Ryan Patrick’s Reviews > The Rise of the Monkey King: A Story in Simplified Chinese and Pinyin 600 Word Vocabulary Level > Status Update

"... Use your wisdom to avoid the lightning, or you will die. Then 500 years later Heaven will send fire--avoid or die. Then after 500 years, it will send a great wind--avoid or die."

Sun Wukong was afraid, but his master told him not to worry. Nothing in this world is too difficult. Then he whispered to him the secret of the cloud somersault.

"Master," said Sun Wukong, "Yesterday you gave me a secret code. I am here to learn the secret to immortality."

So, Master Subodhi told him a poem that had the secret to immortality.

Monkey memorized the poem and followed its instructions.

After three years, his teacher warned him of danger: "You know the world's secret and will live forever, but after 500 years, Heaven will give you...

Sun Wukong thinks that the master's actions indicated a secret message: Wait until the third watch and come in the back door to receive my teaching.

Monkey does just that, but he finds the master asleep in bed, so he waits. When the master awakens, he sees Sun Wukong and says, "That Monkey! Why are you here?"

"I will do as the Master tells me," said Sun Wukong.

Master Subodhi told him about all 360 paths, but for each one, Monkey asked if he would become an Immortal, and the Master answered No.

"I will not study that one then," said Monkey.

In frustration, the Master hit Sun Wukong on the head and retired to his room. The other students were angry with Monkey, but Monkey wasn't angry or unhappy...

"Please tell me my given name now," said Monkey.

"Because you seek truth, I will call you Wukong," replied the master.

"Now I am known as Sun Wukong!" rejoiced Monkey.

Sun Wukong studied with the master for seven years, and then one day, the master asked him, of all 360 paths to wisdom that he could teach him, which one would he choose to follow?

"I'm sorry!" says Monkey. "I don't have a name, because I don't have parents."
"Were you born from a tree?"
"No, from a rock."
"So, your parents are Heaven and Earth!" says Master Subodhi. "Show me how you walk."
Monkey was wearing human clothes, but he walked like a monkey.
"You walk like an ape, and your face is not pretty," says Subodhi. "You resemble an ape [husun], so your surname will be Sun."

Monkey tells him where he is from, but Subodhi thinks he is lying because Aolai is so far away. Monkey responds that he has traveled ten years to get here. When Subodhi asks him his name, Monkey thinks he asks about his temper and claims to not have one—if you scold or hit him, he won't reply in kind.

"Stupid Monkey. I asked about your name, not your temper," says Subodhi.

Monkey King says, "Yes, I am the new student."

They enter into the cave where the teacher, Subodhi, is teaching about 30 students. Monkey King bows down before the teacher, and asks him to teach him.

Subodhi asks him what his name and home country are.

The Monkey King walked down the road to a cave with a sign above: "The Mountain of Mind and Heart." He climbed a tree and played while he waited. When a young man comes out of the cave, Monkey King says he has come to learn. The boy says that he must be the new student he was sent to fetch.

Monkey King tells the man that he should be studying with his neighbor, the sage.
The man says he cannot; he must stay and take care of his mother.
"I understand," says Monkey King. "Can you tell me how to find this immortal?"
"He lives down this road, about 7 or 8 miles," says the man. "He has many students at the Mountain of Mind and Heart in the Crescent Moon and Three Stars cave."
"Thank you," says Monkey King.