One day the Ape King was moving along when he stumbled upon a woodcarver who was singing a melody so divine and so spiritual the Ape King had to go give his praises to the holy person singing.
The ape went to the man and started worshiping him. The woodcarver was surprised by this and asked why the ape was acting in such a way. The ape said "The song you sing is so divine you must be of holy descent. The man laughed and said, "I am just a woodcarver, the song I sing was taught to me by a saint." The Ape then asked where he could find such a saint and the woodcarver gave him directions and sent him on his way. The ape went on a journey to find the great saint and when he arrived at the cave the woodcarver described he saw that it was locked. He thought it best not to knock so he hopped in a tree and started eating pinecones.
One of the disciples of the priest then came out and asked what was making all of this noise.
The Ape then jumped down and said I have come to seek the truth. The disciple then said, "how funny, the saint just said that there would be someone visiting soon who saught truth. The Ape then spoke to the saint and the saint back to the ape and they exchanged knowledge.
The saint asked the Ape, "What is your name," to which the ape replied, "I do not have a name, I am the ape from the stone." The saint then told the ape that he would give him a name. From then on the saint declared the ape Sun Wu Kung, and that was the Apes name from then on.
Bibliography: This story is part of The Monkey King unit. Story source: "The Ape Sun Wu Kung" in The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).
The ape went to the man and started worshiping him. The woodcarver was surprised by this and asked why the ape was acting in such a way. The ape said "The song you sing is so divine you must be of holy descent. The man laughed and said, "I am just a woodcarver, the song I sing was taught to me by a saint." The Ape then asked where he could find such a saint and the woodcarver gave him directions and sent him on his way. The ape went on a journey to find the great saint and when he arrived at the cave the woodcarver described he saw that it was locked. He thought it best not to knock so he hopped in a tree and started eating pinecones.
One of the disciples of the priest then came out and asked what was making all of this noise.
The Ape then jumped down and said I have come to seek the truth. The disciple then said, "how funny, the saint just said that there would be someone visiting soon who saught truth. The Ape then spoke to the saint and the saint back to the ape and they exchanged knowledge.
The saint asked the Ape, "What is your name," to which the ape replied, "I do not have a name, I am the ape from the stone." The saint then told the ape that he would give him a name. From then on the saint declared the ape Sun Wu Kung, and that was the Apes name from then on.
Bibliography: This story is part of The Monkey King unit. Story source: "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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