Once upon a time, there rose seven suns in this universe, and it, was exposed to a burning drought. The earth was heated fiercely, the streams and rivers evaporated, the plants and trees were parched. People and living beings suffered from intolerable heat, and horses and animals were tormented by painful thirst.

A long time ago, Khan Garid, King of the Feathered World, sent for a Swallow and a Wasp. After they had bowed before him, the Khan said: "I command the two of you to fly around the world tomorrow and seek out the animal with the tastiest meat. I will eat only that animal in the future.

A great many years ago, the Buddha began assigning an animal to each of the years of the twelve-year Mongolian calendar. When he had finished assigning eleven animals, the Buddha paused to consider which animal should be alloted the twelfth and final year.

Once, a long time ago, a terrible battle broke out between the Birds and the Beasts of this Earth. No one remembers any more what caused this battle to start, but the fighting was so ferocious that the whole earth shook and the land was covered with broken feathers, bloody hair, and the bodies of fallen creatures.