At the beginning of time there was a rock that had absorbed power from heaven and earth. It was given magical abilities which caused it to burst open and spring forth an egg made of stone. From this stone egg, and ape of stone was born. He became an area of concern for the Lord of the Heavens. One day the ape was challenged to jump through a roaring waterfall to get to the other side. He easily did so and found an iron bridge on the other side. He told all the other apes about what he found and took them to go see the cave castle. They crowned him Handsome King of the Apes. He lived a life of ease for the next three hundred years.
After a while he soon became discontent because he realized that they could not stop death from coming for them. The monkey king was told that only three types of people can escape death. The Buddha, the blessed spirit, and the gods. If he can attain one of these three statuses, then he can become immortal. So, the monkey king set out to find these people to learn from them how he could become immortal. At once he set off to Asia and learned how to blend in with humans so that he could live among them while trying to find the people who could help him. After nine years, he set off again in the west to continue his search. He came upon a mountain which he thought might be the home of the spirits.
He finally found the home of a spirit called ‘The Discerner’. He got the attention of the spirit in the cave and was led into his home. When the spirit asked for the ape’s name he could not give him one. So, the spirit named him Sun Wu Kung. The spirit taught Sun many different skills such as sweeping, good manners, tending a field, and watering a garden. He also learned how to read and write. This went on for six or seven years. Even with all of his teaching Sun Wu Kung still could not give up his wild nature.
Bibliography:
"The Ape Sun Wu Kung" in The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).
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