Once upon a time, the Mongols were giving the names of the animals to the twelve years of the calendar. They had allotted the names of eleven animals, and were won- dering what name to give to the very first year, when the camel and the rat began to quarrel as to whose name should be included. In order that neither of them should feel affronted, the Tathāgata appeared and told them to decide for themselves. The two animals made a wager that whichever of them should be the first to see the rays of the rising sun the next day should be put at the top of the twelve years. The camel stood waiting for the sun to rise, looking towards the east where it rises. The rat climbed on to the camel’s hump and looked westwards the whole time, gazing at the top of the mountain. Then, when the time came for the sun to rise and the sun’s first rays touched the top of the mountain in the west, the rat was the first to see the sunlight, and shouted out: ‘The sun has risen. The camel was cross at losing the wager, and rushed to trample the rat to death, but the rat ran under a heap of ashes and saved its life. From that time onwards, whenever it sees a place where ashes have been thrown out, the camel tramples and rolls on the ashes, trying to squash the rat his enemy. So the rat got included in the twelve years, and the camel was excluded. Although the camel did not get included in the twelve years, he is said to carry the features of all the twelve animals in his body. These features are:
- Rat’s ears; 2. Bull’s belly; 3. Tiger’s paws; 4. Hare’s lips; 5. Dragon’s body; 6. Snake’s eyes; 7. Horse’s mane; 8. Sheep’s wool; 9. Monkey’s hump; 10. Cock’s crest; 11. Dog’s thighs; 12. Pig’s tail