Output:
“Do you remember the lines,” the she-devil asked,

“‘I’m willing to die and be buried under flowers;

Even as a ghost shall I live and love?’”

To this the Tang Priest replied,

“My true masculinity is my great treasure;

I could not lightly give it to a bag of bones like you.”

The two of them kept up their battle of words till it was late in the night, and the Tang Priest’s resolution was unmoved. The she-devil kept tugging at his clothes, refusing to let go of him, while the master kept up his resistance. The struggle went on till the middle of the night, when the she-devil finally lost her temper and called, “Bring rope, little ones.” Sadly she had her beloved man tied up like a dog and dragged outside to the portico. Then the silver lamps were blown out and everyone went to bed for the night.


Output:
Before they knew it the cocks had crowed three times. On the mountainside the Great Sage Monkey leaned forward and said, “This head of mine ached for a while, but now it doesn’t hurt or feel numb. It’s just a bit itchy.”

“If it’s itchy then what about letting her jab it again for you?” said Pig with a grin.

“We’ve got to make her let him go,” said Monkey, spitting.

”‘Let him go, let him go,’” mocked Pig. “I bet our master spent last night having a go.”

“Stop arguing, you two,” said Friar Sand. “It’s light now. We’ve got to capture that demon as quickly as we can.”

“Brother,” said Monkey, “you stay here and look after the horse. Don’t move. Pig, come with me.”


Output:
The idiot braced himself, tightened the belt round his black cotton tunic and went with Monkey as each of them leapt up to the top of the car and arrived beneath the stone screen, weapon in hand. “You stand here,” said Monkey. “I’m afraid that the she-devil may have harmed the master during the night, so wait while I go in and find out. If he was seduced by her into losing his primal masculinity and ruining his virtue then we’ll all split up. But if he kept his spirit firm and his dhyana heart was unmoved we’ll have to hold out till we’ve killed the she-devil and rescued the master. Then we can head West.”

“Idiot!” said Pig. “As the saying goes, can a dried fish be a cat’s pillow? Even if she didn’t succeed she’ll have had a good grab at him.”

“Stop talking such nonsense,” said Monkey. “I’m going to have a look.”


Output:
The splendid Great Sage took his leave of Pig and went round the rock screen. Then he shook himself, turned back into a bee, and flew inside, where he saw two serving girls sound asleep with their heads pillowed on their watch-keepers’ clappers and gongs. When he reached the flower pavilion he found that the devils were still asleep, exhausted after being up half the night, and not aware that it was dawn. Monkey then flew on to the back of the cave, where he could half hear Sanzang’s voice. He looked up to see the master with his hands and feet all roped together under the portico. Landing lightly on Sanzang’s head he said, “Master.”

Recognizing his voice, Sanzang said, “Is that you, Wukong. Rescue me!”

“Did you have a good time last night?” Monkey asked.

“I would have died first,” Sanzang replied through clenched teeth.

“Yesterday it looked to me that she was in love with you,” Monkey continued, “so why has she been torturing you like this?”


Output:
“She pestered me for half the night,” Sanzang replied, “but I never undid my clothes or even touched the bed. She only tied me up and left me here when she saw that I was not going to give in to her. Whatever happens you must rescue me so that I can go and fetch the scriptures.” By now their conversation had woken the she-devil up. Ferocious though she was she still could not bear to lose Sanzang.

As she woke up and sat up she heard him saying “fetch the scriptures,” rolled straight out of bed, and shrieked, “What do you want to go and fetch scriptures for instead of being my husband?”

This alarmed Monkey, who left the master, spread his wings, flew out, turned back into himself, and shouted for Pig. The idiot came round the stone screen and asked, “Well? Did it happen?”

“No,” laughed Monkey, “it didn’t. She kept pawing him but he wouldn’t go along with her, so she lost her temper and tied him up. Just when he was telling me what had happened the fiend woke up and I had to rush out in a panic.”


Output:
“What did the master say?” Pig asked.

“He told me that he never undid his clothes,” Monkey replied, “and never even touched the bed.”

“That’s wonderful,” said Pig. “He’s a true monk. Let’s go and save him.”

The idiot was too crude to bother with arguing: he lifted his rake and brought it down with all his might against the doors, smashing them to pieces. This gave the serving girls who were asleep with their heads pillowed on their watch-keepers’ clappers and gongs such a fright that they ran to the inner doors shouting, “Open up! The two ugly men who came here last night have smashed the front doors down.”

The she-devil was just coming out of her bedroom when four or five serving girls came rushing in to report, “Madam, the two ugly men who were here yesterday have come back and smashed the front doors down.”


Output:
On hearing this the she-devil ordered, “Little ones, boil water at once for me to wash and comb my hair.” Then she told them, “Carry the emperor’s brother roped up as he is and lock him up in the back room. I’m going out to fight them.”

Out went the splendid monster, brandishing her trident and shouting abusively, “Vicious ape! Dirty hog! Ignorant beast! How dare you come knocking down my doors!”

“Filthy whore,” Pig retaliated, “you tie our master up and then you have the nerve to talk tough like that. You tried to seduce our master into being your husband. Give him back now and we’ll spare your life. If there’s so much as a hint of a ‘no’ from you this rake of mine will smash your whole mountain down.”


Output:
The demon did not allow any more argument but summoned up her spirits and used the same magic as before to breathe out smoke and fire as she thrust at Pig with her steel trident. Swerving aside to avoid the blow, Pig struck back with his rake. When Monkey joined in to help him with his cudgel the she-devil used more magic to give herself endless pairs of hands with which to parry their weapons to left and to right. When they had fought four or five rounds the mystery weapon jabbed Pig in the lip, making him flee for his life, dragging his rake behind him and pressing a hand to his mouth. Monkey, who was also rather scared of her, feinted with his cudgel and fled in defeat too. The she-devil went back into her cave in victory, telling her underlings to build up a temporary outer barrier with rocks.

Friar Sand heard piggish groans as he was pasturing the horse and looked up to see Pig coming towards him with his hand on his face and moaning. “What’s up?” Friar Sand asked.


Output:
“It’s terrible, terrible,” the idiot groaned, “the pain, the pain.”

He was still complaining when Monkey turned up too, saying with a grin, “Idiot! Yesterday you wished me a carbuncle on my forehead, and today you’ve got one on your lip.”

“I can’t bear it,” groaned Pig, “it’s agony, it’s excruciating.”

Just as the three of them were at a loss as to what to do an old woman came by with a green bamboo basket carrying wild vegetables from the hills to the South. “Brother,” said Friar Sand to Monkey, “that woman’s coming this way. I’ll ask her who this evil spirit is and what weapon she has that causes such terrible wounds.”

“You stay here while I go and ask her,” Monkey said, and taking a quick look he saw that there was a halo of auspicious cloud directly above the old woman’s head, and that fragrant mists were all around her.


Output:
Recognizing who it was, Monkey called out, “Come and kowtow, brothers. This lady is the Bodhisattva.” This so surprised them that Pig kowtowed despite his pain, Friar Sand bowed low as he held the horse, and Monkey fell to his knees and called, “I submit to The Merciful and Compassionate Deliverer from Suffering, the Miraculously Responding Bodhisattva Guanyin.”

Seeing that they had recognized her, the Bodhisattva rose up into midair on her auspicious cloud and appeared in her true form as the carrier of the fish basket. Going up into the sky with her, Monkey kowtowed and reported, “Bodhisattva, please forgive your disciple for failing to come to meet you. Because we were so busy trying to save the master we did not realize that you had come to see us. We are now up against a monster we can’t beat, and we beseech you, Bodhisattva, to help us.”


Output:
“She is indeed a very terrible monster,” the Bodhisattva replied. “Her trident is really the two claws she was born with, and what causes such agonizing wounds is a sting in her tail called ‘horse-killer poison’. She was originally a scorpion spirit who used to listen to the Buddha preaching the scriptures on the Thunder Monastery. When the Tathagata Buddha saw her and mistakenly tried to push her away with his hand she used her tail to sting him on his left thumb. The Buddha in his pain told one of the vajrapanis to arrest her and she is now here. You will have to ask someone else for help as I too have to keep my distance from her.”

Monkey then bowed again and said, “I beg the Bodhisattva for further instructions. Please tell your disciple whom I should go to see to ask for help.”


Output:
“Go to the Palace of Light inside the Eastern Gate of Heaven and look for the Star Officer of the Pleiades. He will be able to subdue her.” Having spoken she turned into a beam of golden light and went straight back to the Southern Ocean.

The Great Sage Monkey then brought down his cloud and said to Pig and Friar Sand, “Don’t worry, brothers. Our master has a star to save him.”

“Where?” Friar Sand asked.

“The Bodhisattva has just told me to ask the help of the Star Officer of the Pleiades,” Monkey said. “I’m off.”

“Brother,” groaned Pig, his hand still on his mouth, “please ask the star lord for some ointment to stop this pain.”

“You don’t need any ointment,” laughed Monkey. “After a night’s pain it’ll get better, just as mine did last night.”

“Stop all that talk,” said Friar Sand, “and get there as fast as you can.”


Output:
The splendid Monkey set off at once on his somersault cloud and was outside the Eastern Gate of Heaven in an instant. The Heavenly King Virudhaka suddenly appeared to greet him courteously and ask, “Where are you going, Great Sage?”

“I want to go to the Palace of Light to see the Star Lord of the Pleiades because the Tang Priest I’m escorting to the West to fetch the scriptures is being pestered by a devil,” Monkey said. Then the four marshals Tao, Zhang, Xin and Deng appeared to ask Monkey where he was going.

“I’m looking for the Star Officer of the Pleiades to subdue a demon and rescue my master,” he said.

To this they answered, “The star officer has gone on an inspection to the Star-viewing Tower today at the Jade Emperor’s command.”

“Is that true?” Monkey asked.

“We left the Dipper and Bull Palace with him,” Heavenly Lord Xin said, “and we would not dare lie about it.”


Output:
“He has been gone for a long time,” Heavenly Lord Tao said, “so he may be back by now. Great Sage, you would do best to go to the Palace of Light first, and if he is not back, go on to the Star-viewing Tower.”

This delighted the Great Sage, who took his leave of them and went to the gate of the Palace of Light. Finding that the star officer was indeed not there he was just about to leave when he noticed a column of soldiers outside. Behind them was the star lord returning in his court dress sewn with golden thread. This is how he looked:

The Five Peak pins in his hat gleamed gold;

The mountain and river tablet he held was of the finest jade.

The Seven Stars hung from his waist amid clouds and mist;

Bright were the rings of jade on his Eight-pole sash.

His pendants chimed with a rhythmical sound;

The wind rushing past made a noise like bells.

The Star Officer of the Pleiades came holding his kingfisher fan;

While clouds of heavenly incense filled the hall.


Output:
When the soldiers in the front ranks saw Monkey standing outside the Palace of Light they hurried back to report, “My lord, the Great Sage Sun is here.” The star officer put away his clouds and tidied his court dress, then when the attendants carrying his insignia of office stood aside to left and right he stepped forward to greet Monkey courteously and ask, “Why are you here, Great Sage?”

“I have come especially to pay my respects and beg you to rescue my master from disaster,” Brother Monkey replied.

“What disaster, and where?” the star officer asked.

“He is in the Pipa Cave on Deadly Foe Mountain in Western Liang,” Monkey replied.

“What evil monster is there in the cave that you should need to send for me?” asked the star officer.

“The Bodhisattva Guanyin appeared to us just now,” Monkey said, “and told us that she is a scorpion spirit. She specially mentioned you, sir, as the only person who would be able to control her. That is why I have come here to ask your help.”


Output:
“I would have preferred to submit a memorial to the Jade Emperor,” the star officer replied, “but as you have come here, Great Sage, and as I am much obliged to the Bodhisattva for recommending me I would not like to lose any more time. Excuse me if I don’t offer you tea: let’s go down to subdue the demon. I can report back to His Majesty on my return.”

At that the Great Sage went out with the star officer through the Eastern Gate of Heaven and straight back to Western Liang. Seeing Deadly Foe Mountain not far off, Monkey Pointed to it and said, “That’s the mountain.” The star lord brought his cloud down and went with Monkey to the slope in front of the stone screen.

“Get up, brother,” said Friar Sand to Pig on seeing them. “Brother Monkey is back with the star officer.”

“Forgive me,” said the idiot, his hand still pressed over his mouth, “forgive me, but I’m too ill to pay you all the courtesies.”

“But you are one who cultivates his conduct,” the star lord said. “How can you be ill?”


Output:
“The she-devil jabbed me in the lip when I was fighting her,” Pig replied, and it still hurts.”

“Come here,” said the star lord, “and I’ll cure it for you.”

Only then did the idiot put his hands down as he groaned, “Please, please cure it for me. I’ll pay you well when it’s better.” The star lord then touched his lip and blew on it, at which the pain stopped. A delighted Pig went down on his knees and kowtowed to the star lord. “Wonderful, wonderful,” he said.

“Will you touch my head too?” asked Monkey with a smile.

“Why?” the star lord asked. “You weren’t jabbed with the poison.”

“I was yesterday,” said Monkey, “and it only stopped hurting after last night. It’s still rather numb and itchy and may be bad again when the weather turns overcast, which is why I would like you to cure it.” The star officer then touched and blew on his head too, thus removing the remaining poison and stopping the numbness and itching.

“Brother,” said a wrathful Pig, “let’s go and fight that vicious creature.”


Output:
“Yes, yes,” the star lord said, “you two call her out so that I can put her in her place.”

Monkey and Pig leapt up the slope and went round the stone screen once more. Yelling insults the idiot used his hands like picks and hit with his rake to clear a way through the wall of stones that had been built outside the mouth of the cave. Once through these outer defenses he struck again with his rake to smash the inner doors to sawdust, giving the little devils behind them such a shock that they ran inside to report, “Madam, those two hideous men have smashed the inner doors now.” The she-devil had just had the Tang Priest untied and sent for some vegetarian breakfast for him when she heard the inner doors being smashed. Leaping out of her flower pavilion she thrust at Pig with her trident. He parried with his rake while Monkey joined in the fight from the side. The she-devil went right up to them and was just going to use her vicious trick when the two of them, who now knew what she was about, turned and fled.


Output:
As soon as the two of them were round the rock Monkey shorted, “Where are you, star lord?” The star lord stood up at once on the mountainside in his original form as a giant rooster with twin combs. When he raised his head he was six or seven feet tall, and as soon as he crowed the monster reverted to her true appearance as a scorpion spirit the size of a pipa mandolin. When the star officer crowed again the monster’s whole body crumbled in death. There is a poem as evidence that goes,

With fancy combs and a tasseled neck,

Hard claws, long spurs and angry eyes,

Nobly he leaps, complete in all his powers,

Towering majestic as three times he cries.

He is no common fowl who by a cottage crows

But a star down from the sky in all his glory.

Vainly the vicious scorpion took a human form:

Revealed now as herself she ends her story.


Output:
Revealed now as herself she ends her story.

Pig went forward and said, one foot planted on the monster’s back, “Evil beast, You won’t be able to use your horse-killer poison this time.” The monster did not move, whereupon the idiot pounded her to mincemeat with his rake. The star lord gathered his golden light around him once more and rode away on his cloud. Monkey, Pig and Friar Sand all raised their clasped hands to Heaven in thanks.

“We have put you to much trouble,” they said. “We shall go to your palace to thank you another day.”

When the three of them had finished expressing their gratitude they bot the luggage and the horse ready and went into the cave, where the young and old serving girls were kneeling on either side saying, “My lords, we are not evil spirits but women from Western Liang who were carried off by the evil spirit. Your master is sitting in the scented room at the back crying.”


Output:
On hearing this Monkey took a very careful look around, and seeing that there were indeed no more devilish vapors he went round to the back and called, “Master!” The Tang Priest was very pleased indeed to see them all there.

“Good disciples,” he said, “I have put you to such a lot of trouble. What has happened to that woman?”

“That damned female was really a scorpion,” said Pig. “Luckily the Bodhisattva Guanyin told us what to do. Brother Monkey went to the palaces of Heaven to ask the Star Lord of the Pleiades to come down and defeat the demon. I’ve beaten her to pulp. That’s why we dared to come right inside to see you, Master.”


Output:
The Tang Priest thanked them deeply. They then looked for some meat-free rice and noodles and laid on a meal for themselves that they ate. The kidnapped women were all taken down the mountain and shown the way back home. Then they lit a firebrand and burned down all the buildings there before helping the Tang Priest back on his horse and continuing along the main road West. Indeed:

They cut themselves off from worldly connections,

Turning away from the lures of desire.

By pushing right back the ocean of gold,

In their minds and their hearts their awareness was higher.

If you don’t know how many years were to pass before they finally won their true achievement, listen to the explanation in the next installment.

Chapter Fifty-Six

The Spirit Goes Wild and Wipes Out the Bandits

The Way in Confusion Sends the Mind-Ape Away

As the poem goes,

The heart that is empty of all things is said to be pure,

In utter placidity not giving rise to a thought.


Output:
In utter placidity not giving rise to a thought.

The ape and the horse must be tethered, not left to run wild;

The spirit must always be cautious, not seeking for glory.

Wake up to Three Vehicles, wipe out the Six Bandits,

And all human destinies then become clear.

Extinguish the evil of sex and rise to enjoy

The pleasures of paradise that can be found in the West.

The story tells how Tang Sanzang bit on the bullet, straggled with all his powers to preserve the purity of his body and was rescued from the Pipa Cave when Monkey and the others killed the scorpion spirit. There is nothing to tell about the next stage of their journey, and it was soon summer again. What they saw was

Fragrant winds carrying the scent of wild orchids,

New bamboo cool as the skies clear after rain;

No travelers to pick artemisia on the hillside,

And the fragrant flowers of cattails filling the streams.

Bees are bewitched by pomegranates’ beauty,

While siskins delight in the willow trees’ shade.


Output:
How can the wayfarers offer dumplings to Qu Yuan?

Dragon boats should be mourning his death in the river.

Master and disciples were just enjoying the early summer scenery as they spent the day of the Dragonboat Festival without being able to celebrate it when a high mountain rose in front of them to block their way forward. Sanzang reined in his horse and turned back to say, “Be careful, Wukong: I’m worried that there may be demons on that mountain ahead.”

“Don’t worry, Master,” said Brother Monkey. “We are all faithful believers. I’m not scared of demons.” This reply pleased the venerable elder greatly, who

Whipped on his noble charger,

Gave the dragon steed his head.

Before long they were above a rock-face on the mountain, and when they raised their heads to look around this is what they saw:

Cypress and pine that touch the azure heavens,

Creepers climbing up hazels on the cliffs.

A hundred thousand feet high,

A thousand sheer-cut strata.

A hundred thousand feet high are the towering pinnacles;


Output:
A thousand sheer-cut strata of the chasm’s sides.

Mosses and liverwort cover damp rocks,

Locust and juniper form a great forest.

Deep in the forest

Birds are heard unseen,

Singing their songs with beautiful voices.

The water in the brook is a torrent of jade;

The fallen blooms by the path are piles of gold.

The mountain is steep,

The going is hard,

And hardly a pace is on level ground.

Foxes and David’s deer come in twos;

White stage and black gibbons greet one in pairs.

The bowl of the tiger fills one with terror;

The call of the crane resounds through the sky.

Plum and red apricot provide one with food;

No names can be put to the many wild flowers.


Output:
No names can be put to the many wild flowers.

After climbing the mountain slowly for a long time the four of them crossed the summit, and on the Western slopes they saw a stretch of level sunlit ground. Pig put on a great show of energy, telling Friar Sand to carry the luggage while he raised his rake in both hands and tried to drive the horse ahead. But the horse was not afraid of him and carried on at the same slow pace despite all the noises he made to speed it up.

“Why are you trying to make the horse go faster, brother?” Monkey asked. “Let it walk slowly at its own speed.”

“It’s getting late,” Pig replied, “and I’m hungry after that day on the mountain. We’d better get a move on and find a house to beg some food from.”


Output: “In that case let me speed him up,” said Monkey waving his gold-banded cudgel and shouting, at which the horse slipped its halter and started to gallop along the track with the speed of an arrow. Do you wonder why the horse was afraid of Monkey but not of Pig? It was because five hundred years earlier Monkey had been given a post in the Imperial Stables in the Daluo Heaven as Protector of the Horses; the name has been passed on right till the present day, which is why all horses are still afraid of monkeys. The venerable elder could not keep hold of the reins: he simply held tight to the saddle and gave the horse its head as it galloped six or seven miles towards some farm land before slowing down to a walk.


Output:
As Sanzang was riding along he heard a gong being struck as over thirty men armed with spears, swords and staves emerged from both sides of the track to block his way and say, “Where do you think you’re going, monk?” This made the Tang Priest shake with fright so badly that he lost his seat and fell off the horse.

“Spare my life, Your Majesty,” he pleaded as he squatted in the undergrowth by the path, “Spare my life.”

The two chiefs of the gang then said, “We’re not going to kill you. Just give us your money.” Only then did the venerable elder realize that they were bandits. As he raised his head to look at them this is what he saw:

One’s blue face and protruding fangs were worse than an evil god’s:

The other’s bulging eyes were like the Star of Death.

The red hair at their temples seemed ablaze;

Their brownish bristles were as sharp as needles.

Both wore berets of tiger skin.

And kilts of marten fur.

One carried a cudgel with wolf-tooth spikes,

The other a rope of knotted rattan.


Output:
The other a rope of knotted rattan.

They were no less terrible than mountain tigers,

And just as frightening as dragons from the waters.

On seeing how murderous they looked Sanzang could only rise to his feet, put his hands together before his chest, and say, “Your Majesties, I have been sent by the Tang emperor in the East to fetch the scriptures from the Western Heaven. It has been many years since I left Chang’an and all my travelling money was finished long ago. We monks may only support ourselves by begging—we don’t have any money. I beg you, Your Majesties, to show charity and allow me to pass.” The two bandit chiefs led their men forward and said, “We here are tigers. The only reason we stop travelers on the main roads is to get rich. Charity doesn’t come into it. If you’ve got no money, take your clothes off and give us that white horse, then we’ll let you go on your way.”


Output:
“Amitabha Buddha!” said Sanzang. “This habit of mine was begged piece by piece, a bit of cloth from one family and a needle from another. If you take it you will be killing me. If you act as tough guys in this life you’ll be reborn as animals in the next.”

One of the bandit chiefs was so infuriated by this remark that he started to wave his cudgel about and went up to Sanzang to strike him. Unable to speak, Sanzang could only think, “Poor man, you may think you’ve got a cudgel: wait till you find out about my disciple’s.” The bandit was in no mood for argument as he raised his cudgel and started to lay about Sanzang. Sanzang, who in all his life had never told a lie, in this desperate crisis had to make one up now: “Don’t hit me, Your Majesties. I have a young disciple following behind me who’ll be here soon. He has several ounces of silver that he’ll give to you.”


Output:
“Don’t hurt the monk,” said one of the bandit chiefs. “Tie him up.” The crowd of bandits then fell upon him, roped him up, and suspended him high from a tree.

The three disaster-bringing spirits were still following behind. Pig was chuckling aloud as he said, “The master’s been going very fast. I don’t know where he’s waiting for us.” Then he saw Sanzang in the tree and said, “Just look at the master, He could have just waited if he’d wanted to, but he was in such high spirits he had to climb a tree and make a swing out of creepers.”

“Stop talking nonsense,” said Monkey when he saw what had happened. “The master’s been hung up there, hasn’t he? You two wait for a moment while I go up and look around.”


Output:
The splendid Great Sage then rushed up the slope to look around and saw the bandits. “I’m in luck,” he thought with glee, “I’m in luck. Business has brought itself to my front door.” With that he turned round, shook himself, and turned into a trim little novice of only sixteen wearing a black habit and carrying a bundle wrapped in blue cotton cloth on his shoulder. Then he stepped out until he was by the master and called, “Master, what’s been happening? Who are these wicked people?”

“Rescue me, disciple,” said Sanzang, “and stop asking so many questions.”

“What’s it all about?” Monkey asked.

“These highwaymen blocked my way and demanded money,” Sanzang replied. “As I don’t have any they hung me up here. I’m waiting for you to work something out. If you can’t you’ll just have to give them the horse.”


Output:
“You’re hopeless, Master,” laughed Monkey. “Of all the monks in the world there can be few as soft as you. When the Tang Emperor Taizong sent you to worship the Buddha in the Western Heaven he never told you to give that dragon horse away.”

“Whatever was I to do when they hung me up here and were hitting me as they demanded things?” said Sanzang.

“What did you say to them?” Monkey asked.

“I was so desperate when they beat me that I had no choice: I had to tell them about you,” Sanzang replied.

“Master,” said Monkey, “you’re useless. Why ever did you squeal on me?”

“I told them that you were carrying some money,” said Sanzang. “I only did it in desperation to stop them beating me.”

“Great,” said Brother Monkey, “great. Thanks for the recommendation. That just how to squeal on me. You can do that seventy or eighty times a month if you like, and I’ll do more business than ever.”


Output:
When the bandits saw Monkey talking to his master they spread out to surround them and said, “Little monk, get out the money your master told us you’re carrying inside your belt and we’ll spare your life. But if you even try to say no, you’re dead.”

“Don’t shout, gentlemen,” said Monkey, putting his bundle down. “I’ve got some money in here, but not much—only twenty horseshoe ingots of gold and twenty or thirty ingots of frosted silver, not counting the smaller pieces. If you want it I’ll get the whole packet out as long as you don’t hit my master. As the ancient book has it, ‘Virtue is the root, and wealth is only the tip of the branch’. This is just the tip of the branch. We men of religion can always find a place to beg. When we meet a benefactor who feeds monks there’ll be plenty of money and clothes for us. We don’t need much at all. As soon as you’ve let my master down I’ll give you it all.”


Output:
When the bandits heard this they were delighted, and they all said, “The old monk is stingy, but this little monk is very generous. Let him down.” Now that his life had been spared the venerable elder leapt on the horse and galloped back the way he had come, making good use of the whip and not giving Monkey another thought.

“You’ve gone the wrong way,” Monkey called out in alarm, then picked up his bundle and started to run after him, only to find his way blocked by the bandits.

“Where do you think you’re going?” they asked. “Give us your money or we’ll have to torture you.”

“Now we’re on that subject,” said Monkey, “we’ll have to split the money three ways.”

“You’re a bit of a rascal, aren’t you, little monk?” said one of the bandit chiefs. “You want to keep something without letting your master know. All right then. Bring it all out and we’ll have a look at it. If there’s a lot we’ll let you keep a bit to buy fruit with on the side.”


Output:
“That’s not what I mean at all, brother,” said Monkey. “I haven’t got any money. What I mean is that you’ve got to give me a cut of the gold and silver you two have stolen from other people.”

This infuriated the bandit chief, who shouted abusively, “You’re asking for it, little monk. Wanting ours instead of giving us yours! Stay where you are and take this.” He lifted his knotted rattan cane and brought it down on Monkey’s head six or seven times.

Monkey pretended not to notice, and his face was wreathed in smiles as he said, “Brother, if you can only hit me like that you could still be hitting me at the end of next spring and you wouldn’t really have hit me at all.”

“You have a very hard head,” exclaimed the shocked bandit.

“No, no, you overpraise me: I just get by with it,” Monkey replied. With that the discussion was cut short as two or three of the bandits rushed at Monkey and started lashing out at him.

“Keep your tempers, gentlemen,” said Monkey, “while I get it out.”


Output:
The splendid Great Sage then felt in his ear and pulled out an embroidery needle. “Gentlemen,” he said, “we monks really don’t carry money with us. All I can give you is this needle.”

“What lousy luck,” said one of the bandits. “We’ve let the rich monk go and kept this bald donkey who’s not got a penny to his name. I suppose you do tailoring. A needle’s no use to us.” On hearing that they did not want it Monkey held the needle in his hand, waved it, and turned it into a cudgel as thick as a rice bowl.

“Young you may be, little monk,” said the terrified bandits, “but you certainly have some magical powers.”


Output:
Monkey then thrust the cudgel into the ground and said, “If any of you gentlemen can move it it’s yours.” The two bandit chiefs rushed up to grab it, but they could no more move it than a dragonfly can move a stone pillar: it did not shift a fraction of an inch. How could those bandits have known that the gold-banded As-You-Will cudgel had been weighed on the scales of Heaven at 13,500 pounds? Then Monkey stepped forward, lifted it effortlessly, spun it in a writhing python movement, pointed it at the robbers and said, “You’re all out of luck: you’ve met Monkey.”

The bandit chief rushed at him again and hit him another fifty or sixty times. “Your hands must be getting tired,” said Monkey. “Let me hit you one now, but don’t think this is the real thing.” Watch him as he swings his cudgel, shakes it, and makes it as thick as the top of a well and seventy or eighty feet long. A single blow of it struck one bandit chief to the ground. He bit the dust and said no more.


Output:
“You’re pretty cheek there, baldy,” said the other bandit chief abusively. “You’ve got no money, and now you’ve killed one of us.”

“Just a moment,” said Monkey with a smile. “I’m going to kill every one of you and wipe you all out.” With another swing of his cudgel he killed the other bandit chief, at which all their men threw down their spears and clubs and scattered in terror, fleeing for their lives.

The Tang Priest galloped Eastwards until Pig and Friar Sand stopped him and asked, “Where are you going, Master? This is the wrong way.”

“Disciples,” said Sanzang, reining in his horse, “go back and tell your brother to be merciful with that cudgel of his and not kill all the bandits.”

“Stop here, Master,” said Pig. “I’ll go.” The idiot ran straight back along the path, shouting at the top of his voice, “Brother, the master says you’re not to kill them.”

“Have I killed anyone?” Monkey asked.


Output:
“Have I killed anyone?” Monkey asked.

“Where have the bandits all gone?” said Pig. “They’ve all run away apart from the two chiefs. They’re asleep here.”

“You pox-ridden pair,” said Pig, addressing them, “no doubt you had a hard night of it and were so exhausted that you had to choose this of all places to sleep.” Walking closer to them he went on, “You’re like me: you sleep with your mouths open and dribble.”

“It’s because I smashed the beancurd out of them with my cudgel,” said Monkey.

“But people don’t have beancurd in their heads,” said Pig.

“I beat their brains out,” said Monkey.

The moment he heard Monkey say that the idiot turned and rushed straight back to say to the Tang Priest, “He’s scattered them.”

“Splendid, splendid,” said Sanzang. “Which way did they go?”

“He hit them so hard he laid them out,” Pig replied. “They can’t go anywhere.”

“Then what do you mean by scattering them?” Sanzang asked.

“He killed them,” Pig replied. “If that isn’t scattering their band, what else is it?”


Output:
“How did he hit them?” Sanzang asked.

“He hit two big holes in their heads,” said Pig.

“Open the bundle,” said Sanzang, “Take out a few coins, and buy some ointment somewhere to put on their wounds.”

“You’re not being at all sensible, Master,” said Pig. “There’s only any point in putting ointment on the wounds of people who are still alive. Why put it on gaping holes in people who are already dead?”

“Has he really killed them?” said Sanzang, losing his temper and beginning to mutter abusive remarks about monkeys and macaques as he turned the horse round and rode back with Friar Sand and Pig to where the dead men lay covered with gore, their heads pointing down the mountainside.

The sight was too much for the venerable elder. “Dig a grave for them with your rake and bury them,” he told Pig, “while I say the Burial Sutra for them.”

“You’re giving the job to the wrong man, Master,” complained Pig. “Monkey killed them, so Monkey ought to bury them. Why make me do the digging?”


Output:
Brother Monkey, who was already in a very bad mood after being told off by the master, shouted at Pig, “Hooligan! Moron! Bury them at once. I’ll hit you if you waste any more time.” This so alarmed the idiot that he started digging with his rake. When he was three feet down he came to a layer of stones that the prongs of his rake could not shift, so he threw the rake aside and rooted about with his snout. In the softer earth he could get two and a half feet down with one push and five feet with two. He then buried the two bodies and piled up a tombmound above them.

“Wukong,” said Sanzang, “fetch some incense and candles so that I can pray for them and recite sutras.”

“You understand nothing,” Monkey retorted, pouting. “We’re in the middle of the mountains with no village or inn for miles around. Where do you expect me to get candles and incense? There’s nowhere I could buy them even if I had the money.”


Output:
“Out of my way, ape,” said Sanzang with fury, “I am going to scatter earth on the tomb, burn incense and pray.”

Sanzang dismounted sadly by the tomb in the wild;

The holy monk prayed by the desolate grave.

These were the words of his invocation:


Output: I bow to you tough guys and ask you to hear my prayer. I am from the land of Tang in the East. At the command of Emperor Taizong I was going to the West to fetch the scriptures when I met you gentlemen here. I do not know what province, prefecture and county you came from to form your band in the mountains here. I spoke to you kindly and pleaded earnestly, but you paid no heed as you repaid good with wrath. Then you encountered Sun the Novice, who killed you with his cudgel. Out of consideration for your bodies left lying in the open I had them buried and a mound piled over them. I broke off some bamboo to serve instead of incense and candles; although they give no light, they come from a sincere heart. Only stones can I offer in place of food: they have no flavor, but they are given in honest faith. When you reach the Underworld to lodge your complaint and look for the roots of your misfortune, remember that his surname is Sun and mine is Chen: they are different. Know who it was who wronged you, just as


Output: Know who it was who wronged you, just as you would know a debtor, and do not bring a case against the monk who is going to fetch the scriptures.


Output:
“You’ve shuffled off all the blame,” said Pig with a laugh. “We two weren’t there either when Monkey killed them.”

Sanzang then picked up another pinch of earth and prayed again. “Tough guys, when you bring your case you must only indict Sun the Novice. It was nothing to do with Pig or Friar Sand.”

When Monkey heard this he could not help laughing as he replied, “Master, you’ve got no finer feelings at all. Goodness knows what efforts I’ve been to so that you can fetch your scriptures, but now that I’ve killed those two bandits you tell them to go and bring a case against me. It’s true that I did kill them, but it was only for you. If you hadn’t set out to fetch the scriptures and I hadn’t become your disciple I’d never have come here and killed them. I’m damned if I don’t invoke them, too.”


Output:
He took his iron cudgel, pounded the grave three times, and said, “Listen to me, pox-ridden bandits. You hit me seven or eight times, then seven or eight times again; you didn’t hurt me or even tickle me at all, but you did make me lose my temper. One misunderstanding led to another and I killed you. You can bring a case against me wherever you like—I’m not scared. The Jade Emperor knows me. The Heavenly Kings do as I say.

The Twenty-eight Constellations are afraid of me. The Nine Bright Shiners, the star lords, are scared of me. The city gods of counties and prefectures kneel to me; the God of the Eastern Peak Who Is Equal to Heaven is terrified of me. The Ten Kings of the Underworld used to be my servants. The Five Fierce Gods were once my juniors. The five Commanders of the Three Worlds and the Officers of the Ten Directions are all my very good friends. So go and bring your case wherever you like.”


Output:
Hearing Monkey speak in this most unpleasant way was another shock for Sanzang. “Disciple,” he said, “my prayer was only intended to teach you to spare life and become good and kind. Why do you have to take this all so seriously?”

“This is not something to fool around with, Master,” Monkey replied. “We must find somewhere for the night as soon as we can.” The master had no choice but to hold in his anger and remount.

With the Great Sage Sun feeling disgruntled and Pig and Friar Sand also suffering from jealousy, master and disciples were only getting on together on the surface: underneath there was hostility. As they carried along their road Westwards a farmhouse came into sight to the North of the track. Pointing at it with the whip Sanzang told them that this was the place where they would find somewhere to spend the night.

“Very well,” said Pig, and they went up to the farm to look at it. It was a fine sight:

Wild flowers on the paths,

Trees shading the doorways.


Output:
Trees shading the doorways.

A mountain stream fell down a distant cliff;

Wheat and mallows grew in the fields.

The reeds moistened by dew were beds for the gulls;

Poplars in the wind were perches for weary birds.

Among blue cypress the pine’s green was a rival;

Red rush competed with knotweed in fragrance.

Village dogs barked,

The cocks crowed at dusk,

Well-fed cattle and sheep were led back by boys.

Under clouds of smoke from the stoves the millet was cooked;

Now it was evening in the hill farm.

As the venerable elder went closer an old man came out through the gateway of the farm, noticed Sanzang, and greeted him. “Where have you come from, monk?” he asked, to which Sanzang replied, “I have been sent from the Great Tang in the East to fetch the scriptures from the Western Heaven. As I am passing this way and it is getting late I have come to beg a night’s lodging from you, benefactor.”


Output:
“It is a very long way indeed from your distinguished country to here,” the old man replied with a smile, “so how did you manage to cross so many rivers and climb so many mountains to get here by yourself?”

“I have three disciples who have come with me,” Sanzang said. “Where are they?” the old man asked. “There they are, standing by the road,” said Sanzang.

The old man looked up and was so appalled by their hideous faces that on the instant he turned to run back inside, only to be held back by Sanzang, who said, “Benefactor, I beg you in your mercy to let us spend the night here.”

The old man was shivering, barely able to open his mouth, shaking his head and waving his arms around as he said, “Th…th… th…they’re not human. They’re e…e…evil spirits.”

“Don’t be afraid, benefactor,” said Sanzang, putting on a smile. “They just grew ugly. They’re not evil spirits.”

“But my lord,” said the old man, “one’s raksha demon, one’s a horse-faced devil, and one’s a thunder god.”


Output:
When Monkey heard this last remark he shouted at the top of his voice, “The thunder gods are my grandsons, the rakshas are my great-grandsons, and the horse-faced devils are my great-great-grandsons.”

This sent the old man’s souls flying as he paled and wanted to go in. Sanzang held him up as they went into the thatched main room of the house, and said with a forced smile, “Don’t be afraid of him. They are all rough like that. They don’t know how to speak properly.”

As he was making his explanations a woman came out from the back holding a child of four or five by the hand. “What has given you such a fright, sir?” she asked.


Output:
“Bring some tea, wife,” he said, and the woman let go of the child’s hand and fetched two cups of tea from the inside. When the tea had been drunk Sanzang stepped down from his seat to greet her and explain, “I have been sent by Great Tang in the East to fetch the scriptures from the Western Heaven. I had just arrived here and was asking for a night’s lodging in your distinguished mansion when the sight of my three disciples’ ugly faces gave the old gentleman rather a fright.”

“If the sight of ugly faces gives you such a scare how would you cope if you saw a tiger or a wolf?” the woman said.

“Their ugliness I could take, wife,” the old man replied. “What terrified me was the way they spoke. When I said they were like a raksha, a horse-faced devil and a thunder god one of them shouted that thunder gods were his grandsons, rakshas his great-grandsons, and horse-faced devils his great-great-grandsons. That was what really terrified me.”


Output:
“No need to be frightened,” said Sanzang, “no need. The one like a thunder god is my senior disciple Sun Wukong. The one like a horse-faced devil is my second disciple Zhu Wuneng, or Pig. And the one like a raksha is my third disciple Sha Wujing, or Friar Sand. Although they are ugly they are all faithful Buddhists who believe in the true achievement. They are not evil monsters or vicious demons. They are nothing to be afraid of.”

When the old man and his wife heard who Sanzang was and were told that the disciples were all devout Buddhists their nerves were finally somewhat calmed, and they told Sanzang to invite them in. The venerable elder went to the door to call them over, then told them, “The old gentleman was really appalled by the sight of you just now. When you go in to see him now you must all be on your best behavior and be very polite to him.”

“I’m handsome and cultured,” said Pig, “not rough and noisy like my brothers,”


Output:
“If it weren’t for your long snout, big ears and ugly face you’d be a very good-looking man,” laughed Monkey.

“Stop quarrelling,” said Friar Sand. “This is hardly the place for a beauty contest. Get inside!”

With that they carried the luggage and led the horse in, entered the main room, made a respectful call of greeting, and sat down. The good and able wife took the child out and gave orders for rice to be cooked and a vegetarian meal prepared. When master and disciples had eaten it the night was drawing in, so a lamp was fetched and they sat talking in the main room. Only then did Sanzang ask his host’s surname.

“Yang,” the old man replied, and on being asked his age said he was seventy-three.

“How many sons do you have?” Sanzang asked.

“Only one,” the old man replied. “It was my grandson that my wife brought in just now.”

“Won’t you ask your son in? I would like to greet him,” said Sanzang.


Output:
“He’s not worth your courtesy, the wretch,” the old man replied. “I was fated to raise a worthless son, and he isn’t at home now.”

“Where does he make his living?” Sanzang asked.

The old man nodded and sighed as he replied, “It’s sad story. I would be very happy if he were willing to make an honest living, but his mind is set on evil and he won’t work at farming. All he wants to do is to rob houses, hold up travelers, burn and kill. His cronies are all worse than foxes and dogs. He went away five days ago and he hasn’t come back.”

Sanzang did not dare to breathe a word when he heard this, but he thought, “Perhaps he was one of the ones Wukong killed.” Feeling very uneasy, he bowed as he sat there. “Oh dear,” he said, “oh dear. How could such good parents have so wicked a son?”

Monkey went up to the old man and said, “What do you want a rotten son like that for? He’s a murderer and a rapist, and he’ll get both of you into trouble too. Let me find him and kill him for you.”


Output:
“I wish I could be rid of him,” said the old man, “but if I did I have no other son. Evil though he is I’ll need him to bury me.”

“Stop meddling in things that are none of your business, brother,” said Friar Sand and Pig. “We’re not the government. What’s it to us if his son’s a bad lot? Benefactor, could you give us a bundle of straw to spread out and sleep on over there? We’ll be on our way tomorrow morning.” The old man rose to his feet and sent Friar Sand to take two bundles of rice straw to the yard at the back, where they were to spend the night in a thatched shed. Monkey led the horse and Pig carried the luggage as they took their master to the shed and

slept the night there, where we shall leave them.


Output:
Now old Mr. Yang’s son was indeed one of the bandits who had fled for their lives after Monkey killed their two chiefs on the mountainside the previous morning. Late that night, in the small hours, a group of them gathered together again and knocked at the front gate. Hearing the noise the old man pulled some clothes over his shoulders and said, “Wife, those damned bandits are here.”

“Then open the gate and let them in,” she replied. Only then did he open up, and what he saw was a crowd of bandits shouting, “We’re starving, we’re staving.” Old Mr. Yang’s son rushed in, and made his wife get up to cook some rice. As there was no firewood in the kitchen he went into the yard to fetch some.

Back in the kitchen he asked his wife, “Where did the white horse in the yard come from?”

“There are some monks from the East who are going to get scriptures,” she replied. “They asked to stay here last night. Your parents treated them to supper and put them up in the thatched shed.”


Output:
The news made the bandit clap his hands with glee as he came out of the hall saying, “What a piece of luck, brothers, what a piece of luck. Our enemies are right here in my own home.”

“What enemies?” the others all asked.

:The monks who killed our chiefs came here for the night,” he replied, “and they’re asleep in the shed.”

“Lovely,” said the other bandits. “Let’s get those bald-headed donkeys. We can chop them all up and pickle them in soy sauce. We’ll have their things and their horse and be avenging the chiefs into the bargain.”

“Take it easy,” said Yang the bandit. “You lot go and sharpen your swords while we cook the rice. Let’s all have a good feed before we do them in.” Whereupon the bandits sharpened their swords and their spears.


Output:
The old man had heard all this, so he crept stealthily round to the back to tell the Tang Priest and his disciples, “That evil son of mine has brought the gang here. They know you’re here and they want to murder you. Knowing how far you’ve come I couldn’t bear to see you murdered, so please pack your bags as fast as you can. I’ll let you out through the back gate.”

Sanzang, now shivering with fright, kowtowed to the old man in thanks then told Pig to lead the horse while Friar Sand shouldered the carrying pole and Monkey took the nine-ringed monastic staff. The old man opened the back gate to let them out then made his way quietly back to the front to go to bed.


Output:
By the time the bandits had sharpened their weapons and eaten a good meal it was the fifth watch and almost dawn. They crowded into the backyard to find their intended victims gone. Quickly lighting lamps and fires they made a long search but could find no traces of them anywhere except that the back gate was open. “They’ve got away out the back,” they all exclaimed. “After them! Catch them!”

They all rushed along as fast as arrows, and when the sun rose in the East they finally saw Sanzang, who looked back when he heard shouts and saw a crowd of twenty or thirty men armed with spears and swords coming after him.

“Disciples,” he called, “the bandits have caught up with us. Whatever shall we do?”

“Don’t worry,” said Monkey. “I’ll finish them off.”

“Wukong,” said Sanzang, reining in his horse, “you’re not to hurt them. Just scare them off.”

Not a blind bit of notice did Monkey take of this as he swung his cudgel and turned to face them. “Where do you gentlemen think you’re going?” he asked.


Output:
“Bloody baldies,” they shouted back abusively, ringing Monkey in a circle, “give us back our chiefs.” When they started thrusting and hacking at him with their spears and swords the Great Sage whirled his cudgel once around, made it as thick as a ricebowl, and scattered the lot of them. Those who took the full impact of it were killed outright; glancing blows broke bones, and even a touch left an open wound. A few of the nimbler ones managed a getaway, but the slower ones all had to pay their respects to King Yama in the Underworld.

At the sight of so many people being struck down a panic-stricken Sanzang made his horse gallop West as fast as it could, with Pig and Friar Sand rushing along beside. “Which of you is old Yang’s boy?” Monkey asked the wounded bandits who were still alive.

“The one in yellow, my lord,” they groaned.


Output:
“The one in yellow, my lord,” they groaned.

Monkey went over, took his sword from him, and sliced off his head. Holding the gory head in his hand he put his cudgel away and caught up with the Tang Priest by cloud. “Master,” he said, waving the head in front of the horse, “here’s the head of old Yang’s wicked son.”

Sanzang, pale with horror, fell out of the saddle. “Evil macaque,” he said, “you will be the death of me, terrifying me like that. Take it away at once.” Pig kicked the head to the side of the path and buried it with his rake.

“Do get up, Master,” said Friar Sand, putting down the carrying pole and supporting the Tang Priest. Pulling himself together as he sat there on the ground the venerable elder started to recite the Band-tightening Spell. Monkey’s skull was squeezed so tight that his face and ears turned bright red, his eyes bulged and his head ached. “Stop! Stop!” he pleaded, rolling around in agony, but even when Sanzang had said it a dozen times or more he still carried on.


Output:
In his unbearable agony Monkey turned somersaults and stood on his head, screaming, “Forgive me, Master. Say what you have to say. Stop, stop!” Only then did Sanzang stop reciting the spell.

“I’ve nothing to say to you,” he replied. “I don’t want you with me any more. Go back.” Kowtowing despite his pain, Monkey asked, “Master, why are you sending me away?”


Output:
“Wicked ape,” said Sanzang, “you’re too much of a murderer to fetch scriptures. I gave it to you yesterday for your cruelty in killing the two bandit chiefs on the mountainside. When we reached the old gentleman’s house late yesterday evening he gave us a meal and a night’s lodging, and we only got away with our lives because he helped us to escape through the back gate. Even though his son was a bad lot that was none of our business, and it was wrong of you to cut off his head, to say nothing of all the other lives you destroyed. Goodness knows how much you have damaged the harmony of heaven and earth. Despite my repeated advice there is not a shred of goodness in you. I do not need yon at all. Clear off at once if you don’t want me to say the spell again.”

“Don’t say it, don’t say it,” pleaded Monkey in terror, “I’m going.” No sooner had the words left his mouth than he disappeared without a trace on his somersault cloud. Alas!

When the mind is full of murder,

Cinnabar cannot be treated.


Output:
Cinnabar cannot be treated.

If the spirit is in disorder,

The Way stays uncompleted.

If you don’t know where the Great Sage had gone listen to the explanation in the next installment.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

The True Sun Wukong Makes His Complaint at Potaraka

The False Monkey King Copies a Document in the Water Curtain Cave

Angry and depressed, the Great Sage Sun rose up into the air. There were many places he would have liked to go to but could not. In the Water Curtain Cave on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit he was afraid of being teased for coming back so soon after he had gone, not like a real man. He did not think he would be allowed to stay long in the palaces of Heaven; he could not face the immortals in the three magic islands in the sea; and he could not bring himself to beg for the help of the dragon king in his dragon palace. He had nobody to turn to.

“There’s nothing for it,” he thought bitterly. “I’ll just have to go back to the master and pursue the true achievement.”


Output:
He then brought his cloud straight down to stand in front of the Tang Priest’s horse and say, “Please forgive me this time, Master. I’ll never commit another murder, and I’ll do every thing you tell me. You must, must let me escort you to the Western Heaven.” The moment the Tang Priest saw him he reined in the horse. His only reply was to start reciting the Band-tightening Spell, which he did over and over again more than twenty times, not stopping until Monkey lay weeping on the ground, the band sunk a good inch into his head.

“Why haven’t you gone back? Why are you still bothering me?” Sanzang asked.

“Don’t say it again,” said Monkey, “don’t! I’ve got places I can live, but I’m afraid you’ll never reach the Western Heaven without me.”


Output:
“You are a brutal murderer, you macaque,” Sanzang angrily burst out. “You have got me into a lot of trouble on your account. I want nothing more to do with you. Whether I get there or not is nothing to do with you. Go at once. One more moment’s delay and I’ll say the spell again, and I won’t stop till your brains have all been squeezed out.” In unbearable pain, and seeing that the master would not change his mind, Monkey had no choice. Once again he shot up into the air on his somersault cloud, and this time he had a sudden inspiration.

“That monk has let me down,” he thought. “I’m off to Potaraka to lodge a complaint with the Bodhisattva Guanyin.”

The splendid Monkey set off once more on his somersault cloud and in less than two hours he was at the Southern Ocean. He stopped his auspicious cloud and then straight to Potaraka.

Sun Wukong charged in to the Purple Bamboo Grove where Moksa the Novice appeared to greet him politely and ask, “Where are you going, Great Sage?”


Output:
“I would like to see the Bodhisattva,” he replied. Moksa then led him to the mouth of the Tide Cave, where the page Sudhana bowed and asked, “Why are you here, Great, Sage?”

“I want to lay a complaint before the Bodhisattva,” Monkey replied.

At the word “complaint” Sudhana said with a smile, “What an evil tongue you have, you ape. It’s just like when you tricked me after I caught the Tang Priest. Our Bodhisattva is an infinitely holy and good Bodhisattva who in her great mercy and compassion has made a vow to use the Great Vehicle to save all suffering beings. What could she have done wrong for you to complain about?”


Output:
At this Monkey, who was already in thoroughly bad spirits, exploded with fury. He gave a shout that made Sudhana fall back: “Ungrateful little beast! Stupid fool! You used to be a monster-spirit till I asked the Bodhisattva to win you over and convert you. Now you’re living in eternal bliss and freedom, and you’ll go on doing so as long as the heavens last. You ought to be bowing low to thank me instead of being so thoroughly insulting. I come here with a complaint to lay before the Bodhisattva, and you accuse me of having an evil tongue and complaining about her.”

“I see you’re as hot-tempered a monkey as ever,” said Sudhana. “I was only teasing: no need to turn nasty.”


Output: As they were talking the white parrot came and flew around them, which they recognized as a summons from the Bodhisattva. Moksa and Sudhana then led Monkey in to her lotus throne, where he kowtowed to her, howling aloud as the tears streamed down his cheeks. Telling Moksa and Sudhana to help Monkey to his feet, the Bodhisattva said, “Wukong, tell me straight out what it is that is upsetting you so. Don’t cry: I shall deliver you from your troubles.”


Output: “I’ve never been treated this badly in the whole of my life,” said a tearful Monkey, continuing to kowtow to her. “Ever since you saved me from the disaster sent by Heaven I’ve been a faithful Buddhist and protected the Tang Priest on his way to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha and fetch the scriptures. I’ve risked my skin to rescue him from demons, even though it’s been like taking crunchy bones out of a tiger’s mouth, or lifting the scales on a dragon’s back. I’ve been trying so hard to win a true reward and wipe out my past sins. I never thought that the master would be so ungrateful that he’d ruin my chances of a good destiny because he couldn’t tell right from wrong.”


Output: “Explain what you mean by not telling right from wrong,” said the Bodhisattva, and Monkey told her all the details of how the bandits had been killed, and of how in his anger at so much slaughter the Tang Priest had said the Band-tightening Spell many times over without going into the rights and wrongs of the case then repeatedly sent him away. He said he had come to her because he had no way of getting up to heaven or into the earth.


Output:
“The Tang Priest is travelling West on his emperor’s orders,” said the Bodhisattva, “and would not allow anyone to be killed for no good reason. He is a monk whose heart is set on kindness. Why did someone of your tremendous powers need to bother with killing so many small-time bandits? Bandits like that are bad, but they’re human and it’s wrong to kill them. It’s not the same as with evil beasts, demons and spirits. Killing them is a good deed. Killing those men was cruel. You could have saved your master by just making them run away. In my impartial judgement it was wicked of you to kill them.”

“Even if I was wicked,” said Monkey, “I ought to be allowed to redeem it by doing good. He was wrong to sent me away like that. I beg you in your mercy, Bodhisattva, say the Band-loosening Spell and take it off. I’ll give the band back to you and go and live in the Water Curtain Cave.”


Output:
“The Tathagata Buddha taught me the Band-tightening Spell,” the Bodhisattva replied. “He gave me three treasures when I was sent to the East to find a pilgrim to fetch the scriptures: the brocade cassock, the nine-ringed monastic staff, and the three bands. He taught me the three secret spells, but a band-loosening spell was not one of them.”

“In that case, Bodhisattva, I must say good-bye,” Monkey replied. “Where will you go?” the Bodhisattva asked. “I’ll go to the Western Heaven to pay my respects to the Tathagata and ask him to teach me the Band-loosening Spell.” Monkey replied. “Wait a moment while I find out for you whether the prospects are good.”

“No need,” said Monkey. “Things are quite bad enough as they are already.”

“I’m not finding out about yours but about the Tang Priest’s,” the Bodhisattva replied.


Output:
The splendid Bodhisattva then took her seat on her lotus throne and sent her heart roaming through the three worlds while her perceptive eyes traveled all over the universe. Within the instant she spoke: “Wukong, your master is just about to be wounded, and he will soon be coming to look for you. Wait here while I go to see the Tang Priest and tell him to continue taking you with him to fetch the scriptures and achieve the true reward.” The Great Sage could only agree and control his impatience as he stood at the foot of the lotus throne.

The story returns to the Tang Priest, who since sending Monkey away had done some fifteen more miles to the West with Pig leading the horse and Friar Sand carrying the luggage. “Disciples,” he said, reining in the horse, “I’m extremely hungry and thirsty. I’ve been going for many hours since we left that cottage before dawn and I’ve been thoroughly upset by that Protector of the Horses. Which of you is going to beg me some food?”


Output:
“Down you get, Master,” said Pig, “while I look round here for a village to beg some food in.” At this Sanzang dismounted, while the idiot went up into the air on a cloud and took a good look all around. All he could see were mountains: there was no hope of spotting a human house. Bringing the cloud back down Pig said to Sanzang, “There’s nowhere to beg from here. I couldn’t see a single farm when I looked around.”

“In that case,” said Sanzang, “fetch us some water to quench our thirst.”

“I’ll get some from the stream on that mountain to the South,” said Pig, and Friar Sand handed him the begging bowl. While Pig carried it off on his cloud the master sat and waited beside the path for a very long time, getting more and more unbearably thirsty, and there was no sign of Pig. There is a poem to prove it that goes,

Preserve the true spirit and nourish the breath, for this is called essence.

Feeling and nature originally shared the same form.

When spirit and heart are disordered all illness arises;


Output:
If essence and form both decline the primal will crash.

Without the three contemplations all effort is wasted;

Should the four elements be too wretched there’s no point in contending.

Without earth and wood there can be no more metal or water;

How can the dharma body be won through idleness?

Seeing his master in agony from thirst as Pig was not back with the water, Friar Sand put the luggage down, tethered the white horse, and said, “Master, make yourself comfortable. I’m going to hurry him up with that water.” Sanzang, too tearful to speak, nodded his head in agreement, whereupon Friar Sand headed by cloud for the mountain to the South.

Sanzang was left by himself to endure his excruciating pain. In his deep misery he was alarmed by a noise that made him sit up and look. It was Monkey kneeling by the side of the path holding a porcelain cup and saying, “Without me you can’t even have water to drink, Master. Drink this cup of lovely cold water while I go to beg you some food.”


Output:
“I won’t drink water you give me,” said Sanzang. “I’d rather die of thirst right here. I want no more of you. Go away.”

“But you’ll never get to the Western Heaven without me,” said Monkey. “Whether I get there or not is none of your business,” the Tang Priest replied. “Wicked ape! Why do you keep pestering me?” At that Monkey turned angry and started shouting abusively, “You’ve been lousy to me, you cruel, vicious old baldy.” With that he threw the bowl aside and swung his cudgel, hitting Sanzang on his back. Sanzang fell to the ground, barely conscious and unable to speak, as Monkey took the two bundles wrapped in blue felt in his arms and disappeared without trace on a somersault cloud.


Output:
As Pig was hurrying to the mountain to the South with the bowl in his hand he noticed a thatched cottage in a hollow. He had not spotted it when first he looked because it had been hidden in a fold of the mountain. Realizing that it was a house now he was close to the idiot thought, “If I show them my ugly mug they’ll be so scared they won’t possibly give me any food. It’d all be wasted effort. I’d better turn into something a bit better-looking.”

The splendid idiot then made a spell with his hands, said the magic words, shook himself seven or eight times, and turned himself into a consumptive monk with a fat, sallow face who was mumbling something as he went up to the door and called out, “Benefactor, have you any leftover rice in the kitchen for starving travelers? I’m from the East and I’m on my way to fetch scriptures from the Western Heaven. My master is back at the road, hungry and thirsty. If you have any left-over rice stuck to the bottom of your pan I beg you to give me some to save our lives.”


Output:
As it happened the men of the house were all out transplanting rice and sowing millet, and the only people in were two women who had just cooked the rice for the midday meal and had filled two platters with it that they were preparing to take to the fields. There was some rice left at the bottom of the pan. Seeing how sickly he looked they took what he said about going from the East to fetch the scriptures from the Western Heaven as delirious ravings. Afraid he might collapse and die in the doorway, they made a great to-do as they filled his bowl with rice from the bottom of the pan. The idiot took it from them, reverted to his true form, and went back the way he had come.

As he was going along he heard a shout of “Pig!” and looked up to see Friar Sand standing on the top of a precipice yelling, “Over here, over here.” Friar Sand came down and walked straight towards him, asking, “Why didn’t you take some of the fresh water from this stream? Why did you go over there?”


Output:
“After I got here I saw a cottage in a hollow, so I went and begged this bowlful of rice.”

“We could certainly use it,” said Friar Sand, “but the master is terribly thirsty, so how are we going to carry some water back?”

“That’s easy,” said Pig. “Carry this rice in the fold of your habit while I go and fetch some water in this bowl.”

The two of them were feeling very cheerful as they went back to the path, only to find Sanzang lying face downwards in the dirt. The white horse had slipped its bridle and was running to and fro beside the path, whinnying. There was not a sigh of the baggage. Pig stumbled and beat his breast with horror, “Don’t tell me,” he shouted, “don’t tell me. The survivors of the gang Monkey drove away have come back, killed the master and stolen the baggage.”

“Tether the horse,” said Friar Sand. “Whatever shall we do? We’ve failed halfway along our journey. Master!” Tears poured down his face as he sobbed bitterly.


Output:
“Don’t cry, brother,” said Pig. “As this is what’s happened we’ll just have to forget about fetching the scriptures. You look after the master’s body. I’ll take the horse till I get to some town, village, market or inn where I can sell it for a few ounces of silver to buy a coffin to bury him in. Then we’ll split up and go our separate ways.”

Friar Sand, unable to bear the loss of his master, turned the body over to warm the face with his own. “Poor, poor master,” he cried, then noticed hot breath coming from his master’s nose and felt warmth in his chest. “Come here, Pig,” he shouted, “the master’s still alive.” Pig came over and helped Sanzang to sit up.

As Sanzang came to he groaned and said bitterly, “That evil macaque tried to murder me.”

“What macaque?” the other two asked. The venerable elder sighed and said nothing.


Output:
Only when he had asked for and drunk a few mouthfuls of water did he reply, “As soon as you’d gone Wukong came to pester me again. When I still refused to take him back he hit me with his cudgel and stole the bundles wrapped in blue felt.” At this Pig ground his teeth as the fury rose higher and higher in him.

“Damn that monkey,” he said. “How could he do such a terrible thing? Look after the master,” he continued, addressing Friar Sand, “I’m going to his house to get back the bundles.”

“Don’t lose your temper,” said Friar Sand. “Let’s help the master over to that cottage in the hollow to ask for hot tea. Then we can heat up the rice you’ve begged already, and get the master better before we go after Monkey.”


Output:
Accepting this suggestion Pig helped the master back on the horse. Carrying the bowl of water, and with the rice in Friar Sand’s habit, they headed straight back for the door of the cottage. There was only an old woman at home, and at the sight of them she hid herself as fast as she could. Friar Sand put his hands together in front of his chest and said, “Good lady, we’ve been sent by the Tang court in the East to the Western Heaven. As our master is not very well I have come to ask you for some hot tea to warm his rice with.”

“We had a consumptive monk begging here just now who said he’d come from the East,” the old woman replied. “Now you say you’re from the East too. There’s nobody at home. Please try somewhere else.”


Output:
Hearing this, the venerable elder dismounted with Pig’s help, bowed to her and said, “Madam, I used to have three disciples who worked together to protect me on my way to the Thunder Monastery in the country of India to worship the Buddha and fetch the scriptures. But because my senior disciple Sun Wukong is a born murderer and will not be kind I sent him away. To my utter surprise he sneaked up on me, hit me across the back, and stole my clothes, baggage and bowl. I want to send one of my other disciples after him, and as I can’t stay by the roadside I have come here to ask if I may rest in your house for a while. It will only be till the luggage has been recovered. I won’t stay long.”

“A consumptive monk with a fat, sallow face begged some food from us just now,” the woman said. “He said he had come from the East and was going to the Western Heaven. There can’t be another group of you.”


Output:
“That was me,” said Pig, unable to keep a straight face any longer. “I made myself look like that. I thought my long snout and big ears would give you such a fright that you wouldn’t give me any food. If you don’t believe me, my brother here has the rice from the bottom of your pan inside his tunic.”

Recognizing the rice the old woman stopped trying to send them away. She asked them to sit down inside and prepared a pot of hot tea that she gave to Friar Sand to warm the rice with. He did this and handed it to his master, who ate a few mouthfuls, sat quietly to calm himself for a while, then asked, “Which of you will go to fetch the luggage?”

“When you sent him away the other year,” replied Pig, “I went to fetch him. I know the way to his Water Curtain Cave on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. Wait here while I go.”


Output:
“No,” said Sanzang, “not you. You have never got on with that macaque, and besides you’re very rough-spoken. If you say anything wrong he’ll hit you. Let Wujing go.” Friar Sand agreed at once, and Sanzang gave him these instructions: “When you get there you must keep a close watch on the situation. If he is willing to give you back the bundles then pretend to be very grateful when you accept them. If he won’t you must on no account quarrel with him. Go straight to the Bodhisattva in the Southern Sea, tell her what has happened, and ask her to demand them from him.”

Friar Sand accepted his instructions and said to Pig, “I’m off to find Monkey now. Whatever you do, don’t complain. Look after the master properly. You mustn’t have a row with these people or they might not feed you. I’ll soon be back.”


Output:
“I understand,” Pig replied with a nod. “Off you go, and come back soon whether you recover the luggage or not. Otherwise we’ll have lost both ways,” Friar Sand then made a hand spell and headed off by cloud for the Eastern Continent of Superior Body. Indeed: When the body is present but the soul files off, nothing remains to keep it alive;

A furnace without fire can refine no cinnabar.

The yellow wife leaves the lord to seek the metal elder.

Wood’s mother puts on a sickly face to look after the master.

Who knows when this journey will ever end

Or when he will return from far away?

The Five Elements give birth and yield to each other.

All is disorder until the mind-ape comes back.

Friar Sand flew for three days and nights before he reached the Eastern Ocean. At the sound of its waves he looked down and saw

Black mists up to the sky and gloomy vapors;

The ocean embracing the sun in dawn’s cold light.


Output: But he was in no mood to enjoy the view as he crossed Yingzhou and the other islands of immortals and headed on East straight for the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. Riding the sea wind and walking on the water it took him a lot longer before he saw a line of peaks like serried halberds and sheer rocks like screens. When he reached the highest peak he landed his cloud and found his way down the mountain, heading for the Water Curtain Cave. As he approached he heard a great commotion: the mountain was covered with yelling monkey spirits. When closer still he saw Monkey sitting on a high stone terrace holding a piece of paper in both hands from which he was reading: We, the Emperor Li of the Great Tang Dynasty in the East have called to our presence our younger brother the Master of the Law Chen Xuanzang and commissioned him to go West to seek the scriptures from the Lord Buddha in the Thunder Monastery at the Saha Vulture Peak in India. When our soul went wandering in the Underworld after we succumbed to a


Output: in the Underworld after we succumbed to a sudden illness we were fortunate enough to have our years of life extended and to be returned to the world of the living by the Lord of Darkness. Since then we have held many masses and built altars to help the souls of the dead across to the other side. We were blessed by the appearance of the golden deliverer from suffering, the Bodhisattva Guanyin, who informed us that the Buddha in the West has scriptures that will deliver all lost souls. We have therefore sent the Dharma Master Xuanzang to make the long journey across a thousand mountains in search of the sutras and the gathas. We request that in the states of the West through which he passed he be allowed to proceed in accordance with this passport and that his holy cause be not brought to naught. Given on an auspicious day in the autumn of the thirteenth year of Zhenguan of the Great Tang.


Output:
Since leaving that mighty empire he has passed through many other states. On the journey he has taken three disciples. The senior one is Sun Wukong the Novice; the second is Zhu Wuneng, or Zhu Bajie; and the third is Sha Wujing, or Friar Sand.

Having read the text of Sanzang’s passport through once he read it out again, at which Friar Sand could not help himself calling out at the top of his voice, “Brother, why are you reading the master’s passport out?”

When Monkey heard this he jerked his head up and, refusing to recognize Friar Sand, shouted, “Arrest him! Arrest him!” All the monkeys rushed him and surrounded him, pulling him and dragging him towards Monkey, who shouted, “Who do you think you are? What a nerve, coming so close to our immortals’ cave.”


Output: Seeing how Monkey had turned cold and was refusing to recognize him any longer Friar Sand had no choice but to go up to him with a bow and say, “Elder brother, it was wrong of our master to be so angry with you, curse you and send you away. Pig and I ought to have persuaded him not to, and we shouldn’t have been away looking for water and begging for food for our starving, thirsty master when you were so good as to come back. It was wrong of the master to be so stubborn and to refuse again to let you stay. That was why you knocked him senseless and took the luggage. When we came back we revived the master and now I’ve come to see you. Unless you hate the master and have forgotten what you owe him for delivering you from your torment in the past, won’t you bring the luggage and come back with me to see him? Then we can all go to the Western Heaven and win our true reward. If you really hate him so deeply that you won’t come with me, then please, please give me the bundles. Then you can enjoy the sunset of


Output: me the bundles. Then you can enjoy the sunset of your life here in your native mountain. This way we’ll all be fine.”


Output: Monkey’s answer to this was to say with a derisive laugh, “that’s not what I had in mind at all, brother. The reason why I hit the master and took the luggage isn’t because I’m not going to the West or want to stay here. I’m learning the passport off by heart so that I can go to the Western Heaven to worship the Buddha and fetch the scriptures myself. I shall have all the glory of taking them back to the East. I’ll make those people in the Southern Jambu Continent see me as a great master and I’ll be famous for ever.”


Output: “What you say isn’t quite right,” replied Friar Sand with a smile. “Nobody’s ever heard of Sun the Novice going to fetch the scriptures. Our Tathagata Buddha created three stores of true scriptures and sent the Bodhisattva Guanyin to the East to find the pilgrim who would go to fetch them. Our job is to escort the pilgrim across a thousand mountains and through all the countries along the way. As the Bodhisattva has told us, the pilgrim was once the venerable elder Golden Cicada, a disciple of Tathagata Buddha’s. Because he was exiled from Vulture Peak and reborn in the East for not listening to the Lord Buddha’s sermons on the scriptures he is the one who must make his true achievement in the West and return to the Great Way. We three were saved to protect him from the demons he would meet on the journey. No Lord Buddha’s going to give you the scriptures if you turn up without the Tang Priest. It’d just be wasted effort.”


Output: “Brother,” said Monkey, “you’ve always been rather thick. You don’t know the half of it. You may say you’ve got a Tang Priest, but what makes you think I haven’t got one to escort to? I’ve chosen another holy monk here to escort. No problem! We’re starting off on our big journey tomorrow. If you don’t believe me I’ll show you him. Little ones,” he called, “bring my master out at once.” In they ran, and they came out again leading a white horse, a Tang Sanzang, a Pig carrying the luggage and a Friar Sand with his monastic staff.


Output: “I’ve never changed my name,” roared Friar Sand in fury at this sight. “There can’t possibly be another Friar Sand. How dare you! Take this!” The splendid Friar Sand raised his demon-quelling staff with both arms and brought it down on his double’s head, killing him outright and revealing that he had really been a monkey spirit. This made Monkey so angry that he swung his gold-banded cudgel and led all the monkeys to surround him. Lashing about him, Friar Sand fought his way out and escaped by cloud.


Output:
“That damned ape is being so thoroughly vicious that I’ll have to report him to the Bodhisattva,” he thought; and as Friar Sand had killed a monkey spirit and been driven away Monkey did not go after him. Going back to his cave he told his underlings to drag the corpse to one side, skin it and cook its flesh, on which he and the other monkeys then feasted with coconut toddy and the wine of grapes. Then he chose another monkey fiend who was good at transformations to turn into Friar Sand and started instructing him again as he prepared to travel to the West. There we shall leave him.

Meanwhile Friar Sand flew his cloud away from the Eastern Ocean and traveled for a day and a night to the Southern Ocean. Before long Mount Potaraka came into view not far away, so he pressed forward then brought his cloud down so that he could stop and look. It was a wonderful sight. Indeed:

It includes all the mysteries of heaven and earth.

Here is the confluence of the rivers,

Where sun and stars are washed and bathed.


Output:
Where sun and stars are washed and bathed.

Hither all creatures come,

The winds are born and the moon is rocked in the ripples.

When the tidal wave rises high the leviathan is transformed.

Amid the mighty breakers the giant turtle swims.

The waters are joined to the Western and Northern Seas;

The waves connect with the Central and Eastern Oceans.

The four seas are linked as the artery of the earth;

In the magic islands are palaces of immortals.

Forget about all the earthly paradises;

Look at Potaraka’s cloudy cave.

A wonderful sight:

Noble the primal spirit of the peak at sunset;

Below the cliffs the winds make rippling crystal.

Peacocks fly in the Purple Bamboo Grove;

Parrots talk in the branches of green poplar.

Flowers of jade and jasper always bloom;

Precious trees and golden lotuses grow every year.

White cranes come to pay homage at this peak;

Phoenixes often alight in the mountain pavilions.

Even the fish here cultivate their true nature,


Output:
Even the fish here cultivate their true nature,

Leaping in the waves as they listen to the scriptures.

As Friar Sand strolled on the mountain enjoying this magical view Moksa the Novice came up to him and said, “Why are you here instead of escorting the Tang Priest on his way to fetch the scriptures, Sha Wujing?”

Friar Sand bowed to him and replied, “There is something on which I would like an audience with the Bodhisattva. Could I trouble you to take me to her?”

Moksa, who realized that he was looking for Monkey, asked no further questions but went straight to the Bodhisattva and said, “The Tang Priest’s junior disciple Sha Wujing is here to pay homage.”


Output:
When Monkey, who was still there below the lotus throne, heard this he said with a smile, “The Tang Priest must be in trouble if Friar Sand is here to ask for your help, Bodhisattva.” The Bodhisattva then asked Moksa to bring him in. Friar Sand prostrated himself on the ground to kowtow to her, then looked up, about to start making his complaint, when he saw Monkey standing beside her. Without a word he struck at Monkey’s face with his demon-subduing staff. Instead of hitting back Monkey dodged the blow and got out of the way.

“I’ll get you, you thoroughly evil, treacherous ape,” roared Friar Sand. “You’re trying to deceive the Bodhisattva too.”

“Don’t hit him,” shouted the Bodhisattva. “Tell me what’s been happening.”


Output: Only then did Friar Sand put down his precious staff and kowtow to the lotus throne again, saying with raging fury, “We’re lost count of the number of murders this ape has committed on the journey. The other day he killed two highwaymen and the master let him have it, so when we were spending the next night at the bandit chief’s home it came as a shock when he butchered as many of the gang as he could and took a severed head all dripping with blood to show to the master. It gave the master such a fright that he fell off his horse, said some nasty things to Monkey and sent him packing. After he’d gone the master was so hungry and thirsty that he sent Pig off to look for some water, and because Pig took a very long time to get back he sent me off after him. We never imagined that Monkey would come back, hit the master with his iron cudgel and steal the two bundles wrapped in blue felt while we were away. We came back and brought the master round. Then I went all the way to the Water Curtain Cave to fetch


Output: all the way to the Water Curtain Cave to fetch Monkey. To my amazement he turned cold and refused to recognize me. He was reading the master’s passport aloud over and over again. When I asked him why, he said that as he couldn’t escort the Tang Priest any further he was going to fetch the scriptures from the Western Heaven and take them back East himself. Then they’d treat him as a great master and he’d be famous for ever. When I asked who’d give him scriptures if the Tang Priest wasn’t with him he said he’d chosen a holy monk and asked him to come out. There was a white horse, a Tang Priest, a Pig and a Friar Sand. Tm Friar Sand,’ I said, ‘and the one and only Friar Sand too’. I hit him one with my staff, and he turned out to be a monkey spirit. When Monkey came after me with his hordes I decided to come here to tell you, Bodhisattva, and ask for your help. I never realized he’d get here before me by somersault cloud, or that he’d fool you with his fine words.”


Output:
“You must not make such slanders, Wujing,” the Bodhisattva said. “Wukong has been here for four days. I never let him go back, and he didn’t send for another Tang Priest to go to fetch the scriptures.”

“But what about that Monkey in the Water Curtain Cave? I’m telling you the truth,” replied Friar Sand.

“Calm down,” said the Bodhisattva. “I’ll send Wukong back to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit with you to take a good look round. If he’s real he’ll be hard to wipe out, but if he’s a fake you’ll be able to eliminate him easily. You’ll find out which he is when you get there.” At this Brother Monkey and Friar Sand took their leave of the Bodhisattva. They were making their journey

To the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit

The rights and wrongs to reveal;

To the cave with a curtain of water

To tell the false from the real.

If you don’t know how they told them apart you had better listen to the explanation in the next installment.

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Two Minds Throw Heaven and Earth into Uproar


Output:
Two Minds Throw Heaven and Earth into Uproar

One Body Cannot Achieve True Nirvana

When Monkey and Friar Sand took their leave of the Bodhisattva they departed from the Southern Ocean by two beams of auspicious light. Now Monkey’s somersault cloud was much faster than Friar Sand’s immortal’s cloud, so Monkey was drawing ahead when Friar Sand pulled him back and said, “There’s no need for you to show me your heels like that, brother, rushing ahead to sort things out at home. Wait for me to come with you.”


Output:
Although Brother Monkey’s intentions were good Friar Sand could not help being suspicious. The two of them then flew their clouds together and were soon in sight of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. They brought their clouds down and had a good look at the outside of the cave, where there was indeed a Monkey sitting on a high stone terrace, drinking and making merry with his monkey hosts. He looked exactly the same as the Great Sage: yellow hair held in a golden band, fiery eyes with golden pupils, a brocade tunic, a tigerskin kilt, a gold-banded iron cudgel in his hands, and deerskin boots. He had the same

Hairy face like a thunder god,

Cheeks like the planet Saturn;

Pointed ears and a forehead broad,

And long, protruding fangs.


Output:
And long, protruding fangs.

In an explosion of fury the Great Sage left Friar Sand behind as he went up to the other, brandishing his cudgel and shouting abusively, “What sort of demon do you think you are? How dare you! You make yourself look like me, you steal my children and grandchildren, you occupy my immortal’s cave, and on top of that you live it up like this.” When the other Monkey heard all this he did not deign to reply but went for him with his own iron cudgel. When the two Monkeys were together there was no way of telling the true from the false. It was a splendid fight:

Two cudgels and a pair of monkey spirits,

A couple of truly formidable foes.

Both want to escort the Tang emperor’s brother;

Each longs to achieve what will make him famous.

The true Monkey now accepts Sakyamuni’s teachings;

The false demon only pretends to be a Buddhist.

In magic powers and transformations

The false and true are evenly balanced.

One is the Sage Equaling Heaven of primal energy,


Output:
The other an earth spirit who has long refined his powers.

One wields an As-You-Will gold-banded cudgel,

The other an iron bar that follows the heart’s desire.

As they block and parry neither comes out on top.

First they fight each other outside the cave,

But soon they carry on the struggle in mid air.


Output: Each of them rose on his clouds and light till they were fighting up in the clouds of the ninth heaven. As Friar Sand stood beside them he dared not intervene in their fight as he really could not tell the true Monkey from the false one. He longed to draw his sword and join in, but he was frightened of wounding the real Monkey. When he had endured this dilemma for a long time he shot back down to the mountain scar, where he used his demon-quelling staff to fight his way to the outside of the Water Curtain Cave. Here he sent all the demons fleeing in terror, turned the stone benches over, and smashed the tableware from which they had been eating and drinking to their hearts’ content. But although he looked everywhere for the blue felt bundles he failed to find them. Now the Water Curtain Cave was so called because the waterfall screening its entrance looked from a distance like a white cloth curtain and only appeared as the waterfall it was from close to. As Friar Sand did not know that the entrance to the


Output: Friar Sand did not know that the entrance to the cave was behind it he was unable to find the way in, so he took his cloud back up to the Ninth Heaven and started swinging his staff again, still unable to strike.


Output:
“Friar Sand,” said the Great Sage, “you can’t help much here. Go back and tell the master what’s been happening to us while I drive this demon to Potaraka Island in the Southern Ocean for the Bodhisattva to identify me as the real Monkey.” The other Monkey then repeated what he had said. As they looked and sounded exactly the same Friar Sand really could not tell them apart. He could only do as he was told and ride his cloud back to rejoin the Tang Priest.

The two Monkeys meanwhile fought and shouted their way to the Southern Ocean, where they went straight to Potaraka Island still throwing blows and abuse at each other. Their unending shouts disturbed all the devas who protected the Law, so that they went to the Tide Cave and reported, “Bodhisattva, two Sun Wukongs really have fought their way here.”

The Bodhisattva came down from her lotus throne and went with Moksa, the page Sudhana and the Naga Maiden to the entrance, where she shouted, “Stay where you are, evil beast.”


Output:
Each Monkey grabbed hold of the other one while the real one said, “Bodhisattva, this damned fiend really does look just like me. Our fight started at the Water Curtain Cave and has been going on for a very long time without getting anywhere. Friar Sand’s mortal eyes are too weak to tell us apart, so he can’t help at all. I sent him back West to report to the master while I fought this bloody impostor here for you to distinguish the true from the false. Your eyes are perceptive, Bodhisattva.”

The other Monkey then said exactly the same. Look long and hard though they did, the devas and the Bodhisattva could not tell which was which. “Let go of each other and stand one on each side while I take another look,” the Bodhisattva said.

Doing as she told them, the one on her left said, “I’m the real Monkey,” and the one on her right said, “He’s an impostor.”


Output:
The Bodhisattva then called Moksa and Sudhana to her and whispered these instructions: “I want one of you to stand very close to each of them while I recite the Band-tightening Spell quietly. The one in agony will be the real one, and the one who isn’t will be the impostor.”

One of them went up to each of the Monkeys, but as the Bodhisattva secretly said the words of the spell they both yelled out in pain, clutched their heads, and rolled on the ground shouting, “Stop! Stop!” The moment she did they grabbed each other again and went on fighting and shouting. At her wit’s end, the Bodhisattva ordered the devas and Moksa to help, but none of them dared strike a blow for fear of wounding the real Monkey.


Output:
“Sun Wukong,” called the Bodhisattva, and both the Monkeys answered her. “As you were once appointed the Protector of the Horses,” said the Bodhisattva, “When you made havoc in the Heavenly Palace, all the heavenly generals recognize you. Go to the upper world: let it distinguish between you two. Come back and tell me the result.” The Great Sage thanked the Bodhisattva for her kindness and the other Monkey also thanked her.

Pulling and tugging at each other and keeping up their ceaseless clamour they went straight to the Southern Gate of Heaven, where the Heavenly King Virupaksa led the four heavenly generals Ma, Zhao, Wen and Guan and all the other gate gods great and small to block the entrance with their weapons.

“Where are you going?” he shouted. “This is no place for a brawl.”


Output: “Sanzang sent me away for killing some bandits while I was escorting him to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures,” the Great Sage replied. “I went to Potaraka to complain. To my horror this evil spirit turned himself into my double, knocked the Tang Priest over and stole the luggage. Friar Sand went to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit looking for me and found that this evil spirit had seized my cave. Then he went to Potaraka to tell the Bodhisattva and ask for her help. When he saw me there he made the outrageous accusation that I’d got there first by somersault cloud and told the Bodhisattva a pack of lies to cover up. Luckily she could vouch for me and didn’t believe Friar Sand, so she sent us both back to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit to find out what had happened. As you can see, this evil spirit looks just like me. We fought our way from the Water Curtain Cave to Potaraka Island to see the Bodhisattva, but she couldn’t tell us apart, so I’ve now fought him all the way here in the hope that


Output: now fought him all the way here in the hope that all the eyes of all the heavens will be able to see that I’m the real Monkey.” Then the other Monkey told the same story. No matter how long they looked all the gods of the heavens could not tell them apart.


Output:
“If you can’t tell which is which,” the two Monkey shouted, “get out of the way and let us go to see the Jade Emperor.”

As the gods could not stop them they opened the gates wide to let them go straight to the Hall of Miraculous Mist. Marshal Ma and the four Heavenly Teachers Zhang, Ge, Xu and Qiu all reported to the Jade Emperor, “Two identical Sun Wukongs from the mortal world have charged in through the gates of Heaven and say that they want to see Your Majesty.” Before they had finished the two Monkeys came roaring straight in, so alarming the Jade Emperor that he came down from his throne and stood in the palace hall. “Why are you two making such a row in the heavenly palace and shouting in our presence?” the Jade Emperor asked. “Do you want to die?”


Output:
“Long live Your Majesty,” said the Great Sage. “Now that I’m a devout Buddhist I’d never dare try to bully my betters. It’s just that this evil spirit has turned himself into my double.” He then told the whole story, concluding, “and I beg that Your Majesty will unmask the impostor.” Then the other Monkey said the same thing all over again.

The Jade Emperor ordered Heavenly King Li the Pagoda-carrier to look at them both in his demon-revealing mirror, kill the false one and preserve the true one. The Heavenly King caught them both in his mirror and invited the Jade Emperor and the other deities all to look. Both Monkeys could be seen in it, wearing the same golden band and the same clothes. There was not the slightest difference between them. Unable to tell them apart, the Jade Emperor had both of them driven out of the palace.


Output:
The Great Sage gave a mocking laugh and so did the other Monkey. Then they grabbed each other by the hair and by the throat, fought their way out of the heavenly gates, and landed on the road to the West. “Let’s go and see the master,” said one of them; and the other replied, “Let’s go and see the master.”

After Friar Sand had taken his leave of the two Monkeys it took him three days and nights’ travelling to return to the farm, where he told the Tang Priest everything that had happened. The Tang Priest was full of regrets: “I said that Sun Wukong had hit me and stolen the bundles, never realizing that an evil spirit had turned itself into an imitation Monkey.”