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The cat and mouse are going to participate in a race to decide the ordering of the Zodiac calendar. The two of them were good friends who decided to go together. They had to cross a river, so the two jumped on the back of an ox. The mouse wanted to win, so he pushed over the cat into the water, which led to the mouse coming in first in the race, followed by the ox. The cat ended up coming in 13th place. From then on, the cat hated the mouse and that’s why the cat is excluded from the Zodiac calendar. And that is why Chinese people believe cats eat mice. 

Context

My informant learned this story in elementary school in Taiwan. She learned it from a teacher in elementary school. She believes that it is a story used to explain why cats eat mice.

Interpretation

This legend is an origin story about a legendary event that explains the order of the Chinese Zodiac calendar and why the cat is not included.Although this event definitely did not occur, the story, it serves as a possible explanation for why cats and mice are often seen in opposition in Chinese culture, as well as across cultures. This story reflects the importance of  values of loyalty, friendship, and honesty and how betraying those values can lead to an unfortunate fate. This story is widely known and taught in schools as a part of Chinese history.