Version 1: The Animals’ Race: A Play

About the Chinese Zodiac (Speaking

Parts)
Narrator: One day, long ago in China, the Jade Emperor decided that all the years
should have a name to help the people tell the years apart.

He decided to name each year after an animal, and proclaimed that the animals would
have a race across a wide river. The first twelve to cross the river would each have a
year named after them.

All the animals were excited as they made their way to the starting line.

Narrator: First the rabbit:

Rabbit: (hops up to the starting line) I have strong back legs to get me going. I just
need to find some way to get through the water.

Narrator: Then the horse:

Horse: (gallops up to the starting line) I’m used to running fast, and I’m a strong
swimmer.

Narrator: And the rooster:

Rooster (struts) It’s me, rooster. See how my feathers shine in the sun? (preens)

Narrator: Then the dog:

Dog: (runs up smiling and panting) I’m happy to see all my friends here. This is going to
be fun!

Narrator: Then the ox:

Ox: (ambles in slowly) I’ll swim this race the way I do everything: strong and steady.

Narrator: Then the tiger:

Tiger: (prowls in and growls) I’m the strongest and the fiercest, and I love to swim.

Narrator: Next the snake:

Snake: (slithers in—use hands to make a slithering motion) Sssssso nice to sssssee
everyone. Let’sssss have a good race.

Narrator: Then the dragon:

Dragon: (pretending to fly in) Good luck to all the contestants. Let me know if I can help
you.

Narrator: Then the sheep:

Sheep: (trots in daintily) I hope I do well. I’m not sure about how to get across the
water.

Narrator: Next the monkey:

Monkey: (swings in from the trees and sneaks up behind Sheep) Boo!

Sheep: (jumps) Oh, you scared me! (Monkey laughs. Then he tags Tiger on the
shoulder.)

Monkey: You can’t catch me! (Tiger roars, and the monkey runs away, laughing. Then,
the monkey takes his place on the starting line.)

Narrator: Then the pig:

Pig: (strolls in licking lips) I hated to leave my meal, but I thought I should get here
before the race started.
Narrator: And, finally, the rat.

Rat: (scurries in, hurriedly) I’m here, I’m here.

Pig: Why are you so late?

Rat: I’ll show you what happened.

(Rat steps to another part of the stage and meets with cat, who is lying on the floor and
stretching, as if just waking from a nap.)

Rat: Hi Cat!

Cat: Well, hello Rat. What brings you here?

Rat: Have you heard about the race the Jade Emperor is going to have? We should
join.

Cat: (stands up and stretches) I’ll win, of course. But (yawns) I’ll need my sleep. You
come and wake me up when it’s time. (lies down again)

(Rat walks back over to Pig)

Rat: That cat has been so bossy lately. I was going to wake him up, but I changed my
mind. I ran here instead.

Pig: You mean cat is still asleep?

Rat: Serves him right! He is too lazy to even pay attention to what time the race starts!

Narrator: When they had all lined up and were ready, the Jade Emperor gave the
signal for everyone to start. The ox jumped in and soon was ahead because she was
such a strong swimmer. She didn’t know that the clever little rat had quietly climbed on
her back. (Rat moves over close to Ox.) The ox reached the shore and had just a little
ways to go to the finish line.

Ox: I’m the first one out of the water. I knew that strong and steady would win the race.
Rat: (jumps ahead) But I crossed the finish line first! Sometimes the cleverest one wins
the race.

Narrator: And, indeed, the Jade Emperor proclaimed Rat the first animal in the zodiac.
The ox had the honor of being second. Next came Tiger.

Tiger: I’m going to run to the finish line. I’m not going to let anyone sneak past
me. (Tiger runs past the line, then growls.)

Narrator: The rabbit finished fourth.

Rabbit: I started by hopping from stone to stone in the river, but then I managed to hop
on to a floating log.

Narrator: The dragon finished fifth.

Dragon: On my way, I saw some villagers whose crops were drying up. So, I stopped to
make it rain for them.

Narrator: The horse was the next animal out of the water.

Horse: I made it! (Snake slithers by. Horse is startled, rears up and whinnies.) Wait,
what is that?

Snake: Sssssorry, jusssst ssslithering by.

Narrator: So, it was Snake who finished sixth, and Horse was seventh. Sheep, Monkey,
and Rooster all found a raft at the beginning of the race, and they paddled as quickly as
they could across the river. Sheep, Monkey, and Rooster pantomime these actions as
the Narrator says them)

Sheep: We work well as a team. It doesn’t really matter what order we’re in. We’ll all be
part of the zodiac.

Monkey: Let’s all race for the finish line, anyway. It will be fun!

Rooster: Last one there’s a rotten egg! (They run to the finish line.)
Narrator: Sheep finished in eighth place, Monkey in ninth, and Rooster in tenth. Next
was the dog.

Dog: (shaking the water out of her fur) That was so much fun! I love playing in the
water. I’m a little late, but I don’t mind. I’m still number 11.

Narrator: And the last one to finish? Well, you can probably guess. Pig was number
twelve.

Pig: I would have been here sooner, but I stopped for a snack. I have to keep my
strength up, you know.

Narrator: The Jade Emperor announced, “You have all run the race in your own way.
And I am proud to name one of the years after each of you.”

Narrator: But what about the cat? Remember, he was sleeping, depending on the rat to
wake him up.

Cat: (yawns and stretches) That was a good nap. (looks up) Uh oh! The sun is high in
the sky. Why didn’t Rat wake me up?

Narrator: Cat frantically dashed to the starting line, only to find that the race was
over. (Cat pantomimes these actions) And that is why the cat was left out of the
Chinese zodiac. And, that is why--to this very day--a cat will chase a rat whenever he
sees one.

Cat: I see you, you little rat. (starts chasing the rat)

Rat: That cat never forgets. (starts to run away from Cat)
Version 2: The Animals’ Race: A Play
About the Chinese Zodiac (Players
Act Out Narration)
Script (Narrator reads)

(The children walk up to the starting line as their characters are mentioned. They
perform the actions mentioned in the text.)

One day, long ago in China, the Jade Emperor decided that all the years should have a
name to help the people tell the years apart.

He decided to name them after animals, and proclaimed that the animals should have a
race across a wide river. The first twelve to cross the river would each have a year
named after them.

All the animals were excited as they made their way to the starting line.

The sincere rabbit hopped up, took her place and sat quietly.

The energetic horse galloped up and pawed the starting line, eager to get going.

The bold rooster strutted up to the river and preened his feathers.

The friendly dog wagged her tail and barked a “hello” to all the other contestants as she
came to the start.

The patient ox ambled in slowly and lined up her hooves just behind the starting line.

The courageous tiger gave out a low growl and padded deliberately to take his place.

The charming snake slithered quietly in the grass until he came to the water’s edge.

The warm-hearted dragon flew in from the sky and landed next to the others.
The peace-loving sheep trotted in quietly and stood on a nice patch of grass.

The mischievous monkey swung down from the trees and winked at all the contestants
as she passed them to find an open place on the riverbank.

The pig strolled into the group, still licking her lips from the meal she had just finished.

And the rat? The rat scurried in last, and hurriedly took his place at the starting line. The
rat was almost late.

(Narrator, to audience) Do you want to know the reason?

Here is why:

The rat had been good friends with another animal, the cat. But lately, he had noticed
that the cat was getting bossier and bossier. When they heard about the race, the rat
said, “We should join. We are quick and clever.”

And the cat said, “I will win, of course. I’ll need my rest, though. You keep watch and let
me know when it is time to come.”

The rat had been going to cat’s house to wake him, but then he thought, “Why should I
help cat out? He doesn’t seem to want to help me. Besides, he’s lazy.”

So that rat turned around and hurried to the starting line.

When they had all lined up and were ready, the Jade Emperor gave the signal to
everyone to go.

(Note: Don’t say the numbers at the beginning of each line out loud. They are just there
to help the Narrator keep track of where s/he is in the script.)

1. The ox jumped in and soon was ahead because she was such a strong
swimmer. She didn’t know that the clever little rat had quietly climbed on her
back. The ox reached the other shore first, and lumbered onto the riverbank, but
the rat quickly jumped off and scurried to the finish line just ahead of her. That is
why the rat is the first animal in the Chinese Zodiac ...
2. ...and the ox is the second.
 3. The tiger, who was also a strong swimmer, reached the bank, and bounded past
the finish line. He was third.
4. The rabbit had started the race by hopping from stone to stone in the river, but
then she managed to hop on to a floating log, and she finished fourth.
5. Next, the dragon swept in from the sky. Since he could fly, he would have been
first, but on his way, he saw some villagers who were in need because of a
terrible drought, and he stopped to make it rain. Because of the delay, he came
in fifth.

6&7. Then, the horse ran up from the back and galloped to the finish, but the snake had
emerged at the same time and slithered between the horse's hooves to finish sixth. The
horse was seventh.

8, 9 & 10. The sheep, monkey, and rooster all found a raft at the beginning of the race,
and they paddled as quickly as they could across the river. When they landed, they ran
for the finish. Sheep finished in eighth place, monkey in ninth, and rooster in tenth.

11. The dog was so happy to be in the water that she couldn’t help playing for a little bit,
splashing and frolicking. Finally, she got down to the business of swimming and crossed
the finish line in eleventh place.

12. And, there was one more spot, the twelfth one. Who got it? The pig. She had been
hungry and stopped for another snack before she swam across the river. But with new
energy, she climbed up the bank and trotted quickly to the finish.

“You have all run the race in your own way,” said the Jade Emperor. “And I am proud to
name one of the years after each of you.”

But what about the cat? Remember, he was sleeping, depending on the rat to wake him
up. Finally, he woke up, and realized that the sun was high up in the sky. Knowing he
was late, he frantically dashed to the starting line, only to find that the race was over.

And that is why the cat was left out of the Chinese zodiac.

And, that is why—to this very day—a cat will chase a rat whenever he sees one. (Cat
chases Rat off the stage.)

(If you like, all the children can come out and take a final bow.)