As summer drew to a close, the Empress of Heaven began to prepare for her yearly Peach Banquet. First, the Empress sent invitation to all the most important gods. Then, she told the cook to prepare his finest dishes. And lastly, she sent the Heavenly Fairies to pick the magic peaches. The Fairies picked a few yellow and orange peaches. But on the oldest trees, they Found only broken twigs and torn leaves. After a long search, they spotted a single purple peach. The branch bent as they tugged at it, then snapped back with a loud twang. There was a yelp-and Monkey appeared, rubbing his nose. “Hey!” he shouted. “That’s MY peach!” “The Empress needs it for her Peach Banquet,” said the Fairies politely. “A banquet ? Where’s My invitation ?. screeched Money Furious, Money cast a spell and froze the Fairies to the spot. Then he stormed off to complain to the Empress. As Money passed the banquet hall, he saw servants laying out food-spiced buns, sizzling meats, stir – fried vegetables and steaming rice. Money sniffed the air hungrily. When no one was looking, he snatched a plate and ducked into a cupboard. Inside, rows of bottles lined the shelves. Monkey picked one up and read the label. He took a swig. It tasted like honey and peaches. “Yum! Just the thing to wash down my dinner,” he thought. “I wonder if the other bottles taste as good?” And, one by one, he drank them all. Suddenly, he heard voices. Servants were coming to fetch the bottles! “The Empress is very upset about the missing peaches,” said a voice. “It’s lucky we have the potion to serve at the banquet instead. “Uh-oh,” thought Monkey, looking at the empty bottles. “Time to get out of here.