Output:
“Disciples,” said Sanzang, “the weather is good today. It’s not at all like the times when you all have to go far away in wind and rain. Let me go to this house. Whether I get any food or not I shall soon be back and we shall be on our way.”

Friar Sand, who was standing beside them, smiled and said, “Stop arguing so much, brother. As the master has made his mind up you shouldn’t disobey him. If you upset him he won’t eat any of the food you are able to beg.”

Pig accepted this suggestion and brought out the begging bowl and a change of hat and cassock for the master, who went straight to the farm building to look at it. It really was a fine place. He could see:

A high-rising stone bridge,

Ancient trees growing close together.

Where the stone bridge rose high

A babbling brook joined a long stream;

Amid close-growing ancient trees

Hidden birds sang sweetly on the distant hill.

Across the bridge were several thatched houses

As pure and elegant as an immortal’s hermitage.

There was also a thatched hut


Output:
There was also a thatched hut

So pure and white it would put a Taoist temple to shame.

Before the hut could be seen four beauties

All busily embroidering phoenix designs.

As there were no males but only these four girls to be seen the reverend gentleman did not dare go inside, but slipped back under the tall trees and stood stock still. He could see that each of the girls

Were rock-hard in their ladylike propriety,

And happy as the spring in their orchid natures.

Red glows set off their tender cheeks;

Crimson make-up was spread on their lips.

Their moth brows were as fine as a crescent moon,

While their clouds of hair were piled up like cicada wings.

Had any of them stood among the flowers

Wandering bees would have taken them for blossoms.


Output:
He stood there for an hour. The silence was complete, unbroken by dog or cock. “If I’m not even capable of begging us a meal my disciples will laugh at me,” he thought. “If the master can’t beg a meal, what hope do his disciples have of ever getting to see the Buddha?”

He did not know what to do, but it seemed wrong to stay there any longer, so he went back towards the bridge, only to notice a pavilion inside the compound of thatched cottages. In the pavilion three more girls were juggling a ball with their feet. Look at them. They were different from the other four:

Their turquoise sleeves are waving

And their embroidered skirts are swaying.

The waving turquoise sleeves

Cover their delicate jade bamboo-shoots of fingers,

The swaying embroidered skirts

Half show their tiny golden lotus feet.

Perfect are their faces and bodies,

Endless the movements of their slippered heels.

As they grab for the head they vary in height;

They pass the ball around most smoothly.


Output:
They pass the ball around most smoothly.

One turns around and kicks an “over-the-wall flower,”

Then does a backward somersault called “crossing the sea.”

After lightly taking a pass like a lump of clay

A single spear is hard pressed by a pair of sticks.

A shining pearl is put on the Buddha’s head

And held between the tips of their fingers.

Skillfully they hold the ball as a narrow brick,

Twisting their feet in the sleeping fish position.

Their backs held level, they squat with bended knee;

Turning their necks they kick their heels in the air.

They can make benches fly around;

Very stylish are the capes upon their shoulders.

Their trouser-legs are bound with tapes to let them move,

While their necklaces swing as they sway.

They kick the ball like the Yellow River flowing backwards.

Or goldfish purchased on the beach.

When you mistake one of them for the leader

Another one turns to carry the ball away.

They all hold their calves so trimly in the air,

Pointing their toes to catch the ball.


Output:
Pointing their toes to catch the ball.

They raise their heels to spin straw sandals,

Planting them upside-down and picking them up in a turn.

As they step back their shoulder-capes spread out

Fastened only with a hook.

The peddler’s basket comes down long and low,

Then they grab for the goal.

At the really magnificent footwork.

All the beauties shout with admiration.

The silken clothes of all are soaked in sweat;

Feeling tired and relaxed they ended their game.

The description could go on and on. There is another poem that tells more:

Kicking the ball in the April weather,

Beauties blown along by the magical wind.

Sweat stained their powdered faces like dew on a flower;

The dust on their moth eyebrows was mist hiding willows.

Their turquoise sleeves hanging low covered jade fingers;

Trailing embroidered skirts showed golden lotus feet.

After kicking the ball many times they were charmingly tired;

Their hair was disheveled and their topknots askew.


Output:
After watching for a long time Sanzang could only go to the bridge and call loudly, “Bodhisattvas, fate brings me here as a poor monk to beg for the gift of some food.” As soon as the women heard him they cheerfully put aside their needlework and balls to come out smiling and giggling through the gates to greet him.

“Reverend sir,” they said, “we’re sorry we didn’t welcome you sooner. As you have come to our poor farm we couldn’t possibly feed you on the path. Please come inside and sit down.”

When Sanzang heard this he thought, “Splendid, this is splendid. The West really is Buddha’s land. If even these womenfolk are so diligent about feeding monks the men are bound to be pious followers of the Buddha.”

Sanzang stepped forward to greet the women and followed them into the thatched cottages. As he passed the pavilion and looked he saw that on the other side of it there were no buildings. All that could be seen were:

Towering mountain-tops,

Distant ranges of the earth.


Output:
Distant ranges of the earth.

The towering mountain-tops touch the clouds;

The distant ranges of the earth lead to peaks in the ocean.

From the stone bridge by the gates

One looks on a stream that bends nine times;

The peach and plum trees in the orchard

Vie in abundance of blossom.

Creepers and vines hang from three or four trees;

The fragrance of orchids is spread by thousands of flowers.

From afar this retreat rivals Penglai’s fairyland;

Seen from close to the mountain beats Tai and Hua.

This is truly a retreat for demon immortals,

An isolated house with no neighbors around.

One woman came forward to push the stone gates open and invite the Tang Priest to come in and sit down. All he could do was go inside. When he looked up he saw that the tables and seats were all of stone, and the atmosphere was oppressively cold. This alarmed the venerable elder, who thought, “This is a thoroughly sinister place. I’m sure it’s evil.”


Output:
“Please sit down, venerable elder,” the women all said with simpering smiles. He had no choice but to sit down. A little later he found himself shuddering.

“What monastery are you from, reverend sir?” the women asked. “For what purpose are you collecting alms? Are you repairing roads and bridges, founding monasteries, worshipping at pagodas, or having Buddha statues made and sutras printed? Won’t you show us your donation book?”

“I am not a monk collecting donations,” the venerable elder replied.

“If you’re not here to ask for charity then why are you here?” the women asked. “We have been sent by Great Tang in the East to the Thunder Monastery in the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures,” Sanzang replied.

“As our stomachs were empty when we happened to be passing this distinguished place I have come to beg a vegetarian meal from you in your kindness. After that we poor monks will be on our way again.”


Output:
“Splendid, splendid,” the women all said. “As the saying goes, monks from afar most love to read the scriptures. Sisters! We must treat them well. Let’s give them some vegetarian food as quickly as we can.”

While three of the women kept him company, talking about such matters as primary and secondary causation, the other four went into the kitchen, where they tucked up their clothes, rolled up their sleeves, fanned the fire and scrubbed the cooking pots. Do you know what it was they prepared? They were frying in human fat, and what they cooked was human flesh, stewed into black paste as if it were wheat gluten, and human brain cut out to fry like pieces of beancurd.

Then they placed the two dishes on a stone table and said to Sanzang, “Do eat. We were too rushed to prepare anything good, so please make do with this. It’ll stave off the pangs of hunger. There will be some more dishes to follow.”


Output:
As soon as Sanzang used his nose and smelled the stench of flesh he would not eat, but bowed with his hands together be; re his chest and said, “Bodhisattvas, I have been a vegetarian since birth.”

“But this is vegetarian food, reverend sir,” the women all replied with smiles.

“Amitabha Buddha!” exclaimed Sanzang. “If as a monk I ate vegetarian food like that I would never have any hope of seeing the Buddha or fetching the surras.”

“Reverend sir,” the women said, “as a monk you shouldn’t be so choosy about what you’re given.”

“I never could be,” Sanzang said, “I never could be. I am under the orders of the Great Tang emperor to harm not even the tiniest life, to save all I see suffering, to put all the food-grain I am given into my mouth with my fingers, and to cover my body with the threads of silk that come my way. I would never dare pick and choose among my benefactors’ gifts.”


Output:
“Even if you’re not picking and choosing,” the women replied with smiles, “you do seem to have come here to complain. Please eat some of the food and don’t mind if it’s a little coarse and flavorless.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to eat it,” Sanzang said, “it’s that I’m afraid I’d be breaking my vows. I hope that you Bodhisattvas will remember that setting living beings free is better than keeping them with you and let me go on my way.”

As Sanzang struggled to get out the women blocked the gateway and refused to let him go. “Business bringing itself to our door!” they all said. “You’ve no more chance of getting away from here than of covering up a fart with your hands. Where do you think you’re going?”


Output:
They were all quite skilled in the martial arts and quick movers too, and after they had grabbed Sanzang they dragged him like a sheep and threw him to the ground. Then they all held him down, tied him up, and suspended him from the rafters. There is a special name for the way they hung him up there: The Immortal Shows the Way. One hand was strung up by a rope so that it pointed forward. The other hand was fastened to his waist by another rope that was also holding him aloft, and his legs were both held up by a third rope behind him. The three ropes had him suspended from a beam with his back on top and his belly pointing down.

As Sanzang endured the agony and held back his tears he thought with bitter regret, “How evil my destiny is. I thought I was coming to beg for a vegetarian meal from good people. I never imagined I’d be falling into the fiery pit. Disciples! Rescue me as soon as you can if I am ever to see you again. If you don’t get here within four hours I shall be dead.”


Output:
Despite his misery Sanzang kept a careful eye on the women. When they had him tied up securely and hanging there they started to remove their clothes. This alarmed the venerable elder, who thought, “They must be taking their clothes off because they are going to beat me. Perhaps they are going to eat me too.” The women only unbuttoned their gauze blouses, exposing their stomachs. Then each of them produced a silken rope about as thick as a duck egg from her navel. These they made move like bursting jade or flying silver as they fastened the gates of the farm.

We leave them and go back to Monkey, Pig and Friar Sand, who were all still waiting by the main road. While the other two were pasturing the horse and looking after the baggage Monkey was amusing himself by leaping from tree to tree and climbing around the branches as he picked leaves and looked for fruit. Suddenly he turned round and saw a sheet of light.


Output:
This so alarmed him that he jumped out of the tree with a shout of, “This is terrible! Terrible! The master’s luck is out.” He pointed as he continued, “Look at the farm. What do you think?” When Pig and Friar Sand both looked they saw a sheet of something like snow but brighter and like silver but shinier.

“That’s done it,” said Pig, “that’s done it. The master’s run into evil spirits. We’d better go and rescue him straight away.”

“Stop yelling, brother,” said Monkey. “Neither of you can see just what’s there. Wait while I go and take a look.”

“Do be careful, brother,” said Friar Sand.

“I can cope,” Monkey replied.


Output:
“I can cope,” Monkey replied.

The splendid Great Sage tightened his tigerskin kilt, pulled out his gold-banded cudgel and took a few strides forward to see that the silken ropes had formed something like a web with thousands of strands. When he felt it with his hands it was somewhat soft and sticky. Not knowing what it was, Monkey raised his cudgel and said, “Never mind thousands of strands. This cudgel could break through tens of thousands of them.”

He was just about to strike when he stopped to think, “If they were hard I could certainly smash them, but then soft ones would only be knocked flat, and if I alarm the demons and get caught myself that would be a disaster. I’d better make some enquiries before I do any hitting.”

Who do you think he asked? He made a spell with his hands, said the words of it and sent for an old local god, who ran round and round in his shrine just as if turning a mill. “Old man,” his wife asked, “what are you rushing round and round for? You must be having a fit.”


Output:
“You don’t understand,” the local god replied. “There’s a Great Sage Equaling Heaven here. I didn’t go to meet him. But he’s sending for me.”

“Go and see him then,” his wife replied, “and that’ll be that. Why charge round and round in here?”

“But if I go and see him that cudgel of his hits very hard,” the local deity said. “He doesn’t care what you’re like—he just hits you.”

“He won’t possibly hit you when he sees how old you are,” his wife replied.

“He’s been cadging free drinks all his life,” the local god said, “and he really loves hitting old people.”

After talking for a while with his wife the local god had no choice but to go outside and kneel shivering and shaking by the roadside, calling out, “Great Sage, the local deity kowtows to you.”

“Get up,” Brother Monkey replied, “and stop pretending to be so keen. I’m not going to hit you. I’m just passing through. Tell me where this is.”

“Which way have you come, Great Sage?” the local deity asked.


Output:
“I’ve come from the East and I’m heading West,” said Monkey.

“Which mountain have you reached on your journey from the East?” the local deity asked.

“That ridge there,” Monkey replied. “Our baggage and the horse are there, aren’t they?”

“That is Gossamer Ridge,” the local deity replied. “Under the ridge there’s a cave called Gossamer Cave where seven evil spirits live.”

“Male or female ones?” Monkey asked.

“She-devils,” the local deity replied.

“How powerful is their magic?” Monkey asked.


Output:
“How powerful is their magic?” Monkey asked.

“I’m much too weak and insignificant to know that,” the local god replied. “All I can tell you is that a mile due South of here there is a natural hot spring called the Filth-cleansing Spring,” the local god said, “where the Seven Fairies from on high used to bathe. When the seven evil spirits settled here and took over the Filth-cleansing Spring the good spirits didn’t try to fight them for it. They let the spirits have it for nothing. I reckon that if even good spirits from Heaven don’t dare offend them the evil spirits must have tremendous powers.”

“What have they taken the spring over for?” Monkey asked.

“Ever since taking the bathing pool over the monsters have been coming to bathe there three times a day,” the local god replied. “It’s already after eleven. They’ll be along at noon.”


Output:
“Go back now, local god,” Monkey said when he heard all this, “and wait while I capture them.” The old local god kowtowed to him and went back to his shrine all of a tremble.

The Great Sage then gave a solo display of his magical powers, shaking himself, turning into a fly, and landing on the tip of a blade of grass to wait beside the path. A little later he heard a rustling, hissing sound like that of silkworms eating leaves or an ocean tide coming in. In the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea the silken ropes had all gone, and the farm looked just the same as it had before. Then there was a creaking noise as the wicker gate opened and the seven women came out laughing and talking noisily. Monkey watched carefully from where he was hiding and saw them talking and laughing as they held each other by the

hand and walked shoulder to shoulder across the bridge. They were real beauties:

Compare them with jade and they were more fragrant;

They were like flowers but able to talk.


Output:
They were like flowers but able to talk.

Their willowy brows were like distant hills;

Sandalwood-scented mouths were bursting cherries.

Hair ornaments were of jade;

Golden lotus feet darted out under crimson skirts.

They were like the moon goddess come down to earth,

Immortal girls descending to the world.

“No wonder the master wanted to come begging for food,” thought Monkey with a laugh, “with all these lovelies here. If these seven beauties have captured him he won’t be enough for a single meal for them. They couldn’t make him last a couple of days. And if they take it in turns to have their way with him they’ll kill him straight off. I’d better go and listen to what they’re plotting.”

The splendid Great Sage flew over with a high-pitched buzz and landed on the topknot of the woman who was walking in front. When she was over the bridge the women behind her caught up with her and called out, “Sister, let’s have a bath before we steam the fat monk and eat him up.”


Output:
“These monsters aren’t at all economical,” Monkey smiled to himself. “They’d save a lot of firewood if they boiled him. Why steam him instead?” The women walked South, picking flowers and throwing grass at each other, and were soon at the bathing pool, where a very magnificent wall and gateway appeared, with fragrant flowers, among them a bed of orchids, growing all around. One of the women behind him stepped forward and with a whistling sound pushed the double gates open, revealing the pond of naturally hot water inside. As for this water,

When heaven and earth were first separated

There were ten suns in the sky

Till Yi, the fine archer,

Shot nine of the sun-crows down to the earth,

Leaving only one golden crow star,

The true fire of the sun.

The nine hot springs in heaven and earth

Are the other nine crows transformed.

These nine hot springs are

Cool Fragrance Spring,

Mountain-companions Spring

Warm Spring,

Donghe Spring,

Mount Huang Spring,

Xiao’an Spring,

Guangfen Spring,


Output:
Xiao’an Spring,

Guangfen Spring,

Hot Water Spring,

And this Filth-cleansing Spring.

There is a poem about it that goes:

The same vital force runs in all four seasons;

Spring continues throughout the autumn.

The scalding water bubbles like a cauldron;

The snow-white waves are boiling hot.

If the waters are spread they help the crops to grow;

Left where they are they wash worldly dust away.

Little bubbles spread out like pearls,

Rolling ones rise like pieces of jade.

It is rich and smooth although not wine,

Clear, calm and naturally warm.

The whole place thrives on its air of good omen:

It brings good fortune and the natural truth.

When the beauties wash their flesh is smooth as ice;

As dirt is soaked away their jade-like bodies are made new.


Output:
The bathing pool was about fifty feet across, a hundred feet long and four feet deep. The water was pure and translucent, and from the bottom of it came up bubbles like rolling pearls or floating jade. In the four sides of the pool there were six or seven pipes through which the water flowed out, keeping warm even when it reached fields up to a mile away. Beside the pool was a three-roomed pavilion, next to the back wall of which stood an eight-legged bench. At each end of the pavilion was a clothes stand painted in coloured lacquers. All this secretly delighted Monkey, who flew straight to one of the stands and landed on it.

When the women saw how clear and warm the water was they wanted to bathe in it, so they all took their clothes off and hung them on the stands before going into the pool together. This is what Monkey saw:

They undid the buttons on their clothes,

Loosened the knots in their gauzy sashes.

Silvery white were their creamy breasts,

Snowy their bodies that looked like jade.


Output:
Snowy their bodies that looked like jade.

Their arms and elbows were cool as ice,

And scented shoulders more lovely than if powdered.

Soft and supple the skin on their stomachs,

Glistening and clean their backs.

Their knees and wrists were rounded and soft;

Only three inches long were their golden lotus feet.

And as for what lay in between,

They showed a glimpse of the cave of pleasure.


Output:
They showed a glimpse of the cave of pleasure.

The women all jumped into the water and enjoyed themselves as they frolicked in the waves. “If I wanted to hit them,” Monkey thought, “I’d only need to stir the water with my cudgel. It would be like pouring boiling water on a nest of mice: I could kill the lot of them. What a pity. If I hit them I’d kill them, but it wouldn’t do my reputation any good. As they say, a real man doesn’t fight women. It’d be hopeless if a man like me killed these girls. If I’m not going to hit them I’ll have to make things difficult for them so that they can’t move.” The splendid Great Sage made a spell with his hands, said the words of it, shook himself and turned into a hungry eagle.

His feathers were like frost or snow,

His eyes like bright stars.

When evil foxes saw him their souls were scared out of them;

And crafty hares were struck with terror.

His steely claws were sharp as spear-points;

His air was both majestic and ferocious.

He used his talons to seize his food,


Output:
He used his talons to seize his food,

And was ready to catch his flying prey himself.

He could fly high and low across the chilly sky,

Swooping through clouds and on his quarry at will.

With a whoosh of his wings he flew towards them, stretched his sharp talons to seize all seven sets of clothes that were hung on the stands and flew straight back to the ridge with them. Here he reverted to his own form to see Pig and Friar Sand.

Just look at the idiot as he comes up to Brother Monkey and says with a grin, “The master must have been taken to a pawnbroker’s.”

“How can you tell?” asked Friar Sand.

“Can’t you see all those clothes our brother’s grabbed?” Pig replied.

“These are the evil spirits’ clothes,” said Monkey, putting them down.

“How on earth did you get so many?” Pig asked.

“There are seven outfits,” said Monkey.

“How did you strip them so easily, and strip them naked at that?” Pig asked.


Output: “I didn’t have to strip them,” said Monkey. “This place is called Gossamer Ridge, and the farm is called Gossamer Gave. The seven she-devils who live there captured the master, hung him up in their cave and all went off to bathe in the Filth-cleansing Spring. It’s a natural hot spring. Their plan was to have a bath then steam the master and eat him. I went there with them and watched them undress and get into the water. I wanted to hit them, but I was worried it would contaminate my cudgel and ruin my reputation so I didn’t. I just turned myself into a hungry eagle and grabbed their clothes in my talons. Now they’re all squatting in the water, too embarrassed to come out. Let’s rescue the master and be on our way as quickly as we can.”


Output:
“Brother,” grinned Pig, “you always leave something undone. You could see that they were evil spirits, so why didn’t you kill them first then rescue the master? Even if they’re too embarrassed to come out now they’ll certainly come out after nightfall. They’re bound to have enough old clothes at home to be able to put on an outfit each and come after us. Even if they don’t come after us they live here permanently and we’ll have to come this way back after we’ve fetched the scriptures. As the saying goes, it’s better to get into debt on a journey than to get into a fight. When they stop us and make a row they’ll really have it in for us.”

“So what do you suggest?” Monkey asked.

“If you ask me we should kill the demons then rescue the master,” said Pig. “That’s what’s called cutting down weeds and digging them out by the roots.”

“I’m not going to hit them,” Monkey replied. “If you want them hit go and do it yourself.”


Output:
Pig then summoned up his spirits and in high delight rushed straight there, his rake held aloft. As he suddenly pushed the gates open and looked inside he saw the seven women squatting in the water and wildly cursing the eagle.

“Feathery beast,” they were saying, “cat-headed monster. What the hell can we do now you’ve carried our clothes off?”

Pig could not help laughing as he said to them, “Bodhisattvas, carry on with your bath. Do you mind if I join you?”

“You monk, you’re disgrace,” the devils retorted angrily as they saw him. “We’re laywomen and you’re a man of religion. As the ancient book has it, ‘From the age of seven boys and girls do not share the same mat.’ You mustn’t possibly bathe in the same pool as us.”

“But the weather’s so scorching hot I’ve got no choice,” said Pig. “You’ll have to make the best of it and let me take a wash. What do you have to show off all that book-learning about sharing mats for?”


Output:
With further argument the idiot dropped his rake, stripped off his cotton tunic and jumped in with a splash, to the fury of the demons who all rushed at him to hit him. Little did they realize how expert Pig was in the water. Once in the pool he shook himself and turned into a catfish spirit. The demons then tried to grab him but even when they caught him they could not get a firm grip. If they grabbed to the East he suddenly shot Westwards, and if they tried to grab him to the West he went East. The funny thing was that he kept wriggling around their crotches. The water was about chest-high, and after swimming around at the surface and then at the bottom of the pool for a while he had covered all of it and was panting and exhausted.

Only then did Pig jump out, turn back into himself, put his tunic back on, pick up his rake and shout, “Who am I then? You thought I was a catfish spirit!”


Output:
At the sight of him the demons all trembled with fright and said to Pig, “When you came here first you were a monk, then you turned into a catfish in the water and we couldn’t catch you. Now you’ve dressed like that. Where have you come from? You must tell us your name.”

“Bloody demons, you really don’t know who I am,” said Pig. “I’m a disciple of the Venerable Tang Priest, who has been sent from Tang in the East to fetch the scriptures. My title is Marshal Tian Peng and I’m called Zhu Wuneng, or Pig. You’ve hung my master up in your cave and you’re planning to steam him and eat him. Is my master just a meal for you to cook? Stretch your heads out at once. I’m going to smash you all with my rake and wipe the lot of you out.”


Output:
At this the demons were scared out of their wits. They fell to their knees in the water, kowtowed to him and said, “Please be kind, reverend sir. We were blind and we captured your master by mistake. Although we did hang him up we haven’t tortured him. We beg you in your compassion to spare our lives. We’ll gladly give you some money for the journey and send your master on his way to the Western Heaven.”

“Cut that talk out,” said Pig, waving his hands. “It’s quite right what they say: ‘Once you’ve been tricked by a confectioner you won’t believe sweet-talkers again.’ I’m going to hit you with my rake, then we can all go our separate ways.”


Output: The idiot was thoroughly rough and crude and wanted to show off his powers. He was unmoved by their fragrant feminine beauty. Raising his rake he charged them, lashing out wildly without caring what he was doing. The demons acted desperately. Forgetting about their modesty they cared only about saving their lives as covering their private parts with their hands they jumped out of the water and ran into the pavilion. Standing there they used magic to make thick silken ropes come out of their navels, filling the sky with a huge silken canopy under which Pig was caught. When the idiot looked up he could not see the sun in the heavens. He tried to run outside, but he could not lift his feet, which were tangled in silken ropes that covered the ground. When he tried to move his feet he tripped and staggered. He tried going left, but his head crashed to the ground, then tried going right and came a cropper. So he turned round as quickly as he could and kissed the dirt, got himself back on his feet, and collapsed


Output: dirt, got himself back on his feet, and collapsed head first once more. Goodness only knows how many times he stumbled and fell till his whole body was numb, his feet sore, his head aching and his eyes blurred. He could no longer even crawl, but lay groaning on the floor. Then the demons tied him up. They neither beat him up nor wounded him, but sprang outside to rush back to their cave, leaving the silken canopy to blot out the daylight.


Output:
When they reached the stone bridge they stopped and said the words of a spell. In an instant the silk canopy had been put away, and they all rushed stark naked into the cave, covering their private parts with their hands as they ran giggling past the Tang Priest.

Once inside their bedrooms carved out of the rock they put on old clothes and went straight to the back door of the cave, where they stood and called, “Where are you, children?”

Now each she-devil had a child, not one that she had borne, but an adopted child who had taken her as a mother. They were called Bee, Hornet, Cockroach, Spanish-fly, Grasshopper, Wax-insect and Dragonfly, for such they were. The evil spirits had spread their nets across the sky, caught these seven insects and been on the point of eating them. But as the old saying goes, “Birds have bird language and beasts have beast language.”


Output:
The insects had pleaded for their lives and volunteered to take the spirits as their own mothers. Ever since then they had gathered blossoms in the spring and summer flowers for the evil spirits, and as soon as they heard the shouts they appeared and asked, “What orders do you have for us, mothers?”

“Sons,” the demons replied, “this morning we made a mistake and provoked the monk from Tang. His disciples trapped us in the pool and disgraced us. We were almost killed. You must do your utmost. Go outside and drive them away. When you’ve beaten them come to your uncle’s to meet us.” The she-devils then fled for their lives and went to the home of their teacher’s senior disciple, where their wicked tongues were to give rise to more disasters, but of that we shall not now speak. Watch while the insects rub their fists in their hands and go out to confront their enemies.


Output:
Pig, meanwhile, whose head was spinning after falling over so often, looked up and suddenly saw that the silken canopy and ropes had all disappeared. Groping around he picked himself up, and despite his pain he made his way back the way he had come. As soon as he saw Monkey he grabbed him and said, “Brother, is my head bulging? Is my face all blue?”

“What happened to you?” Monkey asked.

“Those damned creatures caught me under a silken net and tripped me up goodness knows how many times with silk ropes,” Pig replied. “My waist was twisted, my back felt broken and I couldn’t move an inch. Then the silk canopy and the ropes all disappeared, so I could escape and come back.”

“Forget about it,” said Friar Sand when he saw him, “forget about it. You asked for trouble. I’m sure the demons have all gone back to the cave to harm the master. We must go and rescue him straight away.”


Output:
When Monkey heard this he set out at once as fast as he could and rushed back to the farm while Pig led the horse. Here the seven little devils could be seen standing on the bridge, blocking their way and saying, “Not so fast, not so fast. We’re here.”

“What a joke!” said Pig when he saw them. “They’re just a bunch of kids. They’re only two foot five or six, well under three foot, and they can only weigh eight or nine pounds, not even ten.”

“Who are you?” he shouted.

“We’re the sons of the seven immortal ladies,” the little devils replied. “You’ve insulted our mothers, and now you’ve got the effrontery to attack us, you ignorant fools. Stay where you are, and watch out.” The splendid monsters then launched a wild onslaught on Pig, who was in a flaming temper after falling over so often. Seeing how tiny the insects were he lifted his rake to strike furious blows at them.


Output:
When the little devils saw how ferocious the idiot was they all reverted to their original forms, flew into the air and shouted, “Change!” In an instant each of them became ten, each ten became a hundred, each hundred became a thousand, and each thousand became ten thousand. Every one became a countless number. This is what could be seen:

The sky was full of wax-flies,

Dragonflies danced all over the land.

Bees and hornets went for the head,

Cockroaches jobbed at the eyes.

Spanish-flies bit before and behind,

While grasshoppers stung above and below.

His face was black and crawling with insects:

Even devils or deities would have been scared by their speed.

“Brother,” said Pig in alarm, “you can say what you like about it being easy to fetch the scriptures, but on this road to the West even the insects give you a bad time.”

“Don’t be afraid, brother,” said Monkey. “Go for them.”


Output:
“But they’re flying into my head and my face and all over my body,” replied Pig. “They’re at least ten layers deep and all stinging me. How can I go for them?”

“No problem,” said Monkey, “no problem. I know a trick.”

“Whatever it is, brother,” said Friar Sand, “use it right now. His shaven head has swollen up with those bites in no time at all.” The splendid Great Sage pulled out a handful of hairs, chewed them into little bits and blew them out, telling them to turn to golden eagles, falcons, hawks, white eagles, vultures, ospreys and sparrowhawks. “Brother,” said Pig, “what’s that jargon about goldens and all that?”


Output:
“Something you don’t know about,” Monkey replied. “Golden eagles, falcons, hawks, white eagles, vultures, ospreys and sparrowhawks are the seven birds of prey that my hairs turned into. That’s because the she-devils’ children are insects.” Because the birds were so good at catching insects they got one every time they opened their beaks, grabbed at them with their claws or struck them with their wings. They wiped all the insects out in an instant, leaving no trace of them in the sky. The ground was piled over a foot deep with their bodies.

Only then could the three brothers charge across the bridge and into the cave, where they found their master hanging groaning and sobbing in mid-air. “Master,” said Pig, going up to him, “are you hanging around here for fun? I don’t know how many times I’ve had to fall over on your account.”


Output:
“Untie the master before we take this conversation any further,” said Friar Sand. Brother Monkey then snapped the ropes and set the master free, asking, “Where did the evil spirits go?”

“All seven of them ran stark naked through to the back,” the Tang Priest replied. “They were calling for their sons.”

“After them, brothers!” said Monkey. “Follow me!”

The three of them, each holding his weapon, went searching in the back garden, but no sign of them could be found. They looked for them without success under all the peach and plum trees. “They’ve gone,” said Pig, “they’ve gone.”

“We can stop looking for them,” said Friar Sand. “I’m going to help the master away from here.” The three brothers then went back to the front, where they asked the Tang Priest to mount up. “You two help the master along the way,” said Pig. “I’m going to smash these buildings to the ground with my rake. Then they’ll have nowhere to live when they come back.”


Output:
“Smashing the place would be too much effort,” said Monkey. “The best way to cut off their roots would be to find some firewood.” The splendid idiot then gathered some dead pine, broken-off bamboo, dried-out willow and withered creepers that he set alight. The roaring blaze destroyed everything. Only then did master and disciples feel easy enough to be on their way.

If you don’t know what of good or evil the demons were to do to them, listen to the explanation in the next installment.

Chapter Seventy-Three

The Emotions Bear a Grudge and Inflict Disaster

The Heart’s Master Smashes the Light When He Meets the Demons

The story tells how the Great Sage Sun supported the Tang Priest as they hurried along the main road to the West together with Pig and Friar Sand. Within a few hours they were in sight of a compound with many tall towers and imposing buildings. “Disciple,” said Sanzang, reining in his horse, “what’s that place?” Monkey looked up to gaze at it and this is what he saw.


Output:
Tall towers girdled by hills,

Streams winding round pavilions.

Dense grew the wood in front of the gates,

And outside the buildings the scent of flowers hung heavy.

White egrets perched among the willows,

Like flawless jades half hidden in a mist;

Golden orioles sang in the peach-trees,

Flashes of gold in the fiery blossom.

Wild deer in couples

Trod lost to the world across cushions of greenery;

Pairs of mountain birds

Sang as they flew among the red tree-tops.

It was like the Tiantai Cave of Liu and Ruan,

And rivaled the home of the immortals in fairyland.

“Master,” Brother Monkey reported, “that’s no princely palace or rich man’s mansion. It looks like a Taoist temple or Buddhist monastery. We’ll know for sure when we get there.” On hearing this Sanzang whipped on his horse, and when master and disciples reached the gates to look there was a stone tablet set over the gateway on which was written YELLOW FLOWER TEMPLE. Sanzang dismounted.


Output:
“Yellow Flower Temple means it’s a Taoist place,” said Pig, “so it’s all right for us to go in and see them. Although we wear different clothes we cultivate our conduct the same way.”

“You’re right,” said Friar Sand. “We can go in and have a look round, and at the same time the horse can have a feed. If it looks suitable we can arrange a meal for the master.”

The master accepted their suggestions and the four of them went inside. A couplet was pasted up on either side of the inner gates:

Palace of immortals: yellow shoots and white snow.

Home of men who can fly: rare and wonderful flowers.

“So the Taoist here refines drugs, plays with a furnace and totes a crucible,” said Monkey with a grin.


Output:
“Watch your words,” said Sanzang, giving him a pinch, “watch your words. We don’t know them and they are no relations of ours. This is only a passing encounter. Never mind what they are like.” Before he had finished saying these words he went in through the inner gate, where he found the doors of the main hall shut tight and a Taoist master sitting under a covered walkway making elixir pills. Just look at how he was dressed:

On his head a bright red hat all set with gold,

On his body a jet-black Taoist robe.

On his feet a pair of deep green cloud-treading shoes,

Round his waist a brilliant yellow Lu Dongbin sash.

His face was round like a golden melon,

His eyes like bright stars.

His nose was as big and as high as a Muslim’s,

And his lips turned back like a Tartar’s.

His heart, set on the Way, was hidden thunder;

He was a true immortal, subduer of tigers and dragons.


Output: As soon as he saw him Sanzang shouted at the top of his voice, “My respectful greetings, venerable Taoist master.” The Taoist looked up with a start and was so alarmed by what he saw that he dropped the elixir on which he was working.


Output: Then he neatened his hair-pins and clothes, came down the steps and greeted Sanzang: “Venerable sir, excuse me for failing to meet you. Please come inside and sit down.” The venerable elder happily went up into the main hall. On pushing the doors open he saw the statues of the Three Pure Ones and an altar on which stood incense burners and incense, so he planted some joss-sticks in the burner and performed a triple set of obeisances to the Pure Ones before bowing to the Taoist master. He then went to the guest seats, where he sat down with his disciples. Immortal boys were told to bring tea at once, whereupon two boys went inside to fetch the tea-tray, wash the teacups, wipe the teaspoons and prepare some refreshments to eat with it. Their rushing about soon disturbed the pilgrims’ enemies.


Output:
Now the seven devils from Gossamer Cave had been fellow-students of the Taoist master here, and it was here that they had hurried after putting on their old clothes and calling for their sons. They were making themselves new clothes at the back of the temple when they noticed the boys preparing the tea and asked, “What visitors have arrived, boys? What are you in such a rush for?”

“Four Buddhist monks have just turned up,” the boys replied, “and the master has told us to prepare tea for them.”

“Is one of the monks pale and fat?” the she-devils asked.

“Yes.”

“Does one of them have a long snout and big ears?” they asked again.

“Yes.”

“Then take the tea in as quickly as you can,” the she-devils said, “and tip your master a wink to come in here. We’ve got something urgent to say to him.”


Output:
The boys took five cups of tea out to the Taoist master, who tucked back his sleeves and passed a cup with both hands first to Sanzang and then to Pig, Friar Sand and Brother Monkey. After the tea had been drunk the cups were collected and the boys gave their master a look, at which he bowed and said, “Please sit down, gentlemen. Boys, put the tray down and keep them company. I have to go out. I’ll be back.” Sanzang and his disciples went out of the hall to look around, guided by one boy.

When the Taoist master went back to the abbot’s lodgings the seven women all fell to their knees and said, “Brother, brother, please listen to what we have to say.”

The Taoist master helped them to their feet and said, “When you came here this morning you wanted to tell me something, but because of the elixir pills I was making I couldn’t see any women. That’s why I had to refuse. I have visitors out there now, so you can tell me later.”


Output:
“We have to report, elder brother,” the she-devils said, “that it’s because the strangers are here that we’re talking to you. If the strangers go away there’ll be no point in telling you.”

“What are you talking about, sisters?” the Taoist master said. “Why do you have to talk to me just now, when the strangers are here? Have you gone off your heads? I’m a man who lives in peace and quiet cultivating immortality, but even if I were a layman with wife and children and family responsibilities I’d wait till my visitor had left before attending to them. How can you be so ill-behaved and disgrace me? Now let me go.”

All the she-devils grabbed him and said, “Please don’t lose your temper, elder brother. Tell us where the visitors come from.” The Taoist master pulled a long face and ignored them. “When the boys came in for the tea just now they told us the visitors are four Buddhist monks,” the she-devils said.

“They’re monks,” said the Taoist master angrily, “what of it?”


Output:
“Does one of the four monks have a pale, fat face,” the she-devils asked, “and one of them a long snout and big ears? Did you ask them where they’re from?”

“Yes,” the Taoist said, “there are two like that among them. How did you know? I suppose you’ve seen them somewhere.”

“You don’t know the terrible things that have happened, brother,” the devils said. “That monk was sent by the Tang court to fetch the scriptures from the Western Heaven. He came to our cave this morning begging for food. We captured him because we’d heard of this Tang Priest.”

“Why did you capture him?” the Taoist asked.


Output: “We’ve long known that the Tang Priest has a pure body because he has cultivated his conduct for ten successive incarnations,” the devils replied. “Anyone who eats a piece of his flesh will live for ever. That’s why we captured him. Later the monk with a long snout and big ears kept us in the Filth-cleansing Spring. First he stole our clothes and then he used his magical powers to insist on bathing with us. He jumped into the water and turned himself into a catfish. From the way he kept swimming around between our thighs he obviously had very improper ideas. He was thoroughly disgraceful. Then he jumped out of the water and turned back into himself. As we weren’t going to let him have his way he tried to kill us all with his nine-pronged rake. If we hadn’t known a thing or two he’d have murdered the lot of us. We fled in fear and trembling and sent your nephews into battle. We don’t know whether they are alive or dead. We have come here to fling ourselves on your mercy and beg you to avenge your


Output: on your mercy and beg you to avenge your fellow-students from long ago.”


Output:
On hearing this the Taoist was furious, as could be seen from his changed expression. “What outrageous monks!” he exclaimed. “What hooligans! Don’t you worry: I’m going to sort them out.”

“If you’re going to fight them,” said the she-devils in gratitude, “you must let us help you.”

“There’ll be no need to fight,” said the Taoist, “no need. As the saying goes, you have to lower yourself to fight someone. Come with me.”

The women went with him into his room, where he carried a ladder behind the bed, climbed up to the rafters and brought down a little leather box. It was eight inches high, a foot long, four inches wide and locked with a tiny brass lock. From his sleeve he produced a square handkerchief of goose-yellow silk, to the fringes of which a tiny key was tied. Unlocking the box he brought out a packet containing a drug. This drug was:

A thousand pounds of droppings

From all kinds of mountain birds,

Boiled in a copper cauldron,

Reduced on an even fire,


Output:
Reduced on an even fire,

Till the thousand pounds were only a spoonful

That was then reduced to a third.

This was fried even longer,

Refined and smoked once again.

To make the poisonous drug,

More precious than treasures or jewels.

Were you to try out its flavor,

One taste would send yon to Hell.

“Sisters,” said the Taoist master, “any mortal who eats one grain of this treasure of mine will be dead when it reaches his stomach. Only three grains would be enough to kill a god or an immortal. As these monks may have mastered something of the Way they’ll need three grains. Fetch my balance.” One of the women brought a balance at once.

“Weigh out twelve grains,” he said, “and divide that into four portions.” Then he took twelve red jujubes, pinched holes in them, stuffed a grain of the drug in each, and put them into four teacups. These were then placed with a fifth cup containing two black jujubes on a tray.


Output:
“Let me question them,” he said. “If they aren’t from Tang that’ll be the end of it; but if they are I’ll ask for fresh tea and you can give this tea to the boys to bring in. Once they drink it they’ll all die and you’ll be avenged. That’ll cheer you up.” The seven women were beside themselves with gratitude.

The Taoist changed into another robe and walked out again with a great show of feigned courtesy. He urged the Tang Priest and the others to sit down in the guest seats again. “Please excuse me, venerable sir,” the Taoist said. “The reason why I neglected you just now was because I was at the back telling my disciples to choose some greens and radishes to cook as a vegetarian meal for you.”

“We Buddhist monks came empty-handed,” said Sanzang. “We could not possibly trouble you for a meal.”


Output:
“We are all men of religion,” replied the Taoist master with a smile. “Whenever we go to a monastery or temple we are entitled to three pints of rice, so why talk of being empty-handed? May I ask you, reverend sir, what monastery you are from, and why you are here?”

“I have been sent by His Majesty the Great Tang emperor to fetch the scriptures from the Great Thunder Monastery in the Western Heaven,” Sanzang replied. “As we were passing your Taoist temple we came in to pay our respects.”

At this news the Taoist’s face was full of animation, as he said, “It was only because I did not realize you were so faithful to the most virtuous Buddha that I failed to come out a long way to meet you. Please forgive me. Please forgive me.” Then he told the boys to bring fresh tea at once and get a meal ready as soon as possible, at which the boys went straight inside to fetch the tea.


Output:
“Here’s some good tea that’s all ready,” the women called to them. “Take this in.” The boys did indeed take the five cups in, and the Taoist master hurriedly passed a cup of red jujube tea to the Tang Priest. As Pig was so big the Taoist took him for the senior disciple, and he thought Friar Sand was the next senior. Thinking that Monkey was the junior one the Taoist only handed him his cup fourth. By the time the sharp-eyed Brother Monkey took his cup he had already noticed that there were two black jujubes in the cup left on the tray.

“Let’s change cups, sir,” he said. “To be honest with you,” the Taoist replied with a smile, “as a poor Taoist living out here in the wilds I am rather short of tea and food at the moment. I was looking for fruit out at the back just now and I could only find these twelve red jujubes to put into four cups of tea to offer you. As I had to take something with you I made another cup with these inferior jujubes to keep you company. This is just a gesture of respect.”


Output:
“What nonsense,” said Monkey with a smile. “As the ancients said, ‘You are never poor if you are at home; but poverty on a journey is killing.’ You’re at home here, so why all this talk about being poor? It’s wandering monks like us who are really poor. I’ll swap with you. I insist.”

“Wukong,” said Sanzang when he heard this, “this immortal gentleman is being very hospitable. You have yours. There is no need for a swap.” Monkey had no choice. Taking the cup with his left hand he covered it with his right and watched them.

Pig, however, who apart from feeling hungry and thirsty had an enormous appetite at the best of times, picked the three red jujubes out of the cup as soon as he saw them and swallowed them noisily. The master ate his too, as did Friar Sand. In that very instant Pig’s face changed color, tears started pouring from Friar Sand’s eyes and the Tang Priest began to foam at the mouth. Unable to sit upright, all three of them fainted and fell to the floor.


Output:
Realizing that they had been poisoned, the Great Sage raised his teacup in his hands and threw it at the Taoist master’s face. The Taoist stopped it with his sleeve and it shattered noisily as it fell to the floor. “You lout, monk,” said the Taoist in fury, “how dare you smash my cup?”

“Animal,” said Monkey abusively, “just look what you’ve done to those three! What have I ever done to you for you to give my people poisoned tea?”

“Beast,” said the Taoist master, “you asked for it. Don’t you realize that?”

“We’ve only just come here and talked about things like where we should sit and where we’re from,” said Monkey. “We didn’t talk big. How can you say we asked for this trouble?”

“Did you beg for food in Gossamer Cave?” the Taoist master asked. “Did you bathe in the Filth-cleansing Spring?”


Output: “There were seven she-devils in the Filth-cleansing Spring,” Monkey replied. “From what you’re saying you must be in cahoots with them. I’m sure you’re an evil spirit yourself. Stay where you are and take this!” The splendid Great Sage felt in his ear for his gold-banded cudgel, waved it to make it as thick as a rice-bowl, and struck at the Taoist master’s face. The Taoist rapidly turned and dodged the blow, then produced a fine sword with which he fought back.


Output: Their cursing and fighting had by now disturbed the seven she-devils inside, who all rushed out shouting, “Spare yourself the trouble, elder brother. Let us catch him.” At the sight of them Monkey became angrier than ever. Whirling his iron cudgel around with both hands he dropped his guard and tumbled in among them, lashing out wildly. The seven women then undid their clothes, revealing their white stomachs, and from their navels they produced by magic thick silken ropes that came reeling out in such abundance that they formed a canopy under which Brother Monkey was confined.


Output: Seeing that things were going badly Monkey got up, said the words of a spell, did a somersault, smashed through the canopy and escaped. Then he stood gloomily in mid-air, controlling his temper and watching as the flashing silken ropes crisscrossed like the warp and weft of cloth on the loom. Within a moment the Yellow Flower Temple’s towers and halls were all completely concealed. “Terrible,” said Monkey, “they’re terrible. I’ve never been up against anything like that before. No wonder Pig fell over so often. What am I to do now? The master and my brothers have been poisoned. This gang of devils are all hand in glove, and I know nothing about their background. I’ll go back and question that local god.”


Output: The splendid Great Sage brought his cloud down to land, made a spell with his fingers, said the sacred syllable Om, and forced the old local god to come to him again. The old deity knelt beside the path, trembling with fear and kowtowing as he said, “Great Sage, you went to rescue your master. Why are you back again?”


Output: “I rescued him this morning,” Monkey replied, “and a little way ahead from there we reached a Yellow Flower Temple. When I went in with the master to look around, the head Taoist of the temple greeted us, and in the middle of our conversation he knocked out my master and the other two with poisoned tea. Luckily I didn’t drink any, but when I was going to hit him with my cudgel he started talking about begging for food at Gossamer Cave and bathing at the Filth-cleansing Spring, so I knew he was a monster. No sooner had he raised his hand to fight back than the seven women came out and set off their silken ropes. It was a good thing I had the know-how to get away. I reckon that as you’re a god who lives round here you’re bound to know their background. What sort of evil spirit are they? Tell me the truth if you don’t want to be hit.”


Output:
“It’s less than ten years since those evil spirits came here,” said the local deity, kowtowing. “When I was making an inspection three years ago I saw what they really are: seven spider spirits. The silken ropes that come out of them are spiders’ webs.”

The news thoroughly delighted Monkey, who said, “From what you tell me they’re no problem. Very well then. You can go back while I use magic to subdue him.” The local god kowtowed and went.


Output:
Monkey then went to the outside of the Yellow Flower Temple, pulled seventy hairs out of his tail, blew on them with magic breath and shouted, “Change!” The hairs turned into seventy little Monkeys. He then blew a magic breath on his gold-banded cudgel, called “Change!” and turned it into seventy two-pronged forks, one of which he gave to each of the little Monkeys. Monkey himself used one of the forks to twist the silken ropes as he stood outside, then they all attacked together to the rhythm of a tune, tearing the ropes to pieces, each of them tearing off over ten pounds of rope. They dragged seven spiders out from inside. Each was about the size of a wicker basket. All of them held their hands and feet together and had ropes round their necks.

“Spare us, spare us,” they said. The seventy little Monkeys then pressed the seven spiders to the ground, refusing to let them go.

“Don’t hit them,” said Monkey. “All we want is to make them give my master and my brothers back.”


Output:
“Elder Brother,” shrieked the demons at the tops of their voices, “give the Tang Priest back and save our lives.”

The Taoist master rushed outside saying, “Sisters, I’m going to eat the Tang Priest. I can’t save you.”

This infuriated Brother Monkey. “If you won’t give my master back just watch what happens to your sisters.” The splendid Great Sage waved his fork, turned it back into an iron cudgel that he lifted with both hands and smashed the seven spider spirits to pulp. Then he shook his tail a couple of times, put the hairs back on it and charged inside alone, swinging his cudgel to fight the Taoist master.

When the Taoist master saw Monkey kill his seven fellow-students it was more than he could bear. Goaded to fury, he raised his sword to fight back. In this battle each of them was seething with anger and giving full play to his divine powers. It was a fine battle:

The evil spirit swung a fine sword;

The Great Sage raised his gold-banded cudgel.

Both were fighting for Sanzang of the Tang,


Output:
Both were fighting for Sanzang of the Tang,

On whose account the seven women had been killed.

Now they were fighting with all-round skill,

Showing their mighty powers with their weapons.

Powerful was the Great Sage’s aura,

And rough the courage of the evil immortal.

Their vigorous moves were as rich as brocade,

And both hands moved as fast as a windlass.

Noisily clanged the sword and cudgel,

And ominously pale were the floating clouds.

Few were the words they spoke

As they used their cunning,

Moving to and fro like brush-strokes in a painting.

The wind and dust they raised scared wolves and tigers;

The stars disappeared as heaven and earth went dark.


Output:
When the Taoist master had fought fifty or sixty rounds with the Great Sage he felt his hand weakening and his sinews getting slack, so he undid his belt and with a loud flapping noise took off his black robe. “Well, my lad,” said the Great Sage with a laugh, “if you can’t beat me you still won’t be able to when you strip off.” Once the Taoist master had stripped off his clothes he raised both hands to reveal under his ribs a thousand eyes flashing golden light. It was terrible:

Dense yellow smoke,

Brilliant golden light.

The dense yellow smoke

Gushed out as clouds from under his ribs;

The brilliant golden light

Came from a thousand eyes like fire.

To left and right they seemed like golden pails;

To East and West they resembled bells of bronze.

Thus an evil immortal used his magic power,

A Taoist master showed divine ability,

Dazzling the eyes, blotting out sun, moon and sky,

Blanketing people with acrid vapors.

The Great Sage Equaling Heaven

Was caught in the golden light and yellow smoke.


Output:
Was caught in the golden light and yellow smoke.

Monkey started lashing out desperately with his hands and feet, but could only spin around inside the golden light, unable to take a step either forwards or backwards. It was as if he were turning round and round in a bucket. It was hopeless. He was unbearably hot. In his anxiety he leapt into the air, smashing against the golden light, and crashing head first to the ground. His head ached where he had hit it, and felt anxiously to find that the top of his scalp was tender.

“What lousy luck,” he though, “what lousy luck. This head’s useless today. Usually swords and axes can’t hurt it, so why has golden light bruised it now? After a while it’s bound to go septic, and even if it does get better I might have tetanus.” He was still feeling unbearably hot. “I can’t move forward or back,” he thought, working out a plan, “or to left or right, and I can’t smash my way through by going up. Whatever shall I do? I’ll damn well have to get out by going down.”


Output:
The splendid Great Sage said the words of a spell, shook himself, and turned into one of those scaly diggers called pangolins. Indeed:

Four sets of iron claws

Dug through the mountain, smashing rocks like powder.

The scales covering his body

Carved through ridges and crags like slicing scallions.

His eyes were as bright

As two gleaming stars;

His mouth was sharper

Than a steel drill or brazen auger.

He was the scaly mountain-borer used in medicine,

The creature known as the pangolin.

Watch him as he burrows into the ground with his head, not coming out again till he has covered over six miles. The golden light could only enclose about three miles. When he emerged and turned back into himself he was exhausted. His muscles ached, his whole body was in pain, and he could not help weeping. Suddenly he burst out with, “Master,

Since leaving the mountain and joining the faith

I’ve worked very hard on our way to the West.

The waves of the ocean are nothing to fear,


Output:
The waves of the ocean are nothing to fear,

But in this dry gulch I’ve come out second best.”

Just as the Handsome Monkey King was feeling miserable the sound of sobs could suddenly be heard from the other side of the mountain. Leaning forward and drying his tears he turned to look. A woman appeared, dressed in deep mourning and sobbing at every step as she came from the other side of the mountain. She was holding a dish of cold rice gruel in her left hand and several pieces of yellow paper money for burning to the dead in her right. Monkey sighed and nodded as he said to himself, “This is a case of

Weeping eyes meeting weeping eyes,

One broken heart coming across another.

I wonder what this woman is crying about. I’ll ask her.” Before long the woman was coming along the path towards him.

“Lady Bodhisattva,” asked Brother Monkey with a bow, “who are you weeping for?”


Output:
Through her tears the woman replied, “My husband was murdered by the master of the Yellow Flower Temple with poisoned tea because he got into a quarrel with him over the purchase of some bamboo poles. I’m going to burn this paper money as a mark of my love for him.”

This made Monkey’s tears flow. The sight made the woman say angrily, “You ignorant fool. I’m grieving over my husband, but what business do you have to be weeping and looking so miserable? Are you mocking me?”


Output: “Please don’t be angry, Bodhisattva,” said Monkey with a bow. “I’m Sun Wukong the Novice, the senior disciple of Tang Sanzang, the younger brother of the Great Tang Emperor in the East. When we passed the Yellow Flower Temple on our way to the Western Heaven we stopped to rest, but the Taoist master there is some kind of evil spirit who’s the sworn brother of seven spider spirits. When the spider spirits wanted to kill my master in Gossamer Cave I and my brother disciples Pig and Friar Sand managed to save him. The spider spirits fled to the Taoist’s place and told him a pack of lies about us bullying them, so the Taoist knocked out my master and brothers. The three of them and the horse are now prisoners in his temple. I was the only one who didn’t drink the tea. I smashed the cup and he attacked me. Because of the noise the seven spider spirits rushed outside to give out their silken ropes and catch me in the web they wove. I only got away by magic. After I’d found out who they really were I used my power


Output: found out who they really were I used my power of giving myself extra bodies to tear the silken ropes to pieces, drag the demons out and beat them to death. The Taoist master wanted revenge, so he went for me with his sword. When we’d gone sixty rounds he fled beaten, took off his clothes, and used the thousand eyes he has under his ribs to give off countless beams of golden light. I was caught under them, unable to move forwards or backwards, so I turned into a pangolin and burrowed my way out underground. It was when I was feeling thoroughly depressed that I heard you weeping, which was why I asked you those questions. When I saw that you had paper money to give your husband I felt wretched and miserable because I’ve got nothing for my master when he dies. Making fun of you was the last thing on my mind!”


Output:
Putting down the gruel and the paper money the woman returned Brother Monkey’s bow and said, “Please forgive me. I didn’t realize that you were a sufferer too. From what you’ve just said you don’t know who that Taoist is. He’s really the Demon King Hundred-eye, who’s also known as the Many-eyed Monster. You must have tremendous magical powers to have escaped from the golden light and fought so long, but you couldn’t get near him. I’ll tell you about a sage you can send for who would be able to smash the golden light and defeat the Taoist.”

Monkey’s immediate response was to chant a “na-a-aw” of respect and say, “If you know the sage’s background, lady Bodhisattva, may I trouble you to tell me about it? If there is such a sage I’ll fetch him to rescue my master and avenge your husband.”

“I’ll tell you,” the woman said, “and you can fetch the sage, who will subdue the Taoist, but that will only bring revenge. I’m afraid the sage won’t be able to rescue your master.”


Output:
“Why not?” Monkey asked. “His poison is truly lethal,” the woman replied. “When people are laid low by it the very marrow of their bones rots within three days. I’m afraid that by the time you’ve been to see the sage and come back again you’ll be too late to save him.”

“I know how to travel,” Monkey replied. “However far it is I’ll only take half a day.”

“If you can travel then listen to this,” the woman said. “About three hundred miles from here there’s a mountain called Mount Purple Clouds, and in the mountain there’s a Thousand Flower Cave where there lives a sage called Vairambha who will be able to defeat that demon.”

“Where’s the mountain?” Monkey asked. “Which direction should I take?”

“It’s due South of here,” the woman replied, pointing; and by the time Brother Monkey looked back at her she had disappeared.


Output:
Monkey quickly did a kowtow and said, “Which Bodhisattva was that? After all that burrowing you disciple was feeling too stupid to recognize you. I beg you to tell me your name so that I can thank you.” At this there came a shout from mid-air, “Great Sage, it’s me.” Monkey quickly looked up to see that it was the Old Lady of Mount Li. Catching up with her in the sky he thanked her with the words, “Where have you come from to give me these instructions?”

“On my way back from Dragon Flower Assembly I noticed that your master was in trouble,” the Old Lady replied. “It was to save his life that I pretended to be a woman in mourning for her husband. Hurry up and fetch the sage. But don’t tell her I sent you: she is rather difficult.”

Thanking her, Monkey took his leave and set off straight away on his somersault cloud. Once at Mount Purple Clouds he brought his cloud down and saw the Thousand Flower Cave. Outside the cave:

Blue pines masked the splendid view,


Output:
Blue pines masked the splendid view,

Turquoise cypresses surrounded the immortal’s home.

Green willows were packed close along the mountain paths,

Rare flowers filled the watercourses.

Orchids grew all around stone buildings,

And scented blooms gave color to the crags.

Flowing water linked ravines with green,

While clouds enclosed the emptiness of trees.

Noisily sang wild birds.

Slowly strolled the deer,

Elegant grew the bamboo,

And all the red plums were open.

Rooks perched in ancient woods,

While spring birds chirped in the tree of heaven.

Summer wheat filled spreading acres,

And autumn millet grew all over the land.

No leaf fell in all four seasons.

And flowers bloomed throughout the year.

Auspicious rosy glows joined with the Milky Way,

And clouds of good omen were linked with the Great Emptiness.


Output:
The Great Sage was delighted as he went inside, seeing boundless beauty at every stage. He went straight on, but found it deserted and completely silent. Not even a chicken or a dog could be heard. “I think that this sage must be out.” Monkey thought. When he had gone a mile or two further on he saw a Taoist nun sitting on a couch. This is what she looked like:

She wore a five-flowered hat of brocade,

And a robe of golden silk.

Her cloud-treading shoes were patterned with phoenixes

And round her waist was a sash with double tassels.

Her face looked as old as autumn after a frost,

But her voice was as charming as swallows in the spring.

Long had she mastered the Dharma of Three Vehicles,

And she was ever mindful of the Four Truths.

She knew true achievement, that emptiness is empty,

And through her training had acquired great freedom.

She was the Buddha of the Thousand Flower Cave,

The illustrious Vairambha of great fame.


Output:
The illustrious Vairambha of great fame.

Monkey went straight up to her without stopping and said, “Greetings, Bodhisattva Vairambha.”

The Bodhisattva then came down from her couch, put her hands together to return his greeting and said, “Great Sage, it was remiss of me not to come out to greet you. Where have you come from?”

“How do you know that I’m the Great Sage?” Monkey asked.

“When you made havoc in Heaven the other year,” Vairambha replied, “your picture was circulated everywhere. That’s why everyone can recognize you.”

“How true it is,” Monkey said, “that

While good deeds stay at home

Bad deeds are known far and wide.

Take my conversion to Buddhism, for example. You didn’t know about that.”

“Congratulations,” said Vairambha. “When did that happen?”


Output:
“Not long ago my life was spared to escort my master the Tang Priest on his journey to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures,” Monkey replied. “My master has been laid low with poisoned tea by the Taoist of the Yellow Flower Temple. When I was fighting with him he caught me in his golden light, and I had to use magic to escape. I have come here to pay you my respects, Bodhisattva, and ask your help because I’ve heard that you are able to destroy his golden light.”

“Who told you that?” the Bodhisattva asked. “I have not left here since the Ullambana assembly over three hundred years ago. I’ve lived in complete secrecy and nobody has heard of me, so how is it that you know of me?”

“I’m an underground devil,” Monkey replied, “and I can make my own enquiries anywhere at all.”

“Never mind,” Vairambha said, “never mind. I shouldn’t really go, but as you have honoured me with a visit, Great Sage, and as the great cause of fetching the scriptures must not be allowed to fail I’ll go with you.”


Output:
Monkey thanked her and said, “It’s very ignorant of me to hurry you along in this way. I wonder what weapon you use.”

“I have an embroidery needle that will put an end to that damned creature,” said the Bodhisattva.

This was too much for Monkey. “Old Lady, you’ve been wasting my time,” he said. “Had I known it was an embroidery needle I wouldn’t have had to trouble you. I could have provided a hundredweight of them.”

“Your embroidery needles are all made of iron, steel or gold,” the Bodhisattva replied. “They’re no use. My treasure isn’t iron and isn’t steel and isn’t gold. It was tempered by my son in the sun.”

“Who is he?” asked Monkey. “He is the Star Lord of the Mane,” Vairambha replied.


Output:
This came as a shock to Monkey, who gazed at the golden light then turned to Vairambha and said, “The Yellow Flower Temple is where that golden light is coming from.” Vairambha then took from the lapel of her gown an embroidery needle about the thickness of an eyebrow hair and half an inch long. Holding it between her fingers she threw it into the air. A few moments later there was a loud noise and the golden light was shattered.

“That’s wonderful, Bodhisattva, wonderful!” exclaimed a delighted Monkey. “Let’s find your needle now.”

“Isn’t this it here?” asked Vairambha, who was holding it in her hand. Brother Monkey brought his cloud down to land with hers and went into the temple, where he found the Taoist with his eyes shut, unable to move. “Stop playing blind, damned demon,” he said abusively, taking his cudgel from his ear ready to hit the Taoist with.

“Don’t hit him, Great Sage,” said Vairambha. “Go and see your master.”


Output:
On going straight to the reception room at the back Monkey found the three of them bringing up mucus and spittle where they lay on the floor. “What am I to do?” wept Monkey. “What am I to do?”

“Don’t grieve, Great Sage,” said Vairambha. “As I’ve come out today I think I might as well accumulate some merit by giving you three of these pills that are an antidote to the poison.” Monkey turned round to bow down and beg her for them, whereupon she produced a torn paper packet from her sleeve containing three red pills that she handed to Monkey, telling him to put one in each of their mouths. This he did, forcing their teeth apart. A few moments later they all started vomiting as the drug reached their stomachs, bringing up the poison and coming back to life. Pig was the first to scramble to his feet.

“I feel suffocated,” he said. Sanzang and Friar Sand both came round too, saying that they felt very dizzy.


Output:
“Your tea was poisoned,” Brother Monkey explained. “It was the Bodhisattva Vairambha who saved you. Hurry up and bow to her in thanks.” Sanzang bowed to her to show his gratitude as he straightened up his clothes.

“Brother,” said Pig, “where’s that Taoist? I’ve got some questions to ask him about why he tried to murder me.” Monkey then told him all about the spider spirits.

“If spider spirits are his sisters that damned creature must be an evil spirit too,” said Pig with fury.

“He’s standing outside the main hall pretending to be blind,” said Monkey, pointing.

Pig grabbed his rake and was about to hit the Taoist with it when Vairambha stopped him and said, “Control your temper, Marshal Tian Peng. As the Great Sage knows, I have no servants in my cave. I am going to take him as my doorkeeper.”

“We are deeply indebted to your great power,” Monkey replied, “and we will of course obey. But we would like you to turn him back into his real self so that we can have a look at him.”


Output:
“Easily done,” said Vairambha, stepping forward and pointing at the Taoist, who collapsed into the dust and reverted to his real form of a giant centipede spirit seven feet long. Picking him up with her little finger Vairambha rode her auspicious cloud straight back to the Thousand Flower Cave. “That old lady’s a real terror,” said Pig, looking up. “How did she manage to subdue that evil creature?”

“When I asked her what weapon she had to smash the golden light with,” Monkey replied, “she told me about a golden embroidery needle of hers that her son had tempered in the sun. When I asked her who her son was she told me he was the Star Lord of the Mane. As I remember, the Mane Star is a cock, so his mother must be a hen. Hens are very good at dealing with centipedes, which is why she could subdue him.”


Output:
On hearing this Sanzang performed no end of kowtows. “Disciples,” he ordered, “go and get things ready.” Friar Sand then went inside to find some rice and prepare a vegetarian meal, so that they could all eat their fill. Then they led the horse up, shouldered the carrying-pole, and asked the master to set out. Monkey started a blaze in the kitchen that in an instant burnt the whole temple to ashes. He then set out on his way. Indeed:

The Tang Priest thanked Vairambha for saving his life;

The emotions were eliminated and the Many-eyed Monster removed.

As for what happened on the way ahead, listen to the explanations in the next installment.

Chapter Seventy-Four

Li Changgeng Reports the Demons’ Vicious Nature

The Novice Displays His Powers of Transformation

Emotions and desires are in origin all the same;

Both emotions and desires are completely natural.

Many a gentleman refines himself in the Buddhist faith;

When desire and emotions are forgotten, dhyana conies.


Output:
Don’t be impatient; be firm of heart;

Be free of dust like the moon in the sky.

Make no mistake in your labors and your progress;

When your efforts are completed you will be an enlightened immortal.

The story tells how Sanzang and his disciples, having broken through the net of desires and escaped from the prison-house of the emotions, let the horse travel West. Before they had been going for very long the summer was over and the new coolness of early autumn was refreshing their bodies. What they saw was:

Driving rains sweeping away the last of the heat,

Alarming the leaf of the parasol tree.

At evening glow-worms flew by the sedge path

While crickets sang beneath the moon.

The golden mallows opened in the dew;

Red knotweed covered the sandbanks.

Rushes and willows were the first to lose their leaves

As cold cicadas sang in tune.


Output:
As cold cicadas sang in tune.

As Sanzang was travelling along a high mountain appeared in front of him. Its peak thrust up into the azure void, touching the stars and blocking out the sun. In his alarm the venerable elder said to Monkey, “Look at that mountain in front of us. It’s very high. I don’t know whether the path will take us across.”

“What a thing to say, Master,” said Monkey with a smile. “As the old saying goes,

However high the mountain there will be a way across;

However deep the river there’s always a ferryman.

There’s no reason why we shouldn’t get over it. Stop worrying and carry on.” When Sanzang heard this his face broke out in smiles and he whipped his horse forward to climb straight up the high crag.


Output:
After a mile or two an old man appeared. His white hair was tangled and flying in the wind while his sparse whiskers were being blown about like silver threads. He wore a string of prayer-beads round his neck and held a dragon-headed walkingstick as he stood far away at the top of the slope shouting, “Venerable gentleman travelling West, stop your worthy steed. Rein in. There is a band of demons on this mountain who have eaten all the people in the continent of Jambu. Go no further!”

At this Sanzang turned pale with terror, and because the horse was not standing steadily and he himself was not well seated in the carved saddle he crashed to the ground and lay in the grass, moaning but unable to move.

Monkey went over to help him to his feet with the words, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. I’m here.”


Output:
“Did you hear the old man up on the crag telling us that there’s a band of demons on this mountain who have eaten everyone in the continent of Jambu?” said Sanzang. “Who’ll dare go to ask him what this is really all about?”

“Sit there while I go and ask him,” Monkey replied.

“With your ugly face and coarse language I’m afraid you may shock him,” said Sanzang, “so you won’t get the truth from him.”

“I’ll make myself a bit better looking before questioning him,” laughed Brother Monkey.

“Do a change to show me,” said Sanzang, and the splendid Great Sage made a spell with his fingers, shook himself, and turned into a very neat little monk, clear-eyed, fine-browed, round-headed and regular of features. He moved in a most refined way and said nothing vulgar when he opened his mouth.

Brushing his brocade tunic he stepped forward and said to the Tang Priest, “Master, have I changed for the better?”

“Yes,” said the delighted Sanzang.


Output:
“Yes,” said the delighted Sanzang.

“Marvellous,” said Pig, “but the rest of us look shabby by comparison. Even if I rolled around for two or three years on end I couldn’t make myself look as elegant as that.”

The splendid Great Sage left them behind as he went straight up to the old man, bowed to him and said, “Greetings, venerable sir.” Seeing how young and cultivated he looked, the old man returned his greeting and stroked his head in an offhand way.

“Little monk,” the old man said with a smile, “where have you come from?”

“We are from the Great Tang in the East,” Monkey replied, “going to worship the Buddha and fetch the scriptures. When we came here and heard you tell us that there are demons here my master was terrified. He sent me to ask you about them. What sort of evil spirits would dare go in for that sort of crime? I would trouble you, venerable sir, to tell me all the details so that I can put them in their place and send them on their way.”


Output:
“You’re much too young, little monk,” said the old man with a smile, “to know what’s good for you. Your remarks aren’t helpful. Those evil spirits have tremendous magical powers. How can you have the nerve to talk of putting them in their place and sending them on their way?”

“From what you are saying,” Monkey replied with a smile, “you seem to be trying to protect them. You must be a relation of theirs, or else a neighbour or a friend. Why else would you be promoting their prestige and boosting their morale, and refusing to pour out everything you know about their background?”

“You certainly know how to talk, monk,” said the old man, nodding and smiling. “I suppose you must have learned some magic arts while travelling with your master. Perhaps you know how to drive away and capture goblins, or have exorcised people’s houses for them. But you’ve never come up against a really vicious monster.”

“What sort of vicious?” Monkey said.


Output:
“What sort of vicious?” Monkey said.

“If those evil spirits send a letter to Vulture Mountain the five hundred arhats all come out to meet them,” the old man said. “If they send a note to the Heavenly Palace the Ten Bright Shiners all turn out to pay their respects. The dragons of the Four Oceans were their friends and they often meet the immortals of the Eight Caves. The Ten Kings of the Underworld call them brothers; the local gods and city gods are good friends of theirs.

When the Great Sage heard this he could not help bursting into loud guffaws. “Stop talking,” he said, grabbing hold of the old man, “stop talking. Even if that demon is friends with all those young whippersnappers, my juniors, that’s nothing really remarkable. If he knew I was coming he’d clear off the same night.”

“You’re talking nonsense, little monk,” the old man said. “How can any of those sages be juniors and young whippersnappers to you?”


Output:
“To be truthful with you,” Monkey replied with a grin, “my people have lived for many generations in the Water Curtain Cave on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit in the land of Aolai. My name is Sun Wukong. In the old days I used to be an evil spirit too and did some great things. Once I fell asleep after drinking too much at a feast with the other demons and dreamed that two men came to drag me off to the World of Darkness. I got so angry that I wounded the demon judges with my gold-banded cudgel. The kings of the Underworld were terrified and I practically turned the Senluo Palace upside-down. The judges in charge of the case were so scared that they fetched some paper for the Ten Kings to sign. They promised to treat me as their senior if I let them off a beating.”

“Amitabha Buddha!” exclaimed the old man when he heard this. “If you talk big like that you won’t be able to grow any older.”

“I’m old enough, fellow,” said Monkey.

“How old are you then?” the old man asked. “Guess,” Monkey replied.


Output:
“Six or seven,” the old man said. “I’m ten thousand times as old as that,” laughed Monkey, “I’ll show you my old face, then you’ll believe me.”

“How can you have another face?” the old man asked.

“This little monk has seventy-two faces,” Monkey replied.

Not realizing that Monkey really had these powers the old man went on questioning him till Monkey rubbed his face and turned back into himself, with his protruding teeth, big mouth, red thighs and tigerskin kilt round his waist. As he stood there at the foot of the rocky scar, holding his gold-banded cudgel, he was the living image of a thunder god. The sight of him made the old man turn pale with terror and go so weak at the knees that he could not keep himself upright but collapsed to the ground. When he got to his feet again he lost his balance once more.


Output:
“Old man,” said the Great Sage, going up to him, “don’t get yourself so frightened over nothing. I may look evil but I’m good inside. Don’t be afraid! You were kind enough just now to tell us that there are demons here. Could I trouble you to let me know how many of them there are? I’ll thank you very much if you do.” The old man trembled, unable to speak and acting as if deaf. He replied not a word.

Getting no answer from him, Monkey went back down the slope.

“So you are back, Wukong,” Sanzang said. “What did you find out?”

“It’s nothing,” said Monkey with a smile, “nothing. Even if there are one or two evil spirits on the way to the Western Heaven, the people here only worry so much about them because they’re such cowards. No problem! I’m here!”

“Did you ask him what mountain this was and what cave,” said Sanzang, “how many monsters there are, and which is the way to Thunder Monastery?”


Output:
“Please excuse me if I speak frankly, Master,” put in Pig. “When it comes to transformations, trickery and deception, then four or five of us would be no match for Brother Monkey. But a whole parade of Monkeys couldn’t touch me for honesty.”

“That’s right,” said the Tang Priest, “that’s right. You’re honest.”

“Goodness knows why,” said Pig, “but he just rushed in without a second thought, asked a couple of questions, and came running back in an awful mess. I’m going to find out the truth.”

“Do be careful, Wuneng,” said the Tang Priest.

The splendid idiot put his rake in his belt, straightened up his tunic, and swaggered straight up the slope to call to the old man, “Respectful greetings, sir.” The old man had finally managed to get back on his feet with the help of his stick after seeing that Monkey had gone, and was still shaking and about to depart when Pig suddenly appeared.


Output:
“Sir,” he said, more shocked than ever, “whatever kind of nightmare am I in the middle of? The first monk was ugly enough, but at least he looked a little bit human. But this one’s got a snout like a pestle, ears like rush fans, a face like iron plates, and a neck covered in bristles. It doesn’t look at all human.”

“You must be in a very bad mood to run me down like that, old man,” laughed Pig. “Is that how you see me? Ugly I may be, but if you can bear to look at me for a while you’ll find I get quite handsome.”

Only when the old man heard Pig using human speech did he address him by asking, “Where are you from?”


Output:
“I’m the Tang Priest’s second disciple,” Pig replied, “and my Buddhist names are Wuneng or Bajie. The one who came and asked you questions just now was Sun Wukong the Novice, the senior disciple. My master has sent me to pay my respects to you because he’s angry with Sun Wukong for offending you and not finding out the truth. Could you please tell me, sir, what mountain this is, what caves there are on it, what demons live in them, and which is the main route West?”

“Are you honest?” the old man asked.

“I’ve never been false in all my life,” Pig replied. “You mustn’t talk a whole lot of fancy nonsense like the other monk just now,” said the old man.

“I’m not like him,” Pig replied.

Leaning on his stick, the old man said to Pig, “This is Lion Ridge, and it is 250 miles around. In it there is a Lion Cave where there are three demon chieftains.”

“You’re worrying over nothing, old man,” said Pig, spitting. “Why go to all that trouble just to tell us about three demons?”


Output:
“Aren’t you afraid?” the old man said.

“To tell you the truth,” Pig replied, “my elder brother’ll kill one with one swing of his cudgel, I’ll kill another with one bash from my rake, and the other disciple will kill the third one with his demon-quelling staff. And with the three of them dead our master will be able to cross the ridge. No problem!”

“You don’t know the whole story, monk,” said the old man with a smile. “Those three demon chiefs have the most tremendous magic powers. As for the little demons under their command, there are five thousand on the Southern end of the ridge, five thousand on the Northern end, ten thousand on the road East, ten thousand on the road West, four or five thousand patrollers, and another ten thousand on the gates. Then there are any number who work in the kitchen and gather firewood. There must be 47,000 or 48,000 altogether. They all have names and carry passes, and all they do is eat people.”


Output:
On learning this the idiot ran back, shivering and shaking. As soon as he was near the Tang Priest he put down his rake and started shitting instead of reporting back. “What are you squatting there for instead of making your report?” shouted Monkey when he saw the idiot.

“Because I’m shit scared,” Pig replied. “No time to talk now. The sooner we all run for our lives the better.”

“Stupid fool,” said Monkey. “I wasn’t frightened when I questioned him, so why should you be in such a witless panic?”

“What is the situation?” Sanzang asked.

“The old man says that this is Lion Mountain,” Pig replied, “and that there’s Lion Cave in it. There are three chief demons there, and they have 48,000 little devils under them. All they do is eat people. So if we step on their mountain we’ll just be serving ourselves up as a meal to them. Let’s forget about it.” On hearing this Sanzang shivered, his hairs standing on end.

“What are we to do, Wukong?” he asked.


Output:
“What are we to do, Wukong?” he asked.

“Don’t worry, Master,” said Monkey. “It can’t be anything much. There are bound to be a few evil spirits here. It’s just that the people here are such cowards that they exaggerate about how many demons there are and how powerful they are. They get themselves into a funk. I can cope.”

“You’re talking nonsense, brother,” said Pig. “I’m not like you. What I found out was the truth. I wasn’t making any of it up. The hills and valleys are all crawling with demons. How are we going to move ahead?”

“You’re talking like an idiot,” said Monkey with a grin. Don’t scare yourself over nothing. Even if the hills and valleys were crawling with demons I’d only need half a night to wipe them all out with my cudgel.”

“You’re shameless,” said Pig, “quite shameless. Stop talking so big. It would take seven or eight days just to call the roll. How could you wipe them all out?”

“Tell me how you’d do it,” laughed Monkey.


Output:
“Tell me how you’d do it,” laughed Monkey.

“However you grabbed them, tied them up, or fixed them where they are with fixing magic you’d never be able to do it so fast,” said Pig.

“I wouldn’t need to grab them or tie them up,” said Monkey. “I’ll give my cudgel a tug at both ends, say ‘Grow!,’ and make it over four hundred feet long. Then I’ll wave it, say ‘Thicken!,’ and make it eighty feet around. I’ll roll it down the Southern slope and that’ll kill five thousand of them. I’ll roll it down the Northern slope and kill another five thousand. Then I’ll roll it along the ridge from East to West, and even if there are forty or fifty thousand of them I’ll squash them all to a bloody pulp.”

“Brother,” said Pig, “if you kill them that way, like rolling out dough for noodles, you could do it in four hours.”


Output:
“Master,” said Friar Sand with a laugh, “as my elder brother has such divine powers we’ve got nothing to fear. Please mount up so that we can be on our way.” Having heard them discussing Monkey’s powers Sanzang could not but mount with an easy heart and be on his way.

As they traveled along the old man disappeared. “He must have been an evil spirit himself,” said Friar Sand, “deliberately coming to frighten us with cunning and intimidation.”


Output:
“Take it easy,” said Monkey. “I’m going to take a look.” The splendid Great Sage leapt up to a high peak but saw no trace of the old man when he looked around. Then he suddenly turned back to see a shimmering coloured glow in the sky, shot up on his cloud to look, and saw that it was the Great White Planet. Walking over and grabbing hold of him, Monkey kept addressing him by his personal name: “Li Changgeng! Li Changgeng! You rascal! If you had something to say you should have said it to my face. Why did you pretend to be an old man of the woods and make a fool of me?”

The planet hastened to pay him his respects and said, “Great Sage, I beg you to forgive me for being late in reporting to you. Those demon chiefs really have tremendous magical abilities and their powers are colossal. With your skill in transformations and your cunning you may just be able to get over, but if you slight them it will be very hard.”


Output:
“I’m very grateful,” Monkey thanked him, “very grateful. If I really can’t get across this ridge I hope that you’ll go up to Heaven and put in a word with the Jade Emperor so he’ll lend me some heavenly soldiers to help me.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” said the Great White Planet. “Just give the word and you can have a hundred thousand heavenly troops if you want them.”

The Great Sage then took his leave of the planet and brought his cloud down to see Sanzang and say, “The old man we saw just now was actually the Great White Planet come to bring us a message.”

“Disciple,” said Sanzang, putting his hands together in front of his chest, “catch up with him quick and ask him where there’s another path we could make a detour by.”

“There’s no other way round,” Monkey replied. “This mountain is 250 miles across, and goodness knows how much longer it would be to go all the way around it. How ever could we?” At this Sanzang could not restrain himself from weeping.


Output:
“Disciple,” he said, “if it’s going to be as hard as this how are we going to worship the Buddha?”

“Don’t cry,” Monkey said, “don’t cry. If you cry you’re a louse. I’m sure he’s exaggerating. All we have to do is be careful. As they say, forewarned is forearmed. Dismount and sit here for now.”

“What do you want to talk about now?” Pig asked.

“Nothing,” replied Monkey. “You stay here and look after the master carefully while Friar Sand keeps a close eye on the baggage and the horse. I’m going up the ridge to scout around. I’ll find out how many demons there are in the area, capture one, ask him all the details, and get him to write out a list with all of their names. I’ll check out every single one of them, old or young, and tell them to shut the gates of the cave and not block our way. Then I can ask the master to cross the mountain peacefully and quietly. That’ll show people my powers.”

“Be careful,” said Friar Sand, “do be careful!”


Output:
“Be careful,” said Friar Sand, “do be careful!”

“No need to tell me,” Brother Monkey replied with a smile. “On this trip I’d force the Eastern Ocean to make way for me, and I’d smash my way in even if it were a mountain of silver cased in iron.”

The splendid Great Sage went whistling straight up to the peak by his somersault cloud. Holding on to the vines and creepers, he surveyed the mountain only to find it silent and deserted. “I was wrong,” he said involuntarily, “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have let that old Great White Planet go. He was just trying to scare me. There aren’t any evil spirits here. If there were they’d be out leaping around in the wind, thrusting with their spears and staves, or practicing their fighting skills. Why isn’t there a single one?”


Output:
As he was wondering about this there was a ringing of a bell and a banging of clappers. He turned round at once to see a little devil boy with a banner on which was written BY ORDER over his shoulder, a bell at his waist and clappers in his hands that he was sounding. He was coming from the North and heading South. A close look revealed that he was about twelve feet tall.

“He must be a runner,” thought Monkey, grinning to himself, “delivering messages and reports. I’ll take a listen to what he’s talking about.” The splendid Great Sage made a spell with his hands, said the magic words, shook himself and turned into a fly who landed lightly on the devil’s hat and tilted his head for a good listen.


Output: This is what the little devil was saying to himself as he headed along the main road, sounding his clappers and ringing his bell: “All we mountain patrollers must be careful and be on our guard against Sun the Novice. He can even turn into a fly!” Monkey was quietly amazed to hear this. “That so-and-so must have seen me before. How else could he know my name and know that I can turn into a fly?” Now the little devil had not in fact seen him before. The demon chief had for some reason given him these instructions that he was reciting blindly. Monkey, who did not know this, thought that the devil must have seen him and was on the point of bringing the cudgel out to hit him with when he stopped.


Output:
“I remember Pig being told,” he thought, “when he questioned the planet that there were three demon chieftains and 47,000 or 48,000 junior devils like this one. Even if there were tens of thousands more juniors like this it would be no problem. But I wonder how great the three leaders’ powers are. I’ll question him first. There’ll be time to deal with them later.”

Splendid Great Sage! Do you know how he questioned the demon? He jumped off the devil’s hat and landed on a tree top, letting the junior devil go several paces ahead. Then Monkey turned round and did a quick transformation into another junior devil, sounding clappers, ringing a bell and carrying a flag over his shoulder just like the real one. He was also dressed identically. The only difference was that he was a few inches taller.

He was muttering the same things as the other as he caught him up, shouting, “Hey, you walking ahead, wait for me.”

Turning round, the junior devil asked, “Where have you come from?”


Output:
“You’re a nice bloke,” Monkey said with a smile, “not even recognizing one of your own people.”

“You’re not one of ours,” said the demon.

“What do you mean?” Monkey asked. “Take a look and see if you can recognize me.”

“I’ve never seen you before,” the demon said. “I don’t know you.”

“It’s not surprising you don’t know me,” said Monkey. “I work in the kitchens. We’ve rarely met.”

“You don’t,” said the demon, shaking his head, “you don’t. None of the brothers who do the cooking has got a pointy face like yours.”

“I must have made my face too pointy when I did the transformation,” thought Monkey, so he rubbed it with his hands and said, “It isn’t pointy.” Indeed it was not.


Output:
“But it was pointy just now,” the little devil said. “How did you stop it being pointy just by rubbing it? You’re a very shady character. I don’t have the faintest idea who you are. You’re not one of us. I’ve never met you. Very suspicious. Our kings run the household very strictly. The kitchen staff only work in the kitchen and the mountain patrols keep to patrolling the mountain. How could you possibly be a cook and a patroller?”

“There’s something you don’t know,” said Monkey, improvising a clever answer. “I was promoted to patrolling because the kings saw how well I’d worked in the kitchens.”