Celebrating the Chinese New Year: Year of the (Metal) Ox

Oxen Resting
John Singer Sargent, 1910

On February 12, 2021 the Chinese New Year begins and 2021 is the Year of the (Metal) Ox. The New Year is celebrated for 16 days and ends with the Lantern Festival.

Women Oxen are traditional, faithful wives, who attach great importance to their children's education. There are five types of Ox: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water. This year falls under the Metal Ox and their traits also include hardworking, active, always busy, and popular among friends. For more information go to: https://tinyurl.com/y45om4jm

According to the Chinese people born in the Year of the Ox have the following personality traits:

Oxen are known for diligence, dependability, strength, and determination. Having an honest nature. They are strongly patriotic, have ideals and ambitions for life, and attach importance to family and work. These reflect traditional conservative characteristics.

At the end of this blog, you also will find links to previous blogs highlighting the different animals of the Chinese Zodiac, each offering additional background information.  

Whether or not this is your year under the Chinese Zodiac I wish everyone a New Year filled first and foremost with health and may you be blessed with all good things to keep you safe and happy. May we all find ourselves together once more as we meet 2021 with renewed hope.

 

The Ox and the Ant - Bulgaria

 

At one time, the ant was so huge that it could pull the yoke of the ox alone. She wanted to plow the ox with his plow instead, to work, and to provide food for himself. "You can't feed people!" The ox told her. "The Lord has assigned this work to me." "You do not want such a fate," replied the ant. "Because your master stitches you with a wall in your back to walk in the groove, and you cannot even make a step forward alone without a master, while I belong only to myself - I have no master."

 

At that time the Lord God was walking around the earth and all the animals were free to approach him and to complain to him about something or to make a request to him. That's why the ant and the ox came to him to complain about each other. "God!" Said the ox. "The ant wants to take down my yoke and plow with the plow you gave me to feed myself and the people." "This is not the job, Lord!" Said the ant - "I want to provide food for people because they can't do it well enough. "

 

Then the Lord turned to the ant and said to her, "I know you are hardworking, but let's see! Tell me, when you replace an ox, how many times a day will you give people to eat thanks to your work? "" I will give them to eat once every three days, "replied the ant. The Lord then addressed the same question with an ox. "And how many times will you give people to eat?" "They will be able to eat three times a day, although I work slowly, I will still be able to satisfy their food needs." Then the Lord blessed the ox: "You will feed the people of the earth while the world is shining! "

Then the Lord turned to the ant. "To work forever and never see the fruits of your labor!" To remember their sentence well, the Lord ordered the ox to step on the ant and walk on its back. Then the ox's hooves split as the back of the ant began to narrow. Up to that point, the ox's hooves were as full as the horse's, and the back of the ant was not as narrow and thin as it is today. And so now the ox still feeds all of us, because with such a destiny God has blessed it. And people should eat three times a day and the food will not benefit the one who eats more than three times a day. The ant would have been so huge if the ox had not crushed it so much, breaking the hoof on her back.

https://tinyurl.com/y54ckkof

MORE STORIES

Babe the Blue Ox – United States
https://tinyurl.com/y3m7zq8g

The Cart Without Oxen – Costa Rica
https://tinyurl.com/y5bcm24c

The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl - China
https://tinyurl.com/y2ftj7sx

The Four Oxen and the Lion - Aesop
https://tinyurl.com/y6h86x4r

Great Joy the Ox - India
https://tinyurl.com/y57uzj9y

The Ox and the Frog – Aesop
https://fairytalez.com/the-ox-and-the-frog/

The Ox of the Wonderful Horns - Zimbabwe
https://tinyurl.com/y4cyxdt9

The Ox Who Never Envied the Pig - Jakarta
https://tinyurl.com/y6l8qo3c

The Oxen and the Butchers - Aesop
https://fairytalez.com/the-oxen-and-the-butchers/

The Oxen and the Pig - Jakarta
https://tinyurl.com/y4rbpb2k

The Straw Ox - Ukraine
https://tinyurl.com/y3jpx3jv

The Three Oxen – Somalia (A variant on the Aesop Fable, The Four Oxen and the Lion)
http://hooyo.web.free.fr/E_tale_03.html  

ARTICLES

Interesting background articles to help round out your storytelling program.

How Oxen Plowed the Way for Social Inequality
https://tinyurl.com/y5f7arlf

Ox, cow and bull in folklore imagery and tales
https://tinyurl.com/y2zhxdb7

The Tale of the Ox
https://tinyurl.com/y684b4ap

CRAFTS

Paper Cup Ox
https://www.activityvillage.co.uk/paper-cup-ox

Printable Craft Projects for the Year of the Ox
https://tinyurl.com/y3ybzn84

Redtedart.com – Year of the Ox
https://www.redtedart.com/easy-cow-crafts/

CURRICULUM

Alphabet Letter X Ox Theme: Preschool Lesson Plan with printable activities and worksheets.
https://first-school.ws/activities/alpha/x/ox.htm

Ox-Cart Man – The curriculum is based on the book and is designed for grades
2 -3. This lesson received the 2020 Curriculum Gold Award of Excellence from the National Association of Economic Educators.
https://tinyurl.com/y5zfad34

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Below are previous blog posts I wrote for the Chinese New Year. You will find useful background information to augment your Chinese New Year programs.

Year of the Fire Rooster|
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2017/01/chinese-new-year-2017-year-of-fire.html

Year of the Horse
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/12/chinese-new-year-year-of-horse.html

Year of the Pig
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2019/02/chinese-new-year-2019-year-of-pig.html

Year of the Rat
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2019/11/chinese-new-year-2020-year-of-rat.html

Year of the Sheep
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2014/12/chinese-new-year-2015-celebrate-year-of.html

Year of the Snake
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/12/celebrate-chinese-new-year-2013-year-of.html

Year of the Tiger
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2009/12/2010-year-of-tiger.html 

Gung Hay Fat Choy
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2008/02/gung-hay-fat-choy.html

 

 

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

 

Karen Chace 2021 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

 

Chinese New Year 2019: Year of the Pig

Girl with Pigs
by
Thomas Gainsborough
1781-1782

This year the Chinese New Year begins on February 5, 2019, the Year of the Pig. Read the legend behind the animals of the Chinese Zodiac here: https://wehavekids.com/education/Chinese-Zodiac-Story  

"The Pig is the twelfth of all zodiac animals. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said the order would be decided by the order in which they arrived to his party. Pig was late because he overslept. Another story says that a wolf destroyed his house. He had to rebuild his home before he could set off. When he arrived, he was the last one and could only take twelfth place.

The Pig is also associated with the Earthly Branch and the hours 9–11 in the night. In terms of yin and yang, the Pig is yin. In Chinese culture, pigs are the symbol of wealth. Their chubby faces and big ears are signs of fortune as well." To read more about those born in the Year of Pig go to https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/pig/.

STORIES

The Dog and the Pig – India
https://www.pitara.com/fiction-for-kids/folktales/the-dog-and-the-pig/ 

The Old Woman and Her Pig - England
http://tinyurl.com/8yagce3

The Pig That Went to Church - United States

http://tinyurl.com/oo9bznc

The Three Green Men of Glen Nevis - Scotland

http://tinyurl.com/osz569v

The Sheep and the Pig Who Set Up House - Norway
http://tinyurl.com/j5xjj2r

The Story of the Three Little Pigs - England
http://tinyurl.com/b979cte

The Enchanted Pig – Andrew Lang
http://tinyurl.com/z9owtnk 

BOOKS

Children’s Books About Pigs: Funny Bedtime Stories

http://hubpages.com/family/The-10-Best-Childrens-Books-About-Pigs-Funny-Bedtime-Stories

CRAFTS

Dltk- kids – Lots of fun pig crafts here that will have you squealing in no time at all.

http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/pigs.htm

CURRICULUM

Asia Education Foundation – Learning activities, teacher’s note and additional references on the Chinese New Year.

http://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/curriculum/the-arts/details/chinese-new-year

                                                           

SOMETHING EXTRA

Traditions: Chinese New Year Clothes
https://chinesenewyear.net/clothes/

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

Karen Chace 2019 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

1001 Nights to 2001 Story Resources V: Stor e Telling 2017

The Storyteller
Hugues Merle, 1874

Below are the Stor e Telling columns I wrote in 2017 for the National Storytelling Magazine, each with a synopsis to help you find what you are seeking in case your time is limited. I normally don’t post the yearly compilation until the New Year has passed but since I have the time today I thought I would get a few steps ahead of myself.

The magazine is a membership perk from the National Storytelling Network. The publication offers outstanding articles from well-known national and international storytellers, and educators from around the world on a wide variety of topics, and of course, stories. If you would like to become a member please visit https://storynet.org/membership/ .

At the end of the blog you will also find links to all of the columns from 2007 – 2016. At the time they were posted all of the links were active. If you find a dead link please let me know and I will do my best to find the updated source.

I hope you find something useful and fun to add to your storytelling repertoire or classroom, business enterprises or school curriculum. As always, I appreciate any comments you wish to share.

Stor e Telling January February March 2017:  Impacting Speaker and Listener

This issue focused on the varied ways stories impact the speaker and the listener. Also, stories for the Chinese New Year: Year of the Rooster. Also some tales to celebrate National Pig Day on March 1, devoted to celebrating their place as one of man’s most intellectual and domesticated animals. April 15 is Husband Appreciation Day so of course there are stories to share for that day as well.
https://karenchace.blogspot.com/2018/01/stories-impacting-speaker-and-listener.html

Stor e Telling Spring 2017: Storytelling World

Unwrap some fun and fabulous resources to love and add to your repertoire. The theme was Storytelling World so you will find hundreds of public domain tales from many cultures. There are also legends to savor on Tea for Two Tuesday on March 21, Noodlehead tales to tickle your funny for International Moment of Laughter Day on April 14, and folktales for Bat Appreciation Day on April 17.https://karenchace.blogspot.com/2018/02/storytelling-world-stor-e-telling.html

Stor e Telling Winter 2017:  Peace and Justice
Resources below to complement the theme along with finger plays, songs and stories to complement the winter months. . I hope you find something useful for your work; goodness knows we could use some more peace and justice in our world.

http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2018/08/stor-e-telling-winter-2017-peace-and.html  

SOMETHING EXTRA

1001 Nights to 2001 Story Resources IV: Stor e Telling 2016

http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2017/09/1001-nights-to-2001-story-resources-iv.html

 

From 1001 Nights to 2001 Story Resources III: Stor e Telling 2015
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2017/01/from-1001-nights-to-2001-story.html

From 1001 Nights to 2001 Story Resources II: Stor e Telling 2014

http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2016/01/from-1001-nights-to-2001-story.html

From 1001 Nights to 2001 Story Resources: Stor e Telling 2013
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2014/06/from-1001-nights-to-2001-story.html

Stor e Telling Columns: 2007 to 2012 with Synopses

http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/12/stor-e-telling-columns-2007-to-2012.html

 

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

Karen Chace 2018 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Stories - Impacting Speaker and Listener: Stor e Telling January February March 2017

Chanticleer and Dan Russell

by Frank Adams, 1920

The New Year is here and it is time to begin sharing my Storytelling Magazine columns from 2017. The magazine is a membership benefit of the National Storytelling Network.  If you are interested in getting fabulous articles from around the world, featuring renowned storytellers and educators, along with my most recent column, join us at www.storynet.org.  I will not be sharing anything from any 2018 publications until 2019 rolls around.

This issue focused on the varied ways stories impact the speaker and the listener. Below are a few articles and a TEDX talk to add to the discussion.

The Importance of Telling Our Stories “Telling our stories is not an end in itself, but an attempt to release ourselves from them, to evolve and grow beyond them.”
http://tinyurl.com/zs53bwq

The Power of Being Relatable - An interesting article on the use of story in business by young entrepreneurs.
http://tinyurl.com/kzugzaa

The Science of Storytelling: What Listening to a Story Does To Our Brains - Exciting research on how the teller and the listener’s brain synchronize.

http://tinyurl.com/lzhndll

This Is Your Brain on Communication –  A TEDX talk by neuroscientist Uri Hasson who “researches the basis of human communication, and experiments from his lab reveal that even across different languages, our brains show similar activity, or become "aligned," when we hear the same idea or story.”
http://tinyurl.com/gpmzhts

Your Brain on Fiction – “Brain scans are revealing what happens in our heads when we read a detailed description, an evocative metaphor or an emotional exchange between characters. Stories, this research is showing, stimulate the brain and even change how we act in life.”

http://tinyurl.com/92kxw8e

On January 28 the Chinese New Year begins and 2017 is The Year of the Rooster. Below are some tales to add to the celebration.

The Brave Rooster - Latvia

http://tinyurl.com/jjb2lul

The Cat and the Rooster – Ukraine
http://tinyurl.com/zdscqm4

The Fighting Roosters and the Eagle – Aesop
http://tinyurl.com/owgvab4

The Frankfurt Rooster - Germany

http://tinyurl.com/hlhrebg

Half Rooster – Albania  
http://tinyurl.com/htks8xl

The Old Woman’s Rooster - Aesop

http://tinyurl.com/jjfgzaq

The Polecat and the Rooster - Khmer

http://tinyurl.com/jzo2gpj

Reynard and Chanticleer - Norway

http://tinyurl.com/ha8odzy

The Rooster - Ethiopia

http://tinyurl.com/hhqce8t

The Rooster and the Pearl – Aesop
http://tinyurl.com/gvmvdy9

The Rooster’s Lament – China
http://tinyurl.com/j3cedn7

Storie of Cinderlaras - Indonesia

http://tinyurl.com/h5ean9d

The Tale of the Golden Cockerel - Russia

http://tinyurl.com/glstjkm

The Weathercock on St. Stephen’s Cathedral - Austria

http://tinyurl.com/jfj62dh

March 1 is National Pig Day, devoted to celebrating their place as one of man’s most intellectual and domesticated animals.

The Dog and the Pig - India

http://tinyurl.com/oa5r8hu

The Enchanted Pig – Andrew Lang
http://tinyurl.com/z9owtnk 

The Pig That Went to Church - United States

http://tinyurl.com/oo9bznc

The Old Woman and Her Pig - England

http://tinyurl.com/8yagce3

The Sheep and the Pig Who Set Up House - Norway
http://tinyurl.com/j5xjj2r

The Story of the Three Little Pigs - England
http://tinyurl.com/b979cte

The Three Green Men of Glen Nevis - Scotland

http://tinyurl.com/osz569v

April 15 is Husband Appreciation Day so of course you must have some stories to share!

The Clever Husband and Wife - Philippines

http://tinyurl.com/zovz77z

The Husband Who Was to Mind the House – Norway
http://tinyurl.com/hvam3qe

The Jealous Husband - Roma

http://tinyurl.com/hu4p933

The Mermaid’s Comb – Cornish
http://tinyurl.com/h49hb5s

Three Feathers - England

http://tinyurl.com/hcwx26m

SOMETHING EXTRA

 

At the link below you will find the blog which lists all of the columns I wrote in 2016, each with a synopsis to help you find what you may be seeking. At the end of the blog you will also find links to all of the columns from 2002 – 2015. At the time they were posted all of the links were active. If you find a dead link please let me know and I will do my best to find the updated source.

1001 Nights to 2001 Story Resources IV: Stor e Telling 2016

http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2017/09/1001-nights-to-2001-story-resources-iv.html

 

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

Karen Chace 2018 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Chinese New Year 2017: The Year of the Fire Rooster

From Grimm's Fairy Tales
by
Arthur Rackham, 1909

On January 28 the Chinese New Year begins and 2017 is The Year of the Rooster. In Chinese element theory, each zodiac year is associated with one of five elements: Gold (Metal), Wood, Water, Fire, or Earth, which means that a Fire Rooster, for example, comes once every 60-year cycle. This is the year of the Fire Rooster.

• People born in a year of the Rooster are very observant. hardworking, resourceful, courageous, and talented.
• Roosters are very confident in themselves.
• Roosters are always active, amusing, and popular within a crowd.
• Roosters are happiest when they are surrounded by others, whether at a party or just a social gathering.
• Roosters are healthy and enjoy sports
• People born in a year of the Rooster are typically healthy people. They are active and enjoy sports, such as hiking and swimming.

http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/rooster.htm

Below are some tales to add to the celebration.

The Brave Rooster - Latvia

http://tinyurl.com/jjb2lul

The Cat and the Rooster – Ukraine
http://tinyurl.com/zdscqm4

The Fighting Roosters and the Eagle – Aesop
http://tinyurl.com/owgvab4

The Frankfurt Rooster - Germany

http://tinyurl.com/hlhrebg

Half Rooster – Albania
http://tinyurl.com/htks8xl

The Impudent Rooster - Romanian

https://thekittycats.wordpress.com/2009/02/06/the-little-bag-with-two-coins/

The Old Woman’s Rooster - Aesop

http://tinyurl.com/jjfgzaq

The Polecat and the Rooster - Khmer

http://tinyurl.com/jzo2gpj

Reynard and Chanticleer - Norway

http://tinyurl.com/ha8odzy

The Rooster - Ethiopia

http://tinyurl.com/hhqce8t

The Rooster and the Pearl – Aesop
http://tinyurl.com/gvmvdy9

The Rooster’s Lament – China
http://tinyurl.com/j3cedn7

Storie of Cinderlaras - Indonesia

http://tinyurl.com/h5ean9d

The Tale of the Golden Cockerel - Russia
http://tinyurl.com/glstjkm

The Weathercock on St. Stephen’s Cathedral - Austria

http://tinyurl.com/jfj62dh

CRAFTS

Holidappy.com – Chinese New Year Rooster Crafts and Templates
https://holidappy.com/holidays/Chinese-New-Year-Rooster-Templates-Kid-Crafts-for-Year-of-the-Rooster

Activity Village – Crafts, templates, coloring pages, puzzles, and worksheets.
https://www.activityvillage.co.uk/year-of-the-rooster

CURRICULUM

First-School – Rooster themed activities, crafts and more for preschoolers.

http://www.first-school.ws/theme/animals/birds/rooster.htm

National Agriculture Literacy Curriculum Matrix – From Chicken Little to Chicken Big for grades 3 – 5.

http://www.agclassroom.org/teacher/matrix/lessonplan.cfm?lpid=245

Read Write Think – Chinese New Year: Multiple lesson plans for grades 6 -12 including additional web links to resources on the celebration.

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/calendar-activities/chinese-year-starts-today-20424.html

Scholastic.com – Rooster’s Off to See the World Lesson Plan for grades Pre-K, K, 1 and 2.  https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/roosters-see-world-lesson-plan/

GAMES

Activity Village – A variety of games to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
https://www.activityvillage.co.uk/chinese-new-year-games

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and web links may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

Karen Chace 2017 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Chinese New Year 2015: Celebrate the Year of the Sheep

Su Wu , The Lonely Shepherd
by

Ren Bonian, 1840- 1895

February 19, 2015 begins the Year of the Sheep according to the Chinese Zodiac. (Also recognized as the Year of the Ram or the Year of the Goat)
In Ancient China the sheep symbolized justice. According to legend a divine sheep called xiezhi was able to recognize wrongdoers, and would gore them in punishment. Judges wore and images of the xiezhi on their hats as a symbol of impartiality.

In Guangzhou, China, there is a statue commemorating the Five Sheep. It is said that the people used to eat only fish, until five gods came to earth riding on five sheep. Each sheep was a different color and held an ear of rice in its mouth.  The gods instructed the people to plant the rice and blessed the city against famine. The gods flew back to the sky but the sheep remained standing until they became stones. Guangzhou is nicknamed “Five Sheep City”, and all sheep are believed to be lucky.

Above information from the following sites:
http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_madeinchina/2005-10/21/content_74782_14.htm
http://waypastnormal.blogspot.com/2012/04/sheep-in-legend-and-lore-special-joint.html

Since different sites state it is the year of the sheep, goat or ram, I offer you stories on all of these wonderful creatures.

SHEEP

“Anyone that can walk three circles around a sleeping sheep will get his wish.” 
                                                                                           ~ Icelandic Folklore

The Hyena and the Sheep - Somalia
http://hooyo.web.free.fr/E_tale_13.html

The Lion, the Cow, the She-Goat and the Sheep - Aesop

http://www.mythfolklore.net/aesopica/oxford/14.htm

The Sharp, Grey Sheep – Gaelic/West Highlands

http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/cinderella/stories/sheep.html

The Sheep and the Pig Who Set Up House - Norway

http://oaks.nvg.org/ntales47.html

The Sheep, the Lamp, the Wolf and the Hare - Tibet

http://members.home.nl/marcmarti/yugur/folktale/tale10b.htm

The Shepherd’s Mistake - India
http://mocomi.com/indian-folk-tales-the-shepherds-mistake/

The Sky is Falling - Ethiopia

http://www.ethiopianfolktales.com/en/snnpr/wollaita-zone/300-the-sky-is-falling

Why the Stork Eats Frogs and the Wolf Hunts Sheep - Ukraine
http://www.4to40.com/folktales/print.asp?p=Why_The_Stork_Eats_Frogs_And_The_Wolf_Hunts_Sheep

RAM

The Goat and the Ram - Russia

http://whisperingbooks.com/Show_Page/?book=Russian_Folk_Tales&story=Goat_And_Ram 

The Tiger, the Ram and the Jackal – South Africa
http://www.sacred-texts.com/afr/saft/sft06.htm

The Leopard and the Ram – West Africa
http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/books/africa/barker/leopardram.html

The Ram and the Pig Who Set Up House - Norway
http://hazel.forest.net/whootie/stories/ram_pig_house_norway.html

The Wolves, the Sheep and the Lamb – Aesop
http://www.mythfolklore.net/aesopica/oxford/31.htm

GOAT

The Dog, the Goat and the Donkey – Ethiopia

http://www.ethiopianfolktales.com/en/somalia/210-the-dog-the-goat-and-the-donkey

The Goat-Face Girl – Andrew Lang

http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/4890/

The Lad With the Goat Skin - Celtic

http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/cft/cft29.htm

The Sheep, the Goat and the Dog – Chad
http://www.tchad.org/research/folktales.html#truck

Three Billy Goat’s Gruff – Three versions: Norway, Poland, Germany

http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0122e.html

When the Hyena and the Billy Goat Signed a Peace Treaty – Chad
http://www.tchad.org/research/folktales.html#peace

CRAFTS

A number of easy, preschool sheep/lamb crafts and activities.

DLTK-KIDS 

http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/lambs.htm

Danielle’s Place

http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/sheepcrafts.html

 CURRICULUM

First School – Preschool goat themed activities.
Sheep and Lamb
http://www.first-school.ws/theme/animals/farm/lamb.htm
Goat
http://www.first-school.ws/activities/animals/farm/goat.htm

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The Chinese New Year ends with the Lantern Festival, celebrated at night with displays and parades of painted lanterns. The highlight of the Lantern Festival is the Dragon Dance. Beautiful dragons made of paper, silk and bamboo are held overhead, and appear to dance as they make their way along the parade routes.

Storybug.net: Dragons - Mythical, Mystical, Magical Creatures! – Here is a previous blog post filled with dragon tails, curriculum, crafts and more to augment your Chinese New Year celebration.

http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2011/05/dragons-mythical-mystical-magical.html 

Below are previous blog posts I wrote for the Chinese New Year. You will find useful background information to augment your Chinese New Year programs.

Year of the Horse

http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2013/12/chinese-new-year-year-of-horse.html

Year of the Snake
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/12/celebrate-chinese-new-year-2013-year-of.html

Year of the Tiger

http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2009/12/2010-year-of-tiger.html 

Gung Hay Fat Choy
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2008/02/gung-hay-fat-choy.html

Last year I wrote a blog for the end of March: March Goes Out  Like a Lamb. Since lambs are baby sheep I thought you might find something to add to your Chinese New Year Program here.

http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2014/03/march-goes-out-like-lambfolktales-and.html

Karen Chace 2014 ©
This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.