A Promise to Protect

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. ”