That showed imagination, so I am happy to name the fourth year after you. I hopped across on some stepping stones and then found a floating log which carried me to the shore.Įmperor 1: Well done, Rabbit. Rabbit: ( floating on a log) I am sorry to say I can’t swim. (He gets off his chair and shakes the tiger’s hand and gives him a medal.) I never swan so far before.Įmperor 3: The year of the tiger will be the third sign of the zodiac. Tiger: (struggling to swim against the current.) I am exhausted. (He gets off his chair and shakes the ox’s hand and gives him a medal.) Jade Emperor 2: Never mind, the second year of the zodiac will be called after you.

(He gets off his chair and shakes the rat’s hand and gives him a medal.) The first year in the zodiac will be known as the Year of Rat. They swim around for a while and just as they approach the end of the race the rat throws the cat off the ox’s back and jumps onto the ox’s back so he is the first to cross the line.) (They all line up for the race and start swimming: the ox is in front with both the cat and rat on his back. Ox: Of course, jump on my back and I’ll help you get across the river. Rat: Ox can you help us, because you are so strong? Narrator 2: Both the cat and the rat knew they weren’t good swimmers so they asked to Ox to help. Narrator 1: All the animals were excited and lined up. (They mime calling the animals and having a conversation while the narrators are talking.)

Narrator 3: All the animals were summoned and were told about the Jade Emperor’s solutions for creating time. Jade Emperor 1: Well, we could have a swimming race and the first twelve animals across the line will have a year named after them. Jade Emperor 2 and 3: Oh please, tell us. Jade Emperor 1: We have to come up with a way of measuring time. Jade Emperor 3: No one knows when to do things. Narrator 2: They decided to do some thing about it. (The Jade Emperors are standing on chairs looking down on all the chaos.) Narrator 1: The Jade Emperors who were the Emperors of Heaven knew this was a problem. Narrator 3: Nobody did anything at the same time. Narrator 2: Because there was no such thing as time, no one knew when to get up, or when to have their dinner or when to go to school or even when to play and have fun. All the other characters walk around the stage showing confusion on their faces.) (Stage directions: three narrators on the left hand side of the stage. Read the following children’s play and you will find out.Ĭharacters: Three narrators, three Jade Emperors, rat, cat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, horse, snake, goat, rooster, monkey, dog and boar. Did you ever wonder how each Chinese year was assign an animal. This Chinese new year is the year of the rat.

The story of chinese zodiac