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A bat tells his story. He lives near a Mayan temple in a cave with bats of nine different pitches. His mother cares for him, teaching him to echo for worms. But all is not idyllic: his brother dies learning to fly; not everyone gets along (babies can be attacked by bats of other pitches). After three years, his sexual urge materializes, and he mates with many females. God speaks to him from time to time, giving solace and advice. Drinking water, finding worms, and enjoying sex bring happiness. But extinction may loom for his species, and regardless of his wish to live forever, death does await.
In the blue-green light of the tropical rainforest, among the creeks and boulders and fallen trees, humankind's closest relatives drift in and out of meditative states. Also features a hippo and a tapir.
A male God bestows upon animals the gift of self-awareness, which they promptly use to express guilt for their behavior. This moral breakthrough is somewhat undermined by the appearance of humans, whose invention of magical belief systems degrades the whole of Nature.
In 1588, a castaway from the Spanish Armada, sent from Portugal by Philip II of Spain to conquer England, is captured on an Irish beach. There he is tried, declared guilty and hanged to death. All of this would be reasonable according to the laws of war and hatred among humans. The problem is the prisoner is a monkey.
