I have a lot of events coming up soon, such as a couple AP tests as well as a piano recital. I’ve been thinking about trying out something else for a while, so this week my blog is different.
This is one of the songs I’ll be playing for my recital, which is called Cat and Mouse by Aaron Copland. Hope you enjoy!
The monkeys panicked when they saw soldiers calling for their king with demands for surrender. When Sun Wukong heard about the situation he did not hesitate in preparing to fight. He put on his golden armor and prepared his cudgel, and strode out into the sunlight.
The head of the vanguard stepped forward to make the faction’s stipulations. “Remove your armor and weapon immediately, and come back with us. And if you attempt to resist, every living thing here will be killed. You can’t beat me.”
The Monkey King was furious at the arrogant warrior. He called forth, “What a joke! I would kill you right now, but I have some demands of my own and need you alive to carry my message. I have great power, far greater than that which you possess, and your leader made me the “protector of the horses”. If you want me back, you’ll have give me a far better title than that!”
What followed was a magnificent battle as the scornful soldier swung a giant battle axe which the golden cudgel easily blocked. They clashed several times before the monkey ended the fight and subdued his opponent. The loser fled in terror, which melted to shame upon seeing the temple and admitting defeat.
The Great Sage sent forth another soldier, who also failed despite its monstrous abilities. When it returned and told of the monkey’s demands and overwhelming strength, the Sage decided to capitulate once again and offered the chaotic beast the title he wanted. It was only an empty title, after all; he could swallow his pride for the sake of pacifying the demon.
The temple they arrived at was resplendent, but the title Sun Wukong received was far less so. His job was to watch after the livestock. He performed diligently until he learned exactly how irrelevant his position was, after which he raged and returned to the kingdom he ruled.
The Monkey King’s subjects celebrated his return with massive feasts and were excited to hear tales of his exploits. When he explained the indignity he suffered by the insolent rulers of the temple, they were confounded that their leader’s tremendous power had been ignored so blatantly.
On the other hand, when the officials at the temple reported Wukong’s departure the Supreme Sage was livid. The monkey had refused his mercy in a petulant fit, the nerve! The Sage issued the order he should have originally given.
“Capture him.”
When the Supreme Sage received reports on the actions of Sun Wukong, he was not pleased. At first he wanted to punish the greedy monkey by sending fighters to defeat him, until someone else at the hearing spoke up.
The speaker stepped forward and stated their argument. “This being can access the power of the world, just like us. If we show mercy and have him work for us, he can be controlled without resorting to violence.”
The Supreme Sage was pleased with the idea, and sent the speaker with an invitation.
Upon hearing the news Sun Wukong was pleased. Not surprised, of course, it was bound to happen eventually with his strength. He offered a feast to the emissary, who politely declined and insisted on leaving immediately. The Monkey King was unperturbed and accepted. He was going to be a high-ranking officer in the most powerful organization that existed, what was there to miss?
I claim no ownership of the image.