New Journey to The West
Kowloon Junior School , Tsang , Cyrus - 9
During the Sung Dynasty , legends and folklore existed within the walls of palaces . It was at this time that these tales slowly started seeping among commoners and changing their lives forever . A curious and ambitious young boy by the name of Yongten was about to go through a life-changing experience , if only he had known .
The glorious sun shone brilliantly in the sapphire sky . Columns of creamy white cloud glided carelessly in the vast sky . Yongten was reluctant to leave bed for school . The lean yet athletic boy was forced to bound out of bed to wash and gear up for the day . His enthusiasm for school dwindled with every passing second . ‘ I would do anything to skip school ,’ complained Yongten to his Mum .. ‘ You need to be grateful for everything that you have . Not everyone is as blessed as you ,’ snapped Mum with a rather furious look on her face . ‘ You need to treasure your life , family and friends . Do not replace them with anything !’ All the while , Yongten yawned and stared blankly at the wall not paying heed to a word his Mum was saying . He quickly left the breakfast table and headed for school . On his way , he decided to skip school and stay at the village pavilion where most elderly gathered to pass their time .
Yongten sat there for quite a while , and overheard an old man talking about a legend of a hidden treasure under the Acer Rubrum tree at the bottom of the tallest snow-capped mountain in Western Tibet . ‘ It would take a gallant youngman to brave the snowstorm and reach the tree ,’ said the Village Chief . Yongten was so curious to find out about the treasure he didn ’ t realise he was walking towards the Chief . ‘ What is the treasure ?’ he asked looking into the Chief ’ s eyes . ‘ Something beyond your imagination ,’ he said locking eyes with Ho Ming . Those deep eyes convinced Yongten that he was chosen to find the legend . He was certain that finding the treasure was the only way to quench his curiosity and perhaps stop the futility he in his life .
The same night , Yongten packed a sack with some food and quietly sneaked past his Mum . No sense of guilt crossed his heart as he left his home . He reached the stable and untied his horse and whispered , ‘ Dorje , are you up for some adventure ?’ Dorje shook his harness bells in agreement . With that , they both galloped into the darkness .
At dawn , Yongten arrived at the Saga Forest which was disturbingly silent . It was his first time venturing into an unknown territory all by himself . He got off Dorje and focused intently on the dark greenery ahead of him . The dense fog above the forest overwhelmed both of their sights . Yongten swallowed hard and held firmly onto Dorje ’ s leash . ‘ Come on , we can walk through the forest ,’ said Yongten . As a child , he recalled hearing stories about the dangers of the forest and that few made it out alive . Yongten , however , persisted the journey . They walked for a few hours until they reached a dead end .
‘ A dead end in a forest ?’ questioned Yongten . He turned around on hearing some hissing sound . A fear grew inside of him when he was greeted by a dark , sinister- looking python . Dorje fumbled in anxiety and broke free from Yongten ’ s grip and galloped away . Yongten wheezed as he tried to escape . He was flushed with exhaustion as he his efforts proved in vain . He was trapped . The python cleverly encircled Yongten and slowly approached him . Yongten wailed hysterically trying to look for help . He regretted leaving the comforts of his home after all . He did not deserve to die so soon he thought . With a shrill shriek , the forest became still once again .
Yongten awoke from the clanking of Dorje ’ s bells . His head went dizzy with the glaring rays that invaded his eyes . He could still feel his head spinning like a tornado . ‘ Young boy , how are you feeling now ?’ asked an old voice . Yongten was confused . He was lying on a strange bamboo bed in a small hut . Next to him sat a frail old lady who was preparing some herbal tea . ‘ Why ... who .. where ... ouch ,’ he grimaced in agony .