The Chinese Zodiac

If you're a Chinese, you'll know what I'm saying. There are 12 animals being chosen by the people in ancient China, in order to have a special zodiac for each year in every 12 years.

As you can see in the picture above, there are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit. dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, roaster, dog and pig in that order of the Chinese Zodiac. The race must been a very long time ago, even though we all knew that it's just a legend from great China.

The holy race was opened to all animals, no matter they were mammals, amphibians, reptiles or any other types. There had a cat and a rat, who were best-friend-forever. "Aren't you going for the race tomorrow?" asked the adorable little rat. "I don't think so, I'm always a dead log when I dozed off..." replied the cat. "Never mind. May me wake you you up then." as the kind-hearted rat said. "OK, Thank you, pal."

The next was a scorching sunny day. The little rat came to wake the cat but it didn't even make a move. The time wasn't early anymore so the rat decided to start its journey straight-away. It asked for the help of an ox in order to ride on its back. The ox wasn't ready to run before that but after the encouragement given by the rat, it acceded to the request as it appreciated the rat's encouragement.

The ox held its breath and rushed to the finishing line. The rat then got the first place while the runner-up was the ox. The other 10 animals soon crossed the finishing line. As for the cat, it finally woke up and found out that the time had passed and itself was not chosen in to be among the 12 zodiacs. It immediately went for the rat and that's why cats and rats don't get along well up to today.

2012, which had just passed not long before, was the year of the celestial dragon. Now 2013, we're all in the year of the slithery snake. My best wishes to all who have the zodiac of 'snake' all around the world, as this year belongs to you!

By,

Euan Thum.

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