In ancient times the world was divided into three realms: the Realm of the Immortals above, the Realm of Men in the middle, and the Realm of the Demons below. In the highest realm lived the great Jade Emperor, ruler of all the Heavens, who governed the affairs of gods and mortals alike.
In the eastern part of the world there stood a famous mountain called the Flower-Fruit Mountain. On the very summit of this mountain was a cave called the Cave of the Water Curtain, and in this cave lived a stone monkey. This stone had been endowed with spiritual qualities by the workings of Heaven and Earth, and Every day it absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, and gradually gained spiritual awareness.
One summer day the stone monkey went down to a stream to bathe. The stream was swift and clear, and as it splashed over the stones it made a noise like jade striking jasper. The monkey was so delighted that he splashed about in the water for a long time, and then climbed up the bank to dry himself in the sun.
When he had dried he ran back into the cave and announced to the other monkeys: "There is a fine stream up there. Anyone who wants to wash can come with me." The other monkeys were delighted and followed him. They splashed about in the water and played games in the stream until at last they grew tired and went back to the cliff and sat down in the shade.
Now in the crowd there was one ape who was very old. He sat in the front row and said: "Gentlemen, we are very fortunate. We have found this fine stream and this beautiful mountain and we have nothing to do but enjoy ourselves. But although we are happy we ought to have a King—one who will lead us and set an example to us. Let us therefore find a place where we can build some kind of palace and make a King. Then we shall all live together in perfect peace and harmony."
All the apes and monkeys agreed with him and they went in search of such a place. They found a waterfall at the foot of the mountain and behind the waterfall was a cave. Over the entrance were written five big characters: "Cave of the Water Curtain."
Now the old ape said: "If we make our home here we shall be protected from wind and rain and no wild beasts can get at us. This cave is the very place for us. But we need someone bold enough to go in first and see whether there is room enough inside."
All the beasts looked at one another, but no one had the courage to step forward. At last the stone monkey pushed his way to the front and said: "I'll go!" And away he ran.
He climbed up the trees at the side of the waterfall, and then hung by a branch over the fall. The water came down like a curtain of glass, making such a noise that the monkey could not hear himself speak. He was greatly excited, but he was not to be turned from his purpose. He found a opening behind the fall of water and scrambled through.
Inside it was very bright. There were fruits growing there—plums and peaches and apricots and oranges and pomegranates. And beyond the fruit trees was a forest of bamboos and fir trees and plane trees and cassia trees. And everywhere there were flowers and strange plants with lovely blossoms and fragrant leaves.
In the middle of the cave there was a stone platform. Above it was a stone chamber nine rooms wide and measuring from east to west. Inside the stone chamber there were stone beds and stone tables and stone chairs. And on the walls were stone inscriptions.
The stone monkey was overjoyed. He ran back through the waterfall and told the other apes what he had found. They were all wild with excitement and the old ape said: "Come along! Let us go and see!" And all the apes and monkeys swarmed through the waterfall in his wake.
They crowded into the stone chamber and sat down on the stone beds. Then they dragged out the stone tables and stone chairs and laid them in rows. They gathered the fruits and piled them on the tables. They made a great banquet and sat feasting until they were drunk, and then they began to dance and sing.
After three days the old ape called them all together and said: "My friends, you have all had a good time, but we have not yet found anyone to rule over us. Now that we have discovered this beautiful place I think we ought to make a King. Let us choose as our King the one who can think most clearly and act most quickly. He shall be our Master and we will obey him in everything."
All the apes and monkeys thought this was a very good idea. So they brought the stone monkey forward and placed him on a stone throne. Then all the animals bowed down before him and cried: "Long live our King! Long live the Monkey King!"
And so the stone monkey was given the title of "Handsome Monkey King." He built himself a palace in the Cave of the Water Curtain, and for the next three or four hundred years he lived a life of perfect freedom, eating the fruits of the mountain and drinking from its streams. He gathered all the apes and monkeys together, taught them how to dig pits and catch birds and tigers and to revere him as their King.
One day the Monkey King said to his subjects: "My dear followers, I am getting on in years and I should like to have an heir to rule after me. Let us go to all the ten thousand mountains and all the nine seas and look for my successor. Only let the search be very thorough, for I shall not be satisfied with anyone who is not exactly like me."
So off they went, searching the mountains and the seas. But they found no one.