in the monkey king makes fire on black wind mountain, wukong (the monkey king) vows to help a buddhist monk who rescued him from prison. but when they travel to india on a quest for the chinese emperor, the journey looks hopeless-especially when they run into thieves and murderers and demons....the monkey king is no ordinary fellow. his personality is a unique blend of strengths and flaws. monkey is brave, fun-loving, and clever, as well as unpredictable, reckless, and sometimes ferocious. no matter where he goes, the monkey king is an unforgettable character with a knack for getting himself into trouble. stories in this series, the irrepressible monkey king, are based on the 16th-century chinese novel journey to the west by wu cheng'en. the novel was inspired by the writings of a real 7th-century buddhist monk who traveled from china to india and back. mingling fantasy with historical accounts, journey to the west is one of the four great classical novels of chinese literature. advisory: though shortened from the original, these stories reflect life and perspectives from ancient china and other cultures. some of the ideas and attitudes may be unfamiliar to an english-language audience.