Chinese Zodiac Story - Snake
The Snake and the Frog
Long, long ago, the snake and the frog were friends. At that time, the snake had four legs while the frog had no leg and it crawled forward with its stomach. The snake was lazy but the frog was very hard-working: not only caught insects for the snake, but also helped human beings to catch pests. So the frog was loved by human beings while the snake was disliked.
When the snake found that it was disliked by human beings, it began to hate human, so it bit people and ate animals, making the mortal world restless. The Land God reported the situation to the Heavenly Palace, so the Jade Emperor called the snake to the Heavenly Palace and advised it to be good. However, the snake talked wildly and showed no sign of repentance. The Jade Emperor was very angry and ordered the divine solider to cut the snake's four legs, so that it could not hurt human anymore. From then on, the snake lost its four legs. The Jade Emperor thought the frog was meritorious for human, so he gave the snake's four legs to the frog.
After the frog had legs, it became more diligent. The snake realized its mistake and it was determined to reform itself: it began to eat pests and dragged its long body to do good deeds for human beings silently, also learned how to prevent floods by water control from the dragon. After the snake died, it also devoted its body to human beings as a medicine which cured many patients. The Jade Emperor found the snake corrected its mistake and strived forward, so he ranked the snake as a Chinese zodiac sign after the dragon.
Of course, the snake no longer took the initiative to attack human beings after being selected as a zodiac sign. Once the snake had an evil intention, it changed the evil intention into a slough to show its determination of becoming better. In spite of this, the snake still held a grudge against the frog which had its four legs. Until today, the snake still bites the frog. The frog clearly knew that it took advantage of the snake, so it trembled with fear and hid away whenever it saw the snake.
Stories of Other Zodiac Animals:
When the snake found that it was disliked by human beings, it began to hate human, so it bit people and ate animals, making the mortal world restless. The Land God reported the situation to the Heavenly Palace, so the Jade Emperor called the snake to the Heavenly Palace and advised it to be good. However, the snake talked wildly and showed no sign of repentance. The Jade Emperor was very angry and ordered the divine solider to cut the snake's four legs, so that it could not hurt human anymore. From then on, the snake lost its four legs. The Jade Emperor thought the frog was meritorious for human, so he gave the snake's four legs to the frog.
After the frog had legs, it became more diligent. The snake realized its mistake and it was determined to reform itself: it began to eat pests and dragged its long body to do good deeds for human beings silently, also learned how to prevent floods by water control from the dragon. After the snake died, it also devoted its body to human beings as a medicine which cured many patients. The Jade Emperor found the snake corrected its mistake and strived forward, so he ranked the snake as a Chinese zodiac sign after the dragon.
Of course, the snake no longer took the initiative to attack human beings after being selected as a zodiac sign. Once the snake had an evil intention, it changed the evil intention into a slough to show its determination of becoming better. In spite of this, the snake still held a grudge against the frog which had its four legs. Until today, the snake still bites the frog. The frog clearly knew that it took advantage of the snake, so it trembled with fear and hid away whenever it saw the snake.
Stories of Other Zodiac Animals:
