The Monkey King Makes Havoc in Heaven

Long long ago, a stone monkey came out of a magic stone on Huaguo Mountain. He was so smart and quick. All the monkeys on the mountain loved him and called him the Monkey King.

One day, the Monkey King thought life was short, so he went to learn magic. After a long trip, he became the student of Patriarch Bodhi. He learned many cool skills like the 72 changes and the somersault cloud.

Back on Huaguo Mountain, he wanted a better weapon. He visited the Dragon King and got the Ruyi Jingu Bang. It could change its size and was extremely heavy.

The Jade Emperor in Heaven heard about him. At first, he gave the Monkey King the job of a horse keeper. But when the Monkey King found out it was a lowly job, he got angry and left. He declared himself the "Great Sage Equal to Heaven".

The Jade Emperor sent heavenly soldiers to catch him, but the Monkey King beat them all. Then the Jade Emperor accepted his title of "Great Sage" and asked him to take care of the peach garden. However, the Monkey King ate lots of immortal peaches. He also broke into a big heavenly party, eating and drinking wildly.

The Jade Emperor was very angry. He sent Erlang Shen to capture the Monkey King. With the help of Lord Laozi, they caught him. But the Monkey King was not hurt. After he escaped from the magic furnace, he made an even bigger mess in Heaven.

Finally, the Tathagata Buddha arrived. He made a bet with the Monkey King. The Monkey King believed he had jumped out of the Buddha’s palm, but he didn’t. As a result, he was trapped under the Five-Element Mountain for 500 years. Years later, Tang Seng saved him. From then on, the Monkey King followed Tang Seng and helped him get the scriptures.

很久很久以前，一只石猴从花果山的仙石中蹦了出来。他聪明敏捷，山上所有猴子都很喜欢他，称他为美猴王。

有一天，美猴王想到生命有限，于是外出拜师学艺。长途跋涉之后，他成为菩提祖师的弟子。他学会了许多厉害本领，比如七十二变和筋斗云。

回到花果山，他想要一件更好的兵器。他去找龙王，得到了如意金箍棒。金箍棒可以随意变化大小，分量极重。

天庭的玉皇大帝听说了他的事情。一开始，玉帝封他做弼马温，看管天马。可当美猴王得知这只是个小官时，勃然大怒，扬长而去，自封 “齐天大圣”。

玉帝派天兵天将捉拿他，却都被美猴王打败。后来玉帝认可了他 “大圣” 的名号，让他看管蟠桃园。但美猴王偷吃了许多蟠桃，还大闹蟠桃盛会，大吃大喝。

玉帝震怒，派二郎神捉拿美猴王。在太上老君的协助下，他们抓住了孙悟空。可美猴王没有受伤。他从炼丹炉里逃出来之后，在天庭闹得更凶。

最后如来佛祖来了，和美猴王打了一个赌。美猴王以为自己跳出了如来的手掌心，可其实并没有。于是他被压在五行山下五百年。后来唐僧救了他。从此，美猴王跟随唐僧，护送他取得真经。

Key phrases

1. come out of /kʌm aʊt ɒv/ 从…… 出来
2. learn magic /lɜːn ˈmædʒɪk/ 学法术
3. the 72 changes /ðə ˈsevnti tuː ˈtʃeɪndʒɪz/ 七十二变
4. somersault cloud /ˈsʌməsɔːlt klaʊd/ 筋斗云
5. make a bet /meɪk ə bet/ 打赌
6. get out of /ɡet aʊt ɒv/ 从…… 逃出
7. make a mess /meɪk ə mes/ 捣乱，制造混乱
8. be stuck under /bi stʌk ˈʌndə/ 被压在…… 之下
9. take care of /teɪk keə ɒv/ 看管，照顾
10. get the scriptures /ɡet ðə ˈskrɪptʃəz/ 取得真经

Questions

1. Where did the stone monkey come from?
2. What skills did the Monkey King learn from Patriarch Bodhi?
3. Why did the Monkey King leave Heaven at first?
4. Who helped Erlang Shen catch the Monkey King?
5. What did the Monkey King do after Tang Seng saved him?

Answers

1. He came out of a magic stone on Huaguo Mountain.
2. He learned the 72 changes and the somersault cloud.
3. Because he knew the job of a horse keeper was a small / lowly job and he got angry.
4. Lord Laozi helped Erlang Shen catch the Monkey King.
5. He followed Tang Seng and helped him get the scriptures.

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