In a long time, the sky was pure blue, the green hills were verdant, rivers flowed day and night, and human beings kept multiplying ...

One morning, the Jade Emperor drove in the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, and gathered the civil and military immortals to make an early pilgrimage. Before the ceremony was over, he saw Taibai Venus hurrying to the prelude table: "Long live, I went down to the earth a few days ago to inspect, and the world was peaceful and prosperous. However, without time control, human beings can't distinguish between seasonal cycles and young people. One day in the sky and one year in the ground, in the long run, there are many complaints on earth and the world is unstable. For this reason, the old minister thought it was time to civilize the earthly heaven; Set a time for the mortal world and give mankind a place to belong. "

The Jade Emperor was shocked when he heard this. "Well, that's right. How can I remember the time and year of the mortal world and how to belong to mankind? Does Ai Qing have an idea?" Taibai Venus stepped forward and said, "I think that twelve kinds of animals should be recruited from the mortal world to come to heaven, and they should be regarded as the genus and the earthly branch, with the existing ten heavenly stems to keep track of time and year; "If the zodiac signs are given to human beings, wouldn't it kill two birds with one stone if there is a cycle of twelve years?"

As soon as the voice of Taibai Venus fell, the gods in front of the temple nodded in praise. The Jade Emperor was overjoyed, so he called a personal attendant and sent a message: "I will make you a' Zodiac Officer' and immediately descend to the earth with a message, strictly select and examine all the animals in the world, and select 12 kinds of animals as their zodiac signs. Whoever is the first to report to heaven will be named the' Zodiac King'."

Under the command of the minister, he did not dare to neglect, but hurriedly drove the colorful clouds and flew to the world.

This is where our story begins-

On this day, the greedy cat came to the river to fish. After a while, he began to yawn and kept stretching his arms and twisting his waist. The greedy cat put the fishing rod underground and dozed off by the river. The greedy cat's tail fell into the water unintentionally, but I didn't expect a big fish to think it was some delicious food that kept biting its tail.

The greedy cat jumped up in pain, jumped up with an "ah" and brought the fish up. When it found that it was a big fish biting its tail, it was really ecstatic.

The greedy cat is carrying a fish basket and carrying a fishing rod, humming a tune, and is complacent about today's unexpected harvest.

At this moment, a little magpie flew over the greedy cat's head and shouted loudly, "Be an animal sign and become a fairy! Being an animal sign makes you immortal ... "

The greedy cat waved to the little magpie and asked," What is an animal sign? Can you become a fairy by being an animal sign? "

The little magpie replied, "The Jade Emperor wants to call all the animals in the world and choose twelve animals as the genus of human beings. All the animals chosen as animals are named immortals ... "

Hearing this, the greedy cat's eyes suddenly glowed green, and she quickly asked," Where should I call? " The little magpie replied, "Go to Temple Street and sign up!"

after listening to this, the greedy cat ran home without saying thank you.

In the yard, the cat-greedy servant mouse is chopping wood with an axe.

The greedy cat shouted, "Rat! Rats! Go to Temple Street and sign up for me. I want to be an animal sign and become an immortal! "

The mouse picked up another piece of wood and said timidly, "Let's go after chopping this wood."

The greedy cat kicked the mouse's ass, "No! We have to go at once. Go! " He kicked the mouse out of the courtyard.

The mouse absently ran to Temple Street, looking around and wondering where to register. Temple street, which is usually deserted, has become busy and lively because of the selection of animal signs. General summoning orders were posted everywhere in the streets and lanes, and all kinds of birds and girls were flying and shouting in the blue sky ...

At this moment, the mouse saw the monkey coming from afar. The monkey is in the spring breeze because he has signed up and whistled. The mouse hurried forward, bowing: "Brother Monkey, where should I apply for the zodiac?"

"what? Do you also want to sign up for the zodiac? Don't go! Don't go! The queue for registration is endless, and it's not your turn long ago! " Monkeys coaxed each other.

The mouse stamped its foot anxiously: "But … but I … I must go!"

"Are you really going? ！" The monkey scratched his forehead. "Go to Xiande Temple." With that, he skipped away.

The mice thanked each other repeatedly and stumbled to Xiande Temple.

In front of Xiande Temple, the queue for registration has been so long that there is no end in sight. All the animals in the team stood on tiptoe and kept looking forward to see how long it would take them to turn.

what should I do? The mouse scratched at the scalp and got a plan. Looking around, I saw that no one was paying attention, so I suddenly cut into the team and jumped under the elephant's nose.

The mouse keeps jumping up and looking forward. Alas! Unfortunately, he is too short, and he can only see the stout legs of some animals. In front of the team, the zodiac officer sent by the Jade Emperor came to the world, and then he chose Xiande Temple as the registration place for the zodiac sign-up, and sent magpies and other birds to spread the message of the Jade Emperor everywhere. At this time, it is sitting in front of the desk seriously. There is a golden invitation book on the table of scarlet, and all the selected animals press their handprints on it. On the wall behind the Zodiac Officer, there is a list of animals selected after strict examination, including dragons, tigers, cows, monkeys, pigs, chickens, snakes and dogs.

at this time, it's the fox's turn to sign up.

The zodiac officer looked down and gave the fox a serious look.

The fox narrowed his eyes, smiled seductively at the veterinarian and said, "Noble, great and upright veterinarian, I am a fox, please allow me to sign up."

when the animal doctor heard this, his eyebrows moved and his stiff face softened.

"Have you hurt anyone for no reason recently?" The astrologer began to question the fox. The fox shook his head like a rattle: "I have always been soft-hearted. How could I do such a thing?" ！"

The astrologer asked again, "Have you ever stolen?"

"I have always hated stealing." The fox answered generously and passionately.

the physiognomy officer nodded, showing his approval. The white rabbit with a long tail behind the fox rushed to the zodiac officer: "Zodiac officer, don't listen to it. It stole a laundry list of duck eggs from the duck house a few days ago, and then the ducks twisted it into the yamen to plead guilty, and it was still locked up in the jail for half a month!"

"is it possible? ！" The zodiac officer asked the fox with a straight face. "You, don't, don't listen to the hare's nonsense, it's making things up and wronging me ..." Although the fox said this, he was nervous, but he wanted to make excuses. At this time, the horses in the animals shouted, "Zodiac officer, what the little white rabbit said is true. The old fox wants to cheat you!" Other animals joined in and threw small stones at the fox.

The fox held his head and glared at the little white rabbit: "We'll see!" Slipped away angrily.

The glib little white rabbit successfully answered the questions of the veterinarian, passed the examination and signed up. Then, horses and sheep also signed up one by one.

Besides, the mouse kept jumping around in front of the elephant, scratching its ears and cheeks, and its eyes were red with anxiety. If it can't be named, how can it tell Master Cat when it comes home?

When the elephant looked down at the mouse, he couldn't help sneering, "You guys want to be an animal sign, too, don't you?"

"I'm here to sign up for my host! Can you let me stand on your back and let me see how long it will take me? "

"humph! What are you, "said the elephant haughtily, and uttered a series of jeers from his nostrils?" Look at your stealthy appearance and trying to stand on my back. It's a dream! "

The mouse is angry. This big stupid elephant dares to scold me. Let me show it some strength. Thinking about it, he opened his mouth, exposed his sharp teeth and took a hard bite at the elephant's toes.

The elephant cried out in pain, "Ouch, dead mouse, how dare you bite me? ! See what I can do to you! " The elephant stretched out its huge legs to step on the mouse. "Boom!" The elephant's leg was pressed down like a mountain, but the mouse quickly jumped aside and dodged. The elephant kept stepping on it, the mouse kept jumping, and the elephant didn't step on it for more than a dozen times, panting with fatigue.

The mouse rested her hands on her hips, looked at the elephant's clumsy appearance, and laughed forward and backward: "What a big stupid elephant! What a stupid elephant! "

The elephant was so angry that it used its nose to beat the mouse. While the elephant's nose was hanging to the ground, the mouse swished into its nostrils. The mouse scratched in the elephant's nostrils, which made the elephant's nostrils cramp and suck the marrow. It couldn't laugh and cry, but it frowned and lifted its nose high ...

"Ah ... Ah ..." The elephant opened its mouth and its nostrils twitched.

"Ah-choo!" The elephant finally broke out an earth-shattering sneeze.

The mouse was ejected from the elephant's nostrils and flew to the front of the line like an arrow. The animals looked up in surprise at the mice flying overhead.

At this time, the owl at the head of the team passed the examination of the zodiac officer, and the last quota will fall on it.

The veterinarian spread out the invitation book in front of the owl and asked it to press a fingerprint.

The owl raised its paw excitedly, and was incoherent with excitement: "I ... I ... reported it ..." Before it finished, it heard a bang. The mouse fell from the sky, and its feet just pressed on the call book.

The owl stared blankly at the mouse, but couldn't wake up for a long time. I only heard the zodiac officer yelling at the mouse, "What are you doing here? ！"

"I ..., I ... I ... my cat master ..." The mouse was also stunned.

"What the hell do you want?" The zodiac officer is a little impatient.

The mouse wanted to say that I came to sign up for my master, Master Cat, but on second thought, wouldn't it be proud if my mouse became an animal sign and became an immortal? ! Thinking of this, the mouse calmly said to clear voice, "Me, I'll sign up for the zodiac!"

The owl behind the mouse was stunned, but it immediately reacted and shouted, "You, you are a rogue, how dare you take my name!" The owl said, raising its claws shining with cold light, "Look, I'll tear you up!" Said to the mouse. However, I saw that the mouse quickly lowered its head and lay prone on the call book ... The owl's claws drew several blood stains on the face of the zodiac officer without bias.

that's ok! Zodiac bureaucratic AIRS go on the rampage, "ouch, beast bold! Blind! " It put out its fist and gave the owl a hard blow in the face. This punch just hit the owl's eyes, and the owl turned out with stars and fell to the ground, only feeling dark and unable to see anything.

The physiognomy officer was so angry that he shook the invitation book and shook the mouse to the ground: "All right! You'll be the last one. "

"You ... you are really a master." The mouse kowtowed nine times and said, "We ... our rats have forgotten ... you for generations!"

"Enough, enough!" The animal sign officer waved his hand at the mouse and said to the animals still craning their necks, "The call is over. All the selected animals will go to Qitianfeng to report to heaven tomorrow, and the Jade Emperor will rank them according to the order of arrival. The first one who arrives will be named the' Zodiac King' and given a golden robe. Please remember!" With that, the Zodiac Officer put the invitation book under his arm, covered his face caught by the owl with one hand, and hurried to the heaven.

After the zodiac officer flew away, the animals still stood in front of Xiande Temple for a long time and refused to leave. The animals on call congratulated each other, and those who were not called congratulated the animals on call one by one, but no one congratulated the mice. At this time, the horse came kicking and stomping. When he squinted at the mouse that was exhausted by the cold, he couldn't help but spit out a "scowl" from his nostrils and said, "It's despicable to grab the quota by such means! It's beneath my image to compete with a scum like you for the' Zodiac King'! " The animals who were not selected also vented: "Yes, yes, the zodiac officer is really blind. Who is better than this mouse? How can it become an immortal? ！"

The mouse gritted its teeth and stood silently without refuting, but secretly said, "I must win the' Zodiac King' and show you what my mouse can do!"

The little white rabbit heard the animals making a fuss and screamed, "Now that the mouse has been chosen, don't be sarcastic about it. We'd better go home early and rest, and we'll fight for the' Zodiac King' and watch the fun tomorrow!"

the animals felt that what the little white rabbit said was reasonable, so they dispersed in a hubbub.

Besides, the mouse walked home in fear and trembling, wondering how to explain to Master Cat along the way. When they arrived at the gate of the courtyard, the mouse winced and looked in, and the greedy cat was in a good mood for drinking and eating fish.

The mouse walked into the yard, picked up the axe and chopped wood without saying anything, but he was thinking about how to leave early.

"You're back. Did you sign up?" The greedy cat squinted at the mouse and asked.

The mouse shook, and hurriedly said, "Yes … Yes …". There was a ghost in his heart, and he didn't dare to look up.

"I really didn't raise you for nothing." The greedy cat smiled and felt that the mouse had worked hard today. "Come, come, come and eat fish."

"I ... I, wait a minute".

The greedy cat is very happy. While munching on the fish, she purrs with a jar. After a while, full of wine and food, he said, "Well, I'll rest first, and call me early tomorrow morning!" I fell asleep at my desk.

When the mouse saw the greedy cat snoring like thunder, it slipped to its side, tugged at the greedy cat's beard, and when it saw no movement, it started to run outside. When it turned around, it saw half a bag of peanuts left by the greedy cat on the table, and crept back and carried it out of the yard.

The greedy cat was fast asleep, and the owl stumbled to the front of the courtyard and knocked at the door desperately: "Come out, dead mouse! I'm going to skin you and whip your muscles! " The owl's eyes are black and swollen, and its wings and feathers are messy.

"What's all this noise about? ！" The greedy cat was awakened by the owl's cry and went to open the door angrily.

The owl growled fiercely, "Your mouse robbed me of my quota and signed up for the zodiac."

"nonsense! He made his own zodiac sign and didn't sign me up? ！" The greedy cat was surprised.

"It's absolutely true. If you don't believe me, find it and ask!"

"This dead mouse!" A greedy cat's anger rushes to the crown, and its seven orifices smoke. Seeing that there were no mice in the yard, it kicked the door open, rummaged through the closet, turned the house upside down and didn't find it. It was so angry that it ran around the yard. Suddenly, it found that its favorite peanut on the table was gone. This is not bad! The dead mouse not only didn't sign me up, but also stole my peanuts. The more greedy the cat thinks about it, the more angry it becomes. I can't wait to find a mouse and cut it to pieces at once.

"You must have gone to heaven to fight for the' Zodiac King'. Go after Qitianfeng!" The owl shouted.

The greedy cat rushed out of the yard to chase the mouse, followed by the owl. At this time, it was already dark, but the owl's vague eyes became clearer and clearer. Since then, the owl has reversed its yin and yang. It can't see anything during the day, but it can see clearly at night.

The mouse ran to the rabbit's house with peanuts. It knew that once the cat woke up and found that it had slipped away, it would definitely come after it.