The Year of the Ox: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac

Oliver Chin, Illustrated by Jeremiah Alcorn

The Year of the Ox: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac by Oliver Chin and Jeremiah Alcorn published by Immedium For nearly 5,000 years the Chinese culture has organized time in cycles of twelve years. This Eastern calendar is based upon the movement of the moon (as compared to the Western which follows the sun) and is symbolized by the zodiac circle. An animal that has unique qualities represents each year. Therefore, if you are born in a particular year, then you share the personality of that animal. Now people worldwide celebrate this two-week long festival in the early spring and enjoy the start of another Chinese New Year. Light glistened off the morning dew, and the rising sun welcomed another day. Inside the stables, Mama and Papa Ox yawned after a long night. Resting in their bed of hay, they tickled their new baby. Mama smiled, "Hello there, honey." Only a few hours old, the youngster was rustling about already. She had a sweet and peaceful manner, so Papa suggested, "Let's call her Olivia." The proud parents introduced the calf to their friends. "She'll be a big gal!" they all agreed. Mama whispered, "Tomorrow you'll meet the farmer's daughter. Her name is Mei." During her first visit, the girl petted Olivia and combed her hair. "I know we'll be best friends," smiled Mei, and she adopted Olivia as her little sister. THe grateful heifer promised, "I'll always look out for you!" Sharing a bubbly spirit, the girls played tag. "Hide and Seek," and "Kick the Can." In the countryside, the pair loved to stop and smell the roses. But sometimes their wild wandering would make quite a mess. Afterwards, Olivia's parents took her aside. Mama noted, "There's a time and place for fun and games." Papa added, "Yes, dear - it's about time you learned to pull your own weight around here." The following morning, Papa and Mama showed her the shed where they got ready for work. Every day the bull and cow would each carry a a yoke and pull a plow. Olivia wanted to pitch in, despite Mama's misgivings. Papa pointed out, "But the yoke is heavy and tilling the ground is hard labor." Olivia boasted, "I'm a big girl now, and I can handle it by myself." But try as she might, Olivia was too small to plow the fields. Many times she got stuck in the mud and had to be rescued, "Mooo!" After a long day, Olivia came home dirty and plum tuckered out.