Before the twelve animals had their places in the calendar, imagine a riverbank full of arguments about who should go first. Strength had its supporters. So did speed. Rat, who possessed neither in abundance, listened carefully.
This is an original retelling of a traditional story. Families and storytellers change the details, particularly Cat's part, while keeping the familiar animal order.
A river and an invitation
The Jade Emperor announced that twelve places would be awarded across a repeating cycle of years. A race would decide the order. The animals were to reach the far bank of a wide river, and they could choose how to make the crossing.
Ox looked at the water and began preparing for a long swim. Tiger tested the mud beneath its paws. Dragon had the sky to itself. Rat studied the bank, where Cat was also wondering how such a small creature could cross so much water.
In this telling, both asked Ox for a ride. Ox lowered its head and let them climb aboard. Then it entered the river, steady enough that the two passengers could keep their paws dry.
Rat finds the first opening
The crossing took effort. Ox's shoulders moved beneath the current while the bank slowly came closer. Rat watched the remaining distance. Cat, less concerned about the finish than about staying aboard, relaxed its grip.
Then Rat pushed Cat into the water. As Ox reached the shallows, Rat sprang onto the bank and reached the finish first. Ox arrived second, having done the swimming that made both places possible. Cat scrambled toward the shore, furious and far behind.
The scene leaves listeners with a question as well as an order: was Rat resourceful, unfair, or both? A useful story can hold admiration for cleverness beside respect for the one who carried the weight.
Strength, stepping stones, and a delayed Dragon
Tiger came third, breathing hard after fighting the current. A strong swimmer still had to work for the crossing. Rabbit followed in fourth place, having used stones and a floating log to cover the distance.
Dragon arrived fifth. This surprised the waiting animals: surely flying should have made the race easy. But Dragon had stopped to bring rain where people needed water, then helped Rabbit's log reach the bank. It had the power to arrive earlier and had used some of that power elsewhere.
By now the order had become more interesting than a simple ranking of speed. Persistence, timing, help received, and help offered had all changed the result.
A surprise near the finish
The sound of hooves announced Horse. Just before the finish, however, Snake emerged from its hiding place near Horse's hoof. Horse recoiled, Snake slipped ahead, and the sixth place went to Snake. Horse followed in seventh.
Farther out, three animals were solving the crossing together. Rooster had found a raft, and Goat and Monkey helped work it across. The raft came in safely because each contributed. Goat received eighth place, Monkey ninth, and Rooster tenth. Their part of the story is less about overtaking somebody than finding a way none could have used as easily alone.
The last two arrivals
Dog eventually came ashore in eleventh place. Swimming had not been the difficulty. The clear water had been too tempting, and Dog had stopped to play and bathe before remembering the race.
The animals waited for the final competitor. At last Pig appeared, having paused for a meal and then fallen asleep. There was still a place available: twelfth, the closing position before the cycle would begin again with Rat.
Why isn't Cat in the zodiac?
Cat's delay in the river explains its absence in the version told here. Another familiar version has Rat promise to wake Cat for the race and then fail to do so. Either way, Cat misses its chance, and the quarrel supplies a playful explanation for the hostility between cats and rats.
There is no single official script that every retelling must follow. The Cat episode explains an omission within the legend; it is separate from the historical development of the calendar. If someone in your family remembers another detail, comparing the versions can be part of the enjoyment.
The twelve, in order
The cycle repeats, giving a new generation the same familiar cast. To find where your birthday falls, use the home calculator; for the calendar behind the story, read about Chinese New Year.
Traditional-story reference and a different concise adaptation: British Council, The Great Race. The prose above is written for this site.