Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 3 2018 | Page 318

New Journey to the West
St. Paul's College, Kwong, Ho To - 14
O
nce upon a time, there was a very playful and mischievous monkey that always played tricks on
other monkeys. However, he was very brave and loved to help others too. For these reasons, his
inhabitant made him the King. He was also very handsome with golden fur that made him special
and different. He was very energetic with muscular build. Wukong governed the monkey kingdom, which
was near an old temple where the monks lived. This temple was a place of worship for many people who
brought offerings to the God, such as cakes, meat, fruits and many others.
One day, Wukong entered the temple and was tempted. He saw many delicious fruits being offered. He
wanted to get a bunch of bananas for his fellow monkeys. Unluckily, Tripitaka, the monk saw him. Instead
of getting angry, he asked Wukong to listen to some good teachings and they became friends. The monkey
adored the monks and called him Teacher. The monk told him to accompany him on his journey to India
by ship because of a very important mission and he needed someone strong enough to protect him. As the
Monkey King wanted to become popular around the world, he agreed.
At dawn, the monk and Wukong went to the pier. He helped with the monk’s luggage. All the people
were staring at them and whispering, “Why is a monkey with the monk and following him?” The real
reason was that the monk was told to travel alone, but was allowed to bring a pet. By chance, the monk
knew that Wukong had supernatural powers. All the passengers were on board and there were around one
hundred people with different cultures and nationality inside the cabin. The ship started to sail. The view of
the wide blue ocean was very nice. There were all sorts of water transport on the sea, from small boats,
turbojets, to ferries moving back and forth. Later, when they reached the middle of the Ocean where only
the huge ships can survive and continue to sail, there were tranquillity and peacefulness all around. They
found freedom and independence. The only sound disturbing them were the splashing waves and screams of
seagulls. Everybody smelt the unique smell of the sea brought by the wind and if you accidentally licked
your lips, it would taste bitter.
When the Sun went down, the atmosphere and ambience started to change. It became totally dark. The
moon and stars should appear but a storm came instead. Powerful winds started to blow which hindered the
ship from sailing. The ship had to stop for a while until the storm subsided or when the wind became calm.
Nobody could go out to bring down the anchor of the ship as it was too dark. All the passengers and the
ship captain and crew members became worried. To everyone surprise, the monkey was able to do it.
After the storm, they were all very happy. At last, dinner was served. Not knowing there were pirates on
board and their dishes were added some potion, almost all of the passengers got stomach upset and rushed to
the washroom. Everybody was exhausted. Suddenly, one of the pirates fired a gun. “Bang,” shouted the
pirates, “We are pirates! All passengers now take out all your valuables, money, jewellery and all precious
items and put them into the bag. Don’t resist or I will shoot!” Two more pirates brought out two big white
sacks, opened them and ordered everybody to move quickly and put the valuables inside. The passengers
were so frightened that they had no choice but to obey.
The Monkey King brought up a plan and told the monk to cooperate with him. He climbed up secretly
on to the top where the luggage was being kept. With one hand holding the metal bar, he swung his body
up into the air and with the other hand, he snatched the gun from the pirates. Swiftly, he took out his magic
wand and beat the pirates until they were defeated. Everybody was very cooperative and bravely helped.
They tied up all the pirates and shouted for joy as everyone was safe. They thanked the monkey for being so
brave and intelligent. One of them apologized for underestimating him, the passenger said, “Although you
are a monkey, you are indeed very clever.” Then, he took out a bunch of bananas from her bag and gave to
Wukong. After two weeks of the voyage, they were able to arrive in India safely.
The captain reported the incident to the local Police Authority and the pirates were put in jail. With full
coverage from different news reporters, who interviewed the captain, telling them “The Monkey King”
saved the passengers from danger. The reporters took a lot of pictures and the news was widely spread across
the country.
Lastly, when they returned from the journey, the Monkey King and the monk were warmly welcomed
by the president when they stepped off the ship and. All in all, Wukong really became very popular.