Journey to the West: The Monkey King · chapter 25 of 25
Five Elements Mountain
五行山
Wukong tries to leap one more time, and the Buddha's hand comes down. Five hundred years later, a visitor from the Southern Sea brings him a promise.
Read what you hear
- Sun Wukong 那五根柱子，就在天边！再飞一次！
Nà wǔ gēn zhùzi, jiù zài tiānbiān! Zài fēi yí cì!
Those five pillars are right at the edge of the sky! One more flight!
- Narrator 悟空正要跳，如来的手往下一压，把他推到了天的西门外。
Wùkōng zhèng yào tiào, Rúlái de shǒu wǎng xià yì yā, bǎ tā tuī dào le tiān de xī mén wài.
Just as Wukong was about to jump, the Buddha's hand came down and pushed him out through heaven's western gate.
- Narrator 他的五根手指，变成了五座大山，压住了悟空。
Tā de wǔ gēn shǒuzhǐ, biànchéng le wǔ zuò dà shān, yā zhù le Wùkōng.
His five fingers became five great mountains, and they pinned Wukong down.
Chapter 25 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.
- Sun Wukong 好重！老孙的尾巴都压在下边了！
Hǎo zhòng! Lǎo Sūn de wěiba dōu yā zài xiàbian le!
So heavy! Even Old Sun's tail is squashed underneath!
- the Buddha 这座山，叫五行山。齐天大圣，就在这里“到此一游”吧。
Zhè zuò shān, jiào Wǔxíng Shān. Qítiān Dàshèng, jiù zài zhèli “dào cǐ yì yóu” ba.
This mountain is called the Five Elements Mountain. Great Sage Equal to Heaven, now you can “be here” for a while.
- Narrator 天上，玉帝请如来吃饭，谢谢他。
Tiānshàng, Yùdì qǐng Rúlái chī fàn, xièxie tā.
Up in heaven, the Jade Emperor held a feast to thank the Buddha.
- Sun Wukong 头出来了！手也出来了！
Tóu chūlai le! Shǒu yě chūlai le!
My head's out! My hands are out too!
- the Buddha 还想出来？拿纸来，放在山上。
Hái xiǎng chūlai? Ná zhǐ lái, fàng zài shān shang.
Still trying to get out? Bring the paper, and lay it on top of the mountain.
- Sun Wukong 六个金字……山不动了！老孙的头和手，还在外边。
Liù gè jīn zì… shān bú dòng le! Lǎo Sūn de tóu hé shǒu, hái zài wàibian.
Six golden words… and the mountain won't budge! Only Old Sun's head and hands are still outside.
- the Buddha 饿了，给他吃铁球。渴了，给他喝铁水。
È le, gěi tā chī tiěqiú. Kě le, gěi tā hē tiěshuǐ.
When he is hungry, give him iron balls to eat. When he is thirsty, give him molten iron to drink.
- the Buddha 等到那一天，会有人来救你。
Děng dào nà yì tiān, huì yǒu rén lái jiù nǐ.
When that day comes, someone will come to save you.
- Sun Wukong 哪一天？如来！哪一天？
Nǎ yì tiān? Rúlái! Nǎ yì tiān?
What day? Buddha! What day?
- Narrator 一年，十年，一百年……五百年过去了。
Yì nián, shí nián, yìbǎi nián… wǔbǎi nián guòqu le.
One year, ten years, a hundred years… five hundred years went by.
- Sun Wukong 老孙头上的草，比花果山的还多……孩儿们，你们好吗？
Lǎo Sūn tóu shang de cǎo, bǐ Huāguǒ Shān de hái duō… Hái'érmen, nǐmen hǎo ma?
There's more grass on Old Sun's head than on Flower Fruit Mountain… Children, are you all right?
- Narrator 这一天，山上的纸有了金光：观音菩萨来了。
Zhè yì tiān, shān shang de zhǐ yǒu le jīnguāng: Guānyīn Púsà lái le.
One day, the paper on the mountain began to shine with golden light: Guanyin had come.
- Guanyin 那只大闹天宫的猴子，原来在这里……
Nà zhī dà nào Tiāngōng de hóuzi, yuánlái zài zhèli…
So this is where the monkey who turned heaven upside down ended up…
- Sun Wukong 谁在上边说老孙的坏话？
Shéi zài shàngbian shuō Lǎo Sūn de huàihuà?
Who's up there saying bad things about Old Sun?
- Guanyin 姓孙的，你认识我吗？
Xìng Sūn de, nǐ rènshi wǒ ma?
You there, Sun, do you know who I am?
- Sun Wukong 老孙有火眼金睛，怎么不认识？你是南海的观音菩萨！
Lǎo Sūn yǒu huǒyǎn jīnjīng, zěnme bú rènshi? Nǐ shì Nán Hǎi de Guānyīn Púsà!
Old Sun has fiery golden eyes. How could he not know you? You're Guanyin of the Southern Sea!
- Sun Wukong 菩萨，五百年了，一个朋友也没来看老孙。救救老孙吧！
Púsà, wǔbǎi nián le, yí gè péngyou yě méi lái kàn Lǎo Sūn. Jiùjiu Lǎo Sūn ba!
Bodhisattva, five hundred years, and not one friend has come to see Old Sun. Please, save Old Sun!
- Guanyin 你做了太多坏事。放你出来，你又要闹了。
Nǐ zuò le tài duō huàishì. Fàng nǐ chūlai, nǐ yòu yào nào le.
You did a great deal of harm. If I let you out, you'd only make trouble again.
- Sun Wukong 老孙知道错了。以后，老孙只做好事！
Lǎo Sūn zhīdào cuò le. Yǐhòu, Lǎo Sūn zhǐ zuò hǎo shì!
Old Sun knows he was wrong. From now on, Old Sun will only do good!
- Guanyin 好。我去大唐，找一个去西天取经的和尚。
Hǎo. Wǒ qù Dà Táng, zhǎo yí gè qù Xītiān qǔjīng de héshang.
Good. I am going to the Great Tang to find a monk who will go west for the scriptures.
- Guanyin 他会救你出来。你做他的徒弟，保护他，一直到西天。
Tā huì jiù nǐ chūlai. Nǐ zuò tā de túdì, bǎohù tā, yìzhí dào Xītiān.
He will set you free. Be his disciple, and protect him all the way to the Western Heaven.
- Sun Wukong 去！去！老孙去！老孙一定保护他！
Qù! Qù! Lǎo Sūn qù! Lǎo Sūn yídìng bǎohù tā!
I'll go! I'll go! Old Sun will go! Old Sun will protect him, whatever happens!
- Guanyin 我给你起个名字吧。
Wǒ gěi nǐ qǐ ge míngzi ba.
Let me give you a name.
- Sun Wukong 老孙有名字了，叫孙悟空！
Lǎo Sūn yǒu míngzi le, jiào Sūn Wùkōng!
Old Sun already has a name: Sun Wukong!
- Guanyin 悟空？我路上见的两个人，名字里也有“悟”。真好！
Wùkōng? Wǒ lù shang jiàn de liǎng gè rén, míngzi li yě yǒu “Wù”. Zhēn hǎo!
Wukong? The two I met on the road also have “Wu” in their names. How fitting!
- Guanyin 记住，要保护那个和尚。我走了。
Jìzhù, yào bǎohù nàge héshang. Wǒ zǒu le.
Remember: protect that monk. Now I must go.
- Narrator 观音走了。悟空看着东边的路，看了一天又一天。
Guānyīn zǒu le. Wùkōng kàn zhe dōngbian de lù, kàn le yì tiān yòu yì tiān.
Guanyin went on her way. Wukong watched the road to the east, day after day.
- Sun Wukong 五百年都等了，老孙还怕等吗？
Wǔbǎi nián dōu děng le, Lǎo Sūn hái pà děng ma?
Old Sun has waited five hundred years. Why would he be afraid of waiting now?
- Sun Wukong 去西天取经的和尚……你什么时候来？老孙等你！
Qù Xītiān qǔjīng de héshang… nǐ shénme shíhou lái? Lǎo Sūn děng nǐ!
The monk going west for the scriptures… when will you come? Old Sun is waiting for you!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why does the Buddha have a paper laid on the mountain?
“头出来了！手也出来了！”……“还想出来？拿纸来，放在山上”
- What will Wukong be given when he is hungry?
“饿了，给他吃铁球”
- How does Wukong know who Guanyin is?
“老孙有火眼金睛，怎么不认识”
- What must Wukong do for the monk from the Great Tang?
“你做他的徒弟，保护他，一直到西天”
- Why is Guanyin pleased with Wukong's name?
“我路上见的两个人，名字里也有‘悟’”