<font color="#d8bfd8">Mongolian Tale: Why Camels Roll in Ashes</font>

Mongolian Tale: Why Camels Roll in Ashes

Author: * Feiyan Zhou - 2 Posts on this thread out of 2,533 Posts sitewide.
Date: Feb 24, 2008 - 09:51

Why Camels Roll in Ashes

A long, long time ago, the twelve year cycle of the Mongol calendar was to be given its year names by the Great Borhan Khan. He invited all the animals to apply for the great honor of having a year named after themselves.

"Hey Elder Brother Camel! Did you hear?" cried the mouse as he scurried up the tall legs and perched on the rearmost hump of his Bactrian friend.

"Hear what, Little Brother Mouse?" The camel turned his head and blinked his heavily lidded eyes at the squeaking voice.

"There is to be a new calendar, one which will repeat every twelve years. And each year will have as its totem one of us animals! What do you say Elder Brother Camel? Shall we put ourselves forth as representatives of our families?"

"Well, I certainly should. They'll be wanting big useful animals. I'm sure they will choose a camel to represent one of the years. After all, if it weren't for my family, they couldn't get their trade goods over the wide Gobi Desert and they'd probably starve to death. But I don't know about you, Little Brother. Why would they pick a mouse?"

"We may be small, but we're industrious and cunning and humans admire us for that. Besides, some people think we're cute!"

So they joined the other animals before the Great Borhan Khan and waited for his decision. Elder Brother Camel just knew he would be among the chosen when Ox, Horse and Sheep were given their own years. Little Brother Mouse inwardly cheered when Rabbit and Rooster were chosen. Both friends just knew they had it made when even Snake was given a year. One by one, the other animals left the audience hall in triumph. Dog, Tiger, Dragon, Monkey, and Pig all leaving the Great Khan's pavilion proudly.

Camel and Mouse looked at each other and then at the Great Borhan Khan, both of them silently counting. Eleven animals had been chosen for eleven years. That meant that there was only one year left, the most important First Year of the cycle. And there were two of them. The two friends edged away from each other, both trying to look their best for their judge.

The Great Borhan Khan stroked his beard thoughtfully before coming to his decision.

"You are both most worthy creatures. It is difficult to choose between you, especially when I know that you are such great friends. So what we shall do is this. In the morning, you will both go out into the fields before dawn. Whichever one of you first calls out when he sees the light of the sun will be honored in the first year of our new calendar.

Elder Brother Camel knew he was sure to win this contest, since he was taller and his eyes were bigger. But cunning Little Brother Mouse made his own plan. In the hour just before dawn, Camel positioned himself on a rise in the field and turned his head toward the eastern sky. Mouse took his usual place atop his friend's hump, but to the surprise of Camel, he turned to face a tall mountain far to the west.

When the first rays of the sun lit the tip of the mountain, the mouse cried out in triumph.

"I see the first light of the sun!"

The Great Borhan Khan, who had been watching with his family and all his retinue, proclaimed that the first year of the calendar cycle would henceforth be called the year of the Mouse.

Camel couldn't believe his ears and shook himself to unseat the mouse from his back.

"You sneaky little Rat! You cheated! I'm going to get you for this! When I'm finished with you, there won't be any mouse to have a year named after!"

He began to stomp the ground furiously, trying to crush his former friend. In terror, Little Brother Mouse scurried off to hide in a nearby heap of ashes. Tears ran down his furry cheeks when he realized that his victory had cost him his very best friend.

And to this day, a camel will stomp on a pile of ashes, or lie down on it and roll around, still hoping to crush his rival the mouse, and gain the honor of having a year named for himself.

Based on a traditional Mongolian folktale from George Lane's Daily Life in Mongolia. A brief online version of the tale can be found here.

Image credits:
Original mouse photograph by User:Rasbak adapted by Feiyan Zhou under the GNU Free Documentation License.
The Camel photograph is in the public domain.