Who can really say they like rats?

Well, if you think about those little rodents, not many, it can be assumed... But there is a rat that has its place among the us all, and if we believe the legend of the Great Race, this place is the first one!

In à couple of days, one of the main holidays all over Asia will be celebrated. On the night of January 24th to the Morning of the 25th, we will enter the Year of the Rat in the Chinese Lunar Calendar.
Do you know how the Chinese zodiac ended up with animals in a twelve years cycle?

Well, there is the story of the Great Race.

The Jade Emperor decided to have a race, inviting all the animals. But there would be only twelve winners. The animals had to cross a river...

Do you know who finished in the first position?

There was the dragon, the tiger, the ox, the dog, the goat, the pig, the rat, the rooster, the snake, the horse, the cat, the monkey, the rabbit and many more...

... and the winner was... The RAT!
Yes, the rat was the fastest animal in this race... or rather, the more cunning!
Let's see how it happened...

https://youtu.be/may2s9j4RLk

Variation in the story say that the rat knowing there was no chance he could win by himself, swimming badly and not being too fast, he decided to eliminate the competition.
The ox helped him cross the river, along with the cat. At the time, the cat and the rat were good friends, but the rat decided that the cat was a threat in his ambition. So, the rat threw the cat in the river. The cat finished only in the thirteenth position... Since this day, cat and rat, cat and mouse are mortal enemies!

Some say the rat's first place among the animals, in the calendar, originates also from the World creation myths. Before the World came to be, there was a cosmic egg, full of void and darkness. The rat with his claws was the one who brought light and air within the void, thus giving birth to our World... 

The rat is also a distinctive animal: it is said that in his forepaws, he has four toes and five in his hind paws. This makes him quite special, a reason for him to come first among the other animals...

What do you think about the Rat?

Do you know a myth, a story to share about the lunar Calendar?