Why Does the Cock Eat the Millipede?

Long ago the cock had a pair of beautiful horns

on his head. But at that time there was a dragon who

was prevented from ascending into heaven because he

lacked a pair of horns. And so he offered the millipede

as a guarantor, and borrowed the horns from the

cock!

When the millipede came for the horns, he said to

the cock: "When you want your horns back, you must

call out at dawn: 'Give me back my horns!' and they will

be returned to you at once. You need have no occasion

to be concerned in the least."

The kind cock knew how difficult it was to

ascend to heaven, so, reassured by the good security

the millipede offered, he loaned his horns without

hesitation, just twisting them right off his head. He

also thought to himself that when the dragon returned

form his visit to heaven, they could sit down and have

a good conversation; he would ask the dragon to tell

him how things were in heaven, and if it really was

beautiful there, as he had always heard. If it was true,

he might consider going there himself someday, he

thought.

So, next morning at daybreak (for the dragon's visit

was scheduled to be brief), the cock called out loudly:

"Give me back my horns!" But, even though he repeated

this demand ten times over, there was no sign at all

of either the dragon or the horns. Worried, the cock

promptly went off to complain to the millipede, who

soothed him, saying: "If the dragon has not returned

the horns this morning, then he will certainly do so

tomorrow. At the very latest, the day after that. Just

learn to be a little patient and your horns will soon be

back on your head, just as before."

The cock did wait several days, but although he

called out every morning at sunrise: "Give me back

my horns!" They never did reappear. The cock was

extremely annoyed at this deception and loss, as you

can well imagine, therefore he ordered all the members

of his family to eat millipedes on sight.

Even so, the cock has not yet given up hope of

getting his horns returned. He ordered his descendants

always to call out at the break of day: "Give me back my

horns!" He still hopes that the dragon may hear him!

Taken from The Asian Animal Zodiac, 1998