Friday Folktale
📖 Here is your Friday folktale to fire up your curiosity and creativity 📖
Every Friday I will send you a folktale. You can choose to use this story in any way you like. Maybe you will pick out a theme and use this to write a poem. Or you might use the moral of the story to write your interpretation of the tale.
This week’s folktale is…
The Monkey King
In ancient China, amidst the misty mountains and lush forests, there lived a mischievous monkey born from a stone nurtured by the elements. This extraordinary creature possessed incredible strength, agility, and magical powers. He was known as Sun Wukong, but to many, he was simply the Monkey King.
With his insatiable curiosity and boundless energy, Sun Wukong embarked on countless adventures, often finding himself in trouble due to his reckless antics. But his daring spirit and cunning intellect always saw him through. One day, he discovered a hidden cave filled with ancient treasures, including a magical staff that could change size at his command.
Armed with his newfound weapon, the Monkey King journeyed to the celestial realm, challenging the gods themselves. He demanded recognition and respect, but his arrogance angered the Jade Emperor, ruler of heaven. In response, the gods devised a plan to humble Sun Wukong.
They invited him to a banquet in his honour, but it was a ruse. The food and drink were tainted with a spell that bound him to his seat, leaving him helpless as the heavenly army captured him. Despite his struggles, Sun Wukong was imprisoned beneath a mountain for five hundred years.
But even in captivity, the Monkey King's indomitable spirit could not be quelled. With sheer determination and the help of his loyal followers, including Pigsy, Sandy, and the monk Tripitaka, Sun Wukong broke free from his rocky prison.
Together, they embarked on a quest to retrieve sacred scriptures from the West, a journey fraught with peril and supernatural challenges. Along the way, they faced demons, monsters, and treacherous spirits, but Sun Wukong's bravery and cunning always prevailed.
Through their trials and tribulations, the Monkey King learned humility and the value of friendship and loyalty. His adventures became legendary, inspiring generations to come.
In the end, Sun Wukong achieved enlightenment, ascending to become a Buddha himself, his legacy enduring as one of the greatest heroes of Chinese folklore, the irrepressible Monkey King.
Imagine you are Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, and you have just broken free from your centuries-long imprisonment beneath the mountain. Write about your first thoughts and emotions as you emerge into the world once again.
Write a short story set in the celestial realm, where Sun Wukong challenges the gods to prove his strength and prowess. Describe the epic battle between the Monkey King and the heavenly army, highlighting the supernatural abilities and cunning strategies employed by both sides.
Write a poem or a piece of prose imagining an alternate ending to the Monkey King's story.
Have a whimsical weekend
Love and Light 💖
EJ
The Poet Witch 🪄
