Paper 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paper 2 - Coursework Example The Chinese distinguish the time through the use of animals (and one mythical creature), naming years and hours as these animals. The selection of these animals, and the arrangement thereof, came from an old legend from the Chinese dynasty, possibly around the Zhan Guo period. Legend tells of Buddha or the Jade Emperor calling for all animals to a race across a raging river. The rat, thinking smartly, overcame its disability to swim by hopping and free-riding on the strongest animal on the race: the buffalo. Just before the buffalo was to cross the finish line, the rat jumped off ahead of the buffalo and landed first. The tiger, being strong as it is, was the next to arrive. As the rabbit came near to the finish line, hoping his way from stone to stone, it slipped and landed on a floating log, which the rabbit used to float to the finish line. The dragon, which everybody thought would finish the first, came after the rabbit, giving the alibi that it had to help the townspeople and th e rabbit in crossing the finish line. The next to approach the finish line was the horse, but the snake, just like the rat, subtly hid itself on the horse’s hooves.