Do you know why roosters crow in the morning? The Miao minority group in southwestern China have an interesting story about it.
A long time ago, there were seven suns and seven moons in the sky that come out in turn to give people light and warmth. However one year, after a big fight among them, these seven suns and moons got very angry. So they came out together. Almost everything was destroy by the heat. The lakes and rivers dried up; the plants and crops died.
A man called Nuo Ya made a decision to help people out of this situation. He crafted a big bow and arrow with the branches and trunk of an old tree, then climbed to the top of the highest mountain to shoot the suns and moons. Soon, he shot down six suns and moons. Then Nuo Ya talked to himself: the sun is male, and the moon is female. I should keep each one of them for the world. So he stopped shooting and left.
It was cooler at once without the six suns. However a new problem appeared: the sun and moon feared to be shot, so they hid and dared not come out. Without the sun and moon, it was dark, freezing, and scary.
People were so upset that they talked to Nuo Ya, Our life is in hell! Nuo Ya asked them, In this world, who has the loudest voice? We can send him to ask the sun and moon out. The men replied, A tiger’s voice is the loudest. After the tiger came, he roared to the sky like thunder, which only make the sun and the moon more scared.
Nuo Ya asked again to his people, In this world, whose voice is the most beautiful? The girls answered, A rooster sings the most beautiful songs. We can ask him to call out to the sun and the moon.
After a good rest, the rooster got up very early the next morning to crow loudly to the sky. His intoxicating songs woke up the sun and moon. The rooster continued to sing. The sun slowly climbed in the sky and finally got to the peak of the mountain. The beautiful sunshine looked so amazing. People were so excited that they sang and dance around the proud rooster.
However the timid moon only liked to appear in the evening.
Today, the Miao family always like to keep a rooster at home.
