Folk legends offer a more vivid explanation. It is said that the Jade Emperor wanted to elect 12 animals in the mortal world to be the representatives of the animal kingdom. Once the notice of the election was issued, all the animals were itching to try. At that time, the cat, which was fond of lying in, told its good friend the rat to wake it up when the rat set out on its forays, and the rat agreed. When it was time to set out, however, the rat tried but failed to wake up the cat. Then, the rat selfishly thought to itself: why not just let it go on lying in, so that I have one fewer competitor. On its way, it came across a river and was thinking hard about how to cross this barrier. At that moment, along came an ox, which was also going to stand for election, so the rat jump onto its back. The simple and honest ox simply walked on without complaint. The majestic-looking dragon always felt that it was not beautiful enough without a horn on its head. On this day, the dragon saw a cock dressed in colorful clothes proudly walking in a farm courtyard, and the dragon was attracted by its coxcomb. So, the dragon asked the cock for its loan, but the cock shook his head and said: “No, I am going to stand for election with it tomorrow.” The dragon said: “My cock brother, how beautiful you are! Your beautiful dress alone is already enough to ensure your success in election, so the horn is not necessary.” Upon hearing these honeyed words, the cock, which loved flattery, was inclined to agree but worried about getting the comb back. At that moment, a centipede crawled over and said: “My big brother, lend it. If you have any worry, I am the security for it.” Since the centipede was to be the guarantor, the cock handed its comb to the dragon while repeatedly stressing the need for its return after the election. The dragon was happy to make such a promise and departed.
On the day the election was held, the ox was the first to arrive. When the Jade Emperor was about to confirm this, he saw a rat jump to the front from the ox’s back, so it turned out the rat was first and the ox second. The tiger and the rabbit came in third and fourth respectively. The dragon arrived quite late, but looked so beautiful that the Jade Emperor put it in the fifth place. When the dilatory pig arrived at the election convention with much groaning and moaning, the other animals had already been ranked, so it came in last.
The rat was so proud of gaining the first place it boasted to the cat so much that the latter became angry and pounced on it. Hence, the two former good friends became enemies, with the cat always trying to catch the rat, which had to hide to escape. The dragon was not willing to give back the comb to the cock despite its promise, so it jumped a pool to hide. The cock had no choice but to ask the centipede to assume responsibility, and the centipede said: “I have no way either if it doesn’t give back to you!” Then, it also hid. The cock was so unwilling to loose its comb that since then it ascended to the heights every morning to declaim: “My dragon brother! Return my comb!” It also dug in corners and cracks with its claws to try and peck the centipede.
The zodiac has such a long history that it is difficult to ascertain its origin; however, since it is popular, practical and interesting, it continues to thrive. Fortune-telling using the zodiac, the relationship between it and one’s personality, the animal year and other aspects of faith in the zodiac have become part of traditional Chinese culture.