The Year of the Tiger

Oliver Chin and Justin Roth

The Year of the Tiger by Oliver Chin and Justin Roth 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. In the mighty jungle, the tigers slept each night. But tonight excitement filled the air. A small cry rang out. Then catcalls joined it in a great celebration. THe King and Queen just had a baby! As the morning sunshine warmed the royal den, the cub yawned loudly, "Roar!" The Queen whispered, "Hush, my darling." Cuddling his nbewborn, the King chuckled, "Theodore, you are a feisty chap." Soon this fur ball roamed the forest like it was his own backyard. HIs parents marveled at his curiosity. Teddy meowed "I'm becoming a big cat!" The Queen laughed, "Someday you'll be king of the jungle." Later she advised, "Son, a wise ruler starts out as a careful prince." The King added, "We've heard of dangerous animals called 'humans.' Their houses and roads invade our land, so stay away from them." But this warning tickled the kitten's interest. "I want to see these beasts for myself," gushed Teddy. He learned that people lived on the edge of the forest. So one evening, he set out alone in that direction. After a while he came to a ridge. In the glen below were thatched roofs, dirt paths, and a person sitting in a field! To get a better look, Teddy sneaked down the hill and his striped coat blended into the tall reeds. The clearing of short grass felt strange under his feet. Distracted by a rat, he gleefully pounced after it and snarled, "Roar!" However, he startled the nearby ox and horse, which frantically galloped off. In the moonlight, the girl saw Teddy and froze in surprise. Su screamed, "Tiger! Tiger!" The cat scampered into the trees. Racing back to the palace, he thought, "That creature was quite a fright." Meanwhile, the villagers searched for the intruder. But they found neither hide nor hair of Teddy. "Su, don't cry 'tiger,' when there isn't one!" chided her father, Ba-Ba.