Journey to the West: The Monkey King · chapter 16 of 25
An Invitation from Heaven
天上来的客人
Heaven wants to send soldiers, but a kindly old star has another idea: invite the monkey up and give him a post. Wukong is thrilled. Heaven is not ready for him.
Read what you hear
- the Jade Emperor 那只猴子，拿了龙宫的宝贝，还划掉了生死簿上的名字！
Nà zhī hóuzi, ná le lónggōng de bǎobèi, hái huàdiào le shēngsǐbù shang de míngzi!
That monkey took the Dragon Palace's treasure, and he crossed names out of the Book of Life and Death!
- the Jade Emperor 天兵呢？派天兵去，马上把他抓来！
Tiānbīng ne? Pài tiānbīng qù, mǎshàng bǎ tā zhuā lái!
Where are the heavenly soldiers? Send them, and bring him here at once!
- Narrator 灵霄宝殿里，太白金星走了出来，跪在玉帝前边。
Língxiāo Bǎodiàn li, Tàibái Jīnxīng zǒu le chūlai, guì zài Yùdì qiánbian.
In the Hall of Divine Mists, Taibai Jinxing stepped forward and knelt before the Jade Emperor.
Chapter 16 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Part 1 of Journey to the West: The Monkey King (chapters 1–5) is free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and The Hound of the Baskervilles are free from start to finish.
- Taibai Jinxing 陛下，等一等。我有一个好办法。
Bìxià, děng yi děng. Wǒ yǒu yí gè hǎo bànfǎ.
Your Majesty, wait a moment. I have a better idea.
- the Jade Emperor 什么办法？快说！
Shénme bànfǎ? Kuài shuō!
What idea? Out with it!
- Taibai Jinxing 有眼睛、有耳朵的，都能学成神仙。这只猴子，也学成了。
Yǒu yǎnjing, yǒu ěrduo de, dōu néng xuéchéng shénxiān. Zhè zhī hóuzi, yě xuéchéng le.
Anything with eyes and ears can learn to be an immortal. This monkey has done it too.
- Taibai Jinxing 不要派天兵了。请他上天来，给他一个官，他就不闹了。
Bú yào pài tiānbīng le. Qǐng tā shàngtiān lái, gěi tā yí gè guān, tā jiù bú nào le.
Don't send soldiers. Invite him up to heaven, give him a post, and he'll stop making trouble.
- the Jade Emperor 他还不听话，怎么办？
Tā hái bù tīnghuà, zěnme bàn?
And if he still won't behave?
- Taibai Jinxing 那时候，再抓他，也不晚。
Nà shíhou, zài zhuā tā, yě bù wǎn.
Then it won't be too late to catch him.
- the Jade Emperor 好！太白，就派你去请他！
Hǎo! Tàibái, jiù pài nǐ qù qǐng tā!
Very well! Taibai, I'm sending you to invite him!
- Narrator 太白金星坐着白云，飞到了花果山。
Tàibái Jīnxīng zuò zhe báiyún, fēi dào le Huāguǒ Shān.
Taibai Jinxing rode a white cloud down to Flower Fruit Mountain.
- Little Monkey 大王！大王！外边来了一个白发老头，说是天上来的！
Dàwáng! Dàwáng! Wàibian lái le yí gè báifà lǎotóu, shuō shì tiānshàng lái de!
Your Majesty! Your Majesty! There's a white-haired old man outside. He says he's from heaven!
- Taibai Jinxing 大王，我是太白金星。玉帝请你去天上，做一个官！
Dàwáng, wǒ shì Tàibái Jīnxīng. Yùdì qǐng nǐ qù tiānshàng, zuò yí gè guān!
Your Majesty, I am Taibai Jinxing. The Jade Emperor invites you up to heaven to take a post!
- Sun Wukong 哈哈！老孙正想去天上看看呢！
Hāhā! Lǎo Sūn zhèng xiǎng qù tiānshàng kànkan ne!
Ha ha! Old Sun was just thinking of taking a look at heaven!
- Sun Wukong 孩儿们，在家天天练本领！老孙先去看看，以后带你们都去！
Hái'érmen, zài jiā tiāntiān liàn běnlǐng! Lǎo Sūn xiān qù kànkan, yǐhòu dài nǐmen dōu qù!
Children, stay home and train every day! Old Sun will go and have a look first, and later I'll take you all!
- Little Monkey 大王，天上有桃子吗？给我带一个回来！
Dàwáng, tiānshàng yǒu táozi ma? Gěi wǒ dài yí gè huílai!
Your Majesty, are there peaches in heaven? Bring one back for me!
- Sun Wukong 好！老孙给你带一个最大的！
Hǎo! Lǎo Sūn gěi nǐ dài yí gè zuì dà de!
All right! Old Sun will bring you the biggest one!
- Narrator 悟空的筋斗云太快了。太白还在半路上，悟空已经到了南天门。
Wùkōng de jīndǒuyún tài kuài le. Tàibái hái zài bànlù shang, Wùkōng yǐjīng dào le Nántiān Mén.
Wukong's somersault cloud was far too fast. Taibai was still halfway there when Wukong reached the Southern Gate of Heaven.
- Sun Wukong 你们拿着刀，不让老孙进去？老孙是玉帝请来的！
Nǐmen ná zhe dāo, bú ràng Lǎo Sūn jìnqu? Lǎo Sūn shì Yùdì qǐng lái de!
You stand there with swords and won't let Old Sun in? Old Sun was invited by the Jade Emperor!
- Sun Wukong 太白这个老头，骗了老孙！
Tàibái zhège lǎotóu, piàn le Lǎo Sūn!
That old fellow Taibai has tricked Old Sun!
- Taibai Jinxing 哈哈，大王别生气！你飞得太快，老头子飞不了那么快！
Hāhā, dàwáng bié shēngqì! Nǐ fēi de tài kuài, lǎotóuzi fēi bu liǎo nàme kuài!
Ha ha, don't be angry, Your Majesty! You fly so fast, and this old man can't fly that fast!
- Taibai Jinxing 天上还没有你的名字，他们不认识你。等你有了官，想去哪儿就去哪儿！
Tiānshàng hái méiyǒu nǐ de míngzi, tāmen bú rènshi nǐ. Děng nǐ yǒu le guān, xiǎng qù nǎr jiù qù nǎr!
Your name isn't written in heaven yet, so they don't know you. Once you have a post, you can go wherever you like!
- Sun Wukong 那好吧。老星，你看老孙的金帽子，像不像天上的官？
Nà hǎo ba. Lǎo Xīng, nǐ kàn Lǎo Sūn de jīn màozi, xiàng bu xiàng tiānshàng de guān?
All right, then. Old Star, look at Old Sun's golden cap. Don't I look like an official of heaven?
- Taibai Jinxing 像，像！走吧，玉帝在等你呢！
Xiàng, xiàng! Zǒu ba, Yùdì zài děng nǐ ne!
You do, you do! Come along, the Jade Emperor is waiting for you!
- Narrator 到了灵霄宝殿，太白马上跪下了。悟空没有跪，他站着，东看看，西看看。
Dào le Língxiāo Bǎodiàn, Tàibái mǎshàng guìxià le. Wùkōng méiyǒu guì, tā zhàn zhe, dōng kànkan, xī kànkan.
In the Hall of Divine Mists, Taibai knelt at once. Wukong did not kneel. He stood there, looking this way and that.
- Taibai Jinxing 大王，快跪下……
Dàwáng, kuài guìxià…
Your Majesty, kneel, quickly…
- Sun Wukong 老孙不跪。
Lǎo Sūn bú guì.
Old Sun doesn't kneel.
- the Jade Emperor 太白，哪一位是花果山来的神仙？
Tàibái, nǎ yí wèi shì Huāguǒ Shān lái de shénxiān?
Taibai, which one is the immortal from Flower Fruit Mountain?
- Sun Wukong 是我，老孙！
Shì wǒ, Lǎo Sūn!
That's me. Old Sun!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Taibai Jinxing suggest instead of sending soldiers?
“请他上天来，给他一个官”
- What does Little Monkey want Wukong to bring back from heaven?
“天上有桃子吗？给我带一个回来”
- Why does Wukong get to the Southern Gate before Taibai?
“悟空的筋斗云太快了”
- Why won't the guards let Wukong in, according to Taibai?
“天上还没有你的名字，他们不认识你”
- What does Wukong do when Taibai kneels before the Jade Emperor?
“悟空没有跪，他站着”