HSK 4 · Story · 355 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/chinese-zodiac-story-the-great-race

十二生肖的故事

The Great Race: the Chinese zodiac story

Name: ________________ Date: ________

十二生肖shí’èr-shēngxiào里，为什么wèishénme老鼠láoshǔ排pái第一dìyī？为什么wèishénme没有méiyǒu猫māo？有yǒu一yí个gè民间故事mínjiān-gùshì是shì这么zhème说shuō的de。

很hěn久jiǔ以前yǐqián，玉皇大帝yùhuáng-dàdì想xiǎng让ràng每měi一yì年nián都dōu有yǒu一个yígè动物dòngwù。他tā说shuō：“明天míngtiān大家dàjiā过河guòhé来lái见jiàn我wǒ。谁shéi先xiān到dào，谁shéi就jiù排pái在zài前面qiánmiàn。十二shí’èr个gè就jiù够gòu了le！”

那nà时候shíhou，猫māo有yǒu一个yígè好hǎo朋友péngyǒu，就是jiùshì老鼠láoshǔ。猫māo爱ài睡觉shuìjiào，就jiù对duì老鼠láoshǔ说shuō：“明天míngtiān早上zǎoshang你nǐ叫jiào我wǒ起床qǐchuáng，好hǎo吗ma？”

老鼠láoshǔ说shuō：“没méi问题wèntí！”

第二天dì’èrtiān，老鼠láoshǔ起qǐ得de特别tèbié早zǎo。可是kěshì它tā太tài高兴gāoxìng了le，完全wánquán把bǎ猫māo忘wàng了le。

到dào了le河边hébiān，它tā才cái发现fāxiàn，河hé太tài宽kuān了le，它tā过不去guòbuqù。这时候zhèshíhou，牛niú来lái了le。老鼠láoshǔ一下yíxià跳tiào到dào牛niú身上shēnshang：“牛哥，带dài我wǒ过河guòhé吧ba！”牛niú很hěn老实lǎoshi，点diǎn点头diǎntóu就jiù下xià了le河hé。

牛niú就要jiùyào到dào对岸duì’àn了le，老鼠láoshǔ从cóng牛头niútóu上shàng一yí跳tiào，第一dìyī个gè跳tiào到dào了le玉皇大帝yùhuáng-dàdì面前miànqián。牛niú只好zhíhǎo排pái第二dì’èr。

接着jiēzhe来lái的de是shì老虎láohǔ、兔子tùzi、龙lóng、蛇shé、马mǎ、羊yáng、猴子hóuzi、鸡jī和hé狗gǒu。最后zuìhòu是shì猪zhū。它tā在zài路上lùshang饿è了le就jiù吃chī，困kùn了le就jiù睡shuì。

猫māo呢？猫māo起床qǐchuáng的de时候shíhou，太阳tàiyáng已经yǐjīng很hěn高gāo了le。它tā跑pǎo到dào玉皇大帝yùhuáng-dàdì那儿nàr，可是kěshì十二shí’èr个gè早就zǎojiù选xuǎn好hǎo了le。所以suóyǐ，十二生肖shí’èr-shēngxiào里没有méiyǒu猫māo。

这zhè个gè故事gùshi，每个měigè地方dìfang讲jiǎng得de都dōu不太bútài一样yíyàng。有的yǒude说shuō老鼠láoshǔ只是zhǐshì忘wàng了le，有的yǒude说shuō它tā是shì故意gùyì不bú叫jiào的de。

猫māo相信xiāngxìn哪nǎ一个yígè？你nǐ看kàn猫māo一yí见jiàn老鼠láoshǔ就jiù追zhuī的de样子yàngzi，就jiù知道zhīdào了le。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
久jiǔlong (time)
以前yǐqiánbefore; previously; formerly
动物dòngwùanimal
先xiānfirst; in advance
起qǐto rise; to get up
发现fāxiànto discover; to find; discovery
河hériver
牛niúcow; ox; cattle
跳tiàoto jump; to leap
面前miànqiánin front of; before; in the face of
马mǎ(vulgar) mother (used in curses as a stand-in for 妈)
羊yángsheep; goat

English (for the teacher)

In the Chinese zodiac, why does the rat come first? And why is there no cat? One folk tale tells it like this.

Long ago, the Jade Emperor wanted every year to have its own animal. He said, “Tomorrow, everyone cross the river and come to me.” “Whoever gets here first goes to the front.” “Twelve will be enough!”

Back then, the cat had a good friend: the rat. The cat loved its sleep, so it said to the rat, “Wake me up tomorrow morning, will you?”

The rat said, “No problem!”

The next day, the rat got up extra early. But it was so excited that it forgot all about the cat.

Only when it reached the river did it see that the river was too wide for it to cross. Just then, the ox came along. The rat jumped onto the ox. “Brother Ox, take me across the river!” The ox, a simple, honest soul, just nodded and waded into the river.

Just as the ox was about to reach the other bank, the rat leapt from its head and was the first to land in front of the Jade Emperor. The ox had to settle for second.

Next came the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster and the dog. Last came the pig. On the way, it ate when it got hungry and slept when it got sleepy.

And the cat? By the time the cat got up, the sun was already high in the sky. It ran to the Jade Emperor, but all twelve had long since been chosen. And that’s why there’s no cat in the Chinese zodiac.

Every place tells this story a little differently. Some say the rat simply forgot; others say it chose not to wake the cat.

Which one does the cat believe? Watch a cat go after a rat the moment it sees one, and you’ll know.