The Great Race: how the twelve animals got their order

The invitation

Long ago, the Jade Emperor, ruler of the heavens, wanted a way to measure time. He announced a race: the first twelve animals to cross the great river and reach his palace would each have a year named after them, in the order they arrived.

The crossing

• The Rat and the Cat could not swim, so they asked the kind Ox for a ride. Halfway across, the Rat pushed the Cat into the water. As the Ox reached the bank, the Rat jumped ahead and came first. The Ox came second.
• The powerful Tiger fought the currents and came third.
• The Rabbit hopped across on stones and floated the last stretch on a log, coming fourth.
• The Dragon, who could have flown, stopped to bring rain to a thirsty village and to blow the Rabbit’s log ashore. It came fifth.
• The Horse was about to finish when the Snake, coiled around its hoof, slid out and startled it. The Snake came sixth and the Horse seventh.
• The Goat, Monkey and Rooster worked together on a raft, arriving eighth, ninth and tenth.
• The Dog stopped to play in the water and came eleventh.
• The Pig stopped for a meal and a nap, and came twelfth.

Why there is no Cat (except in Vietnam)

The Cat, pushed into the river by the Rat, arrived too late. Some say this is why cats and rats are enemies to this day. In Vietnam, however, the Cat takes the Rabbit’s place in the zodiac.

The meaning behind the story

Every animal’s way of crossing hints at its character: the Rat’s cunning, the Ox’s kindness, the Dragon’s generosity, the Pig’s love of comfort. Each animal page in the Library starts with its part of the story.