#(Yuan Gudai is my world's version of China)

[starlightspun-archive]

“What was that?!”

“Is it  Xiuying and Ignatius?”

“We’re right here...”

“Oh!”

“False alarm, everybody. It’s just Elias.”

“Then what were those noises?”

“I brought firecrackers for everybody!”

“What are firecrackers?”

“They’re little capsules that you either throw on the ground or set on fire, and it’ll make a colorful explosion. The noise came from me dropping a box.”

“Is it for the new year?”

“Yep!”

“But didn’t we already set off fireworks almost a month ago?”

“It’s tiger new year again!”

*snickering* “Lunar new year. And it’s the year of the cat this time.”

“Close enough...”

“Cat? There’s no cat on the zodiac. It’s the year of the rabbit.”

“Rabbit?”

“The cat would have raced, but the rat didn’t wake him up the morning of.”

...??

“Xiuying, you’re Gudanese. And Elias, your mother was from Xuyen. Maybe you have different versions of the legend!”

“That makes sense.”

“There’s a legend?”

“Yea...”

“Annabelle and Serafina weren’t here last year.”

“Oh, right!”

“Thanks.”

“‘Back when tigers used to smoke, there was race between the animals. The Jade Emperor, who was the ruler of the heavens, asked all the animals to participate in his birthday on the ninth day of the first lunar month and held a great race. The first twelve animals that came would be given a place in the calendar.’”

“‘Although the rat got up early and ran fast, he became worried when he arrived at the river bank as he was a poor swimmer. After waiting for the come of the ox, he asked the help from the ox to carry him across the river. With the help of the honest and helpful ox, the rat successfully crossed the river. However, he didn’t jump off from the ox’s back until they arrived at the door of the Jade Emperor.’

“‘Just as the ox was about to win the race, the rat leapt to the Jade Emperor before the ox. Thus, the rat won the first place in the race and the second the ox. Later came the Tiger, Cat, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, and Dog. The lazy pig arrived last and got the last place.’”

“Now come and get your firecrackers, everyone! We’ll set them off tonight!”