TheStoryofChineseZodiacLong,longtimeago,peoplealwaysforgotinwhichyeartheywerebornandcouldnotfigureoutexactlyhowoldtheywere.TheJadeEmperorcameupwithanidea.It’stoodifficulttorememberayear.Itwouldbeeasiertorememberananimal.Whydon’twechoosetwelveanimalstorepresenttheyears?

玉皇大帝公告Theriver-crossingrace

Allanimalsarewelcometocompete.ThefirsttwelveanimalsacrossthefinishlinewillbechosenasthetwelveanimalsoftheChinesezodiac.Aftertheannouncement,alltheanimalsgotveryexcitedandeveryonewastalkingabouttherace.Atthattime,thecatandtheratwereverygoodfriends.Theymettodiscusstherace.Wecan’tswim.Howarewegonnacrosstheriver?Let’sjointheox,Wecanpointthewayandhecancarryusacrosstheriver.Thecatandtheratwenttoseetheox.Theoxsaidokayatonce.

Thecatandtheratclimbedontothebackoftheox.Andthentheystartedswimmingacrosstheriver.

Theoxhadnoideaofwhathadjusthappenedbutheardtheratsaying“BigBrotherOx,Go!Go!Go!Wearealmostthere!Wecanmakeit.”Thencamethetiger.Thetigerwasroaring,”Iamthefirst,right?””No,youarethethird,”saidtheJadeEmperor.Butthe

rabbit

sprintedaheadandtooktheforthplace.Therabbitcouldnotswimbutjumpedacrosstheriveronthebacksoftheotheranimals.Theskywasfilledwithflyingdust.Thehorsewasdashingatfullspeed,butashewasabouttocrossthefinishline,thesnake

suddenlyshotthroughtocomeinsixth.Poorhorse.

Originally,thehorsewasveryboldandbrave,butafterbeingscaredbythesnake,hebecameveryshy.Originally,thesnakehadlegs,butheracedsohard,heranhislegsoff.Workingtogether,thegoat,themonkeyandtheroosterrowedonalog.

Asaresult,theyearnedthemselveseighth,ninth,andtenthplacesrespectively.Onlyoneopening

wasleft.Allthepeoplewantedtoseewhowasinthelead.ThepigarrivedandsaidI’mstarving,Isthereanyfoodtoeathere?一二三四五六七八九十十一十二