The Animals Competing for the New Year Fairy Tale

In ancient times, the animals were competing to be the first of the year. Then the horse said:

— I can make the distant near. People see my strength, drink my milk, and weave ropes and threads from my mane. There is no animal more useful to humans than me; I will be the elder of the year, – it said. The camel replied:

— You may do the work of humans, but you are a slave for your food of oats and hay. I carry the heavy loads that you cannot bear and travel to faraway places for months. I don’t ask for barley or oats when I’m hungry. Whether it’s brushwood or wormwood, I make do with what I find, drinking water when it's available, and if not, I continue my journey in the desert. Being the head of the year is suitable for me. The cow said:

 — When people plant crops, they do so with my help; they drink my milk and make curds and butter. It is fitting for me to be the elder of the year. The sheep said:

 — Without me, how would they cover the yurt? They make felt from my wool, sew clothes from my lamb, and weave ropes and threads. They obtain curds and butter from my milk; there are no animals more useful for farming than me. The dog said:

— Without me, many of you would either be stolen or eaten by wolves. I am the guardian of you all; when danger appears, I bark and alert my owner. The chicken said:

— Without me, people would wake up late and miss their work. I wake up early to announce the dawn and call out to them. In the evening, I remind them that it’s time to sleep. The mouse, unsure of what to say, thought of a cunning plan and suggested to the gathered crowd:

— Nothing will come of this dispute; let’s just watch the year pass, and whoever sees it first will be the head of the year. While the others were watching, the camel confidently thought: “Who can see better than me?” and agreed with the mouse’s proposal. The wolf observed quietly. After a while, the mouse crawled up and sat on the camel’s hump. While many animals argued, saying, “We can see, we can see,” they didn’t say anything when they saw the mouse sitting at the highest point. Thus, the mouse saw the year before anyone else, reported it, and became the head of the year. The camel, trusting in its own strength, was left disappointed.