"Journey to The West", written by Wu Ch'eng-en(1500?-1582), is one of the renowned classical chinese novels .
It was based on a true story of one famous chinese monk, Xuan Zhang (602-664). After years of trials and tribulations,
he travelled on foot to what is today India, the birthplace of Buddhism, to seek for the Sutra, the Buddhist holy book.
Our story is about SUN WU KONG or MONKEY KING . Born out from a magic rock, fertilized by the grace of Heaven and Earth, extremely intelligent, eager for knowledge but always rebellious, MONKEY KING has learned all the magic tricks and kung fu from an immortal Taoist master. He can transform himself into seventy-two different images such as a tree, a bird,
a tiger, or an insect that can sneak into the enemy's body to fight him inside out...
MONKEY KING :"Well, I'm back , in my Monkey Kingdom...TIPITAKA didn't need me anymore in his quest for the sutras...
He said I was useless, irresponsible... That was hard though...after all I did to save him , SANDY and PIGSY !
Still, I remember the good old days when I was weaving havoc in the Celestial gardens, challenging the Guards,
defying the JADE EMPEROR himself ! MONKEY KING hopping :"OB-LA-DI OB-LA-DA...Life goes on bra..."
THE CELESTIAL GUARDS :"HEY YOU MONKEY !...GET DOWN TO EARTH ! This is not a place for you here !"
MONKEY KING :"Sorry but I'm here to discuss serious matters with your so called JADE EMPEROR !"
THE CELESTIAL GUARDS :"Now MONKEY you're really looking for troubles, ha ?!...WE GOT TO USE FORCE !"
Furious , the Celestial Jade Emperor turns to BUDDHA for help...
BUDDHA : “I am told you call yourself the Heavenly King and demand the Jade Emperor his Celestial Throne, is that right ?”
MONKEY : “That’s right, He’s been there long enough ...Now it's my turn !”
BUDDHA : “MONKEY, you’re not yet even fully human! What makes you think you’re suited to rule Heaven and Earth?”
MONKEY : “I have great magical powers. And I can travel for hundreds of miles with a single somersault!”
BUDDHA : “Is that right ? Then could you stand on the palm of my hand and somersault out of it?”
MONKEY : “Read my lips ! I just said I can somersault hundreds of miles. How could I not jump out of your palm?”
BUDDHA : “Then let's have a bet !... If you get off my palm with a single somersault, the Celestial Throne will be yours....
But if you don’t make it off my palm, you’ll be punished and emprisoned for life under this mountain !”
MONKEY : “You're gonna keep your promise, right ?” BUDDHA : “YOU HAVE MY WORD !" MONKEY : “Then you’re on!”
Monkey put his staff away and jumped off the Buddha’s palm... He gave the mightiest leap of his life !
MONKEY : “All right now! Don't forget your part of the bargain, lady,
and tell the Jade Emperor to clear out !”
BUDDHA : “You impudent ape! You’ve been on my palm the whole time!”
MONKEY :"WADDA ?!... Are you sure ?!..."
MONKEY : “What are you talking about?... If you don’t believe me, come see the proof for yourself !”
BUDDHA : “There’s no need to go anywhere, MONKEY ! Just look down at your feet !”
MONKEY : “NO ! IT CAN'T BE ! It’s one more trick of you ! I can't trust you, lady !”
But before Monkey could leap again, the Buddha turned his hand over, threw Monkey out the West Gate of Heaven, and pushed him down to Earth. The Buddha's hand turned into a five-peaked mountain which pinned Monkey between stone walls.
His head and arms were out, but the rest of him was hopelessly trapped !
MONKEY : “You can’t do this to me! I’m the Monkey King!...LET ME OUT!...PLEASE ! ANYBODY HELP ME !!!..."
The tenacious monkey survived the enormous weight and pressure under a great mountain known as Wu Zhi Shan (The Mount of Five Fingers). Only five hundred years later, along came his rescuer ,the Tang Dynasty Priest, XUAN ZHANG known in the west as the monk TRIPITAKA who was destined to make the journey to the West to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures for the Tang Kingdom. Subdued and finally obediant, thanks to BUDDHA 's arrangement, the Monkey King offered to serve TRIPITAKA, became the desciple of the monk and escort him along with two other disciples they later came across, SANDY and PIGSY .
There the four started their stormy journey west which was packed with actions and adventures. MONKEY KING,
The Monk TRIPITAKA, PIGSY, and SANDY work their way to the Western Paradise and the Buddhist sutras.
Tall mountains, deep rushing rivers, and evil demons lie ahead. But MONKEY KING is brave ...Unfortunately....
TRIPITAKA :"MONKEY ! You get us lost again !...What is this place ?...We're all gonna die here ! NA-MO-AMI-TOFO !"
MONKEY KING :"No worry, Master !...I'll find us a way out of here !...Patience !"
MONKEY KING :"O-Oh !...An odd couple in the middle of nowhere...Nothing good here !"
MONKEY KING :"I can smell it !....TAKE THIS, YOU DEMONS IN DISGUISE !...."
TRIPITAKA :"MONKEY , you've killed two innocent people and you don't have any proof they're demons !"
MONKEY KING :"But...MASTER ! They came to kidnap you and eat your body for immortality !"
TRIPITAKA :"ENOUGH, MONKEY !...Because of your stupidity and carelessness, I can't keep you anymore with us !...
Go back to your people and let us continue our trip ! NA-MO-AMI-TOFO !"
Back to his Monkey Kingdom, after all his rememberances,
MONKEY KING had a sudden feeling : "MASTER !
I sense some grave dangers waiting for you and your friends !...
Where are you now ?...I got to hurry before it's too late !"
Saying that, MONKEY KING jumped up high in the clouds, using them as a way of transportation and travelled back 18.000 miles back to where he left his companions !
MONKEY KING :"DEMONS !...THERE !....BEHIND THE WATERFALL ! ... MASTER, I'M COMING !"
SANDY :"I've told you, PIGSY !...If you did'nt follow that lady, we're not in deep shit right now !"
PIGSY :"That's all your fault, SANDY !...You just sit there and watch but you didn't do anything !..."
TRIPITAKA :"SILENCE, BOTH OF YOU !....Sometimes, I wonder if MONKEY was with us..."
THE RED-HAIRED DEMONESS :"YOU STUBBORN MONK TRIPITAKA !...You had done well by sending your MONKEY away !...
We know, among demons, that the only creature we all respected and feared is the MONKEY KING himself !...
But you, MONK, you and your stupid friends, you have no power against us !"
THE RED-HAIRED DEMONESS :"Yummy...tender meat ha !...I heard that if we eat you, we can have immortality, is that right ?"
TRIPITAKA :"YOU VILE CREATURE GO TO HELL !...NA-MO-AMI-TOFO !"
MONKEY KING :"HERE I AM, MONKEY KING OF HEAVEN AND EARTH !...I know you still need me, MASTER !"
THE RED-HAIRED DEMONESS :"WHAT ?!?...MONKEY KING !...I heard that you're ten thousands miles from here !"
MONKEY KING :"That's right ...But I still have the clouds and the sky to get here !"
THE RED-HAIRED DEMONESS :"BUT YOU'RE ALONE, MONKEY !... AND YOU CAN'T FIGHT HUNDREDS OF US !"
MONKEY KING :"Really ?...Let me pick some hair from
my armpit and blow it to you !"
ABRACADABRA...AND HAIR BECAME MONKEY !...
As many as you need !...HA HA HA !...COOL Ha ?"
MONKEY KING :"I'M SENDING YOU NOW BACK TO HELL, RED-HAIRED DEMONESS !"
TRIPITAKA :"GOOD GRACIOUS !....NA-MO-AMI-TOFO !...NA-MO-AMI-TOFO !..."
SANDY and PIGSY jealous :"BUT...but why you're here, MONKEY ?... We're doing well without you !"
MONKEY KING :"YEAH RIGHT !...Such ingratitude !...You want to know why ha ?...You really want to know why ?!"
...JUST BECAUSE I GOT BORED IN MY KINGDOM AND WANT SOME PIECE OF ACTION, THAT'S WHY !..."
THE END
All characters are played by customized action figures.
Chinese folk music background :"Colourful Clouds Chasing Moon".This is only one of the multiple stories freely adapted from the classic "Journey to the West".Costumes and names varied from different countries :TRIPITAKA (west)= TAM TANG (vietnam)= XUAN ZHANG(chinese)
MONKEY KING(west)= TON NGO KHONG (vietnam)=SUN WU KONG (chinese)...
All you want to know about "MONKEY KING", click the picture !
"Monkey King's World" , another great website !