ReadNative
The Twelve Zodiac Animals cover十二生肖

🇨🇳 Mandarin Chinese graded reader

十二生肖

The Twelve Zodiac Animals — Chinese folk legend

The Great Race that chose the twelve zodiac animals, retold as a graded reader from absolute-beginner HSK 1 to HSK 2 — the rat's trick, the ox's kindness, the cat's grudge, and one folk tale for every animal of the cycle.

HSK 1–2 30 chapters 4,864 words Pro Narrated
Read chapter 1 free Read it in the app

Chapters

  1. 第一章：玉帝的比赛read online
  2. 第二章：猫和老鼠Chapter 2: The Cat and the Rat
  3. 第三章：早上Chapter 3: Morning
  4. 第四章：大河Chapter 4: The Great River
  5. 第五章：牛的背Chapter 5: The Ox's Back
  6. 第六章：老虎Chapter 6: The Tiger
  7. 第七章：兔子和龙Chapter 7: The Rabbit and the Dragon
  8. 第八章：蛇和马Chapter 8: The Snake and the Horse
  9. 第九章：羊、猴子和鸡Chapter 9: The Goat, the Monkey, and the Rooster
  10. 第十章：狗为什么晚Chapter 10: Why the Dog Was Late
  11. 第十一章：猪Chapter 11: The Pig
  12. 第十二章：猫来了Chapter 12: The Cat Arrives
  13. 第十三章：十二个名字Chapter 13: Twelve Names
  14. 第十四章：年的圈Chapter 14: The Circle of Years
  15. 第十五章：老鼠嫁女（上）Chapter 15: The Rat Marries Off His Daughter (Part 1)
  16. 第十六章：老鼠嫁女（下）Chapter 16: The Rat Marries Off His Daughter (Part 2)
  17. 第十七章：牛的一年Chapter 17: The Year of the Ox
  18. 第十八章：老虎学艺Chapter 18: The Tiger Learns Skills
  19. 第十九章：月亮上的兔子Chapter 19: The Rabbit on the Moon
  20. 第二十章：龙王下雨Chapter 20: The Dragon King Brings Rain
  21. 第二十一章：蛇和农夫Chapter 21: The Snake and the Farmer
  22. 第二十二章：塞翁失马（上）Chapter 22: The Old Man at the Border Loses His Horse (Part 1)
  23. 第二十三章：塞翁失马（下）Chapter 23: The Old Man at the Border Loses His Horse (Part 2)
  24. 第二十四章：羊的礼物Chapter 24: The Goat's Gift
  25. 第二十五章：猴子捞月Chapter 25: The Monkeys Scoop the Moon
  26. 第二十六章：鸡叫太阳Chapter 26: The Rooster Calls the Sun
  27. 第二十七章：狗取粮Chapter 27: The Dog Fetches Grain
  28. 第二十八章：猪的家Chapter 28: The Pig's Home
  29. 第二十九章：猫的孩子们Chapter 29: The Cat's Children
  30. 第三十章：你是什么年的？Chapter 30: What Year Are You?
What level is The Twelve Zodiac Animals in Mandarin Chinese?

It starts at HSK 1 and climbs gradually to HSK 2. Each chapter introduces a little new vocabulary, so you're always reading just above your comfort zone.

How long is it?

30 chapters and about 4,900 words in total, using roughly 300 different word forms.

Is it free?

It's part of ReadNative Pro. The first chapter is free to read here. The first book in every language is free.

Does it have audio?

Yes — the whole book is narrated, with each word highlighted as it is read.

More Mandarin Chinese books

Stories of Afanti cover阿凡提的故事 阿凡提的故事 Stories of Afanti · HSK 2–3 · Pro The Legend of the White Snake cover白蛇传 白蛇传 The Legend of the White Snake · HSK 2–3 · Pro Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio cover聊斋志异选 聊斋志异选 Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio · HSK 4–5 · Pro Romance of the Three Kingdoms (selections) cover三国演义选 三国演义选 Romance of the Three Kingdoms (selections) · HSK 3–4 · Pro Journey to the West cover西游记 西游记 Journey to the West · HSK 1–3 · Free

New to Mandarin Chinese? Start with how ReadNative teaches Mandarin Chinese or our guide How to learn Mandarin Chinese by reading.