12 Animals of Chinese Mythology #1 LbNA #5626
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Add Location| Owner: | Nairon   |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Sep 10, 2003 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Chepachet |
| County: | Providence |
| State: | Rhode Island |
| Boxes: | 5 |
| Planted by: | moghedian |
|---|---|
| Found by: | burning feet (5) |
| Last found: | Jun 30, 2018 |
| Status: | FFFFaFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Mar 6, 2023 |
How The Emperor Chose His Animals
This is one version of the story telling how the twelve animals of Chinese mythology were chosen. The mighty Jade Emperor ruled the heavens, but had never been to earth. He grew curious as to what the many different types of animals found on earth were like. As it would be too time consuming to summon every single one, he asked his senior courtier to choose the twelve most interesting creatures and bring them to the palace. Once he had looked them over carefully, the Emperor planned to grade them. The courtier summoned the rat, cat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster and dog to the palace early the following morning. When morning came, the rat decided that the handsome cat might show him up. He let the cat oversleep, and only eleven creatures appeared before the Emperor. A servant was immediately sent to earth to snatch the first animal he saw-which happened to be a pig being carried to market by a farmer. Once in front of the Emperor, the rat gained first place by jumping on the Ox's back and playing the flute. The Ox won second place for generously letting the rat jump onto his back. The brave looking tiger came third, while the rabbit's lovely white fur brought him in fourth. The dragon, snake and horse came in next three-admired respectively for their powerful, snake-like appearance, sinuous body and elegant air. The ram's sturdy horns secured him eighth position. The monkey came ninth, the rooster tenth and the dog eleventh. And, last but not least , the late coming pig. The twelve animal stories that follow include how the animals competed with each other to be chosen by the Jade Emperor..
You can find the different stories as you find the different letterboxes. We have placed the first 5 animals on the Walkabout Trail. The trailhead is located in the George Washington Camping Area. The entrance is located 4.5 miles west of Chepachet, RI on Rt. 44. From the entrance, go .3 miles till the office on the left. You can park and find the trailhead here. The Washington's Walkabout Letterboxes can be found here also. Around 7.5 miles roundtrip. You will be following the orange blazes the whole way as well as the red and blue at times. Portions of this hike pass thru areas open for hunting so please wear orange during hunting season!!! Rest of the animals are here!
CLUES: (Boxes 1-->5)
From the parking area, you can find a sign for the trail, as well as a holder for maps. To find your first box, follow the red, orange, blue blazes along the water for a bit and around some of the campsites. Continue on until the blue goes straight. You will follow the red and orange left into the woods around Wilbur Pond. Follow the trail until it starts to swing NW away from the pond. You will pass a 3 blazed tree (one being a N/S trail marker) on the left, up a small hill to another blazed tree of two. From this tree, look to 236º for 2 large boulders. Check the south side of the largest boulder for "The Rat". Rehide well!
Continue on with the red and orange blazes. Red will split off to the right eventually. You are now following only the orange blazes. Stay alert for when you will pass between an orange blazed tree on the left and a medium-ish sized boulder on the right of the trail. 12 paces further on the trail, a tree of two will be on the left. From this tree, go 15 paces at 349º to a small fallen tree. At its base, you will find "The Ox". Please rehide well.
Back on orange again, past the "Entering A Forest Management Study Area" sign, crossing 3 woods roads, thru the gate "No Horses Allowed". Following orange to a convergence of trails, some unmarked, one red (not our red!). Stick to orange, heading downhill. You will soon come to a large wooden bridge. Before you cross, stand between the two trees, one red, one orange. 39 paces at 101º to the boulder on the hill. "The Tiger" can be found behind this boulder, in the "tee-pee" formed by two rocks. Rehide well.
You guessed it, back on orange, over the bridge, over another woods road, past a rocky area, over another road. Soon you will be on the edge of another pond. Then back out to another road which the orange blazes follow for a short ways until the blazes swing to the left into the woods, before an intersection. At the next 4 way intersection, take the orange blazes right. Follow until red rejoins the trail to the right. Right before this intersection of red and orange, find the tree with an orange blaze and a N/S trail marker on it. 30º and 7 paces will take you to a small "bendy" tree. Find "The Rabbit" at its base! As always, please rehide well.
Now you will be following the red and orange blazes for quite a ways. Over another dirt road. Trail will eventually open up a bit into a pine forest. Follow the red and orange blazes until you see a very large jumbled rocky formation with trees growing out of it to the right of the trail. Find the 5 pronged tree across the trail from this jumbled rocky formation. From this tree take 13 paces at 208º along the SE side of the formation. From here, look up at the formation for the small tree with "claws". Look for "The Dragon", under the rock next to this tree. Rehide well please.
From here you can follow the red and orange blazes and eventually blue will rejoin the trail and you will follow these blazes back to the parking area! As always, any feedback is always appreciated!!
This is one version of the story telling how the twelve animals of Chinese mythology were chosen. The mighty Jade Emperor ruled the heavens, but had never been to earth. He grew curious as to what the many different types of animals found on earth were like. As it would be too time consuming to summon every single one, he asked his senior courtier to choose the twelve most interesting creatures and bring them to the palace. Once he had looked them over carefully, the Emperor planned to grade them. The courtier summoned the rat, cat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster and dog to the palace early the following morning. When morning came, the rat decided that the handsome cat might show him up. He let the cat oversleep, and only eleven creatures appeared before the Emperor. A servant was immediately sent to earth to snatch the first animal he saw-which happened to be a pig being carried to market by a farmer. Once in front of the Emperor, the rat gained first place by jumping on the Ox's back and playing the flute. The Ox won second place for generously letting the rat jump onto his back. The brave looking tiger came third, while the rabbit's lovely white fur brought him in fourth. The dragon, snake and horse came in next three-admired respectively for their powerful, snake-like appearance, sinuous body and elegant air. The ram's sturdy horns secured him eighth position. The monkey came ninth, the rooster tenth and the dog eleventh. And, last but not least , the late coming pig. The twelve animal stories that follow include how the animals competed with each other to be chosen by the Jade Emperor..
You can find the different stories as you find the different letterboxes. We have placed the first 5 animals on the Walkabout Trail. The trailhead is located in the George Washington Camping Area. The entrance is located 4.5 miles west of Chepachet, RI on Rt. 44. From the entrance, go .3 miles till the office on the left. You can park and find the trailhead here. The Washington's Walkabout Letterboxes can be found here also. Around 7.5 miles roundtrip. You will be following the orange blazes the whole way as well as the red and blue at times. Portions of this hike pass thru areas open for hunting so please wear orange during hunting season!!! Rest of the animals are here!
CLUES: (Boxes 1-->5)
From the parking area, you can find a sign for the trail, as well as a holder for maps. To find your first box, follow the red, orange, blue blazes along the water for a bit and around some of the campsites. Continue on until the blue goes straight. You will follow the red and orange left into the woods around Wilbur Pond. Follow the trail until it starts to swing NW away from the pond. You will pass a 3 blazed tree (one being a N/S trail marker) on the left, up a small hill to another blazed tree of two. From this tree, look to 236º for 2 large boulders. Check the south side of the largest boulder for "The Rat". Rehide well!
Continue on with the red and orange blazes. Red will split off to the right eventually. You are now following only the orange blazes. Stay alert for when you will pass between an orange blazed tree on the left and a medium-ish sized boulder on the right of the trail. 12 paces further on the trail, a tree of two will be on the left. From this tree, go 15 paces at 349º to a small fallen tree. At its base, you will find "The Ox". Please rehide well.
Back on orange again, past the "Entering A Forest Management Study Area" sign, crossing 3 woods roads, thru the gate "No Horses Allowed". Following orange to a convergence of trails, some unmarked, one red (not our red!). Stick to orange, heading downhill. You will soon come to a large wooden bridge. Before you cross, stand between the two trees, one red, one orange. 39 paces at 101º to the boulder on the hill. "The Tiger" can be found behind this boulder, in the "tee-pee" formed by two rocks. Rehide well.
You guessed it, back on orange, over the bridge, over another woods road, past a rocky area, over another road. Soon you will be on the edge of another pond. Then back out to another road which the orange blazes follow for a short ways until the blazes swing to the left into the woods, before an intersection. At the next 4 way intersection, take the orange blazes right. Follow until red rejoins the trail to the right. Right before this intersection of red and orange, find the tree with an orange blaze and a N/S trail marker on it. 30º and 7 paces will take you to a small "bendy" tree. Find "The Rabbit" at its base! As always, please rehide well.
Now you will be following the red and orange blazes for quite a ways. Over another dirt road. Trail will eventually open up a bit into a pine forest. Follow the red and orange blazes until you see a very large jumbled rocky formation with trees growing out of it to the right of the trail. Find the 5 pronged tree across the trail from this jumbled rocky formation. From this tree take 13 paces at 208º along the SE side of the formation. From here, look up at the formation for the small tree with "claws". Look for "The Dragon", under the rock next to this tree. Rehide well please.
From here you can follow the red and orange blazes and eventually blue will rejoin the trail and you will follow these blazes back to the parking area! As always, any feedback is always appreciated!!