The Chinese Zodiac originated from China. There are 12 animals representing the 12 year cycle and with each year represented by each animal. The 12 animals are firstly Rat followed by Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and lastly Pig. Have you ever wondered why the little tiny rat is ranked first in the Zodiac? There are a few versions of the story, I personally find the one below rather amusing.
Long long time ago, the Emperor organized a race so as to choose the fastest animals to represent the 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac. On the day of the race, the rat got up very early and on his way to the finishing line, he saw the ox. He was feeling very tired after a long walk and he thought of a great idea. He told the ox that he would sing a song for him to make the journey more enjoyable. The ox gladly accepted it and the rat began to sing. After a while, the ox asked the rat why he wasn’t singing. The rat answered that he was and why he couldn’t hear it? Then, he exclaimed that it might be because his voice was too soft. He then suggested to the ox to let him climbed onto his neck and sing near to his ear. The ox agreed and the rat sang. The singing made the ox ran very fast and upon reaching the finishing line, the rat suddenly jumped of the ox’s neck and ran in front of the ox. The rat was thus ranked first in the Chinese Zodiac.