Chinese zodiac

12 animals (In order)

• Rat                      6. Snake          11. Dog
• Ox                       7. Horse           12. Pig
• Tiger                   8. Goat/Ram
• Rabbit                 9. Monkey
• Dragon               10. Rooster

The Great Race

Long ago the Jade emperor decided there should be a way to tell time. He devised a race across the river. The order the animals ranked in the race, would be the order in time.

The rat and cat, who were good friends, were worried because they couldn't swim well. They asked the Ox to take them across.

The rat pushed the cat off the Ox once they were halfway across the river, and jumped off the Ox's head so he would be first. The rat became the first year of the zodiac, and the Ox the second.

Next came the tiger, and then the rabbit, who had jumped across on logs and rocks. The dragon came next. He had been stalled by helping the rabbit by blowing the log to him, and making rain for some people and animals to drink.

The horse almost reached sixth place, but a snake slithered off from around one of his hooves, and he ended up in seventh. Soon after, a monkey, goat, and rooster came across on a raft. They told the emperor how they had worked together, and he gave the goat 8th place, the monkey 9th, and the rooster 10th.

The next animal to finish was the dog. The emperor asked why he was so late when he was one of the best swimmers, and the dog explained that he had to have a bath along the way.

The last animal to arrive was the boar, who had stopped to eat and then fell asleep along the way. He was given the 12th place in the zodiac.

The cat finally dragged himself onto the bank, but was too late to have a year named after him. He was very angry with the rat, and since then, rats and cats have never been friends.

Rat 1900 1912 1924 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996 2008 2020
Ox 1901 1913 1925 1937 1949 1961 1973 1985 1997 2009 2021
Tiger 1902 1914 1926 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998 2010 2022
Rabbit 1903 1915 1927 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999 2011 2023
Dragon 1904 1916 1928 1940 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000 2012 2024
Snake 1905 1917 1929 1941 1953 1965 1977 1989 2001 2013 2025
Horse 1906 1918 1930 1942 1954 1966 1978 1990 2002 2014 2026
Sheep 1907 1919 1931 1943 1955 1967 1979 1991 2003 2015 2027
Monkey 1908 1920 1932 1944 1956 1968 1980 1992 2004 2016 2028
Rooster 1909 1921 1933 1945 1957 1969 1981 1993 2005 2017 2029
Dog 1910 1922 1934 1946 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006 2018 2030
Boar 1911 1923 1935 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995 2007 2019 2031

Rat:
Element: Water
Partners well with: Dragon and Monkey
Characteristics: Intelligent, adaptable, quick-witted, charming, artistic, sociable.

Ox:
Element: Earth
Partners well with: Snake and Rooster
Characteristics: Loyal, reliable, thorough, strong, reasonable, steady, determined

Tiger:
Element: Wood
Partners well with: Horse and Dog
Characteristics: Enthusiastic, courageous, ambitious, leadership, confidence, charismatic

Rabbit:
Element: Wood
Partners well with: Sheep and Boar
Characteristics: Trustworthy, empathic, modest, diplomatic, sincere, sociable, caretakers.

Dragon:
Element: Earth
Partners well with: Rat and Monkey
Characteristics: Lucky, flexible, eccentric, imaginative, artistic, spiritual, charismatic

Snake:
Element: Fire
Partners well with: Rooster and Ox
Characteristics: Philosophical, organized, intelligent, intuitive, elegant, attentive, decisive

Horse:
Element: Fire
Partners well with: Dog and Tiger
Characteristics: Adaptable, loyal, courageous, ambitious, intelligent, adventurous, strong

Goat:
Element: Earth
Partners well with: Boar and Rabbit
Characteristics: Tasteful, crafty, warm, elegant, charming, intuitive, sensitive, calm

Monkey:
Element: Metal
Partners well with: Dragon and Rat
Characteristics: Quick-witted, charming, lucky, adaptable, bright, versatile, lively, smart. More on

Rooster:
Element: Metal
Partners well with: Snake and Ox
Characteristics: Honest, energetic, intelligent, flamboyant, flexible, diverse, confident.

Dog:
Element: Earth
Partners well with: Tiger and Horse
Characteristics: Loyal, sociable, courageous, diligent, steady, lively, adaptable, smart

Boar:
Element: Water
Partners well with: Sheep and Rabbit
Characteristics: Honorable, philanthropic, determined, optimistic, sincere, sociable

the end