Once upon a time, above the spinning matter that we call Earth, dwelt the lords who cared for all on this world.  Above all others there ruled the Lord of the Heaven and he was known as the Jade King.  He had been busy for much of time, creating this and ordering that and he was pleased with what he had achieved for to begin with there were no humans on this little world. However, there were animals - many animals who swiftly established their own rules and characters.  Amongst them finally, the Creator placed man and almost as soon as he had trouble began, for with Man came what they had all feared - Disobedience.

The Jade King looked down at his creatures and knew the only thing for Man was guidance, but from whence should it come?  In his position, he could see the only sensible creatures were the animals but from their lowly place on earth they could do little except scurry about at the whim of disobedient Man.  Until suddenly, he hit upon a plan.

The Jade King called to him his secretary and said, "Prepare for me twelve invitations."

"Are you going to have a party, my Lord?"

"In a way but there will be twelve guests and only twelve.  You understand?"

"Indeed, my lord.  And to whom do we send these invitations?"

"Ah, yes."  The Jade King frowned and stared below him at the Earth and picked those nearest to him.  He pointed,  "See here, take this down."

His secretary pulled out his quill pen and a scroll of parchment and wrote at the Jade King's direction.  "Let us have, the Dog, the Ox, the Rat and the Horse.  Fine animals, horses and men seem to like them.  Hmm.  Right, who else can I see?"  He peered this way and that.  "Who is that in the bushes?  Ah yes, my friend the Snake - no don't raise you eyes like that, I know what I'm doing."

"Indeed, my Lord, I know that but the SNAKE.?"

The Jade King waved his hand impatiently, "Yes, yes, yes I'll explain later, now then, let us choose the Rabbit, he's a busy little person.  Then we'll have the Monkey and then. who's that making a noise down there?  Oh, yes, the cheerful Rooster."

The Jade King looked pleased with himself as the Rooster strutted below him unaware as yet that his life was to be changed forever.  "How many have we got so far?"

The scribe looked down his list and counted, "One, two, three.  It looks like .nine.," he said dubiously, up to his eyes in paperwork.  (You will see he was wrong.  In fact there were only eight).

"Fine, three more, then." The Jade King stretched his hands behind his head and stared upwards, thinking to himself.  "Let's have someone strong and powerful, I know - the Tiger.  He'll do nicely for another and now - someone everyone knows, a bit closer to home.  I think we'll have.. the Goat, yes.  She's a delight to have around. And the last one. How are the invitations coming along, by the way?"

"Oh fine, fine" the secretary was scribbling away furiously, writing out cards as he spoke to save time, which is why, of course, he had got into a muddle with the numbers. 

The Dragon, by Jemima Blazdell

The Jade King looked about him for a final inspiration.  The walls of the palace glistened in the sun and the carving across the wall opposite the throne on which he sat gave him the answer.  "I know, I will have the Dragon.  This group cannot be complete without that noble beast.  Let him be the last."

"The. Drag.on."  The secretary mouthed to himself as he wrote the last invitation.  "So, here we have, in addition to the Dragon, the Rooster, the Tiger, the Goat, the Rabbit and the Monkey."  He rustled through more papers.  "We also have, the Dog, the Snake, the Horse, the Ox and the er. um, the Rat."

There was a brief moment while the Jade King nodded to himself, approving his choice but suddenly he frowned.  "And.?"

"And what, my Lord?"

"There must be one more.  That is only eleven.  Who's the other one?"

The secretary, panic-stricken, for the Jade King could be very cross if he was kept waiting for an answer, rifled through his lists furiously.  "I.er. I don't seem to have. I." he looked up miserably.  "I seem to have mis-counted, my Lord.  There ARE only eleven."  He cringed, waiting for the storm to break.

For once, none came.  "Oh well," said the Jade King, loftily, "let's choose one more.  But don't let it happen again.  Now, then, since you've been so busy, why not choose your favourite animal to make up the twelve?"

Unbelievably relieved and much flattered, the secretary sought in his mind.  He was a home-loving sort of chap, liked nothing better to put his feet up on the fender each evening, with his wife and children about him, his dog one side, his cat on his lap.. That was it!  "How about the Cat, my Lord?"

"Excellent, excellent.  I like cats, too.  Well done.  Now off you go and send the invitations and then tell the catering department.  We need many different sorts of food to appease that lot."  And pleased with himself, the Jade King wandered off into the garden to admire the butterflies dancing in the sun.

The Secretary set off the next morning to deliver them all personally.  It would take the whole long day for the homes of these various animals were far flung indeed.

Not only were their homes very different from one another, these invitations were received in very different ways by the recipients and each said much about the character of the animal.  The Secretary approached the first on his list with respect, as well he might.