About this story
Ian is a bat who stays as close to the fireflies as he can, because he thinks the dark is full of monsters. One stormy night the fireflies are gone, the cave is pitch black, and he hears his little brother Tico crying somewhere deep inside.
Ages: 4–8 · Reading time: about 3 minutes
Moral: Courage is being afraid and doing what’s needed anyway.
It might sound like a joke, but Ian was a bat who slept with the lights on—or rather, he stayed as close to the fireflies as he could.
The cave where he lived was damp, cold, and as dark as a wolf’s mouth. While his cousins flew happily in the night, catching moths and doing mid-air acrobatics, Ian stayed huddled against the ceiling, wrapped tightly in his leathery wings.
“The dark has monsters,” Ian would whisper. “It has yellow-eyed owls and shadows that bite.“
The Night the Lights Went Out
One night, a fierce storm scared away all the fireflies from the cave entrance. The darkness became total. Suddenly, Ian heard a tiny, high-pitched cry. Peep… peep… peep… It was his little brother, Tico, who had wandered into the deepest part of the cave where even the moonlight couldn’t reach.
“Mom! Dad!” Ian shouted. But the roar of the thunder outside drowned out his voice. No one heard him. Only Ian knew Tico was in danger. Ian’s heart beat so fast it felt like a drum. He looked into the pitch-black void. Tico needed him.
Ian let go of the rock. He plummeted into the black emptiness. He spread his wings and… closed his eyes. “Use your ears, Ian,” he remembered. He let out a sharp squeak. Eeeeep! The sound hit the walls and bounced back, drawing a map in his head.
Seeing Without Eyes
Suddenly, Ian could “see” the left wall, the pointy stalactites, and way back in the corner, the trembling ball of fur that was Tico. Ian dived. He dodged the rocks with an agility he never knew he had. He reached into the deep dark, scooped up Tico, and flew back to safety.
When morning came, Ian was exhausted but happy. He discovered that he didn’t need to see with his eyes to find his way. His greatest superpower lived exactly in the place he feared the most. He wasn’t afraid of the dark anymore, because now, he was the one who controlled the shadows.
