Vernon Jones/Aesop - The Bat and the Weasels - Keeping the Public in Public Domain

Another bit  of popular culture invades the calendar as DC Comics has declared September 20 Batman Day. https://comicbookclublive.com/2025/09/16/dc-comics-announces-batman-day-2025-festivities/ can fill you in on what that involves if it interests you. It made me look at real bats and what stories might go with them.

Bats bring many benefits, even though people misunderstand them. "What will understanding bat social behavior and reproductive strategies do to protect bat populations?" is the latest of many articles giving their value. My neighbors had to have bats removed from inside the siding of their old farmhouse. At the same time our neighborhood has bat houses and I hope those bats catch many insects. 

Aesop fables offer two batty stories, "The Bat, Birds and Beasts" and today's story of "The Bat and the Weasels." Essentially they are the same tale with the dual nature of the bat being the point of the story. A few week's ago I used the Vernon Jones version of  an Aesop tale and found I liked his version of "The Bat and the Weasels." That includes his interpretation of the story's moral. 

Nowadays most storytellers don't include telling their opinion of the moral, letting the audience form their own. In prowling for the right bat story from the many versions of Aesop, I found I wanted to include the moral he gives. I suggest telling the story without the moral, then possibly, after allowing a bit of time for the audience to form their own moral, give his. It seems particularly appropriate both in today's divided political climate and in the discussion of whether a moral should be stated or not.

THE BAT AND THE WEASELS

A Bat fell to the ground and was caught by a Weasel, and was just going to be killed and eaten when it begged to be let go. The Weasel said he couldn't do that because he was an enemy of all birds on principle. "Oh, but," said the Bat, "I'm not a bird at all: I'm a mouse." "So you are," said the Weasel, "now I come to look at you"; and he let it go. Some time after this the Bat was caught in just the same way by another Weasel, and, as before, begged for its life. "No," said the Weasel, "I never let a mouse go by any chance." "But I'm not a mouse," said the Bat; "I'm a bird." "Why, so you are," said the Weasel; and he too let the Bat go.

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Look and see which way the wind blows before you commit yourself.

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May the wind always blow the wisdom found in ancient fables your way. May you also not have any "bats in your belfry", just stories. At the same time may bats continue doing what they do best for the environment!

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This is part of a series of postings of stories under the category, “Keeping the Public in Public Domain.” The idea behind Public Domain was to preserve our cultural heritage after the authors and their immediate heirs were compensated. I feel strongly current copyright law delays this intent on works of the 20^th century. My own library of folklore includes so many books within the Public Domain I decided to share stories from them. I hope you enjoy discovering them.

At the same time, my own involvement in storytelling regularly creates projects requiring research as part of my sharing stories with an audience.  Whenever that research needs to be shown here, the publishing of Public Domain stories will not occur that week.  This is a return to my regular posting of a research project here.  (Don't worry, this isn't dry research, my research is always geared towards future storytelling to an audience.)  Response has convinced me that "Keeping the Public in Public Domain" should continue along with my other postings as often as I can manage it.

See the sidebar for other Public Domain story resources I recommend on the page “Public Domain Story Resources."