No Year of the Cat

Retold by
Mary Dodson Wade
and Illustrated by
Nicole Wong

 

 

For Bruce, who finds joy in the faces of his two little girls from China.

Mary

To my little Dragon.

Nicole

Sleeping Bear Press would like to thank Ying Manrique for her
review of the Chinese characters illustrated in this book.

 

 

Text Copyright © 2013 Mary Dodson Wade
Illustration Copyright © 2013 Nicole Wong

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews and articles. All inquiries should be addressed to:

Sleeping Bear Press™

315 E. Eisenhower Parkway, Ste. 200

Ann Arbor, MI 48108

www.sleepingbearpress.com

Printed and bound in the United States.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data • Wade, Mary Dodson. • No year of the cat / retold by Mary Dodson Wade • illustrated by Nicole Wong. • p. cm. • Summary: Long ago, the emperor of China, seeking a way to help recall the year in which certain events occur, calls upon the animals to race one another and the first twelve to finish will have a year named after them. • ISBN 978-1-58536-785-6 (hardback) • [1. Folklore—China.] I. Wong, Nicole (Nicole E.), ill. II. Title. • PZ8.1.W1153No 2012 • [398.2]—dc23 • 2012007692

I
n the misty time of long ago when Cat was friend of Rat, the emperor paced the throne room.

“It is a problem,” he said.

“It is a problem,” echoed his advisors.

Outside, pear trees gleamed with white blossoms. It was the auspicious time of year, but silence filled the room.

The emperor roused from deep thought and said, “We know the seasons. We see spring blossoms burst on the limbs of the pear tree. We taste yellow fruit ripened in the summer heat. We hear winter sleet pepper bare tree limbs. And yet, we cannot recall the years. We forget in which year the great river devoured our fields. We cannot remember the year that the mountains shook and village houses fell in a heap.”

“We cannot remember,” repeated his advisors.

The emperor's brows knit together. “How then will people remember the auspicious year the prince was born?”

The advisors bowed toward the throne where the empress held the tiny, precious heir. “It is a problem,” they said.

The emperor moved to the porch. The advisors moved in unison.

In the courtyard two swallows swooped in a game of tag. The emperor's face brightened. “I have a thought,” he said. “We will have a race!”

“We will have a race,” said the advisors.

“Yes,” said the emperor. “The first twelve animals to cross the great river will each have a year named for them. With the years so named, we can remember when auspicious events occurred.”

“We can remember,” said the advisors.

So the plan was set. One advisor went to summon the animals. Another arranged for the start of the race. A third prepared the scroll to record the animals at the finish line.

The animals greeted the news with great enthusiasm. They chattered in small groups beside the river. Friend whispered to friend, exchanging views on how best to cross the rushing water.

Rat, knowing that he was no match for the swirling river, watched gloomily.

Cat, coveting the honor offered by the emperor, sidled close to friend Rat with a scheme. “Ox is slow,” she said, “but he is strong. He will get across when others fail. We must get him to carry us both.” Rat saw wisdom in Cat's plan.

Cat approached Ox with a smile. “You have such a broad back,” she said.

“And you are a good swimmer,” added Rat. Ox believed the flattery and gladly offered to carry the two.

On the day of the race, Ox roused his companions before sunup. Cat gave a long stretch and leaped onto Ox's back. Rat caught the tail and scrambled up.

At the advisor's signal, Ox plunged into the strong current. Using his great strength, he avoided rocks pointed out by Cat.

When they reached the middle, Rat saw that other animals were swimming well in smoother water. He feared his chances were slipping away. A wicked thought crossed his mind. “Look!” he shouted to Cat. “There is a great fish!”

As Cat turned to look, Rat gave her a push. Astonished Cat thrashed about in the water.

Rat scurried up to Ox's ear. “Hurry! Hurry!” he urged Ox. Unaware that one of his passengers was gone, Ox sent out great bubbles of air as he pushed harder through the water.

No sooner had Ox stumbled up the bank than Rat scurried away without so much as a “Thank you.”

“Congratulations!” said the emperor. “You are the first to arrive. But you are so small. How did you manage to cross the river?”

Rat threw out his chest. “Oh, mighty emperor, I used my brain. I sought the help of my friend, Ox. He is coming now.”