Chinese Folk Tales: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac

Preface: The twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac, also known as the phases of the genus, are the twelve animals in China that match the twelve earthly branches with the year of a person’s birth, including the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. The origin of the Chinese zodiac is related to animal worship. As a long-standing folk cultural symbol, the Chinese Zodiac has left a large number of poems, spring couplets, paintings, calligraphy and folk craft works depicting the image and symbolism of the Chinese Zodiac through the ages.

The twelve zodiac signs are the figurative representatives of the twelve earthly branches, i.e., Zi (Rat), U (Ox), Yin (Tiger), Mao (Rabbit), Chen (Dragon), Si (Snake), Wu (Horse), Wei (Sheep), Shen (Monkey), You (Chicken), Xu (Dog), and Hai (Pig), which are gradually blended into the concept of folk beliefs of inter-relationships with each other as history develops and reflected in the concepts of marriage, life and yearly fortunes, etc. Each of these zodiac signs has a wealth of legends and has become a system of conceptual interpretation, which has become a system of interpretation. Each zodiac sign has a rich legend, and in this way it forms a conceptual interpretation system and becomes a figurative philosophy in folk culture, such as the phases of the zodiac in marriage, prayers at temples, and the year of the birth of a child. In modern times, more people use the Chinese zodiac as a mascot for the Spring Festival and as a symbol for entertainment and cultural activities.

In addition to China, many countries in the world have folk cultures related to the Chinese zodiac. In the East Asian Cultural Circle, Korea and Japan have the same Chinese Zodiac as China, Vietnam has a cat instead of a rabbit, India has a lion but not a tiger, and the rest are the same as China. Cambodia and Thailand are the same as China, but with the ox and snake at the head respectively. Myanmar is the eight zodiac signs.

很Hěn久jiǔ很hěn久jiǔ以yǐ前qián ， 在zài古gǔ老lǎo的de华huá夏xià大dà地dì上shàng ， 有yǒu一yī个gè伟wěi大dà的de帝dì王wáng ， 名míng叫jiào轩xuān辕yuán黄huáng帝dì 。

Long, long ago, on the ancient land of Huaxia, there lived a great emperor named Xuan Yuan Huang Di.

他Tā想xiǎng要yào选xuǎn出chū十shí二èr个gè最zuì勇yǒng敢gǎn 、 最zuì忠zhōng诚chéng的de动dòng物wù ， 来lái守shǒu护hù他tā的de宫gōng廷tíng 。

He wanted to choose twelve of the bravest and most loyal animals to guard his palace.

消Xiāo息xī一yī出chū ， 所suǒ有yǒu的de动dòng物wù都dōu兴xīng奋fèn不bù已yǐ ， 它tā们men都dōu想xiǎng成chéng为wéi这zhè荣róng耀yào的de一yī员yuán 。

When the news spread, all the animals were thrilled, and they all wanted to be part of this honor.

猫Māo觉jué得de自zì己jǐ很hěn敏mǐn捷jié ， 但dàn报bào名míng那nà天tiān它tā睡shuì过guò头tóu了le ， 于yú是shì它tā拜bài托tuō好hǎo朋péng友yǒu老lǎo鼠shǔ帮bāng忙máng报bào名míng 。

The cat thought it was agile, but it overslept on the day of registration, so it asked its good friend, the mouse, to help sign up.

老Lǎo鼠shǔ满mǎn口kǒu答dā应yìng ， 但dàn到dào了le报bào名míng的de时shí候hòu ， 它tā却què把bǎ这zhè事shì儿ér给gěi忘wàng了le 。

The mouse promised readily, but when it came to registration, it forgot about it.

从Cóng此cǐ ， 猫māo一yī见jiàn到dào老lǎo鼠shǔ就jiù生shēng气qì ， 总zǒng是shì想xiǎng要yào报bào复fù 。

From then on, whenever the cat saw the mouse, it got angry and always wanted revenge.

选Xuǎn拔bá的de日rì子zi到dào了le ， 轩xuān辕yuán黄huáng帝dì看kàn着zhe眼yǎn前qián的de动dòng物wù们men ， 心xīn中zhōng已yǐ经jīng有yǒu了le人rén选xuǎn 。

On the day of selection, Emperor Xuan Yuan looked at the animals before him and had already chosen some in his heart.

大Dà家jiā一yī致zhì推tuī选xuǎn牛niú作zuò为wéi首shǒu领lǐng ， 因yīn为wèi它tā强qiáng壮zhuàng又yòu勤qín劳láo 。

Everyone chose the ox as the leader because it was strong and diligent.

但Dàn老lǎo鼠shǔ心xīn眼yǎn儿ér多duō ， 它tā悄qiāo悄qiāo爬pá上shàng了le牛niú背bèi ， 想xiǎng让ràng自zì己jǐ也yě显xiǎn得de高gāo大dà威wēi猛měng 。

But the cunning mouse secretly climbed onto the ox’s back, wanting to make itself look tall and mighty.

虎Hǔ和hé龙lóng见jiàn牛niú被bèi选xuǎn为wéi首shǒu领lǐng ， 心xīn里lǐ很hěn不bù服fú气qì 。

When the tiger and the Long saw the ox being chosen as the leader, they felt dissatisfied.

轩Xuān辕yuán黄huáng帝dì看kàn到dào它tā们men的de不bù满mǎn ， 便biàn封fēng虎hǔ为wéi山shān神shén ， 龙lóng为wéi海hǎi神shén ， 让ràng它tā们men也yě排pái在zài牛niú的de后hòu面miàn ， 守shǒu护hù四sì方fāng 。

Seeing their dissatisfaction, Emperor Xuan Yuan made the tiger the god of the mountains and the Long the god of the sea, placing them behind the ox to guard the four directions.

兔Tù子zi觉jué得de自zì己jǐ跑pǎo得de快kuài ， 也yě不bù服fú气qì ， 它tā要yāo求qiú和hé龙lóng赛sài跑pǎo 。

The rabbit felt it was fast and also dissatisfied, so it challenged the Long to a race.

没Méi想xiǎng到dào ， 兔tù子zi真zhēn的de跑pǎo得de比bǐ龙lóng还hái快kuài ， 一yī下xià子zi就jiù跑pǎo到dào了le龙lóng的de前qián面miàn 。

Unexpectedly, the rabbit really ran faster than the Long and quickly got ahead of it.

狗Gǒu看kàn到dào兔tù子zi这zhè么me得dé意yì ， 心xīn里lǐ很hěn不bù乐lè意yì ， 它tā一yī冲chōng动dòng ， 竟jìng然rán咬yǎo伤shāng了le兔tù子zi 。

Seeing the rabbit so pleased with itself, the dog felt unhappy, and in a fit of anger, it bit the rabbit.

轩Xuān辕yuán黄huáng帝dì很hěn生shēng气qì ， 把bǎ狗gǒu罚fá到dào了le最zuì后hòu一yī名míng 。

Emperor Xuan Yuan was very angry and punished the dog by placing it last.

剩Shèng下xià的de蛇shé 、 马mǎ 、 羊yáng 、 猴hóu 、 鸡jī之zhī间jiān ， 也yě进jìn行xíng了le一yī场chǎng激jī烈liè的de较jiào量liàng 。

Among the remaining snakes, horses, sheep, monkeys, and chickens, there was also a fierce competition.

它Tā们men各gè有yǒu本běn领lǐng ， 互hù不bù相xiāng让ràng 。

They each had their own abilities and refused to give in.

最Zuì后hòu ， 懒lǎn洋yáng洋yáng的de猪zhū慢màn悠yōu悠yōu地de跑pǎo来lái ， 虽suī然rán它tā跑pǎo得de最zuì慢màn ， 但dàn轩xuān辕yuán黄huáng帝dì看kàn它tā憨hān态tài可kě掬jū ， 还hái是shì让ràng它tā占zhàn据jù了le最zuì后hòu一yī个gè位wèi置zhì 。

Finally, the lazy pig came slowly. Although it ran the slowest, Emperor Xuan Yuan saw its cute appearance and still let it take the last spot.

就Jiù这zhè样yàng ， 十shí二èr生shēng肖xiào诞dàn生shēng了le ， 它tā们men一yī直zhí守shǒu护hù着zhe轩xuān辕yuán黄huáng帝dì的de宫gōng廷tíng ， 成chéng为wéi了le华huá夏xià大dà地dì的de传chuán奇qí 。

In this way, the twelve zodiac animals were born, and they have been guarding Emperor Xuan Yuan’s palace, becoming legends of the land of Huaxia.

通过阅读中国神话、民间故事、历史典故、人物传记学汉语，简单易学，中英对照，适合初学者！
Learning Chinese through reading Chinese mythology, folk stories, historical allusions, and biographies is easy to learn and bilingual, suitable for beginners!