Satiricus and his pals were celebrating the New Year at the Back Street Bar – the Chinese New Year. Frankie, the owner of the dive, was pulling out all the stops in the hard guava season to entice even his regular patrons. The big banner over the entrance announced he was serving Chinese Roast Pork as “cutters” for the Chinese New Year.
“Suh me hear wan cyaar knack-down de hag pan de public road!” grinned Bungi to Frankie as he stepped into his old lair.
“You gat fuh kill am in any case, right?” Frankie answered good naturedly. “But yes… I did get it cheap!”
“Eh! Eh! Frankie, how come you celebrating Chinese New Year, boy?” asked Hari, who’s come in at the tail-end of the conversation.
“Like alyuh forget this shop used to belong to Choo Sik, in the old days!” said Frankie. “I just keepin’ up the tradition.”
As the fellas joined Satiricus, who was already ensconced at their usual table at the rear, he pointed to the paper placemats Frankie had placed on the table. It depicted the Chinese Zodiac.
“See fellas,” he smirked. “This is the year of the rooster – and I was born under that sign!”
“How yuh figah dat out?” asked Bungi in amazement, as he grabbed a beer Satiricus had already purchased.
“Look right here,” explained Satiricus. “You divide your year of birth by 12 and the remainder gives you your Chinese Zodiac sign.”
“But it says here, Roosters are good workers,” grinned Hari. “I’m sure your editor would have problems with that!”
“Well, I checked YOUR Zodiacs,” Satiricus informed the fellas. “I get along best with Oxen and Snakes. Guess what are you?”
Hari and Bungi both looked at Satiricus patiently, who let them wait for his answer, “Oxen and Snake!”
As they clinked their bottles, Satiricus confessed, “But our mortal enemies are rabbits. Guess who’s a rabbit?”
“Who?” they asked in unison.
“Jar Dan!”
