Elementary Library

The Legend of the Monkey King

A long time ago in China, a little monkey was born on a mountain. He was special because he was not an ordinary monkey. He was born from a magical stone that had been hit by lightning. The stone cracked open, and out came the Monkey King! The Monkey King was clever and loved to play tricks. He lived on a beautiful mountain with many friends. But he wanted to be the most powerful being in the world, so he searched for wisdom. The Monkey King found a wise teacher who taught him magic and martial arts. He became so powerful that he could change his shape, fly, and do amazing things. He even stole magical peaches from the Queen Mother of the West, which made him live forever! Feeling 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, not knowing how powerful the Monkey King was, gave him a small job called "The Royal Keeper of the Horses." The Monkey King was upset. He wanted a better job! The Monkey King got angry and caused trouble in Heaven. He fought with other gods and made a big mess. The Jade Emperor tried to stop him, but no one could beat the Monkey King because of his magic. Finally, the Buddha, a wise being, decided to help. The Buddha challenged the Monkey King to a test. He asked if the Monkey King could jump from one end of the universe to the other. The Monkey King, sure he could do it, accepted. The Monkey King jumped and jumped, landing 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 he was still in the Buddha's palm. The Buddha had tricked him, and the Monkey King realized he could not be the most powerful being. The Buddha trapped the Monkey King under a mountain and said he would only be free if he became a better being. After many years, the Monkey King learned to be humble and wise. He was finally freed and became a hero on a journey to help others.