Tiger
Have you ever wished you had a second chance? Much of the world enjoys a second New Year. When the New year resolutions become old you get a chance to renew during Lunar New Year.
As I was walking through the park to the train station this morning I remembered the first time I saw the tiger in the zodiac. It was on an oriental restaurant place mat. This zodiac has been around for thousands of years. The animals repeat in a twelve year cycle with each animal representing one year. This year is the year of the tiger.
The tiger, being a courageous and intense animal should have found his place in the front of the zodiac, but somehow he didn't get first place.
According to legend there was a great river to cross. The ox was the first to cross and as soon as he crossed the rat on his back quickly scrambled for first place.
The tiger was knocked off course by the current of the river so he came in third.
After the Tiger
The next were the rabbit and the dragon. The dragon got fourth place because it took a detour to save a burning village and then saved the rabbit who was struggling to cross the raging river. The mythical dragon of the east is more similar to Kungfu panda than Smaug.
After the dragon came the snake wrapped around the horse's leg. The snake was attached to the horse until right before the finish line. As soon as they got to the finish line the snake stretched out and beat the horse.
After the horse came the sheep, monkey and rooster. They found a raft and crossed together quite cleverly. As soon as they got across the river the sheep (or maybe goat) took off followed by the monkey and the rooster.
The dog and pig were left. When the dog got to the river he was more preoccupied with splashing and playing in the water than crossing the river and finishing the race. The dog ended up getting second to last place.
The pig was more interested in eating than finishing the race. It's said that he had a bad case of the "itis" and fell asleep half way into the race. He did somehow manage to finish the race but in last place of the Zodiac.
The cat
Well at least he made it. A lot of animals were not even included. The cat for example is a nocturnal animal. The day before the race the cat had asked the rat for a wake up call. But the rat being so concentrated on making it to the race had completely forgot to wake the cat.
Perhaps those born on February 29th of leap years are actually carrying the year of the cat.
The Pely And me
I've been thinking about this tiger while eating rice cake soup and crunching on a traditional moon shaped cookie for lunch...
Why couldn't the tiger be the one who with persistence makes it across the finish line like the ox or clever like a rat? Why couldn't the tiger be kind like the dragon and rescue some friends? Why couldn't he give a little to help others or give a little time to consider where he was heading? What kind of animal is this massive and courageous creature who jumps in the water and swims across a rushing river to just get washed upstream? What an enchanting creature is this tiger!
I see a Siberian tiger dripping wet from the river as I finish off my rice cake soup. The tiger shakes off his mane and runs off to the finish line passionately just to find that he was off course. Don't blame the tiger. It's just the way the river flows.
My son reminded me of how old I actually am.
I laughed.
He said,
"Don't worry I won't send you to an old folks home."
In Korean tradition, a person gets one year older as they eat dduk-gook... that is rice cake soup.
It looks like I will be served dduk-gook about three times this weekend.
Does that mean I am three years older?
What the Dduk-gook!!
This is a Looney Holiday.
@tipu curate
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For those who don't know (🙋♀️take me, for example🙋♀️) the Chinese New Year is on Tuesday, February 1st and this is
the year of the tiger.
🐅🎎🎆🐯🐅
I had to Google to remember what sign I am.
DRAGON!
🐲🀄🐉
Fourth place!
Too bad there's no Olympic medal for fourth place!
Here's a link to determine what animal sign you are:
https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/chinese-zodiac-calculator.htm
By the way, your lunch looks delicious!🍜🍵🥠
And it's now written forever on the Blockchain that your son won't send you to an old folks home!
Thanks for the thoughtful and well researched comment @ninahaskin,
I see this topic sparked some curiosity in you. There are very few if any accounts of the zodiac race in English. I read the story in my Korean language course almost twenty years ago. Our teacher urged us to write our own and do a play about it. My classmates were Japanese and Chinese students and we had a fun time making a story and performing it together in Korean. I think I played the narrator part because the others didn't want to memorize any lines in Korean. The Japanese girls like making costumes. I will stop here with that story.
I hope he keeps his word.
!LUV !PIZZA
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Happy a happy and prosperous Tiger year...
Wow... these things always seem to have a bright outlook.
New Year !PIZZA
Some of your posts make me feel one year older after reading, and by that, I mean I feel a little bit smarter, not that I have dust gathering or anything like that 😁
If your personality had to be one of the animals, which one would it be?
I wish I was the dragon like @ninahaskin,
I'm not naturally kind and thinking of others before myself risking a year to let a little rabbit cross a river. Niether am I the rat who leaves behind his partner as soon as he gets what he wants. By birth I may be the tiger and deep down I know I am... yet refined with age and my wife's prayer...
I may resemble the pig absent mindedly not involved in the race. I may seem like the dog some days splashing in the water... but I am here in this rat race and there is one more river to cross... One more river to cross.
This is quite interesting. I love your version of how the animals got their positions. Thanks to dreemsteem i got to realize that I was actually born in a tiger year and it makes me excited about the whole zodiac.
Tiger is cool. I know the feeling.^^
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PIZZA Holders sent $PIZZA tips in this post's comments:
@mineopoly(5/5) tipped @flamistan (x1)
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mineopoly tipped funshee (x1)
Please vote for pizza.witness!
I'm a Dawg born in a Pig's (y)ear
My Hyumi is a Barge born in Rat
Dreams of the cosmos take on funny shapes.
Happy Birthday!!!!!!!
It's everybody's birthday today and as long as we don't add it up in DAWG years we are all okay.
And you and your hyumi are first place in my boat.
Ha yeah, tell that to my Hyumi yo...he sez I'm just 2 but acshully I'm 10,673 ears ol'!!!
🤗
You must have an excellent sense of history
Captain
!BEER
!LUV
!LOL
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Heh heh! I landed on the year of the Dog! I'll represent the DAWGs the best I can!
Damn, The Tao of Wu(f) must be a better translation than I give it credit for!!
Fantastic to hear you say that Cal, congrats bro! The dawgnet will be woofin' pumped to know 👍😎
Dawg's like !PIZZA too
...burp....
Yummy !LOL
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Never heard this story before. Cool to know about. I think lunar coins are fun to collect from the Perth mint. Tiger and dragon coins look 🔥
Yes. Tiger and Dragon are my favorite !LUV
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