Fili’s world

We keep hearing about the Chinese Zodiac - "February 2007 marks the beginning for the year of the Pig", "you were born on the year of the Horse", "do you know the 12 animals that make up the Chinese calendar?". Up till a month ago, I didn’t know much about the Chinese calendar. I knew there were 12 animals, everybody made sure I knew what animal year I belong to, and every year I would be notified what the next year in line, but I never got to hear the cute story behind it as to why those 12 animals were chosen and why they appear in that particular order. Thanks to Avia, who brought us one of the versions of the story in Chinese, I finally had the chance.

Here’s the story we read in Chinese, followed by my quick translation :

十二生肖的故事

在中國，人們想出一個又簡單又有趣的方法計算年代。他們利用十二種動物：鼠，牛，虎，兔，龍，蛇，馬，羊，猴，雞，狗，猪，計算年代；叫做十二生肖。
你知道十二生肖是怎麼選出來的嗎？為什麼小小的老鼠是第一名呢？這是一個很有趣的傳說。
從前貓和老鼠是好朋友，牠們每天都一起玩，一起吃飯，日子過得好開心。
有一天，天帝對土地公說：我覺得沒有一個計算年代的方法，很不方便。所以我想舉辦一次動物過河的比賽，最先到終點的十二種動物，可以當十二生肖，計算年代。土地公聽了，找來所有的動物，公布比賽的消息。
動物都討論起來，大家都想參加。大黑貓擔心地說：我怕水，游不過河，怎麼辦？　 一隻水牛走過來說：我的眼睛不好了，東南西北分不清楚，怎樣能過河？　 　
小老鼠一聽就拉住水牛說：水牛伯伯，我幫你指路，你帶我過河好不好？水牛想一想就答應了。
比賽那天，天還沒亮，老鼠和貓就坐在水牛背上出發。水牛游到河中間的時候貓就指著岸邊說：你看！他們都還沒過河呢！過河比賽我一定是第一名。
他的話還沒說完，突然老鼠走到貓背後用力地推。。。大黑貓就掉下水了。小老鼠在水牛背上笑著說：對不起貓老哥，你慢慢游吧。第一名應該是我吧！
老水牛根本沒有注意，繼續往前游。快到終點了，小老鼠從水牛背上跳上岸，跑到終點，高興地叫：老鼠身子雖然小，但是聰明才智比人高，過河比賽我得到第一名。
這時別的動物正在努力地往河邊游。。。
大水牛上岸，跑到終點，得到第二名。下一個是老虎，滿身是水地跑過來。小白兔很快地跟著牠跳上來;龍從雲裡出來說：我來了。
馬快要到終點的時候突然從草裡跑出來一條大蛇，把馬和羊嚇了一跳。猴子、雞和狗跟在後面也趕到終點。比賽就要結束了。。。
這時天帝站出來說：鼠，牛虎，兔，龍，蛇，馬，羊，猴，雞，狗。才十一個，怎麼還少一個呢？
就在這個時候，很肥的猪跑過來說：我餓死了！
代表十二生肖的動物都到了，天帝正要公布名次，大黑貓才到終點，大聲問：我得到第幾名？天帝說：很抱歉，你來得太晚了，不能當作十二生肖。貓很生氣地說：都是可惡的老鼠做的，我永遠不會原諒牠﹗
從此以後，貓一見到老鼠就想咬牠；而老鼠因為很怕貓，白天只好躲在洞裡，夜晚才敢出來。

The quick translation :

The story of the 12 Zodicial animals

In China, people came up with a simple and amusing way to count the years. They use 12 kinds of animals : rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, chicken, dog and pig all represent years and make up the Chinese zodiac. Do you know how they picked those animals? do you know why the little rat is the first? that’s one interesting story…

Once upon a time, the cat and the rat were good friends, every day they would play together, everyday they would eat together, and life was very happy. One day, the Lord of Heaven told the God of Earth : "I feel that the way we calculate the years is really uncomfortable, so I think I’ll hold a competition for crossing the river between the animals, the first animals to arrive at the finish line will make up the new 12 years calendar". The God of Earth listened, gathered all the animals and published the news.

All the animals wanted to participate. The black cat said : "I’m afraid of the water and I can’t swim, what should I do?", the water ox said : "I can’t see very well and I can’t tell the direction, how will I cross the river?", the little rat listened and then told the water ox : "My brother ox, I will be your guide, and you will help me cross the river, okay?". The ox thought about it and then agreed.

The competition started and so the cat and the rat rode on the ox. When the ox arrived half way, the cat pointed at the other side of the river and said : "Look! They still haven’t crossed the river, I’m sure I’ll be the first in the competition". The cat didn’t even get to finish his sentence, when the rat walked on him from behind and pushed him off, and the cat fell into the water. The rat laughed and said : "Oh, so sorry, my brother the cat. You can continue swimming slowly… now I’m definitely the first!".

The ox didn’t pay attention and continued to swim, and arrived at the end point. The little rat jumped of the ox to the shore and ran happily towards the finish line, seeing that the others still aren’t there…

The ox ran and arrived second. Next was the tiger, the little rabbit quickly followed, the dragon came from within the clouds and announced : "I’ve arrived". As the horse arrived at the finish line, a snake suddenly appeared from the grass, making the horse and the sheep jump in horror. The monkey, the chicken, and the dog quickly ran to the finish line. The competition was about to end.

The Lord of Heaven said : rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, chicken and the dog are the 11, who’s going to be the last one? At that moment, a very fat pig came running in and announced : "I’m starving!".

The Lord of Heaven was about to announce the 12 winning animals, when the black cat arrived, asking : "what number am I?". The Lord of Heaven replied - "I’m sorry, you got here too late, and you can’t be part of the Zodiac". The cat replied in anger - "That’s all the rat’s fault, I will never forgive him".

From that day forward, the cat wants to bite the rat, and so the rat fears the cat. The rat hides from the cat all day, and comes out only in the evneing.

(A nicer translation of this story can be read here)

There are endless versions for this story. Here are a few more that I found.

Chinese Astrology Animals

An ancient sage wanted to select 12 animals to form the zodiac. He wanted to be fair and he sent a message out to all the animals to gather as a certain spot on a certain date. The first 12 animals to arrive will be selected and the zodiac arranged in their order of arrival.

The rat and the cat made an agreement to wake each other up early the next day to start the journey. The cunning rat however did not do that but started out on the journey much early hoping to be included in the zodiac. The ox realized that he is slower than many of the other animals, decided to start the journey the night before and walk all night to reach the destination.

On the designated day the animals started arriving. Ox was the first to reach the vicinity and thought he would be the first animal on the zodiac. However unknown to the ox, the rat was actually riding on the ox’s back the entire journey. And just before the ox reached the designated spot the rat jumped over the ox and took the first spot. And this is why the rat is in first place ahead of the ox followed by the other animals.

This is also the reason why the Rat is described as intelligent and cunning while the Ox is hardworking and persistent. The Cat never forgave the Rat, became mortal enemies and is after it ever since! And this is the story of the 12 Animal Zodiac.

Chinese Lunar New Year and 12 animals

A popular legend says, long long ago, a certain god ordered all the animals to pay him a visit on New Year’s Day, that is, the first day of the first month. He said he would give the first 12 animals to come the title "King of the Animal World" and let each hold the title for one year.Now you may be wondering why there is no Year of the Cat, especially since cats have been popular as pets for thousands of years in China as well as in many other countries. Well, in the legend, the cat failed to be chosen because he was a day late getting to the God’s place. The Mouse had played a trick on him. He lied to the Cat, telling him the wrong date for the competition. The cat was not pleased and has hated the Mouse ever since.

The Story of the 12 Animal Zodiac in China

One day, Tian Di (The God Above) wanted to manage all animals on earth. He took out 12 chairs and told the cat to tell 11 other animals to go to the sky palace. When the cat told the ox about it, the rat overheard the news. The rat was very angry and he ran as fast as he could to the palace. As a result he got there before the ox. Tian Di then let him sit on the first chair. The ox took the second seat. Then the tiger, the rabbit all came and settled on the chairs. From then onwards, the rat comes the first in the zodiac cycle. The cat was not in the cycle because he went to tell other animals. Ever since, the cat is not in the zodiac cycle.

You get the general idea. Cute, eh?