Bajie looked out the kitchen window. Wukong and Wujing were outside talking.
"Wukong, Wujing," said the pig quietly. "Come over here. I want to tell you something."
The two companions came over to the window.
"What is it?" asked Wujing.
"I heard the two priests talking," said the pig. "There's a ginseng tree at this abbey. They said its fruit is delicious and valuable."
Wukong smiled. "The fruit must taste wonderful."
"We should eat some," said Wujing.
Bajie rubbed his belly. "Yes," he said. "We should."
"You two wait here," said Wukong. "I'll go pick some of that fruit."
The monkey went behind the abbey and found the giant ginseng tree. The fruit sparkled in the sunlight. He plucked three pieces from the tree’s branches and went back to the kitchen.
He handed Bajie and Wujing each a ginseng fruit.
Wujing took a bite. "This fruit is delicious!"
"Yes," said Wukong. "It truly is."
Bajie opened his mouth wide and threw his ginseng fruit in. Gulp!
"Bajie, you should be ashamed of yourself," said Wukong. "You didn't even chew!"
"I was too hungry to chew," said the pig. He groaned. "And now I wish I had another ginseng fruit. I didn't even taste that one!"
At that moment the two priests were walking past the kitchen.
"Did you hear what the pig said?" whispered one priest. "I think the Tang Monk's companions are eating the ginseng fruit!"
The two priests ran outside and searched the ginseng tree. Three pieces of fruit were gone.
"This is terrible!" said one priest. "The Great Immortal will be very upset!"
They ran inside and found the Tang Monk.
"Your companions are criminals!" shouted one priest.
"What are you talking about?" asked the monk.
"They stole some of our ginseng fruit!" said the other priest.
Just then Wukong, Bajie, and Wujing walked in.
"Thieves!" cried the first priest.
"How dare you call us thieves!" shouted Bajie. "What did we steal?"
"Don't pretend you don't know!" said the other priest. "You ate ginseng fruit from our master's tree!"
Wujing wiped some juice from the side of his mouth. Wukong giggled.
"What is so funny?" asked the other priest.
Wukong laughed harder and pointed at Bajie. "It was his idea!"
"You're the one who stole the fruit!" cried the pig.
"You're all thieves and liars!" cried one of the priests. "We invited you into our abbey as guests! And you repay us by stealing from us!"
The two priests yelled and yelled. They called Wukong and his companions all sorts of terrible names.
"I don't want to listen to this," thought the monkey. He recited a quick spell and changed into a spirit form. He left his body standing in the room and went out behind the abbey.
Wukong stood before the ginseng tree. "Those priests are rude!" he said to himself. "So what if we ate some ginseng fruit? They have no right to call us names!"
Wukong grew very angry. Finally he took out his iron bar and struck the tree. There was a loud crack, and the entire tree crashed to the ground.
Wukong put the iron bar back in his ear and returned to his body. The priests were still yelling.
"Stop yelling!" commanded Wukong.
The priests stopped yelling and looked at the monkey.
"I think you made a mistake," said the monkey with a big smile. "Why don't you go outside to your ginseng tree and count the fruit again?"