Reading Notes: The Monkey King

In the middle of the Great Sea there is an island by the name of "the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits." On it, there was a giant rock which had absorbed energy from the sun and moon. One day, a handsome monkey hatched from the rock like a baby bird from an egg. The monkey learned to be a monkey and played about the island. One day, all of the monkeys came to a waterfall on the island and declared that whichever monkey could make it through the waterfall alive would be their king. The handsome monkey made the leap and he was declared king of the monkeys. 

One day the Monkey King became sad because he realized that one day he would die and be gone forever. He sought eternal life and was directed to find a Buddha. He made a raft sand sailed across the Great Sea to a place full of people. He learned manners and human traits from the people, and one day he stumbled upon a man who knew where to find a teacher. The Monkey King followed the path and became a disciple of the teacher. Upon his arrival, the master named him Sun Wu Kong. From there, Wu Kong began his training. Sun Wu Kong learned many things like how to levitate on the clouds and to travel around the Earth in an instant. The master taught him many things, but one day Sun Wu Kong used his power to make a joke for his friends. Once the master saw this, he banished him and told Sun Wu Kong to return to where he came from. 

Wu Kong was happy to return home because he had missed his home island and monkeys. When he arrived, all of the monkeys came to listen to his stories. They told him of a demon lord that had come and taken many of their young. Sun Wu Kong was outraged and immediately went to the home of the demon lord and slayed him. He then gathered the young and traveled home. Sun Wu Kong loved the mighty sword he had taken from the demon lord, but he desired something nicer. He then traveled to the Sea King, Ao Kuang. On his arrival, Ao Kuang treated him well. Sun Wu Kong tried many of the weapons Ao Kuang offered him, but none of them were satisfactory. He ended up taking a stick with gold clamps on the side that could grow or shrink to his preferred size. Ao Kuang did not want to give it to him, but Wu Kong sort of forced it. 

Sun Wu Kong then returned home and showed off his new weapon to all of his monkeys. 

Sun Wu Kong - Deviantart

The Chinese Fairy Book by R. Wilhelm