There were many different versions and legends about the twelve zodiac animals. One of the most popular versions was about the Jade Emperor's birthday. It was said that when the Jade Emperor celebrated his birthday, he ordered all the animals to come to celebrate his birthday on the ninth day of the first month. He also decided to select twelve animals according to the order of registration as guards on the road to heaven, and they would take turns to be on duty every year. In this story, the mouse and the cat were neighbors, but the cat often bullied the mouse. In order to be able to attend the Jade Emperor's birthday celebration, the cat asked the mouse to wake it up and go with him. The mouse agreed to the cat's request and set off quietly on the morning of the ninth day of the first month. When the mouse faced the wide river, it was worried. However, the cow that was the first to go out silently walked to the river. The mouse took advantage of the moment when the cow swam into the water and nimbly jumped into the cow's ear. The cow did not care about the speculation of the mouse because it was usually known for its simplicity. This story showed the relationship and mutual help between the twelve zodiac animals. Other stories about the twelve zodiac animals included the story of the monkey and the rooster participating in the selection, as well as the story of the origin of the dragon.
The arrangement of the twelve zodiac animals was based on the living habits and activities of the twelve animals. The order of the twelve zodiac animals was: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
The order of the twelve zodiac animals was determined according to their living habits and activities. The order of the twelve zodiac animals was: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
The year of the rat had come, and a rat had come up with a clever way to celebrate. It decided to explore and find the positions of the other animals in the zodiac and remember their positions.
The mouse went to the Year of the Ox first, but there were no other animals there. It went to the year of the tiger again, but the tiger was bigger than it and they didn't want to make friends with the mouse. Rat had no choice but to leave.
It went to the year of the rabbit again, where it met a rabbit and they became good friends. The mouse also told the rabbit about other animals it had met in other years.
The mouse continued to explore. In the year of the sheep, he met a sheep, but it was scared away by other animals. It went to the year of the monkey again, but there were no other animals there. It could only leave.
It went to the Year of the Rooster again, where it met a chicken and they became good friends. The mouse also told the chicken about other animals it had met in other years.
The mouse continued to explore. In the year of the dog, it met a dog, but it was bitten by other animals. It could only leave.
It went to the year of the pig again, where it met a pig and they became good friends. The mouse also told the pig about other animals it had met in other years.
At last the mouse returned home and told the other animals that it had found them. The other animals were very happy. They cheered for the mouse and thanked him for helping them on their adventure.
The Chinese zodiac animals each have their own stories. For example, the rat got to be the first in the zodiac through its cleverness. It managed to hitch a ride on the ox and then jumped ahead at the last moment.
The Chinese zodiac story is about twelve animals competing to be part of the zodiac cycle. Legend has it that the Jade Emperor decided to select twelve animals to represent the years. The rat tricked the ox into carrying it across the river and then jumped off at the last minute to be first. Then came the ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig in order. Each animal is believed to have certain characteristics associated with it.
The story of the 12 animals of the zodiac has different versions in different regions. But generally, the Jade Emperor called for animals to come to his place. The rat's victory was quite cunning. The 12 animals that reached there in different order now mark the 12 - year cycle. In Chinese tradition, these animals are associated with various aspects of life. For instance, the dragon is seen as powerful and auspicious. The zodiac story also has influenced art, literature, and daily life in many ways. People often use their zodiac sign to predict their fortune or to simply have a fun conversation starter.
Well, the story goes like this. The animals were challenged to a race to determine the order of the zodiac. Each animal had its own traits and strategies. The rat was clever and ended up first, while the dog was loyal but didn't finish as early. It's a fun and symbolic story.