A role-play for my students on their New Year's party. Hope you like it!

1. The Chinese Zodiac Play
旁白 1 ： The Chinese New Year is coming, let
me tell you a story about the Chinese
Zodiac.

2. One day, a god makes a big announcement
to all the animals on earth.
The god: I will choose 12 different animals to
be guardians of the year.
Animals: Wow!

3. God decides to hold a race. He will choose the
twelve fastest animals.
The god: The animal that crosses
the river and gets to my palace
first will be the guardian of the
first year. The second animals
will the guardian of the second
year, and so on.
Rabbit: I can’t wait for the race.
Tiger: I am going to win.
Horse: No way, I am going to
win.

4. The cat is worried about the race because
she can’t swim.
Cat: I can’t swim. How can
I cross the river?
Mouse: Don’t worry. The
ox is very nice. We can
ask him to take us
across.

5. The race starts. All the animals try to cross the
wide river. The turtle is slow so he is last. The tiger
is swimming fast and the pig tries her best, too.
The rat and cat are riding on the ox’s back.
Cat: Hey Rat, that tiger is ahead of us. Aren’t you
worried?
Mouse: No, I am sure we will be first.

6. But the rat wants to win very much. He
pushes the cat into the river.
Cat: How could you do
this to me? I thought
we were friends. Save
me! I can’t swim.
Mouse: Sorry, old
friend. I want to win.

7. The ox thinks he is going to win the race but
the rat has other ideas.
Ox: I am almost at the
palace.
Mouse: Oh, no. The ox
thinks he is going to
win. But watch this!

8. The ox gets to the riverbank and heads to the
palace. When he is a couple of steps from
victory, the rat jumps off his back and gets to the
palace first. The rat wins!
Mouse: Ha, I am first!
Ox: You dirty rat.

9. When the cat finally arrives at the palace, the
pig tells her the bad news.
Pig: You didn’t win,
Cat, we have twelve
guardians already.
Cat: Oh, no. I can’t
believe it.

10. The god announces the twelve guardians:
the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse,
sheep, monkey, rooter, dog, and pig. All the
animals are happy, especially the rat. But
starting that day, the cat chases the rat. She
will never forgive what the rat did.

11. 旁 白 1 ： what the rat did was wrong. He
should be ashamed of himself.
旁 白 2 ： Now I know why cats always chase
rats.