Journey to the West: The Monkey King · chapter 19 of 25
The Peach Garden
蟠桃园
Wukong finally has his grand title, a house with two offices and a garden of magic peaches. Then seven fairies arrive with baskets and some awkward news.
Read what you hear
- Taibai Jinxing 真的，真的！不是真的，大圣就来打我这个老头！
Zhēn de, zhēn de! Bú shì zhēn de, Dàshèng jiù lái dǎ wǒ zhège lǎotóu!
It's true, it's true! If it isn't, Great Sage, you can come and beat this old man!
- the Jade Emperor 孙悟空，从今天起，你是齐天大圣了。这个官，在天上最大！
Sūn Wùkōng, cóng jīntiān qǐ, nǐ shì Qítiān Dàshèng le. Zhège guān, zài tiānshàng zuì dà!
Sun Wukong, from today you are the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. There is no higher post in heaven!
- the Jade Emperor 在蟠桃园旁边，给你一个大房子，还有安静司和宁神司。别再闹了！
Zài Pántáo Yuán pángbiān, gěi nǐ yí gè dà fángzi, hái yǒu Ānjìng Sī hé Níngshén Sī. Bié zài nào le!
You shall have a big house beside the Peach Garden, with an Office of Peace and an Office of Calm. No more trouble!
Chapter 19 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 安静？哈哈，老孙最不安静了！
Ānjìng? Hāhā, Lǎo Sūn zuì bù ānjìng le!
Peace? Ha ha, Old Sun was never the peaceful sort!
- Narrator 大圣天天没事做，到处玩。见了天上的星星，都叫朋友。
Dàshèng tiāntiān méi shì zuò, dàochù wán. Jiàn le tiānshàng de xīngxing, dōu jiào péngyou.
The Great Sage had nothing to do, so he wandered everywhere. Every star in heaven he met, he called his friend.
- the Jade Emperor 给他一点儿事做吧。孙悟空，你去管蟠桃园！
Gěi tā yìdiǎnr shì zuò ba. Sūn Wùkōng, nǐ qù guǎn Pántáo Yuán!
Let's give him something to do. Sun Wukong, go and take charge of the Peach Garden!
- Sun Wukong 管马？老孙不做！管蟠桃？老孙做！
Guǎn mǎ? Lǎo Sūn bú zuò! Guǎn Pántáo? Lǎo Sūn zuò!
Minding horses? Old Sun won't! Minding peaches? That Old Sun will do!
- Narrator 蟠桃园里，有三千六百棵蟠桃树。前边的，三千年熟一次，吃了能做神仙。
Pántáo Yuán li, yǒu sānqiān liùbǎi kē Pántáo shù. Qiánbian de, sānqiān nián shú yí cì, chī le néng zuò shénxiān.
The Peach Garden had three thousand six hundred peach trees. The ones at the front ripened once every three thousand years. Eat one, and you became an immortal.
- Sun Wukong 三千六百棵！三千年才熟一次？
Sānqiān liùbǎi kē! Sānqiān nián cái shú yí cì?
Three thousand six hundred trees! And they ripen only once every three thousand years?
- Narrator 中间的，六千年熟一次。吃了能飞，也不会老。
Zhōngjiān de, liùqiān nián shú yí cì. Chī le néng fēi, yě bú huì lǎo.
The ones in the middle ripened every six thousand years. Eat one, and you could fly and never grow old.
- Sun Wukong 不会老？太好了！
Bú huì lǎo? Tài hǎo le!
Never grow old? Wonderful!
- Narrator 后边的，九千年熟一次。吃了，能和天地一样老。
Hòubian de, jiǔqiān nián shú yí cì. Chī le, néng hé tiāndì yíyàng lǎo.
The ones at the back ripened every nine thousand years. Eat one, and you would live as long as heaven and earth.
- Sun Wukong 和天地一样老？那老孙永远不会死了！
Hé tiāndì yíyàng lǎo? Nà Lǎo Sūn yǒngyuǎn bú huì sǐ le!
As long as heaven and earth? Then Old Sun will never die!
- Sun Wukong 你们都出去吧，老孙要一个人坐一会儿。
Nǐmen dōu chūqu ba, Lǎo Sūn yào yí gè rén zuò yíhuìr.
You can all go out now. Old Sun wants to sit here alone for a while.
- Sun Wukong 没有人了……这个最大，这个最红！
Méiyǒu rén le… Zhège zuì dà, zhège zuì hóng!
Nobody here now… This one's the biggest, and this one's the reddest!
- Sun Wukong 吃饱了！老孙要吃胖了……变得小小的，在树上睡一会儿。
Chī bǎo le! Lǎo Sūn yào chī pàng le… Biàn de xiǎoxiǎo de, zài shù shang shuì yíhuìr.
I'm full! Old Sun is going to get fat… I'll make myself tiny and take a nap up in the tree.
- Narrator 这天，七个仙女穿着红红绿绿的衣服，来摘蟠桃。
Zhè tiān, qī gè xiānnǚ chuān zhe hónghóng lǜlǜ de yīfu, lái zhāi Pántáo.
That day, seven fairies in clothes of every color came to pick the peaches.
- Fairy in Red 前边的树，我们摘了两篮。中间的，摘了三篮。
Qiánbian de shù, wǒmen zhāi le liǎng lán. Zhōngjiān de, zhāi le sān lán.
From the trees at the front, we've picked two baskets. From the middle ones, three.
- Fairy in Red 后边的树上……怎么一个桃子也没有了？……啊，那儿还有一个，半红的！
Hòubian de shù shang… zěnme yí gè táozi yě méiyǒu le? … À, nàr hái yǒu yí gè, bàn hóng de!
On the trees at the back… why isn't there a single peach left? …Oh, there's one more over there, half red!
- Fairy in Red 我拉着，你来摘。轻一点儿，别拉断了！
Wǒ lā zhe, nǐ lái zhāi. Qīng yìdiǎnr, bié lā duàn le!
I'll pull it down, you pick it. Gently, don't snap it!
- Sun Wukong 谁？谁偷老孙的蟠桃？
Shéi? Shéi tōu Lǎo Sūn de Pántáo?
Who's that? Who's stealing Old Sun's peaches?
- Fairy in Red 大圣别生气！我们不是来偷的。王母娘娘要开蟠桃会！
Dàshèng bié shēngqì! Wǒmen bú shì lái tōu de. Wángmǔ Niángniang yào kāi Pántáo Huì!
Please don't be angry, Great Sage! We didn't come to steal. The Queen Mother is giving her Peach Banquet!
- Sun Wukong 蟠桃会？请了谁？
Pántáo Huì? Qǐng le shéi?
A Peach Banquet? Who's invited?
- Fairy in Red 西天的如来佛祖、观音菩萨、太上老君、天上的星星，还有很多神仙……
Xītiān de Rúlái Fózǔ, Guānyīn Púsà, Tàishàng Lǎojūn, tiānshàng de xīngxing, hái yǒu hěn duō shénxiān…
The Buddha of the Western Heaven, Guanyin, Laozi, the stars of heaven, and lots of immortals…
- Sun Wukong 请老孙了吗？
Qǐng Lǎo Sūn le ma?
Did they invite Old Sun?
- Fairy in Red 没……没听说。
Méi… méi tīngshuō.
We… we haven't heard.
- Sun Wukong 老孙是齐天大圣！为什么不请老孙？
Lǎo Sūn shì Qítiān Dàshèng! Wèishénme bù qǐng Lǎo Sūn?
Old Sun is the Great Sage Equal to Heaven! Why wouldn't they invite Old Sun?
- Fairy in Red 上次请的是这些，这次……我们不知道。
Shàng cì qǐng de shì zhèxiē, zhè cì… wǒmen bù zhīdào.
Those were the guests last time. This time… we don't know.
- Sun Wukong 也对，这不是你们的错。
Yě duì, zhè bú shì nǐmen de cuò.
Fair enough. It isn't your fault.
- Sun Wukong 你们在这儿站着。老孙先去看看，他们请不请老孙！住！住！住！
Nǐmen zài zhèr zhàn zhe. Lǎo Sūn xiān qù kànkan, tāmen qǐng bu qǐng Lǎo Sūn! Zhù! Zhù! Zhù!
You stand right here. Old Sun is going to see if they've invited Old Sun! Stay! Stay! Stay!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why does the Jade Emperor give the Great Sage a job?
“大圣天天没事做，到处玩”……“给他一点儿事做吧”
- What happens if you eat a peach from the trees at the back?
“吃了，能和天地一样老”
- Where is Wukong when the seven fairies arrive?
“变得小小的，在树上睡一会儿”
- Why have the fairies come to the Peach Garden?
“我们不是来偷的。王母娘娘要开蟠桃会”
- What do the fairies say when Wukong asks if he is invited?
“没……没听说”……“这次……我们不知道”