Monkey King

The Monkey King was returned to the Crystal Palace by the heavenly troops and tied to a post.The Jade Emperor ordered Wu-k'ung cut into pieces.But neither sword nor spear could hurt even a hair on Wu-k'ung's body.

The gods were at a loss at what to do.Lao-chun had a suggestion,"Since he has eaten the fruit and elixir of immortality and has drunken the magic wine,he cannot be easily killed.We had better put him into the furnace and when his body is burned,the elixirs he has eaten will be left at the bottoms."

Lao-chun dragged Wu-k'ung to the Tou Shuai Palace.He pushed Wu-k'ung into the furnace and order the furnace keepers to fan the flames with great force.

Wu-k'ung was kept in the furnace for forty-nine days.Lao-chun was just about to open the furnace when the Monkey King leaped out.He had survived by standing in the draft of the fans.The flames never caught him,but the smoke had turned his eyes red.

The furnace keepers tried desperately to hold back Wu-k'ung,but he knocked them down.Then Wu-k'ung struck down lao-chun.

The Monkey King took the enchanted staff from his ear and strentched it wide.Then he made such a great disturbance in heaven that neither the gods nor the four great heavenly kings dared to fight with him again.

Wu-k'ung could not be stopped.Cheng Chun the on-duty god,nervously dispatched thirty-six generals to besiege him.The Jade Emperor hurriedly sent for Buddha

Buddha left the Lei Yin Temple and went to the Heavenly Palace accompanied by two gods.Buddha used his great powers to stop Wu-k'ung's attack.The Monkey King angrily cried,"Who dares to stop me?"

Buddha laughed and said,"I am Buddha of the Western Paradise."Wu-k'ung said,"I am Wu-k'ung,the Greatest Sage,conqueror of all heaven.I demand to be Emperor.""And what makes you think you are clever enough to be an emperor?"Wu-k'ung answered Buddha,"Everybody should have a chance to be emperor.I have mastered the seventy-two transformations,the ways of immortality and the somersault around the world.So,I am qualified to be emperor."

Buddha asked,"But with all of your powers,can you jump out of the palm of my hand?If you can,I promise to let you be emperor.If not,you must leave heaven to further practice your skills."Wu-k'ung snickered and said to himself,"Buddha is so stupid.His palm is no more than nine inches long.Of course I can jump out."