The Monkey King - Chapter 11

Adopted From the Classic Chinese Tale by Ji-li Jiang - Illustrated by Hui Hui Su-Kennedy

STORY SO FAR:  After complaints by Dragon King, Jade Emperor invites Monkey to Heaven. To keep Monkey out of trouble, he makes him head of the Celestial Peach Garden.

Chapter 11 of 17

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Early the next morning a very excited Monkey King was escorted to the Celestial Peach Garden by officers of the court.  Soon he would be surrounded by peaches! He had hardly slept at the thought, for peaches were what he loved to eat more than anything else.

	But when he passed through the high garden gates and saw what lay beyond, even he was astonished. A long path lined with rubies wound through and around the peach trees, leading to eight red pagodas carved with golden dragons.  Four dazzling water fountains made the entire garden glisten with a million misty rainbows.  
	
	But the most astonishing sight was the peach trees. There were not one, not two, but three different kinds!  Some had pink leaves, some had gold, while others had purple leaves with silver veins. And the peaches!  They were big as melons, ivory white, and all but transparent.

	Monkey fairly swooned with delight. “How many trees are here?” he asked a gardener.

	“Three thousand six hundred,” the gardener said proudly. “The first two thousand―the ones with pink leaves―ripen every three thousand years.  Whoever eats them becomes joyful and wise.  The next thousand trees―the ones with golden leaves―ripen once each six thousand years.  Whoever eats them will stay young forever.”

	Monkey was impressed. “Six thousand years! My goodness! But what about these, the ones with purple leaves and silver veins?”

	“Those six hundred are the most precious trees of all,” the gardener whispered. “They ripen once in nine thousand years.  Whoever eats them will live . . . forever.”

	Monkey could hardly contain himself.  Live forever! He stared at one of the peaches. It was almost calling him to smell it, touch it . . .taste it.  But Monkey restrained himself.  After all, he was supposed to protect the garden. 

	Sighing, he followed the gardeners, who had gone off to make an inventory of all the trees and all the peaches. But Monkey could not concentrate.  His mouth was watering. His stomach was growling. The air was ripe with the tempting aroma of peaches.

	“This is silly,” he told himself. “I am head of this garden!  After all, how will I know the difference between a good peach and a bad peach unless I try one? Only one, of course. No one will even miss it.”

	He called the gardeners. “Attention! Here is my first order as head of this garden. I am very tired. I need to take a nap in that pagoda but I need perfect quiet.  Wait outside the garden. As soon as I wake up, I’ll call you and you can continue working.”

	The gardeners bowed and left.  As soon as they were gone, Monkey closed the gate and ran to the purple-leaved trees, searching for the largest, ripest, best peach of them all. And at last he found it. My, it was beautiful!  Monkey pulled down its branch to smell it better. What sweetness it promised!  His stomach would not stop growling. Carefully, Monkey plucked the peach from its stem and cupped it in his paws. It was almost too beautiful to eat―but he could not resist.