The Girl and the Bats

The Girl and the Bats - Author : Aysel Banu YAVUZAL

Maya lived in a small village at the edge of a green forest. She had warm brown skin, two puffs of curly black hair, and a gaptoothed smile. Every evening, she played outside until the sun went down. She loved her village, but she did not like the dark. One night, she saw something flutter above the trees. 1

A small shape swooped through the air. It had dark wings and fuzzy fur. Maya's heart beat fast. 'Bats!' she whispered. She ran home and hid under her blanket. The next morning, she told her friends about the bats. 'They live in the old barn,' said her friend. 'They come out at night.' Maya did not want to go near them. 2

That afternoon, a tall man with wire-rim glasses and an olivegreen shirt knocked on Maya's door. 'Hello, I'm Ravi, a wildlife educator,' he said. 'I study the bats near your village.' Maya looked at him with wide eyes. 'Bats are scary,' she said. Ravi smiled kindly. 'Let me show you something,' he said, and pulled out a small book. 3

Ravi opened the book to a picture of a bat eating insects. 'Bats help farmers,' he said. 'One bat can eat hundreds of insects in a night.' Maya looked at the picture. The bat had big ears and tiny black eyes. 'They eat mosquitoes?' she asked. Ravi nodded. 'And they spread seeds for new trees,' he said. Maya began to feel curious. 4

The next evening, Ravi took Maya to the old barn. 'Wait here,' he said. He turned on his headlamp and made a soft call. A small bat flew down and landed on his glove. It had fuzzy russet-brown fur and a tiny silver band on its wing. 'This is Pip,' Ravi said. 'She's friendly.' Maya took a step closer. 5

Pip hung on Ravi's glove and cleaned her wing. Maya saw her large round ears twitch. 'Why does she have a band?' Maya asked. 'We put it there to learn about bats,' Ravi said. 'It doesn't hurt her.' Maya watched Pip's tiny pink nose sniff the air. She was not scary at all. She was small and gentle, like a flying mouse. 6

Maya smiled. 'She's cute,' she said. Ravi nodded. 'Bats are important for our village,' he said. 'They eat insects that harm crops and spread seeds that grow new plants.' Maya thought about the farmers and the forest. 'So they help us?' she asked. 'Yes,' Ravi said. 'They are our friends.' Maya felt proud that she had met one. 7

That night, Maya could not sleep. She thought about Pip and all the bats. 'People in the village are scared of them,' she thought. 'But they don't know how helpful bats are.' She had an idea. The next morning, she ran to find Ravi. 'Can we show the village the bats?' she asked. 'We could have a night walk!' 8

Ravi's eyes lit up. 'That's a wonderful idea, Maya,' he said. 'We can plan a night walk for everyone.' They made a plan. Maya would invite her friends and their families. Ravi would bring his headlamp and a special microphone that lets people hear bat calls. They would meet at the old barn at sunset. Maya felt excited and a little nervous. 9

Maya told her friends about the night walk. Some were scared. 'Bats are creepy!' said one. 'No, they're helpful,' Maya said. 'They eat insects and spread seeds.' Her friend looked unsure. 'Will they fly into our hair?' another asked. Maya shook her head. 'Bats are gentle,' she said. 'Ravi will show us.' Slowly, people began to say they would come. 10

On the night of the walk, the whole village gathered near the old barn. Maya stood with Ravi and held a small lantern. 'Welcome!' she said. 'Tonight we will watch bats.' Ravi turned on his microphone. Clicking sounds filled the air. 'Those are bat calls,' he said. 'They use sound to find insects.' Everyone listened. Maya felt proud to share this. 11

As the sun set, the bats flew out one by one. Pip swooped low over the grass, catching insects. 'Look how she turns!' Maya said. The villagers watched in wonder. 'She's eating mosquitoes!' said a farmer. 'That's good for us!' Ravi explained how bats spread seeds. 'They help new trees grow,' he said. The bats danced in the sky. People smiled and clapped. 12

After the walk, Maya's friend came up to her. 'I was scared of bats,' she said. 'But now I think they're amazing.' Maya grinned. 'Me too,' she said. 'They're our helpful friends.' The villagers talked excitedly about the bats. Some said they would not be afraid anymore. Maya felt warm inside. She had helped everyone understand. 13

The next day, the village decided to protect the bats. They put a sign near the barn that said 'Bat Home — Please Do Not Disturb.' Maya helped Ravi check the bats' roost. Pip was sleeping upside down. 'She looks happy,' Maya said. Ravi nodded. 'Because you helped people understand,' he said. Maya smiled her gap-toothed smile. 14

From that night on, Maya was not afraid of the dark. When bats flew over her village, she waved at them. Sometimes she saw Pip's tiny silver band shine in the moonlight. She knew the bats were her friends. Her friends asked her to tell the bat story again and again. Each time, she felt proud that she had helped her village learn.