Nezumi’s New Year

By Joseph L. Buelna

Throughout the world, Oriental people celebrate two New Year’s Days: the one everyone celebrates on January 1, and the Lunar New Year, which usually falls between January 21 and February 19. Twelve animals are honored in the Lunar New Year calendar: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the dog, the rooster, and the pig. (In China the cat and the goat are sometimes honored instead of the rabbit and the sheep.) Each animal has a particular year assigned to it. Last year was celebrated as the Year of the Dog; 1983 is the Year of the Pig. In Japan, the rat is known as Nezumi, and this is one of many stories told throughout the Orient of how Nezumi came to be the first animal in the Lunar New Year cycle.

Little Nezumi didn’t even bother opening his eyes any longer. Stumbling across a small tree trunk that had split open from the top, he crawled inside. Although he was protected from the falling snow, it was still bitterly cold. Nezumi looked into his small pouch and saw that he had only a few kernels of corn left, barely enough to last one more day. And tomorrow would be the first day of the Lunar New Year! Why did I ever come on this trip? he asked himself. It was foolish for me to think that I could climb these impossible mountains and find a place I have never been to before. Although Nezumi knew he shouldn’t do it, he closed his eyes. He only intended to take a short rest, but within a few minutes he was sound asleep. No longer feeling the cold, he began to dream about that day three weeks before when he had received a mysterious letter …

The envelope was covered with several official-looking seals and was very wrinkled. It had been sent from a country called Nepal. Nezumi had no idea where Nepal was, but he knew it must be very far from his burrow on the island of Kyushu, Japan. Inside the envelope was a rather large piece of paper that said: “I, Gautama Buddha, request all animals to come to my home in Nepal high in the Himalaya Mountains. To all animals who complete this hazardous journey by the first day of the Lunar New Year, I promise a gift of great importance.”

Even though Gautama Buddha promised an important gift, Nezumi was not certain he could make it to Nepal in time. His friend Hitsuji, the sheep, had traveled as far away as Tokyo. Maybe Hitsuji would know where Nepal was. Nezumi scurried over to the field where Hitsuji could usually be found standing under an old tree. Hitsuji was there, and he was reading the same message Nezumi had received!

“Hitsuji, what do you know of this place called Nepal and this person called Gautama Buddha?” Nezumi asked.

Hitsuji stood still for a moment with his eyes closed, as if trying to remember something important. “If I am correct in my thinking, little Nezumi, Nepal is far across the great ocean. The Himalayas are a very high range of mountains, and at this time of year it is almost impossible to cross them.”

Hitsuji is so smart, thought Nezumi. “Are you thinking of going there, Hitsuji? If so, perhaps we could travel together.”

“Well,” Hitsuji answered, “I am not sure we can get to Nepal in time. Of course, ships leave every day from the great port beyond the hills. If we can find a ship sailing in that direction, we just might have a chance. But the journey will be long and dangerous and might end in sorrow for us both.”

“Let’s try it anyway,” squeaked his adventurous friend. “I am sure I will not rest until I find out what the gift is.”

“Very well, Nezumi, let’s pack some food and leave this very afternoon.”

And so it was that the two friends arrived at the harbor. Hitsuji and Nezumi looked at a map tacked to an office wall and found the country of Nepal. It was above another country called India. They both considered it a stroke of luck when they were able to sneak into the hold of a ship leaving immediately for Calcutta, India.

The journey by ship was terrible, even though they reached Calcutta in just a little over two weeks. The constant movement, the darkness, and the fear of being found kept the two animals in a terrible state of mind. Hitsuji was sick most of the way and fell silent after the third day at sea. He would halfheartedly eat a few grains of wheat before getting sick again, and then he’d make small bleating noises to himself. Nezumi tried to lift Hitsuji’s spirits, but he, too, became ill, and the two animals spent the remainder of the voyage huddled in a dark corner of the hold.

When the ship finally docked, they soon found that they were not prepared for Calcutta. Its hundreds of horse-driven wagons and people-pulled carts came at them from every direction. As they frantically dodged the carts, the horses, and the feet of the people, they became completely lost. Finally, they stopped to rest near a public market where they were able to find some small pieces of food lying on the ground. As they ate what they could, they heard two young men speaking loudly.

“And I tell you, Sanjay, that you cannot deliver those things to Katmandu in less than three months! Don’t you realize how hard it has been snowing in the mountains? It’s almost impossible to get through!”

“Ah, you just said ‘almost,’” Sanjay replied, “and you are right. However, I know of passes through the Himalayas that only a few people have discovered, and I can get the cloth and beads to Gautama Buddha before the Lunar New Year celebration.”

The two animals could hardly believe what they had just heard! Could their luck be so great? They followed the young man to a stable where a large wagon was waiting. An ox hitched to the front of the wagon barely glanced at the rat and the sheep.

Hitsuji spoke first. “Hello, friend ox. This is a very large wagon to have to pull by yourself.”

The ox snorted. “It is not much fun, I assure you. Where are you from?”

“We are from Japan. We received letters from Gautama Buddha, requesting us to be present at his Lunar New Year’s festivities.”

The ox looked at them with more interest. “I, too, received such a letter, and my master and I are on our way to Katmandu to see Gautama Buddha. Perhaps you could join us.”

Nezumi spoke up. “This is kind of you, friend ox, for we do not know the way.” Nezumi introduced Hitsuji and himself by name and then asked, “Can we really reach Katmandu in such a short time?”

“Fear not, friend Nezumi. My master and I have made this trip many times, and we know several shortcuts.”

The young man was ready to leave. Nezumi scrambled into the wagon and nestled among some sacks. The ox, with a mighty strain, started the wagon along the road. Hitsuji, because of his size, walked beside the wagon. He didn’t mind; he was used to walking long distances. The ox soon established a rhythm and seemed to pull the heavy wagon with little effort. By the time the travelers could see the distant snow-covered mountains, the slow, steady movement of the wagon and the sound of the creaking wooden wheels had lulled Nezumi to sleep. The rat awoke only when the wagon lurched to a stop. He heard a voice shouting.

“Throw down your money, boy, if you value your life!”

“I have no money, sir, only this wagon of goods for Gautama Buddha.”

“Climb down from there and let me see for myself.” A few seconds later, the back curtain of the wagon was thrown open and an evil-looking face appeared. “Well now, what have we here? These look like awfully fancy fabrics for a poor boy to be carrying. Where did you say you were taking them?”

“To Katmandu, sir.”

The man laughed. “Wrong, boy. You have just reached your delivery point.” With that, he gave the young man a slap that nearly knocked him over. The great ox bellowed loudly and took off at a run, throwing the bandit onto the ground. “Stop that stupid beast!” the man shouted as he got to his feet again.

It was too late. The ox bolted down the road with the wagon lurching and bouncing behind him. Suddenly, the wagon seemed to fly into the air and hover there for a second. Then it crashed to the ground and split open. Finding himself free, the ox continued to run into the growing darkness while Nezumi carefully crawled out from among the large bales of cloth that had broken his fall.

In the twilight he could see that he was on a mountain surrounded by many more mountains, all terribly high and covered with snow. As he stood there, a large, wet snowflake landed on the ground in front of him. Another fell, and then another, and soon the sky was filled with snowflakes and it was very cold. Nezumi gave a quiet little squeak of fear. Hitsuji was gone, the ox was gone, and he was stranded on a strange mountainside in the middle of a snowstorm. Even as he was feeling sorry for himself, he knew that there was nothing to do but go on.

And so Nezumi struggled along the path until he found the split tree trunk where he now lay sleeping. As he slept, the small opening in the trunk filled with snow. It was not until the tree trunk suddenly split completely apart that Nezumi awoke. He found himself staring into two huge red eyes! He gave a squeal of terror, then saw that the eyes belonged to his friend the ox. With his heart still beating frantically, Nezumi declared, “You gave me a fright, friend ox, but I thank you for waking me up. You have saved my life.”

“It was nothing, little friend. I’m lucky that I found you. I almost passed this tree without looking into it. Why don’t you climb onto my back now, and I will carry you through the snow.”

“That is very kind of you.” Nezumi quickly hopped up onto the tree trunk and from there onto the ox’s broad back. “Do you know where we are, and have you seen Hitsuji?”

“We are near Katmandu, I believe, although in the darkness it is hard to tell. And, no, I’m sorry, I have no idea what may have happened to Hitsuji. A very large tiger went past me once, and I saw a dragon flying overhead not very long ago, but no one else.”

The ox moved through the snow with ease, his surefooted, unflagging stride moving them up the mountainside hour after hour.

Eventually they came upon a very large tree, and sleeping in its branches was a dragon, the first dragon Nezumi had ever seen in his life. Under the tree, curled up into a ball, was a tiger snoring softly. Even more amazing was the sight of a small rabbit resting on the tiger’s back! None of the animals awoke at the approach of Nezumi and the ox, so they continued down the path toward the distant lights of a large village. “That is Katmandu, the home of Gautama Buddha,” explained the ox.

Soon they could see the palace, surrounded by many small wooden houses. Dawn was coming and the snow was not falling so heavily as they drew near the palace, which was large yet somehow homey. When they reached the wall surrounding the palace, the ox pulled a rope that was hanging beside the gate. Almost immediately it swung open, and they entered into a large courtyard. A man came toward them, calling out in a low, pleasant voice, “Welcome, friend ox and friend rat. I am Gautama Buddha, and I am very pleased that you were able to join me this Lunar New Year’s Day. Come and have some refreshments. You must be tired after your long journey.”

Nezumi was so excited at seeing Gautama Buddha that he leaped off the back of the ox and scampered over to the man. Gautama Buddha reached down, picked up the small creature, and said, “So it is you, my little friend, who is first. For being first, you will be especially honored when we are all gathered together.”

Gautama Buddha gave the ox and Nezumi food to eat and water to drink. Later the tiger and the rabbit arrived together, obviously the best of friends. Behind them the dragon swooped in with a loud roar. Then came a snake and a horse. Behind the horse Nezumi saw a familiar shape. Yes! It was Hitsuji! The two friends greeted each other excitedly.

“I thought I would never see you again, Nezumi,” said the weary Hitsuji.

“Oh, Hitsuji, I am so very glad to know that the bandit did not steal you. Come, let me show you where the food and water are.”

As Nezumi led his friend away, a chattering monkey arrived, followed by a crowing rooster, a dog, and a pig. As the sun started its descent into the western sky, Gautama Buddha gathered all the animals together.

“It pleases me greatly to see that you twelve animals have safely completed the journey. I promised you a gift of great importance, and I will now tell you what it is. People everywhere celebrate the Lunar New Year, but they have no symbols to mark its passage. I have therefore decided that each of you will be a symbol of the Lunar New Year. Everyone will recognize you as the twelve most important animals, and your fame will live long after you are gone from this world.

“Every twelve years will begin a new cycle. Because my small friend Nezumi was the first one to actually reach me, I choose him to begin the cycle. He will be followed by the ox and then by the rest of you in the order in which you arrived at my home. To start our celebration off, I now proclaim this day as the first day of the Year of the Rat!”

Illustrated by Shauna Mooney