Dec 12, 2017 5 min read

The story so far: Jade Emperor, learning of Monkey’s great mischief, sends Vaisravana, his best general, and thousand of soldiers to Earth, with orders to arrest Monkey.

• Chapter FOURTEEN

Monkey under attack

Led by Vaisravane, 100,000 heavenly soldiers arrived at the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits and surrounded Monkey’s Cave of the Water Curtain. They carried thousands of yellow battle flags upon which was written:

JADE EMPEROR BRINGS PEACE!

But the Monkey King was ready. Ten thousand monkeys were fanned out in front of his palace under a red and gold flag upon which was written: MAGNIFICENT MONKEY KING, GREATEST OF ALL!

A shrill trumpet sounded through the air. Monkey appeared, dressed for battle. He wore a golden vest, a yellow cap with a golden band, and a pair of cloud-stepping boots. In his paw was his magic staff.

The two armies stood facing each other across a small stream.

Battle drums began to beat, shaking every rock and tree on the mountain. Flags snapped in the wind like firecrackers.

General Natha, the son of General Vaisravane, stepped forward. In each of his hands he held a small wheel.

Monkey moved to meet him, smiling. Casually he spun his magic staff in his fingers. “Ah, little brother,” he called across the stream. “Aren’t you too young for this?”

“Shameless Monkey,” Natha screamed. “Your crimes and insults deserve a thousand deaths. Feel my rings of heavenly fire!” As he spoke, the wheels in his hands burst into red-hot flames. Natha flung the wheels at Monkey, who suddenly found himself in the middle of a swirling fireball.

In haste, Monkey pulled hair from the top of his head. “Alalalatola!” The hair turned into a huge hollow straw.

Monkey stuck it into the stream and with one mighty breath –WHOOOSH! – sucked up all the water. Then – SPLOOOSH! – Monkey spat it all out in a great geyser, drowning the flames instantly.

“This is fun!” Monkey said, laughing. “What else can you do?”

Vaisravana had lost the first battle. Now he called upon the four Kings of the Four Directions, North, South, East and West. Each bore a fearsome weapon: one king carried a sword; another carried a vicious hook; another, an axe; and the fourth, a spear.

“How dare you call yourself the greatest!” they cried. “Be prepared to die!” They rushed upon Monkey.

“Hurrah!” cried Monkey, shaking his magic staff. Now a true battle began. Fighting all the kings at once, Monkey danced at the center of the circle. He leaped and jumped and swung his magic staff so quickly, it dazzled the kings’ eyes. Weapons clanged. Sparks flew through the air like falling stars.

Fifty blows – no winner. A hundred blows – still no winner. The King of the North was so frustrated, he jumped into the air and blew himself away. The King of the South was so angry, he broke his sword in two and crawled away. The King of the West became so upset, he turned himself inside out and disappeared.

Only the King of the East fought on. Throwing away his spear, he pulled out a small bag from his sleeve and threw it at Monkey’s feet. The bag ballooned until it became as big as a whale.

But Monkey was too fast. He poked holes in the bag with his magic staff. The bag blew away in the wind. The King of the East fled in panic.

“Hurrah for Magnificent Monkey King!” the monkey army cheered.

General Vaisravana was desperate. The battle had begun at dawn. Now it was twilight and he had still not managed to catch Monkey. Furious, he ordered his heavenly army of one hundred thousand to attack.

The soldiers, covered with armor from head to toe, welding swords and spears, rushed upon Monkey.

Seeing them come, Monkey showed not the slightest concern. “I am the Magnificent Monkey King!” he cried. “Go back and tell Jade Emperor not to bother me anymore. Otherwise I will come to his palace and tickle him until he topples from his Dragon Throne!” He plucked some golden hairs from his chest and threw them into the air.

“Alalalatola!” Instantly each hair became ten thousand vicious wasps. The wasps swarmed over the Jade Emperor’s soldiers, stinging their faces and hands. They crept under the soldiers’ helmets and into their boots, ears, armpits, and toes. They were everywhere! Screaming, one hundred thousand soldiers flung down their weapons and fled.

Greatly ashamed, General Vaisravana returned to the Jade Emperor and reported his defeat.

“Impossible!” cried the Jade Emperor. “Now what am I to do?”

One of the Emperor’s guests at the Peach Banquet, the Goddess Guan-yin, pressed her palms together. “Jade Emperor, I have an idea.” She whispered into the Emperor’s ear.

“Ah . . . Ah . . . Hmm. Yes,” murmured the Jade Emperor as he listened. Then he smiled.

• Next week:
• Goddess Guan-yin’s idea