A frowning horse plush has become a viral bestseller ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations for the year of the horse in China. The sad-looking soft toy was originally made in error after a worker sewed a smile on the horse upside down. Zhang Huoqing had expected to have to issue a refund to the customer who bought the toy, but after an image of it started circulating online the horse began selling out. The newspaper says the horse is about 20cm (7.8in) tall and costs 25 yuan (£2.62). It is red for good luck, with a golden collar and bell around its neck, and has the phrase "money comes quickly" embroidered on its body in golden letters. "A lot of customers like it, and they said it makes sense: that it suits the spirit of today's corporate slaves," Zhang said. "This crying horse really fits the reality of modern working people," she added. "People joked that the crying horse is how you look at work, while the smiling one is how you look after work." Zhang's factory has surged production to meet demand - including from other countries, according to media reports. Lunar New Year will be celebrated in February to usher in the year of the horse - one of 12 animals repeated in a cycle under the Chinese zodiac calendar.
