Reading Notes: The Monkey King Sun Wu Kung Part A

For part A of this unit it was a very fun and very linear read. The plot line is very straightforward and is easy to follow along. I was engaged the whole time I was reading it. The story starts off on an island where a stone ape is born out of a stone that is split open. The ape matures and grows up on this island with other apes. Soon the other apes dare each other to find out who can cross the waterfall unharmed and so the stone ape steps up to the challenge and gets through. This is where he finds the iron bridge and the cave castle. After 300 or so years of living in peace and harmony, the stone ape thinks that death is surely to come for him while he idly waits so he seeks out immortality by traveling the seas and meeting different religions. He stumbles upon a wood-chopper who shows him the way to a saint. The stone is give the name Sun Wu Kung. He studies and becomes the masters apprentice. He learns of different incantations and develops many abilities one of these is flying. Eventually he learns the ways of immortality and can transform into anything he wishes. He is then banished from the establishment for exposing his teachings and goes back to his home island where his ape family awaits. He finds out that the Devil King has come and taken away most of the children so he goes and fights the Devil King. Defeating him and taking his weapon as a prize. The children return safely, but as time goes on Sun Wu Kung is scared that they are weaponless and are vulnerable for future attacks, so he goes out and find weapons for the entire ape population, but he grows old of his own weapon. He seeks out the Dragon King and Queen for a stronger weapon. They give him an enormous iron bar that he can make small or big. He then demands for armor as well, which they also provide. Finally he goes back happy, but one night as he is sleeping he dreams of the Princes of the Dead dragging him to Hell. He scares them off and demands to see the Book of Life. He takes off the apes names so that they can live forever. However, he is suddenly awoken from his dream. 

The Monkey King Sun Wu Kung by R. Wilhelm, link to online reading

(Sun Wu Kung and his Master, Source: Wikipedia)