Snake, Tiger, Two-Tailed Ox

A snake and a tiger are locked in a tangle. An ox has sprouted a second tail, more than any ox can use. The third line places celebration at the changing of the year, and the last returns to discord between those above and those below.

The book prints Kyo, Bad fortune, over this picture of conflict and deformity. The line about the new year stands alone among those images, and the poem closes on disagreement.

Transposed to a modern workplace, these animals might be two powerful parties who cannot separate and an organization with one part too many. An extra layer can cause more trouble than a missing one.