Journey to the West 10: The Powerful Sage
"How will we defeat Sun Wukong?" moaned the Jade Emperor. "I sent our entire army, and they couldn't arrest him!"
"Perhaps we can ask the sage Erlang to capture him," said Guanyin.
"Yes," said the Jade Emperor. "Erlang is very powerful." He turned back to the messenger. "Go to Plum Mountain. Ask Erlang if he'll help us."
* * *
Wukong stood in front of the waterfall with his cheering subjects.
"Our king has just defeated an entire army from Heaven!" said the gibbon.
"I hope the Jade Emperor learned his lesson," said Wukong. "He and his army are no match for—"
"Sun Wukong!" a deep voice boomed.
Wukong looked up. A large man was coming down from the sky. The apes and other monkeys ran and hid.
"I am Erlang," said the man. "The Jade Emperor sent me to arrest you."
Wukong laughed. "The Jade Emperor's entire army couldn't defeat me. What do you think you're going to do?"
"I am going to take you back to Heaven," said Erlang. "And you will be punished!"
Waving his iron bar, Wukong leaped at Erlang.
Clang!
Erlang blocked the bar with his sword and then struck back. Wukong jumped onto a cloud to get out of the way.
Erlang leaped into the air. He shook his body and suddenly grew much bigger.
Wukong laughed. "I can do that too!"
He shook his body and grew just as big as Erlang.
Clouds swirled and wind blew as the two giants fought in the sky. Their weapons banged together all through the night.
They were still fighting when the sun rose the next morning.
"This fight could last forever," thought Wukong. "I should try a different plan."
Wukong struck at Erlang one last time and then jumped back down to Earth. He turned himself into a sparrow and perched on a branch.
"Erlang will never find me now," thought Wukong.
He looked up and saw a hawk. The hawk swooped toward him.
"Oh no!" thought Wukong. "That's Erlang!"
Wukong dived into a stream. He turned himself into a fish and swam in the water. But then a crane flew over the stream.
The crane swooped down at the water. Its mouth was wide open. Wukong shot out of the stream. He changed back into himself and ran down a hill.
"I'll turn myself into a temple," he thought. "Then, if Erlang tries to enter, I'll bite him!"
Wukong's eyes became windows, and his mouth became a door. He turned his tail into a flagpole.
A moment later Erlang came down the hill. When he saw the temple, he scratched his head.
"Hmm," said Erlang. "I never saw a temple with a flagpole before. This must be Wukong. I'll kick in that door."
"Oh no!" thought Wukong. "He'll break all my teeth!"
Wukong changed back into himself and ran. Erlang was right behind him.
* * *
Up in Heaven the Jade Emperor, the queen, and Guanyin watched the chase. The sage Laozi came over to them.
"What's going on?" he asked, looking down.
"That monkey, Sun Wukong, ate all the peaches from the garden," said the Jade Emperor. "Then he defeated our entire army. Erlang is trying to catch him now."
"I can help," said Laozi.
He took a metal ring off his arm. He aimed carefully and hurled it down to Earth.
Clunk!
The ring hit Wukong on the head. The monkey looked dizzy for a moment and then fell to the ground.
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