Week 7 Story: The Handsome King of the Apes (Sun Wu Kung's POV)
The Monkey King from Sun Wu Kung's POV
I have always known I was different than the other apes. I was the only one who was born from an egg, while everyone else had a mother. It did not bother me that much because all of us were a family, but I still would wonder why I was so different. We all grew up together on the Island called the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. We had everything we needed, from food to places to explore, but somehow I craved more.
One hot summer afternoon, me and the other apes wanted to find a nice, cool place to bathe. We wandered far off to the East of the island to see what we could find. Miraculously, we saw a waterfall that plunged down a very high cliff. Amazed, we all swam as close as we could to see it. "Whoever can go through this waterfall without injury can be our King!" one of the apes screamed. Some of the apes tried to go through the waterfall, but failed. As I watched the others try, adrenaline started pumping through my body and my heart started to beat very fast. I knew I would be able to do it. "I will pass through!" I exclaimed before I dove into the waterfall.
The water was heavy on my body but I kept going. I was holding my breath and when I thought I could no longer hold it, the water stopped and I could hear the waterfall's roar behind me. I opened my eyes and saw a long, iron bridge before me. On the entrance there was a tablet that said “This is the heavenly cave behind the water-curtain on the Blessed Island of Flowers and Fruits." I was so excited to share with the other Apes what I have seen. I immediately dove back into the waterfall to tell the other Apes.
They followed me into the waterfall and I told them how to best hold their breath to get through. Once all of us were on the other side, they were amazed with the sight in front of us. "All hail the Handsome King of the Apes!" the apes yelled.
- Authors Note: This story is from the point of view of Sun Wu Kung, the Monkey King's, perspective of when he became the King. I did not change any of the plot, but I just wanted to retell the story in a way where you could see Sun Wu Kung's perspective and connect with his feelings and thoughts.
- Bibliography: Bibliography: "The Ape Sun Wu Kung" in The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).
Hi Natalia!
ReplyDeleteI really liked this story! I thought it was super cute. I like how the monkey king knew he was different but he didn't let it affect him that much, and it seemed like the other monkeys didn't seem to let it bother them either which is nice! I also liked getting to see his confidence in himself as he realized he could make it through the waterfall! Great job!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHey Natalia! I really enjoyed reading your story. An ape born (or hatched I guess) from an egg immediately made the read interesting. I am glad he was able to push through and get to the other side of the waterfall. I hope all the apes ate their fill in the heavenly cave. You did a great job with the story!
ReplyDelete