The story of the twelve animals of Chinese zodiac is a traditional Chinese folktale that has been passed down orally for many generations. Each animal represents a certain quality or character, and each person is said to have one of the twelve animals in their birth year.
The story goes like this:
Once upon a time, there were twelve gods of the Chinese zodiac, each with their own unique characteristics and personality. One day, these gods were invited to a banquet hosted by the King of Animals. When they arrived, they were given an interesting task: to predict the future of each person born in their respective year. Each god had to show their powers by creating a miracle or some other remarkable event.
As the story progresses, we see how each god proves their abilities by creating unique events or situations. For example, the rat, who represents the first year of birth (Rat), saves the animals from a fire. The ox builds a bridge across a deep river for people who are lost and cannot swim. The tiger saves an injured animal and heals it. The dragon brings rain and moisture to drought-stricken areas. The snake creates a delicious soup for a starving group of people. The horse and pig perform various other acts of kindness and goodwill.
Each animal is praised by the other gods for their efforts and abilities, and they all agree that these twelve animals represent the twelve months of the year. Afterwards, they decide to become symbols of luck and prosperity for people born in their respective years.
In English, you could say something like this:
Once upon a time, there were twelve gods who ruled over the animals of the Chinese zodiac. Each god had their own unique powers and abilities, and they were invited to a banquet hosted by the King of Animals. There was a challenge set before them: to showcase their strengths by performing some extraordinary feat or event.
The Rat god saved the animals from a fire, while the Ox god built a bridge across a deep river for lost people. The Tiger god saved an injured animal and healed it, while the Dragon god brought rain to drought-stricken areas. The Snake god created a delicious soup for a group of hungry people, while the Horse and Pig gods performed various acts of kindness and goodwill.
Afterwards, they decided to become symbols of luck and prosperity for people born under their sign. This legend is believed to have spread over many generations and became part of the Chinese culture. So, when we hear the names of the twelve animals, we automatically associate them with certain traits or qualities, just like they did for that banquet in ancient China.