There are many versions and stories popular in different regions of China about the legend of the Chinese Zodiac. Why were there twelve animals in the zodiac calendar and where did the order come from? How did the rat get first place and the dragon come in fifth? Consensus seemed to say the rat cheated which, according to at least three of the versions, he totally did! But, then again, the following versions are only six out of probably thousands, so I may be a tad unfair to the little beast.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://martinifisher.com/2020/01/24/can-we-really-trust-the-rat-6-reasons-the-rat-came-in-first-in-the-race-of-the-legendary-chinese-zodiacs/