The Origins of the Chinese Zodiac Part 1
By Vanessa Salmeron-Rivera
We’re so used to the Zodiac: Aries, Cancer, Gemini, etc. This year, the Owlet thought we’d try something different, the Chinese Zodiac Horoscopes. So, what is the Chinese Zodiac?
According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said the order of the zodiac signs would be decided by the order in which they arrived to his party. To reach the part, the animals had to cross a great river. The twelve animals included Dog, Rat, Ox, Dragon, Tiger, Goat, Snake, Pig, Rabbit, Rooster, Monkey, and Horse. This month, I am going to introduce you to the first five animals.
Rat
Rat is the first zodiac animal. The Rat tricked the Ox into giving him a ride. Cat (Rat’s childhood friend) also took a ride, but sang Ox songs. Then, just as they arrived at the finish-line, Rat pushed Cat into the water, and jumped down and landed ahead of Ox, becoming first. Poor Cat was swept away by the pull of the river, and though it survived, never made the Jade Emperor’s party. Cat swore Rat would be its enemy forever, and that is why cats hunt rats today.
Ox
The second zodiac is the Ox. The Ox was about to be the first to arrive, but Rat tricked Ox into giving him a ride. Then, just as they arrived, Rat jumped down and landed ahead of Ox. Then, Ox became the second zodiac.
Tiger
The Tiger is the third zodiac animal. Tiger arrived early the next morning and was second. Rat secretly climbed onto Ox and jumped down when he saw the Emperor Jade. Ox and Tiger were pushed back to second and third. Despite his protests, Tiger could only settle with being the third zodiac.
Rabbit
The Rabbit is the fourth zodiac animal. Legend has it that Rabbit was proud of its speed. He was neighbors with Ox and always made fun of how slow Ox was. Rabbit set off at daybreak but when he got there, no other animals were in sight. Thinking he would obviously be first; he went off to the side and napped. However, when he woke up, three other animals had already arrived. One of them was Ox, he had always looked down upon.
Dragon
The dragon is the fifth zodiac animal. Everyone expected the powerful dragon to arrive earlier on. However, he came after Rat, Ox, Tiger, and Rabbit. When asked why he was so late, Dragon said that on the way, he saw a village suffering from drought. He had to stop and create rain for them, Emperor Jade was happy with this noble deed and gave him the fifth position.