Once upon a time, in a dense, green jungle lived a snake named Sly and a frog named Hoppy. They were the best of friends, inseparable and always seen together. Sly, then, had four strong legs and Hoppy had none, he moved by wriggling his belly. Sly was lazy, while Hoppy was industrious.

While Sly spent most of his time lounging in the sun, Hoppy was always on the move, catching insects for both of them and helping humans get rid of pests. As a result, humans loved Hoppy but disliked Sly for his lazy demeanor.

Sly, noticing the humans' disdain, began to harbor resentment against them. He would bite any human or animal he saw, creating chaos in the otherwise peaceful jungle. The land deity noticed this unrest and reported it to the celestial palace.

The Jade Emperor summoned Sly to the celestial palace, advising him to mend his ways. However, Sly arrogantly dismissed the advice, showing no signs of remorse. The Jade Emperor, in his anger, ordered his guards to cut off Sly's legs to prevent him from harming others.

Sly lost his legs and was left to slither his long body around. The Jade Emperor, appreciating Hoppy's helpful nature, gave Sly's legs to him. With his new legs, Hoppy became even more industrious and helpful.

Sly, realizing his mistakes, decided to change his ways. He began to eat pests and silently do good deeds for the humans. He even learned from the dragon how to control water. When Sly died, he offered his body to humans as medicine, saving many lives.

The Jade Emperor, impressed by Sly's change of heart and determination, decided to honor him. When choosing the twelve zodiac signs, he placed Sly right after the dragon, making him a part of the human zodiac.

After Sly became a zodiac sign, he refrained from harming humans. Whenever he felt a surge of negative emotions, he shed his skin, symbolizing a fresh start. Despite this, Sly harbored resentment towards Hoppy for having his legs.

To this day, whenever Sly sees Hoppy, he can't help but attack him. Hoppy, aware that he benefited from Sly's misfortune, trembles whenever he sees Sly and quickly hops away. Thus, their once strong friendship turned into a tense rivalry.

Despite their differences, Sly and Hoppy learned valuable lessons. Sly learned the importance of hard work and kindness, while Hoppy realized that benefiting from someone else's misfortune can lead to guilt and fear.

Sly and Hoppy's story serves as a reminder that actions have consequences, and it's never too late to change for the better. As for their friendship, only time will tell if they can mend their differences and rekindle their bond.