Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 1-2 | Page 268

A New Journey to the West
Good Hope Primary School cum Kindergarten, Tong, Charlotte - 11
I
t was 2090, the whole world was a chaotic one and people only believed in materialism.
Mischievousness, sloth, cruelty filled the society. Sages from different countries realized that if they let
all these erode the mind of the youngsters, the world will be devastated very soon.
In order to find out the remedy to save the whole world, the youngest sage, Xuanzang, suggested choosing
three elite members to find out the most valuable spiritual values to instill in the next generation. Once this
decision was announced, the three most powerful countries sent their representative to join the program.
They believed that through the journey with Xuanzang, they can restore the order and make the world a
harmonious one.
The first chosen one was the Monkey King, who was from a magical kingdom. Most of the monkeys in his
kingdom uses magic to help them do the chores. They were not very serious about life as they did not have
to pay much effort to achieve their goals. The personality trait of this Monkey King was therefore quite
mischievous. The second chosen one was a talking pig which was from a country called Greedsloth. Most
pigs in his country were resourceful. They aimed high and longed to conquer the whole world and seized
all the resources but they were too lazy to execute their plans. The last one was a friar who was cruel and
would use every mean to achieve his goal. No moral could be found in the mind of the people in his
country. The only motto they followed was ‘Survival of the fittest’. So Xuanzang started the journey to the
West with them, hoping that they could turn a new page in life.
***
‘Why are we going to the West? Why don’t we go to the North, the East or the South? Why don’t we fly
there? I’ve got my flying broomstick and I can take you to the place you want to go. Dude, just ignore the
two stupid ones.’ Monkey King said with a wicked grin, thinking that the sudden disappearance of
Xuanzang would scare the other two. Xuanzang replied in a soothing tone, ‘the king in your kingdom
offered me the latest magic item. He claimed that with a snap of your finger, you could go everywhere you
want in a second. It’s far better than your flying broomstick. If you are obedient, I will give it to you.’
The mischievous monkey was then tamed and continued the journey. After a few days, Xuanzang gave him
a golden headband and told him that it was the powerful magic item that the king gave him. “Ho-ho, with
this new item, I can take you to the West now. I don’t have to walk on hot sand day after day!” the
Monkey King exclaimed with a cunning look! ‘The headband is used to make you learn the importance of
perseverance. You are only allowed to use your magic once a day in case of emergency. You should learn
how to face difficulties and overcome challenges by yourself. Then, you will cherish your power and learn
how to stand on your own feet,’ Xuanzang explained, ‘people in your country should not rely on the magic
items. It’s just like our advanced technology. It’s a useful tool to make our life more convenient but we
should not rely on it.’ The Monkey King knew that it’s a trap which Xuanzang set but this made him think
twice before he used his magic.
***
Meanwhile, the nasty king from Dragon Kingdom was furious about not being chosen as the representative
to join the journey. He decided to send his best assassin to kill the Monkey King, the talking pig and the
friar.
The fiercest dragon in his kingdom set off to kill all of them. He flew west and quickly spotted them. Fire
was spilled immediately to burn them. Luckily, the friar noticed the dragon in time and the first attack was
unsuccessful. The four of them hid themselves in a cave and discussed how to fight back. The Monkey
King begged Xuanzang to take away his headband but was rejected. The talking pig suggested him to drag
the dragon onto the ground, then temped him to a trap they set and stabbed him to death. Everyone
thought it’s a bright idea. The Monkey King flew to the sky to drag the dragon, the talking pig dug a hole
and the friar killed the dragon. However, the pig rolled his eyes and said, ‘I don’t want to raise a finger.
I’ve already made a suggestion and don’t you dare to ask me do anything.’