Monkey King

When the fairies came to the last stand of trees,they found very few ripe peaches and had to pick the unripe ones.While they were picking the fruit,they found a worm under a leaf.It was Wu-k'ung,who had turned himself into a worm.After he had eaten his fill of peaches,he had fallen fast asleep.He was now awakened by the fairies.

When he awoke,Wu-k'ung regained his normal appearance, and with his magic staff in hand,he cried,"Who dares to steal this fruit?"The seven fairies all got down on their knees and said,"We have been ordered by the Queen to pick peaches for the banquet."

At this,the "Greatest Sage"asked,"Has she invited me to the banquet?"The fairies answered,"She invited the gods of each palace."The Sage was angered by this.Using his powers,he put a spell on the fairires and rode a cloud straight to the jade pool of the Queen.

In no time at all Wu-k'ung reached the jade pool.Wu-k'ung drooled at the sight of so many kinds of delicious foods,including dragon's livers and phoenix marrows,and strong wines.He quickly pulled out a hair from his body and turned it into many flying insects which lit upon the giants,celestail beings,gods and other guests,causing them to fall into a deep sleep.

Wu-k'ung helped himself to all of the wonderful foods and wine.Soon he became quite intoxicated.

Wu-k'ung was just able to stagger into the Tou Shui Palace of T'ai-shang Lao-chun.It was empty.Lao-chun had gone to lecture to the gods.

Wu-k'ung entered a chamber where elixirs of immortality were made.He found five gourds containing a fresh batch of elixirs.Wu-k'ung said happily,"Since this is my lucky day I will just have to have a little taste."He poured the elixirs out of the gourds and ate them all.

As the effects of the wine wore off,Wu-k'ung whispered to himself,"I think I am causing great trouble.It might be safer for me to descend to the Mountain.Better to be a king than a Sage."With that he disguised himself and ran away with two jars of wine.When they caught sight of their King,the monkeys said,"You have been in heaven for hundreds of years.What post were you granted this time?"The Monkey King told them of all his adventures and of stealing the peaches and elixirs of immortality.Later,in their ****,the monkeys and their king drank with great abandon.

Meanwhile,in the peach grove,the spell Wu-k'ung had put on the seven fairies had worn off.The fairies had worn off.The fairies lost no time in reporting that the "Greatest Sage"had stolen the peaches of immortality.Soon it was also reported that the wine and elixirs had been stolen.Finally Wu-k'ung's guard of the Sage Palace came to say,"The Sage is not in the palace.I don't know where he is."

The Jade Emperor was so enraged that he commanded the for great kings to help King Li,Third Prince Nuocha and one hundred thousand heavenly troops to attack Wu-k'ung.They encircled the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit with eighteen nets.