生肖来源

Let’s take a trip. We will go to a place before time. The Jade Emperor rules over the Heavens. He is kind. He is wise.

The Jade Emperor wants a way to tell time. He makes hours and days.

He makes months and years. Each year has twelve months. Twelve years make one cycle.

He wants to name the years in each cycle. He is not sure what to name them. Then he sees the animals.

“ I will have a race! ” he says. “ The first twelve animals to finish the race will have a year named for them! ”

The animals hear about the race. They can’t wait!