Why cats chase rats The Chinese Zodiac Story By. Zehan HawaALongtimesagothe JadeEmperorinvitedthe entireanimalkingdomto partakeina tremendousrace!The frst1animalsa!leto crosstheriver"#o$ld!e assignedtoayearo%the Chinese&odiacsystemin ordero%appearanceand haveayearnameda%ter them' All the animals #ere very e(cited and the ne#s spread rapidly' )n the day o% the race all the animals gathered at the !ank o% the riverCatand*at#here the!esto%%riends" thekindo%%riends thatspendsalmost every#akingho$r together'+oth#ere verye(citeda!o$t thene#so%thegreat raceandimmediately started to make plans to cross the river'Cat and *at #ere !oth very good at sleeping" and#erea%raidthey #o$ldoversleepand missthestarto%the race'Theyaskedtheir %riend)(tomake s$rethey#oke$pon time" and )( agreed'Thedayo%theracearrived"and)( got to Cat and *at,s ho$se !right and early'-epo$ndedonthedoor#ith hismightyhoo%"!$tnoone ans#ered'-e!ello#edinthe #indo#" !$t no one ans#ered' .inallyhep$shedthe dooropen#ithhis strongsho$ldersand #enttothe!edroom to fnd Cat and *at'The t#o la&y animals #ere so deeply asleep that nothing)(did#o$ld#akethem$p!/t#as gettinglate"andhe#asa%raidthathe#o$ld miss the start o% the race0 so he picked $p Cat and *at and p$t them on his !ack'Therace!eganand)(ranas%astashe co$ld" carrying Cat and *at on his !ack' /% heco$ldgettothefnishlinefrst"all three o% them co$ld !e part o% the Zodiac!Well all the !o$ncing aro$nd fnally #oke $p *at' -e looked over at Cat" still %ast asleep" and got an idea' /% Cat #as a#ake" there #as no #ay he co$ld !eat her in a race' She #as #ay too !ig and %ast! /nstead" he gave Cat a shove and p$shed her right o1 )(,s !ack!Cats$re#oke $p then" having rolled right into theriver!She splashedher #ayo$tand #atchedasthe racinganimals sped past her'As )( neared the fnish line" *at clim!ed $p onto his head' J$st !e%ore )( crossed the line to !ecome the very frst animal in the Zodiac" *at 2$mped as %ar as he co$ld 2$mp and managed to !eat )( across the line! This is #hy the *at is the frst sign in the Chinese Zodiac and )( is the second'Sothe13yearcycleo%theChineseZodiac !egins#iththerat'A%terhimcomestheo( #ho is %ollo#ed !y the tiger' A%ter them come thera!!it"dragon"snake"horse"goat" monkey" rooster" dog and pig" in that order'The Cat" it m$st !e noted" has no place in the &odiac' -e #asn,t among the frst t#elve' Cat never %orgave *at %or p$shing her o1 )(,s !ack and into the #ater' She #as devastated and %$rio$s at the same time and s#ore to hate *at %orever' That is #hy Cat chased a%ter *at0and cats all over the #orld no#adays still do'The End