Characters from the Year of the Ox

The Year of the Ox

Chin, Oliver. The Year of the Ox, Tales of the Chinese Zodiac. San Francisco, CA: Immedium, 2008.

Mama and Papa Ox named their newborn baby, Olivia, and introduced her to all their friends. The farmer’s daughter, Mei, came to see her, too. Mei declared that Olivia was her best friend and adopted sister. After that, Olivia and Mei played together every day.

One day, Mama and Papa Ox decided that Olivia had to learn to do chores and not just play all day long. They showed her the shed where they worked. Olivia was anxious to help with the daily farm chores but she was still too young and too small to do most of them. She messed up at everything she tried to do.

She even messed up when she tried to help at the farmer’s market.

On another day, Mei, her parents, and Mama and Papa Ox, went to work and left Olivia behind. Olivia moped about until she heard a noise outside. The dam had burst and the farm land was quickly flooding, frightening everyone on the farm and in the village.

Olivia searched for Mei and found her hanging from a tree branch. Olivia rescued Mei and the other animals swept away by the rising water. But Mei and Olivia noticed that the bank had begun to buckle. Neither Mei nor Olivia nor the other animals knew what to do.

Then Olivia had an idea. Olivia placed her shoulder against the dike while Mei went to get help. A crack appeared as Olivia waited. She became frantic but she did only what she could do: plug it up with her tail. Olivia pushed against the wall with all her might.

Eventually, Mei, Mei’s family and Mama and Papa Ox arrived with help. The waters receded and Olivia was able to take a breather.

Everyone exclaimed that Olivia and Mei were “the bravest girls in the world.”

Shadow puppets:

Olivia, the ox

Mama Ox

Papa Ox

Mei, a farmer’s daughter

Act out The Year of the Ox for family and friends.

Shadow Theater made of recycled materials