The Monkey King's Journey
The tale of a stone monkey who became a king, challenged the heavens, and met the Buddha
Page 1
On top of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit sat a magic stone. For ages it soaked up the goodness of the world, until one day it split open with a great crack, and a stone monkey leaped out. He blinked, and his eyes shone with golden light. He bowed to the north, south, east, and west, then scampered down the mountainside. The other monkeys chattered in surprise. "Who are you?" they cried. "I don't know!" he replied, laughing. "I am just here!" He was stronger and cleverer than any of them, so they welcomed him. He played in the ancient trees and drank from the clear streams. "Come and race me to the top of the old pine!" he would shout, and nobody could ever beat him. He was happy and made friends with all the beasts of the mountain, from the wolves to the gibbons.
Page 2
One hot summer day, the monkeys followed a stream up the mountain until they found its source: a tremendous waterfall crashing into a pool. The noise was like thunder. "What lies behind it?" they chattered. An old monkey made a challenge. "Whoever is brave enough to go through and find the source, we will make him our king!" he declared. For a moment, no one moved. The other monkeys looked at each other nervously. "It's too dangerous!" one whispered. "You would be dashed on the rocks!" said another. Then the stone monkey leaped onto a high boulder, his eyes shining. "The king of all monkeys?" he shouted above the roar. "I accept! I will go!"
Page 3
The stone monkey passed right through the water and landed on an iron bridge leading to a huge, dry cave. Inside was a perfect home, with a stone stove, chairs, and beds. He leaped back out. "Follow me!" he cried. "I have found a home for us all!" "You are not hurt?" they asked. "It is perfectly safe! A bridge of iron leads to a cave of stone!" With a great cheer, the whole tribe followed him through the waterfall. They tumbled into their new home with delight, exploring every corner. True to their word, they bowed low before the stone monkey, who now sat on a great stone chair in the center of the cave. "Great King!" they shouted in unison. From that day on, he was their handsome Monkey King, and they gave him a crown woven from the brightest flowers.
Page 4
For centuries the Monkey King was happy, but one day he grew sad. "I will grow old and die," he told his subjects. "Is there no way to live forever?" An old monkey told him of wise Sages who knew the secret. So the Monkey King sailed across the sea, and after years of searching, found the hidden monastery of the sage Subodhi. "Master, I beg you to teach me!" he said, kneeling. "What do you wish to learn?" asked the sage. "I only wish to learn the way to live forever," the monkey replied. The sage, seeing his sincerity, agreed and gave him the name Sun Wukong. For years Wukong studied patiently. One night, the master called him in secret and taught him the 72 transformations and the cloud-somersault, a leap that could carry him thousands of miles.
Page 5
Sun Wukong returned home, but knew he needed a weapon worthy of his new powers. He dove to the bottom of the Eastern Sea, to the palace of the Dragon King. "Old neighbor!" Wukong announced. "I need a proper weapon. Surely you have one?" The nervous Dragon King showed him a great spear. "Too light," Wukong said, balancing it on one finger. He was shown a huge rake weighing thousands of pounds. "Still too light!" he laughed. "Is that all?" The Dragon King's wife whispered, "Why not the great iron pillar in the treasury? If he can lift it, he can have it." They led him to a glowing iron pillar, as thick as a barrel, that was used to measure the oceans. Wukong stroked it. "A little too big," he said. "I wish it were smaller." At once, the pillar shrank.
Page 6
One night, messengers from the Underworld captured Sun Wukong's soul in his sleep. "My time is not up!" he roared, waking in their gloomy land. He pulled his staff from his ear and let it grow, scattering the demon guards. He stormed the palace of the Ten Kings of the Dead. "Why have you brought me here?" he demanded. "Everyone's name is in the book," they trembled. "All must die." "Not me!" he shouted. "I am beyond your rules! Show me the ledgers!" They brought out the Book of Life and Death. Sun Wukong found his name, then grabbed the brush. He crossed out his own name with a thick, angry stroke, then furiously scribbled over the names of every monkey on his mountain, making them all immortal before throwing the book back at the terrified kings.
Page 7
To keep the monkey out of trouble, the Jade Emperor offered him a job in Heaven. First, he was Keeper of the Stables, which he quit in disgust. Then he was made Guardian of the Garden of Immortal Peaches. One day, fairies came to pick fruit for the great royal feast. They named all the important guests. "And what about me?" Sun Wukong asked. The fairies looked uncomfortable. "We are sorry, Guardian, but your name is not on the list." Furious at the insult, Sun Wukong used his magic to freeze the fairies in place. "Not invited?" he muttered, climbing the oldest tree. "Fine! I'll have my own feast right now!" He began to eat every single one of the giant, ripe peaches himself, stuffing his face until he could eat no more.
Page 8
After eating the peaches, Sun Wukong crashed the feast, drank the Emperor's immortal wine, and returned to his mountain. The Jade Emperor was furious. "This cannot be tolerated!" he declared to his court. "Send the entire army of Heaven to capture him!" One hundred thousand heavenly soldiers marched on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. But Sun Wukong just laughed. "You think an army can stop me?" he taunted. He plucked a handful of hairs, chewed them, and spat them out. "Change!" he cried. Each piece became a perfect copy of himself. The army of Heaven found itself fighting thousands of Monkey Kings at once. The celestial generals were thrown into confusion and utterly defeated. Every hero of Heaven was sent against him, and he beat them all.
Page 9
At last, the Jade Emperor begged the Buddha for help. The Buddha appeared, his form filling the heavens. "Why do you cause such trouble?" he asked gently. "I want to be Jade Emperor!" Wukong declared. The Buddha smiled. "A wager, then. If you can jump out of my right hand, the throne is yours." Wukong laughed. "Easy!" He took a great leap and landed at the edge of the universe, where five pink pillars held up the sky. To prove he'd been there, he wrote his name on one. He leaped back, landing proudly in the Buddha's palm. "I have returned," he said. "Keep your promise." "But you never left my hand," the Buddha replied softly. "Look here." Wukong looked down. At the base of the Buddha's middle finger were the words he had just written.
Page 10
Before Sun Wukong could speak, the Buddha turned his hand over. The five fingers became a mighty mountain, pressing down on the Monkey King and pinning him. He was trapped. To be certain he could not escape, the Buddha placed a paper talisman on the highest peak, a seal with a golden mantra. "Is this to be my end?" the monkey raged, struggling with all his might. But the mountain did not budge. He was left alone, with only his head and arms free. "So be it," he finally whispered to the wind. "I will wait." His journey was over, for now. He would wait there for five hundred years, with only the wind and the sky for company, until a holy pilgrim would pass by on a great quest, and finally set him free.
About this story
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)
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