011-[英文故事]The Story of the Chinese Zodiac - The Great Race

Long ago, in very ancient China, there were no years, or days, or hours. The sun rose and fell without anyone knowing how much time had passed, as there was no way of telling. One day, the Jade Emperor realized that he did not know how old he was. "We must have a way of measuring time!" He thought. So he gathered all the animals in the kingdom together and said, "Tomorrow there will be a Great Race! The first twelve animals to cross the river will each have a year named after them." All the animals wanted to win this wonderful prize. Among the animals were the cat and the rat, who were great friends. "Let&`&s win this race together!" said the cat. "Make sure you wake me up," he added, for he often slept all day. In the morning, the rat pushed, tickled, and shouted, but it was impossible to wake the cat! So he crept out of the house and headed for the river. On his way, the rat met an ox. "Are you joining the race, Rat?" asked the ox. "Ride on my back, and I will carry you cross." "I will sing to you to say thanks," said the rat, and he climbed aboard. The Great Race had begun! The big ox swam gracefully across the big river, serenaded by his new friend. But as soon as the rat saw land...