Journey to the West 14: A Promise to Protect
The Tang Monk trembled with fear.
The angry voice spoke again. "Who is walking on my mountain?"
"Ahh!" cried the Tang Monk.
He fell off his horse and tumbled down the mountain. At the bottom he saw a crack between the rocks. The monk looked in and saw a moss-covered monkey peering out at him.
"My name is Sun Wukong," said the monkey. "I am king of the Fruit and Flower Mountain."
"Why are you in there?" asked the Tang Monk. He stood up.
"Buddha put me here," said Wukong. "I am being punished for causing trouble in Heaven. Who are you?"
"I'm just a monk," said the Tang Monk. "I'm going to the Western Paradise to get scriptures from Buddha."
Wukong gasped. "You're the Tang Monk!" he cried. "I'm supposed to go with you!"
The Tang Monk took a step back. Was this strange monkey telling the truth?
"The bodhisattva Guanyin visited me," Wukong went on. "She said I'd be set free if I promise to protect you on the journey. Set me free, and I'll go with you to the west."
The Tang Monk relaxed. He looked at the rocks. "How can I free you?"
"There's a small piece of paper on top of this mountain," said Wukong. "You must remove it."
The Tang Monk went back up the mountain. He pushed aside shrubs and brambles and pulled himself over large boulders. Finally he reached the mountain's peak.
The monk picked up the paper. Right away a breeze swept it from his hand. The paper floated up and then disappeared among the clouds.
The monk hurried back down the mountain. "The paper floated away," he said to the monkey.
"It returned to Buddha," said Wukong. "Now step back."
The Tang Monk took a step back.
"Go farther," said Wukong.
The monk took another step back.
"Go farther," said Wukong again.
The Tang Monk went far from the mountain. He gasped as the entire mountain rose into the air. Wukong stood under the mountain, holding it up with his hands. He jumped out, and the mountain crashed down behind him.
Wukong grabbed the Tang Monk's hands. "Thank you, Master! I will help you reach the Western Paradise."
The Tang Monk rode the horse as Wukong walked. The monkey told the monk about himself. "The Jade Emperor's entire army couldn't defeat me." He laughed. "So I said
I
should be in charge of Heaven."
"What powers do you have?" asked the Tang Monk.
"I can become other animals," said Wukong. "Watch this!"
He quickly changed into a tiger. The Tang Monk gulped. Wukong changed into a snake, a vulture, and then back into himself.
"And that's not all," he said. "I can grow big!" The monkey's body grew so big that his head reached the clouds.
"And I can become tiny!" said Wukong. He shrank to the size of a bee and hopped onto the monk's head.
"I can do more!" said Wukong. He changed back to his normal size. His iron bar appeared from his ear. The monkey spun it around and then struck a huge boulder.
Smash!
The boulder exploded into tiny pieces.
The Tang Monk watched in horror.
Wukong laughed. "Don't look so scared, Master. I'm protecting you!"
The two traveled farther until they saw a group of men blocking the road. The men looked rough and mean. They all had weapons.
One man stepped forward and waved a sword. "Give us your money, or you'll be sorry!"
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