Chǔguó yǒu gè guìzú.
楚国 有 个 贵族。
During Chu dynasty, there was an aristocrat.
Jì guò zǔzong yǐhòu, tā bǎ yì hú jìjiǔ shǎng gěi bāngmáng de púrén.
祭 过 祖宗 以后，他 把 一 壶 祭酒 赏 给 帮忙 的 仆人。
After worshiping the ancestors (on one day), he gave a jug of libation to the servants who helped him.
Púrén shāngliang shuō:
仆人 商量 说:
"Wǒmen dōu lái huà shé, shuí xiān huà hǎo, shuí jiù hē zhè hú jiǔ."
"我们 都 来 画 蛇， 谁 先 画 好， 谁 就 喝 这 壶 酒。"
The servants discussed among them and said: "Every servant would draw a snake on the ground. The man who finished first would drink the wine."
Yǒu yí gè rén hěn kuài bǎ shé huà hǎo le.
有 一 个 人 很 快 把 蛇 画 好 了。
One man finished very quickly.
Tā duān qǐ jiǔhú zhèng yào hē, kàndào biérén hái zài máng zhe huà shé,
他 端 起 酒壶 正 要 喝，看到 别人 还 在 忙 着 画 蛇，
jiù déyì de shuō: "Wǒ nénggòu zài gěi shé tiān shàng jǐ zhī jiǎo ne!"
就 得意 地 说：" 我 能够 再 给 蛇 添 上 几 只 脚 呢！"
He was about to drink the wine. However, when he saw others were still busy drawing, he said in triumph: "I can add feet to my snake."
Read the whole story
Dialogue:
A: Nǐ zài huà shénme ne?
A: 你 在 画 什么 呢？
A: What are you drawing?
B: Wǒ zài huà nà zhī māo.
B: 我 在 画 那 只 猫。
B: I'm drawing that cat.
You may be interested in more Chinese Idioms related to the Chinese Zodiacs:
Chinese idiom: 亡羊补牢 It's never too late to take action (Beginner)
Chinese idiom: It is neither a horse nor a tiger. But what is it?
Why 2016 makes an ancient Chinese idiom contradict itself?
