About How Animals Started Counting the Years

It is said that in ancient times, people did not know how to count the years by animals. It was the Jade Emperor himself who taught them. For this purpose, he once summoned all the beasts and birds to his Heavenly Palace. In those days, the cat and the mouse were great friends and lived together like sisters. They were delighted to receive the invitation to the Heavenly Palace and agreed to go together.

Everyone knows that cats love to sleep. Our cat was aware of this weakness of hers and decided to make arrangements with the mouse in advance.

"You know, sister mouse, how much I love to sleep," she began politely. "Please wake me up tomorrow when it's time to go to the palace."

The mouse patted her chest and promised:

"I will definitely wake you up! Sleep, don't worry about anything!"

"Thank you!" said the cat, cleaned her whiskers, and, without a care in the world, fell asleep.

The next morning, the mouse got up at the crack of dawn. She didn't even think of waking the cat. After eating, she set off alone for the Heavenly Palace.

Now let's talk about the dragon who lived in the depths of the sea. He too had received an invitation to the palace.

"Of all creatures, I will surely be chosen," thought the dragon. And indeed, he looked quite formidable: his armor gleamed, and his whiskers stood stiff under his nose. The only flaw was his bald head—nothing grew on it. "If only I could get some horns, then no one could match me in beauty!" So the dragon decided to borrow someone's horns for a week.

As soon as he poked his head out of the water, he saw a rooster on the shore. The rooster was strutting about proudly, his chest puffed out. In those days, roosters had huge horns. The dragon was delighted, swam to the shore, and said to the rooster:

"Uncle Rooster, Uncle Rooster, lend me your horns. I'm going to the Heavenly Palace tomorrow."

"Oh, Brother Dragon!" replied the rooster. "I'm sorry, but I'm also going to the Heavenly Palace tomorrow."

"Uncle Rooster, those big horns don't suit you at all. Your head is too small. Give them to me instead. Look! They fit me perfectly!"

At that moment, a centipede crawled out of a crevice. Centipedes love to meddle in other people's business. Hearing the dragon's words, the centipede said:

"Uncle Rooster, Uncle Rooster! Lend Brother Dragon your horns, just this once. If you're afraid, I'll vouch for him. So, will you lend them?"

The rooster agreed. After all, the centipede had vouched for the dragon. And he, the rooster, looked just fine without the horns.

The next day, all the beasts and birds arrived at the Heavenly Palace. A great multitude had gathered. The Jade Emperor came out to them and said:

"From now on, we will count the years by the animals and birds. And which ones—you shall name yourselves."

And the animals named the ox, the horse, the sheep, the dog, the pig, the rabbit, the tiger, the dragon, the snake, the monkey, the rooster, and the mouse.

Why they chose these particular animals, no one knows. Why the rooster and not the duck? The tiger and not the lion?

So, they chose twelve animals in total. But how to arrange them in order? That's when the arguments and disputes began.

"The largest among you is the ox. Let him be first," said the Jade Emperor.

Everyone agreed, even the tiger. But then the little mouse raised her paw and said:

"Am I not bigger than the ox? Why is it that when people see me, they shout, 'Oh my! What a huge mouse!' But no one ever says, 'Oh my! What a huge ox!' So, people must think I'm bigger than the ox!"

The Jade Emperor was surprised:

"Are you telling the truth? I don't believe it!"

Then the monkey and the horse shouted in unison that the mouse was simply lying. But the mouse, as if nothing had happened, replied:

"You don't believe me? Let's test it!"

The rooster, the sheep, the dog, and the rabbit agreed.

"Let's test it," said the Jade Emperor.

The animals went to the people.

And what do you think? Everything happened exactly as the mouse had said.

When the ox passed by the people, everyone praised him: "What a fine, plump ox!" But no one said, "What a huge ox!" Meanwhile, the cunning mouse climbed onto the ox's back and stood on her hind legs. When the people saw her, they cried out:

"Oh my! What a huge mouse!"

The Jade Emperor heard this with his own ears, frowned, and said:

"Alright! If people think the mouse is bigger than the ox, let the ox yield the first place to her. He can be second."

And so it was decided. That is why, to this day, the count begins with the year of the mouse, followed by the year of the ox.

The mouse returned home, overjoyed to be first among the animals, and she strutted about proudly. The cat, having just woken up, saw the mouse and asked:

"Why are you silent, sister mouse? Weren't we supposed to go to the palace today?"

"You're still sleeping? I've already returned from the palace. Twelve animals were chosen to count the years, and I am first among them!"

The cat was surprised, opened her eyes wide, and asked:

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"I forgot!" the mouse replied nonchalantly.

The cat was furious, her whiskers bristling, and she shouted:

"You wretched creature! I trusted you, slept without a care! Didn't you promise to wake me? I know! You wanted to harm me. Just you wait! I'll settle this with you!"

The mouse denied any wrongdoing and said:

"Why make such a fuss! I didn't wake you—that's my business. I'm not your servant!"

The cat was boiling with rage: breathing heavily, baring her teeth, she pounced on the mouse and bit her throat—the mouse only managed to squeak and twitch her hind legs.

And so, from that day on, the cat and the mouse became bitter enemies.

Now let's talk about the rooster. He returned home, very sad, and thought: "The Jade Emperor placed the dragon ahead of me because he had my horns on his head." And the rooster decided he must get his horns back from the dragon.

He approached the depths of the sea and saw the dragon frolicking merrily in the water. The rooster then said very politely to the dragon:

"Brother Dragon! Please return my horns to me!"

The dragon was surprised but replied with dignity, without getting upset:

"Ah, it's you, Uncle Rooster! Why do you need the horns? Honestly, you look much better without them. And they suit me very well!"

"Whether they suit you or not is not my concern," the rooster replied gloomily. "If you took them, you must return them."

The dragon said nothing. He thought for a moment, then suddenly bowed respectfully to the rooster and said:

"Please don't be angry, Uncle Rooster! It's late, time to rest. We'll talk about this another time."

Before the rooster could even open his beak, the dragon disappeared underwater. The rooster was furious, flapped his wings, and shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Brother Dragon, return my horns! Brother Dragon, return my horns!"

But by then, the dragon was fast asleep at the bottom of the sea and heard nothing.

The rooster shouted for a long time, grew hoarse, and was completely exhausted. There was nothing else to do. He decided to find the centipede. After all, she had vouched for the dragon.

The rooster found the centipede on a pile of stones, told her everything in order, and said:

"Madam Centipede, you vouched for the dragon, and you cannot leave this matter unresolved."

The centipede raised her head, remained silent for a while, and finally said slowly:

"Brother Dragon will return your horns. If he doesn't—so be it! Judge for yourself! I can't go find him at the bottom of the sea!"

The rooster turned red with anger.

"What kind of guarantor are you! You shouldn't have meddled in other people's business. Trouble happens, and you don't care!"

"Don't accuse me falsely, Uncle Rooster," the centipede began to justify herself. "You gave the dragon your horns yourself. I merely vouched for him. Who would have thought Brother Dragon couldn't be trusted? Had I known earlier, I wouldn't have vouched for him."

"What should I do now?" asked the rooster, trying to control his anger.

"I've already told you what to do. Accept that you were unlucky if the dragon doesn't return the horns. It's your own fault. You should have thought carefully before giving them away."

"So, it's my fault?" The rooster's eyes bulged, he puffed out his chest, and began to advance on the centipede.

"Your fault, your fault, you should have thought carefully," the centipede repeated, half-dead with fear.

The rooster turned even redder, stretched out his neck, and pecked the centipede on the head. With a couple of shakes, he swallowed the centipede alive.

Since then, roosters have been pecking at centipedes in the yard every summer. And in the mornings, as soon as it begins to dawn, they crow at the top of their lungs:

"Lóng gēgē, jiǎo huán wǒ! Brother Dragon, return my horns!"

↑ To the top

About How Animals Started Counting the Years

More fairy tales