Elementary Library

The Legend of the Monkey King

A long time ago in China, there was a little monkey born on a mountain. He was very special because he was no ordinary monkey. He was born from a magical stone that had been struck by lightning. The stone cracked open, and out came the Monkey King! The Monkey King was very clever and loved to play tricks. He lived on a beautiful mountain, where he had many friends. But the Monkey King didn’t want to just be a regular monkey. He wanted to be the most powerful being in the world. So, he decided to search for wisdom. The Monkey King found a wise teacher who taught him how to use magic and martial arts. He became so powerful that he could change his shape, fly through the air, and do many amazing things. He even stole the magical peaches from the Queen Mother of the West, which made him live forever! Feeling very proud, the Monkey King went to the heavenly palace and asked the Jade Emperor, the ruler of Heaven, to make him an important god. The Jade Emperor, who didn’t know how powerful the Monkey King had become, made him a low-ranking job called "The Royal Keeper of the Horses." The Monkey King was upset. He didn’t want a small job like that. He wanted to be treated like a real god! The Monkey King was angry and caused a lot of trouble in Heaven. He fought with other gods and caused a big mess. The Jade Emperor tried to stop him, but no one could defeat the Monkey King because of his magic and power. Finally, the Buddha, a very wise and powerful being, decided to help. The Buddha challenged the Monkey King to a test. He asked the Monkey King if he could jump from one end of the universe to the other. The Monkey King, feeling sure he could do it, accepted. The Monkey King jumped and jumped, and finally, he landed on what he thought was the end of the universe. He saw a pillar that said, “The end of the universe.” The Monkey King thought he had won! But when he looked back, he saw that he was still in the Buddha's palm. The Buddha had tricked him, and the Monkey King realized that he could not be the most powerful being in the world after all. The Buddha trapped the Monkey King under a mountain and told him that he would only be freed if he changed his ways and became a better, kinder being. After many