Every 12 years, us rodent lovers get excited because it’s the Year of the Rat! Sadly, last year, with the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t the best year for any of us. But perhaps our dear little furry friends will find another way to come out on top, just like Rat did in the very special Lunar New Year race…

Many thousands of years ago, the Jade Emperor (or some say it was Buddha, I can’t really say as I wasn’t there) invited all the animals for a race. On the big day, only 12 animals showed up. Cat slept in, having asked his best friend, Rat, to wake him up (sadly, Rat was so excited, he forgot about his poor old buddy. I don’t think Cat has forgiven him yet), so there is no Year of the Cat.

So, once the race started, all the animals rushed off as fast as they could. Some of the animals were obviously much faster and stronger than others, so although they all started off together, it didn't take long for some of them to lag behind while others stormed off.

However, there was a big river that they had to cross, and this proved to be a big obstacle for all of them. The wily rat, who was near the front, convinced the big, strong ox to carry him across the river, assuring him that he was only little and certainly not as fast as Ox. Good-natured Ox agreed and gave Rat a ride across the raging torrent of water. When he staggered to the far bank, Rat, who had enjoyed a relaxing journey, sprang up and raced to the finish!

Through his cunning and silver tongue, Rat finished first and so the first year in the lunar zodiac was named after him. Ox finished second, followed by Tiger (who was a strong swimmer, but who had been pushed around by the strong current), Rabbit (who had clung to a log to cross the river), Dragon (who had got distracted saving people during the race. He’d even pushed Rabbit across!), Snake (who’d clung to Horse’s leg until the end. Remind you of anyone?), Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. By the time Pig had arrived, the Jade Emperor had given up on him! Pig had got a little peckish during the race, so he’d stopped for a little snack break and had eaten so much he’d fallen asleep!

The twelve years follow one after the other in an endless cycle. What a great story it was that started off the Chinese Zodiac Cycle. It’s nice to see our good old friend, Rattie, mentioned in an ancient legend (and not a the bad guy either!).