Monday, March 8, 2021

Reading Notes: Monkey King, Part A

 Sun Wu Kung: The Nether World

The Chinese Fairy Book compiled by R. Wilhelm & Frederick H. Martens

National chinese image of foggy mountains free image

(Image Source: Pixy)

Plot Points

  • Sun Wu Kung, the Handsome Monkey King, falls asleep after a meal and is visited in his dream by two men who fetter him
  • They take him down beneath the Earth in his dream to the Nether World
  • Once there, he realizes what they are trying to do
  • Having achieved immortality, Sun Wu Kung is outraged that they are trying to bring him to his death
  • He lashes out with the rod from the  Dragon King and smites the two who are escorting him
  • The ten princes of the Nether World come to see what the commotion is at the gates
  • Sun Wu Kung confronts them and demands to see the book of life, which sets the limits of the times of men and animals and gods
  • Fearful of the Monkey King, they offer the book to him
  • Sun Wu Kung takes a pen and scratches out he times of death for he and all of his fellow monkeys from the Island of Flowers and Fruits
  • Now protected from the grasp of the Nether World forever, the Monkey King exists the dream and reawakens back in reality
  • Once there, he tells his monkey army of what eh has done and they throw a huge party for their King

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