ing a title which caused him annoyance by recalling
the derisive dignity conferred upon him by Yue Huang. [34] Throughout
the remainder of this chapter Sun Hou-tzu will be shortly referred
to as 'Sun.'

Beyond the seas, in the Eastern continent, in the kingdom of Ao-lai,
is the mountain Hua-kuo Shan. On the steep sides of this mountain there
is a rocky point 36 feet 5 inches high and 24 feet in circumference. At
the very top an egg formed, and, fructified by the breath of the wind,
gave birth to a stone monkey. The newly-born saluted the four points
of the horizon; from his eyes shone golden streaks of lightning,
which filled the palace of the North Pole Star with light. This light
subsided as soon as he was able to take nourishment.

"To-day," said Yue Huang to himself, "I am going to complete the
wonderful diversity of the beings engendered by Heaven and earth. This
monkey will skip and gambol to the highest peaks of mountains, jump
about in the waters, and, eating the fruit of the trees, will be the
companion of the gibbon and the crane. Like the deer he will pass
his nights on the mountain slopes, and during the day will be seen
leaping on their summits or in their caverns. That will be the finest
ornament of all for the mountains!"

The creature's exploits soon caused him to be proclaimed king
of the monkeys. He then began to try to find some means of
becoming immortal. After travelling for eighteen years by land
and sea he met the Immortal P'u-t'i Tsu-shih on the mountain
Ling-t'ai-fang-ts'un. During his travels the monkey had gradually
acquired human attributes; his face remained always as it had been
originally, but dressed in human apparel he began to be civilized. His
new master gave him the family name of Sun, and personal name of
Wu-k'ung, 'Discoverer of Secrets.' He taught him how to fly through
the air, and to change into seventy-two different forms. With one
leap he could cover 108,000 _li_ (about 36,000 miles).

A Rod of Iron

Sun, after his return to Hua-kuo Shan, slew the demon Hun-shih Mo-wang,
who had been molesting the monkeys during his long absence. Then he
organized his subjects into a regular army, 47,000 all told. Thus the
peace of the simian kingdom was assured. As for himself, he could
not find a weapon to suit him, and went to consult Ao Kuang, the
Lung Wang, or Dragon-king of the Eastern Sea, about it. It was from
him that he obtained the formidable rod of iron, formerly planted i