Journey to the West: The Monkey King · chapter 5 of 25
Finding a Teacher
找师父
A kind woodcutter points the way to a real immortal. After more than ten years of searching, the Monkey King kneels before the master and answers one simple question.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 大山里，有一个人正在砍柴。美猴王从树后边跳了出来。
Dà shān li, yǒu yí gè rén zhèngzài kǎn chái. Měi Hóuwáng cóng shù hòubian tiào le chūlai.
Deep in the mountain, a man was chopping wood. Out from behind a tree jumped the Handsome Monkey King.
- Sun Wukong 老神仙！老神仙！弟子来拜您了！
Lǎo shénxiān! Lǎo shénxiān! Dìzǐ lái bài nín le!
Old immortal! Old immortal! Your humble student has come to bow to you!
- Woodcutter 啊？我……我不是神仙！我是砍柴的，饭都吃不饱，怎么会是神仙？
Á? Wǒ… wǒ bú shì shénxiān! Wǒ shì kǎn chái de, fàn dōu chī bu bǎo, zěnme huì shì shénxiān?
What? I… I'm no immortal! I'm a woodcutter. I can't even fill my belly. How could I be an immortal?
Chapter 5 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapters 1–3 of Journey to the West: The Monkey King are free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Sun Wukong 你不是神仙？那你怎么会说神仙的话？
Nǐ bú shì shénxiān? Nà nǐ zěnme huì shuō shénxiān de huà?
You're not an immortal? Then how do you know an immortal's words?
- Woodcutter 哈哈，那几句话，是我家旁边的一个神仙教我的。
Hāhā, nà jǐ jù huà, shì wǒ jiā pángbiān de yí gè shénxiān jiāo wǒ de.
Ha ha, those few lines? An immortal who lives near my house taught them to me.
- Woodcutter 他说，我累了，不高兴了，就说一说，心里会好一点儿。
Tā shuō, wǒ lèi le, bù gāoxìng le, jiù shuō yi shuō, xīnli huì hǎo yìdiǎnr.
He said that when I'm tired or feeling low, I should say them, and I'd feel a little better.
- Sun Wukong 神仙住在你家旁边？那你为什么不跟他学本领？
Shénxiān zhù zài nǐ jiā pángbiān? Nà nǐ wèi shénme bù gēn tā xué běnlǐng?
An immortal lives right next door to you? Then why don't you learn from him?
- Woodcutter 我很小的时候，爸爸就死了。妈妈老了，家里就我一个儿子。
Wǒ hěn xiǎo de shíhou, bàba jiù sǐ le. Māma lǎo le, jiāli jiù wǒ yí gè érzi.
My father died when I was little. My mother is old now, and I'm her only son.
- Woodcutter 我天天上山砍柴，下山去卖，买了米，回家给妈妈做饭。
Wǒ tiāntiān shàng shān kǎn chái, xià shān qù mài, mǎi le mǐ, huí jiā gěi māma zuòfàn.
Every day I climb the mountain to chop wood, carry it down to sell, buy rice, and go home to cook for my mother.
- Sun Wukong 你真是个好儿子！
Nǐ zhēn shì gè hǎo érzi!
You really are a good son!
- Woodcutter 哪里，哪里。你要找神仙？你看，这座山叫灵台方寸山。
Nǎli, nǎli. Nǐ yào zhǎo shénxiān? Nǐ kàn, zhè zuò shān jiào Língtái Fāngcùn Shān.
Oh, it's nothing. You're looking for an immortal? Look, this mountain is called Lingtai Fangcun Mountain.
- Woodcutter 山里有一个斜月三星洞，洞里住着须菩提祖师。往南走七八里，就到了！
Shān li yǒu yí gè Xiéyuè Sānxīng Dòng, dòng li zhùzhe Xūpútí Zǔshī. Wǎng nán zǒu qī bā lǐ, jiù dào le!
On it is the Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars, where Master Subodhi lives. Walk seven or eight li south, and you're there!
- Sun Wukong 太好了！朋友，你跟我一起去吧！
Tài hǎo le! Péngyou, nǐ gēn wǒ yìqǐ qù ba!
Wonderful! Come with me, my friend!
- Woodcutter 不行，不行。我走了，谁给我妈妈做饭？你自己去吧！
Bùxíng, bùxíng. Wǒ zǒu le, shéi gěi wǒ māma zuòfàn? Nǐ zìjǐ qù ba!
No, no. If I go, who'll cook for my mother? You go on your own!
- Sun Wukong 七八里……到了！一个大门，旁边还有一块高高的大石头！
Qī bā lǐ… dào le! Yí gè dà mén, pángbiān hái yǒu yí kuài gāogāo de dà shítou!
Seven or eight li… here it is! A big gate, and a tall stone beside it!
- Sun Wukong 灵台方寸山，斜月三星洞……砍柴的朋友说的是真话！
Língtái Fāngcùn Shān, Xiéyuè Sānxīng Dòng… kǎn chái de péngyou shuō de shì zhēnhuà!
Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, Cave of the Slanting Moon and Three Stars… my woodcutter friend told the truth!
- Sun Wukong 门关着……我不敢叫门。我先上松树，等一等。
Mén guānzhe… wǒ bù gǎn jiàomén. Wǒ xiān shàng sōngshù, děng yi děng.
The gate is shut… I don't dare call out. I'll climb a pine tree and wait a while.
- Sun Wukong 松树的果子真好吃！一个，两个，三个……
Sōngshù de guǒzi zhēn hǎochī! Yí gè, liǎng gè, sān gè…
These pine nuts are delicious! One, two, three…
- Narrator 门开了，一个小男孩走了出来，说：“师父不讲了。他说，外边有一个来学本领的人。”
Mén kāi le, yí gè xiǎo nánhái zǒu le chūlai, shuō: “Shīfu bù jiǎng le. Tā shuō, wàibian yǒu yí gè lái xué běnlǐng de rén.”
The gate opened, and a young boy came out. "The Master has stopped his lesson," he said. "He says someone outside has come to learn."
- Sun Wukong 是我！是我！……师父怎么知道我来了？
Shì wǒ! Shì wǒ! … Shīfu zěnme zhīdào wǒ lái le?
It's me! It's me! …How did the Master know I was here?
- Narrator 洞里很大。祖师坐在高处，下边站着三十多个弟子。
Dòng li hěn dà. Zǔshī zuò zài gāochù, xiàbian zhànzhe sānshí duō gè dìzǐ.
Inside, the cave was vast. Master Subodhi sat up high, and more than thirty students stood below him.
- Sun Wukong 十多年了……神仙，我找到你了！
Shí duō nián le… shénxiān, wǒ zhǎodào nǐ le!
More than ten years… Immortal, I've found you at last!
- Narrator 猴王跪在地上，拜了又拜。
Hóuwáng guì zài dìshang, bài le yòu bài.
The Monkey King knelt on the floor and bowed, again and again.
- Sun Wukong 师父！师父！请您收下弟子吧！
Shīfu! Shīfu! Qǐng nín shōuxià dìzǐ ba!
Master! Master! Please take me as your student!
- Master Subodhi 不要拜了。你从哪里来？
Bú yào bài le. Nǐ cóng nǎli lái?
Stop bowing. Where do you come from?
- Sun Wukong 弟子从东海来！我的家在花果山水帘洞！
Dìzǐ cóng Dōng Hǎi lái! Wǒ de jiā zài Huāguǒ Shān Shuǐlián Dòng!
I come from the Eastern Sea, Master! My home is the Water Curtain Cave on Flower Fruit Mountain!
- Master Subodhi 把他赶出去！他说的是假话！
Bǎ tā gǎn chūqu! Tā shuō de shì jiǎhuà!
Throw him out! He's lying!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Who taught the woodcutter his rhyme?
“是我家旁边的一个神仙教我的”
- Why won't the woodcutter go and study with the immortal?
“妈妈老了……谁给我妈妈做饭？”
- How does the Monkey King know the woodcutter told the truth?
“灵台方寸山，斜月三星洞……砍柴的朋友说的是真话！”
- What does the Monkey King do when he finds the gate shut?
“我不敢叫门。我先上松树，等一等。”
- What does the master shout when the Monkey King says where he is from?
“把他赶出去！他说的是假话！”