pussy the Cat's milk  Pussy the Cat just then came outside and the three little animals ran away in all directions and Pussy the Cat was very annoyed.

Pussy the Cat decided to punish them by eating them whenever he found them or their relatives. One day he caught Batttie the Bat's brother and he  ate him.

Then he caught Ratty the Rat's sister and he ate her, then he caught Mousie the Mouse's uncle and he ate him.

Then Battie the Bat had an idea. He wanted to escape from Pussy the Cat.  He went to Owl the Wise Bird to find out where birds found their wings, so that he could also fly.

Owl the Wise Bird showed him the way to a  distant hill where wings were found. He travelled there and after three days he arrived at the hill. He obtained the wings and started flying and Pussy the Cat could no longer catch him.