This is an accepted version of this page The Rat or Mouse (鼠) is the first of the repeating 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac, constituting part of the Chinese calendar system (with similar systems in use elsewhere).

The Chinese word shǔ (鼠) refers to various small rodents (Muroidea), such as rats and mice.

Years of the rat are cyclically differentiated by correlation to the Heavenly Stems cycle, resulting in a repeating cycle of five years of the rat (over a sixty-year period), each rat year also being associated with one of the Chinese wu xing, also known as the "five elements", or "phases": the "Five Phases" being Fire (火 huǒ), Water (水 shuǐ), Wood (木 mù), Metal (金 jīn), and Earth (土 tǔ).

The rat is generally associated with the celestial region of the Mystical Warrior, or Xuánwǔ ((玄武)), and specifically with the mansion Xū (虛), which in turn is associated with the direction North and the darkest part of the winter season, in the northern hemisphere.

According to one version of this tale, the emperor's advisors selected twelve candidates from among the animal types, including the rat and the cat.

The winner was to be selected based upon merit, as to personal appearance, lifestyle, and contributions to the world.

The Jade Emperor, mystified as to why only eleven candidate animals showed up, inquired of his servants.

After the start of the competition, the rat achieved first place by performing on the flute while upon the back of the ox.