Output:
Monkey squeezed in, landed on Sanzang’s head and called, “Master.” Recognizing the voice, Sanzang sprang to his feet and said with tooth-gnashing fury, “Macaque! Other people get their courage from a big gall, but they have to wrap their bodies around it. Your gall is so big that you wrap it round your body. You used your magical powers of transformation to smash the crockery, but what use is that? By fighting that she-devil you’ve only made her more sex-crazed than ever. She is arranging a banquet with vegetarian and impure food all mixed up and is determined to mate with me. Where will this all end?”

Smiling to himself again, Monkey replied, “Don’t be angry with me, Master. I’ve got a way to save you.”

“How will you save me?” the Tang Priest asked.

“When I flew up just now,” said Monkey, “I saw that she has a garden behind here. You must lure her into the garden to fool around and I’ll rescue you from there.”

“How will you rescue me from the garden?” the Tang Priest asked.


Output:
“Go to the peach trees in the garden with her and stay there. Wait till I’ve flown to a branch of the peach tree and turned into a red peach. When you want to eat a peach pick the red one first—that will be me. She’ll be bound to pick one too. You must insist on giving her the red one. Once she’s swallowed it I’ll be in her stomach. When I tear her stomach to pieces and rip her guts to shreds she’ll be dead and you’ll be freed.”

“With your powers you ought to fight her,” said Sanzang. “Why do you want to get into her stomach?”

“You don’t understand, Master,” Monkey replied. “If it were easy to get in and out of this cave of hers I would be able to fight her. But this place is very hard to get into or out of: the way out is complicated and difficult. If I started a fight with her all the fiends in her den, young and old, would overpower me. Then how would it end? We must act carefully if we’re all to make a clean getaway.”


Output:
Sanzang nodded, believing all that Monkey said, adding only, “You must stay with me.”

“I know,” said monkey, “I know. I’ll be on your head.”

When master and disciple had settled their plan Sanzang leaned forward, took hold of the bars in the corridor’s gates and called out, “Lady, lady.”

As soon as she heard this the evil spirit came rushing over, a simpering smile on her face, to ask, “What do you have to say to me, my wonderful darling?”

“Lady,” replied Sanzang, “ever since leaving Chang’an and starting on my journey to the West I have had to cross mountains and rivers every single day. When I was staying in the Zhenhai Monastery last night I caught a bad chill and I have been in a sweat today. I was just beginning to feel a little better today when in your kindness, good lady, you brought me into your immortals’ palace. As I have been sitting here all day I am now feeling in rather low spirits again. Could you take me somewhere to cheer myself up and have a little fun?”


Output:
The evil spirit was utterly delighted. “So you’re feeling a bit interested, are you, my wonderful darling?” she said. “You and I will go into the garden for some fun. Little ones,” she called, “fetch the key, open the garden gates, and sweep the paths in the garden.” The demons all hurried off to open the gates and tidy the place up.

Meanwhile the evil spirit was opening the screen and helping the Tang Priest out. Just watch the many young demons—all willowy beauties with oiled hair and powdered faces—crowding around the Tang Priest as they head for the garden. What a splendid monk he was, walking amid these beauties in their gauze and brocade for no other purpose than to be deaf and dumb. If instead of having an iron heart set on the Buddha he had been any ordinary man susceptible to wine and women he would never have succeeded in fetching the scriptures.


Output:
When they reached the entrance to the garden the evil spirit whispered seductively, “My wonderful darling, let’s have some fun here—it’ll cheer you up.” They went into the garden hand in hand, and when he looked up he saw that it was indeed a splendid place. This is what could be seen:

All over the winding paths

Bluish lichens grow.

Secluded gauze windows

Kept dark by embroidered curtains.

When the breeze arises

Silks and brocades float in the air.

When the gentle rain stops falling

The smooth white skin and jade-like flesh are revealed.

The sun-scorched apricot

Is red as an immortal’s rainbow clothes spread out to dry;

The plantain in the moonlight

Is bluer than Lady Taizhen waving her feather fan.

Whitewashed walls enclose

The golden orioles that sing in ten thousand willows.

Within the empty halls

Butterflies flit among begonias in the courtyard.

Look at the Hall of Crystallized Perfumes,

The Green Moth Hall,

The Hall to Recover from Drunkenness,

The Hall of Longing,


Output:
The Hall of Longing,

Rolling up the brilliance, one behind the other.

On the red curtains

Hooks hold tassels like prawn whiskers.

Now look at the Pavilion to Ease Pain

The Pavilion of Simplicity,

The Pavilion of Thrushes,

The Four Rains Pavilion,

All towering and lofty,

And bearing on decorated tablets

Their names in archaic script.

Look too at the Pool Where Cranes Bathe,

The Goblet-washing Pool,

The Pool of Delight in the Moon,

The Pool for Cleansing Tassels,

Where amid duckweed and algae the gold scales shine.

Then there is the Kiosk of Ink Flowers,

The Kiosk of Strange Boxes,

The Interesting Kiosk,

The Kiosk for Admiring the Clouds

Where bubbles like green ants float on the wine in jade ladles and goblets.

Around the pools and pavilions

Stand rocks from Lake Taihu,

Rocks of purple crystal,

Yingluo rocks,

Jin River rocks,

Greenish and overgrown with tiger-whisker rushes.

East and West of the kiosks and balls are found

A Wooden Mountain,

A Turquoise Screen Mountain,


Output:
A Wooden Mountain,

A Turquoise Screen Mountain,

A Howling Wind Mountain,

A Jade Mushroom Mountain,

All covered in phoenix-tail bamboo.

Trellises of briar roses,

And garden roses,

Growing by a swing,

As a curtain of silk and brocade.

A Pine Pavilion,

A Magnolia Pavilion,

Opposite a Saussurea Pavilion,

Forming a wall of jade with embroidered hangings.

Herbaceous and tree peonies are rivals in luxuriance;

The night-closing magnolias and the jasmine

Are charming every year.

Moist with dewdrops are the purple buds:

They ought to be painted or drawn.

The red hibiscus fills the sky with flaming splendor,

A marvellous subject for poetry.

When it comes to fine scenery

This makes Lang Garden or Penglai not worth a mention;

And as for the flowers,

The finest peonies of Luoyang count for nothing beside them.

In the battle of the blossoms late in the spring

The garden lacks only the flowers of jade.


Output:
The garden lacks only the flowers of jade.

The venerable elder led the she-devil by the hand as they strolled in the garden, admiring the endless displays of rare and exotic blooms. As they went through many a hall and pavilion he really did seem to be going into an exquisite place. Looking up, he realized that he was by the peach grove. Monkey pinched his master’s head to remind him.

Flying to a branch of a peach tree Brother Monkey shook himself and turned into a red peach, and a most fetchingly red one at that. “Lady,” the venerable elder said to the evil spirit, “what beautifully scented flowers

and ripe fruit you have in this garden.

The blooms are so fragrant bees vie for their nectar;

The birds all compete for the fruit on the branches.

Why are some of the peaches on the trees red and some green?”


Output:
“If there were no Yin and Yang in the heavens the sun and moon would not be bright,” the evil spirit replied with a smile. “If there were no Yin and Yang in the earth the plants and trees would not grow. And if there were no Yin and Yang among people there would be no sexual difference. The peaches on the Southern Yang side of these trees are red because they ripen first in the sun’s heat. The peaches on the Northern Yin side are green because they get no sun and are still unripe. It’s all because of the Yin and the Yang.”

“Thank you, lady, for your explanation,” Sanzang replied. “I did not know that.” He then reached out and picked a red peach, while the evil spirit also picked a green one.

Sanzang bowed as he handed the red one respectfully to the evil spirit with the words, “Lady, you love what is attractive, so won’t you take this red peach and give me the green one?”


Output:
The she-devil made the exchange, thinking with concealed delight, “What a nice monk. He really is a good man. He is being so loving to me even before we’re man and wife.” With great pleasure she paid him her affectionate respects. As the Tang Priest started to eat the green peach at once the evil spirit was delighted to do likewise, opening her mouth to bite into the red one. When she parted her red lips and revealed her silver teeth the impatient Monkey did not give her time to bite him but rolled straight down her throat into her stomach.

“Reverend gentleman,” the terrified evil spirit said, “that peach is a terror. Why did it roll straight down and not let me bite it?”

“Lady,” Sanzang replied, “the first ripe fruits of a garden are very delicious. That is why it went down so fast.”

“But it shot straight down before I’d had time to spit the stone out,” the evil spirit replied.


Output:
“Because you are such a lover of what is fine and beautiful and enjoyed it so much,” said Sanzang, “you swallowed it before you could bring the stone out.”

Once inside her stomach Monkey turned back into himself. “Master,” he called, “no need to argue with her now. I’ve succeeded.”

“Don’t be too hard on her, disciple,” Sanzang replied.

“Who are you talking to?” the evil spirit asked when she heard this. “I am talking to my disciple Sun Wukong,” Sanzang replied.

“Where is he?” the evil spirit asked.

“In your stomach,” Sanzang replied. “He was the red peach you have just eaten.”

“That’s the end of me,” exclaimed the evil spirit in horror. “If that ape’s got into my stomach I’m dead. Sun the Novice, why did you go to such lengths to get into my stomach?”


Output:
“No particular reason,” replied Monkey from inside her. “I just wanted to eat the six leaves of your liver and your lungs, and your heart with its three hairs and seven apertures. I’m going to clean your insides right out and leave you a skeleton spirit.”

This sent the evil spirit’s souls scattering in terror and shivering and shaking she clung tightly to the Tang Priest and said, “Reverend gentleman, I had thought that

Our destinies were from former lives joined by a red thread;

Our love was as close as the water and the fish.

I never imagined that we lovebirds would be parted

Or that the phoenixes would fly to East and West.

When the waters rose under Lan Bridge the rendezvous failed;

The meeting came to nothing in the misty temple.

After brief joy we are parted once more;

In whatever year will I meet you again?”


Output:
In whatever year will I meet you again?”

When Monkey heard all this from inside her stomach he was afraid that the venerable elder would have another attack of benevolence and let her talk her way out of the problem. Thereupon he started to wield fist and foot, striking out in martial postures and leveling everything around him. He punched her stomach almost to ribbons. Unable to bear the pain, the evil spirit collapsed in the dust, not daring to utter a single word for some time. As she was not speaking Monkey imagined that she must be dead and eased off.


Output:
She then recovered her breath to some extent and called out, “Where are you, little ones?” Now once in the garden, the creatures had all had the understanding to go off picking flowers, playing in the grass and amusing themselves, leaving the she-devil alone with the Tang Priest for a romantic conversation. As soon as they heard her calling they rushed over to see the evil spirit lying on the ground, her face a terrible color as she groaned, unable to move.

They hurriedly helped her up, crowding round and asking, “What’s wrong, madam? Have you had a heart attack?”

“No, no,” the evil spirit replied. “Don’t ask any questions. I’ve got someone inside me. Take the monk outside if you want to save my life.”

The junior devils actually did start to carry the Tang Priest, at which Monkey yelled from inside her belly, “Don’t any of you dare carry him. You must take my master out yourself. I’ll only spare your life when you’ve carried him outside.”


Output:
This left the evil spirit with no choice as all she cared about was saving her skin. At once she struggled to her feet, lifted the Tang Priest on her back and headed outside, followed by the junior devils asking, “Where are you going, Madam?”

To this the evil spirit replied,

“‘As long as the lakes and the bright moon remain

I’ll surely find somewhere to put my golden hook.’

Once I’ve taken this wretch outside I’ll find myself another man.”

The splendid evil spirit went straight by cloud to the mouth of the cave, where the clang of weapons and wild shouts could be heard.

“Disciple,” said Sanzang, “why can I hear weapons outside?”

“It’s Pig rubbing his rake,” replied Monkey. “Give him a shout.”

“Bajie,” Sanzang shouted.

“Friar Sand,” said Pig when he heard this, “the master’s out.” The two of them drew back their rake and staff, letting the evil spirit carry the Tang Priest out. Indeed:

The Mind Ape had subdued a monster from the inside;

The Earth and Wood door guards welcomed the holy monk.


Output:
If you don’t know whether the evil spirit’s life was spared listen to the explanation in the next installment.

Chapter Eighty-Three

The Mind-Ape Recognizes the Refiner of Cinnabar

The Girl Reverts to Her True Nature

The story tells how after Sanzang had been carried out of the cave by the evil spirit Friar Sand went up to him and asked, “Where is my oldest brother now that you have come out, Master?”

“He must know what he’s doing,” said Pig. “I expect he’s exchanged himself for the master to get him out.”

“Your brother is in her stomach,” Sanzang replied, pointing at the evil spirit.

“It is terribly filthy,” Pig said. “Whatever are you doing in there? Come out.”


Output:
“Open your mouth,” said Monkey from inside, “I’m coming out.” The she-devil did indeed open her mouth wide. Monkey made himself very small, sprang up into her throat, and was just about to emerge when he became worried that she might cheat and bite him. He then pulled out his iron cudgel, blew on it with magic breath, called “Change!” and turned it into a jujube stone with which he wedged her jaw open. With one bound he then leapt outside, taking the iron cudgel with him, bowed to resume his own form and raised his cudgel to strike her. At once she drew a pair of fine swords, parrying his blow with a loud clang. They fought a splendid battle on the mountain top.

A pair of dancing, flying swords defended her face;

The gold-banded cudgel struck at her head.

One was a heaven-born monkey, the Mind-ape;

The other had the bones of an earth-born girl turned spirit;

The two of them both had been smitten by anger:

Hatred arose at the celebration; the party was ended.


Output:
One longed to mate with the primal masculinity,

The other wanted to defeat the incarnation of the female.

When the cudgel was raised to the sky cold mists spread out;

The swords shook up the earth’s black dirt like a sieve.

Because the elder would visit the Buddha

They were locked in fierce combat, each showing great prowess.

When water conflicts with fire motherhood is out;

When Yin and Yang cannot combine each goes its own way.

After the two had been fighting for a very long time

The earth moved, the mountains shook and the trees were destroyed.

The sight of their struggle made Pig grumble resentfully about Monkey. “Brother,” he said, turning to Friar Sand, “our elder brother is messing around. When he was in her stomach just now he could have used his fists to make her belly red with blood, rip it open and come out. That would have settled her score. Why did he have to come out through her mouth and fight her? Why did he let her run wild?”


Output:
“You’re right,” Friar Sand replied, “but it was thanks to him that the master was rescued from the depths of the cave, even if he is in a fight with her now. Let’s ask the master to sit here by himself while we two use our weapons to help our brother beat the evil spirit.”

“No, no,” said Pig with a wave of his hand. “He’s got his magic powers. We’d be useless.”

“What a thing to say,” retorted Friar Sand. “This is in all of our interests. We may not be much use, but even a fart can strengthen a breeze.”

Now that the idiot’s dander was up he brandished his rake and shouted, “Come on!” Ignoring the master, they rode the wind and went for the evil spirit, striking wildly at her with their rake and staff. The evil spirit, who was already finding Brother Monkey too much to handle, realized that she would be unable to hold out against two more of them. At once she turned and fled.


Output:
“After her, brothers,” Monkey shouted. Seeing that they were so hot on her heels the evil spirit took the embroidered shoe off her right foot, blew on it with a magic breath, said a spell, called “Change!” and turned it into her own double swinging a pair of sword. Then she shook herself, turned into a puff of wind and went straight back. There she was, fleeing for her life because she was no match for them. What happened next was quite unexpected: Sanzang’s evil star had still not gone away. As the evil spirit reached the archway in front of the entrance to the cave she saw the Tang Priest sitting there by himself, so she went up to him, threw her arm round him, grabbed the luggage, bit through the bridle, and carried him back inside, horse and all.

The story tells not of her but of Pig, who exploited an opening to fell the evil spirit with one blow of his rake, only to find that she was really an embroidered shoe.


Output:
“You pair of idiots,” said Monkey when he saw it. “You should have been looking after the master. Nobody asked you to help.”

“What about that, then, Friar Sand?” said Pig. “I said we shouldn’t come here. That ape has had a brainstorm. We beat the monster for him and he gets angry with us.”

“Beaten the monster indeed!” Monkey said. “The monster fooled me yesterday by leaving a shoe behind when I was fighting her. Goodness knows how the master is now that you’ve left him. Let’s go straight back and see.”

The three of them hurried back to find that the master had disappeared: there was no sign at all of him, the luggage or the white horse. Pig started rushing all over the place in a panic with Friar Sand searching alongside him. The Great Sage Sun was also most anxious. As he searched he noticed half of the bridle rope lying askew beside the path.


Output:
Picking it up, he could not hold back his tears as he called in a loud voice, “Master! When I went I took my leave of you three and the horse, and all I find on my return is this rope.” It was indeed a case of

Being reminded of the steed by seeing the saddle,

Missing the beloved amid one’s tears.

The sight of Monkey’s tears gave Pig an uncontrollable urge to throw back his head and laugh out loud. “Blockhead,” said Monkey abusively. “Do you want us to break up again?”

“That’s not what I mean,” said Pig, still laughing. “The master’s been carried back into the cave. As the saying goes, ‘third time lucky’. You’ve already been into the cave twice, so if you go in again you’re sure to rescue the master.”

“Very well then,” said Monkey, wiping away his tears, “as this is the way things are I have no choice. I’ll have to go back in. You two don’t have to worry about the luggage or the horse any more, so guard the cave-mouth properly.”


Output:
The splendid Great Sage turned round and sprang into the cave. This time he did no transformations but appeared in his own dharma form. This is what he was like:

His cheeks looked strange but his heart was strong;

As a monster since childhood his magic was mighty.

A misshapen face that looked like a saddle;

Eyes fiery bright with golden light.

His hairs were harder than needles of steel,

And striking was the pattern of his tigerskin kilt.

In the sky he could scatter a myriad clouds;

In the sea he could stir up thousandfold waves.

Once with his strength he fought heavenly kings,

Putting a hundred and eight thousand warriors to flight.

His title was Great Sage Equaling Heaven;

He was an expert with the gold-banded cudgel.

Today in the West he was using his powers

To return to the cave and rescue Sanzang.


Output:
To return to the cave and rescue Sanzang.

Watch Monkey as he stops his cloud and heads straight for the evil spirit’s residence, where he found the gates under the gate towers shut. Not caring whether or not it was the right thing to do, he smashed them open with one swing of his cudgel and charged inside. It was completely quiet and deserted, and the Tang Priest was nowhere to be seen in the corridor. The tables and chairs in the pavilion and all the utensils had completely disappeared. As the cave measured over a hundred miles around, the evil spirit had very many hiding places in it. This was where she had brought the Tang Priest the previous time, only to be found by Monkey, so after catching him this time she had moved him elsewhere in case Monkey came looking for him again.


Output: Not knowing where they had gone, Monkey stamped his foot and beat his chest with fury, letting himself call out at the top of his voice, “Master! You are a Tang Sanzang formed in misfortune, a pilgrim monk molded from disaster. Hmm. I know the way well enough. Why isn’t he here? Where should I look for him?”


Output: Just when he was howling with impatience and anxiety his nose was struck by a whiff of incense, which brought him back to himself. “This incense smoke is coming from the back,” he thought, “so I suppose they must be there.” He strode in at the back, his cudgel in his hand, but still saw no sign of life. What he did see were three side rooms. Near the back wall was a lacquered offertory table carved with dragons on which stood a gilt incense-burner. From this came heavily scented incense smoke. On the table was a tablet inscribed with letters of gold to which the offerings were being made. The letters read, “Honoured Father, Heavenly King Li.” In a slightly inferior position was written, “Honoured Elder Brother, Third Prince Nezha.”


Output:
The sight filled Monkey with delight. He stopped searching for the monster and the Tang Priest, rubbed his cudgel between his fingers to make it as small as an embroidery needle, tucked it inside his ear, gathered up the tablet and the incense-burner with a sweep of his arms and went straight back out through the gates on his clouds. He was still chortling with glee when he reached the mouth of the cave.

When Pig and Friar Sand heard him they unblocked the entrance to the cave and greeted him with, “You look so happy you must have saved the master, elder brother.”

“No need for us to save him,” Monkey replied with a smile. “We can ask this tablet for him.”

“But that tablet isn’t an evil spirit and it can’t talk,” said Pig, “so how can you ask it for him?”

“Look at it,” said Monkey, putting the tablet on the ground. When Friar Sand went up to look he saw “Honoured Father, Heavenly King Li” and “Honoured Elder Brother, Third Prince Nezha” written on it.

“What does this mean?” Friar Sand asked.


Output:
“What does this mean?” Friar Sand asked.

“The evil spirit makes offerings to it,” Monkey replied. “When I charged into her place there was nobody about, only this tablet. I think she must be a daughter of Heavenly King Li and the younger sister of Prince Nezha who so longed for the lower world that she pretended to be an evil spirit and carried our master off. So who better to demand the master from? You two keep guard here while I take this tablet up to Heaven to lodge a complaint with the Jade Emperor and force those heavenly kings to give our master back.”

“Brother,” said Pig, “there’s a saying that goes, ‘Bring a capital charge and pay for it with your own head.’ You can only do a thing like that if you’re in the right. Besides, a case in the celestial court isn’t something to be started lightly. You’d better tell me what sort of case you’re going to bring.”


Output:
“I know what I’m going to do,” Monkey replied. “I’m going to produce this tablet and incense-burner as evidence and submit a written deposition too.”

“What will you write in your deposition?” Pig asked him. “Will you tell me?”


Output: To this Brother Monkey replied, “The complainant Sun Wukong, whose age is stated in this document, is the disciple of the monk Tang Sanzang who is going from the Tang court in the East to fetch the scriptures from the Western Heaven. He submits a complaint that an imitation evil spirit has committed a kidnap. Li Jing, the Pagoda-carrying Heavenly King, and his son Prince Nezha have been slack in controlling their women’s quarters. He has allowed his daughter to run away and turn into an evil spirit in the Bottomless Cave in Mount Pitfall, where she has lured countless deluded people to their deaths. She has now carried my master into a remote corner where he cannot be found. If I had not submitted this complaint I would have been deeply worried that the heavenly king and his son in their wickedness had deliberately incited his daughter to become a spirit and cause general disaster. I beg Your Majesty in your mercy to summon the heavenly king to attend a hearing, bring the demon under control and deliver my


Output: bring the demon under control and deliver my master. I would be deeply grateful if Your Majesty would determine the correct penalty for this offence. This is my respectful submission.”


Output:
When Pig and Friar Sand heard this they said with delight, “Brother, you’re bound to win if you submit so reasonable a complaint. Be as quick as you can. If you lose any time you may be too late to stop the evil spirit killing our master.”

“I’ll hurry,” said Brother Monkey, “I’ll hurry. I’ll be back in the time it takes to cook rice at the longest or to make a cup of tea if I’m quick.”

With one bound the splendid Great Sage carried the tablet and the incense-burner straight up by auspicious cloud to the outside of the Southern Gate of Heaven, where the Heavenly Kings Powerful and Protector of the Nation greeted him with bows, letting him in and not daring to block his way.

He went straight to the Hall of Universal Radiance, where the four heavenly teachers Zhang, Ge, Xu, and Qiu showed him great courtesy and asked, “Why are you here, Great Sage?”

“I’ve got a complaint here,” Monkey replied. “There are a couple of people I want to lodge a complaint against.”


Output:
“The scoundrel,” thought the appalled heavenly teachers, “who can he be wanting to sue?” They had no choice but to lead him to the Hall of Miraculous Mist and submit their report to the Jade Emperor, who ordered that Monkey be summoned hi. Monkey then put down the tablet and the incense-burner, bowed to the emperor, and presented his complaint. This was taken by the Ancient Immortal Ge, who spread it out on the emperor’s table. When the emperor had read it through from the beginning and learned what had happened he approved the deposition, wrote an imperial rescript on it, and sent the Great White Planet, the Metal Planet Changgeng, to the Cloud Tower Palace to summon the Pagoda-carrying Heavenly King Li to the imperial presence.

Monkey then stepped forward and submitted this memorial: “I beg that the Heavenly Sovereign will punish him effectively as otherwise there will be further trouble.”

“Let the complainant go too,” the Jade Emperor ordered.

“What, me?” said Monkey.


Output:
“What, me?” said Monkey.

“His Majesty has issued his decree,” said the Four Heavenly Teachers, “so you go with the Metal Planet.”

Monkey then went with the planet by cloud. They were soon at the Cloud Tower Palace, the residence of the heavenly king. The Metal Star saw a page standing at the palace gates.

Recognizing the planet, the boy went inside to report, “The Great White Planet is here.”


Output:
The heavenly king then came out to welcome the planet. Seeing that the planet was carrying a decree from the Jade Emperor, the heavenly king ordered incense to be burned before turning round and seeing to his fury that Monkey had come too. Why do you think he was furious? When Monkey had made great havoc in heaven all those years earlier the Jade Emperor had appointed the heavenly king as Demon-quelling High Marshal and Prince Nezha as Great God of the Three Altars of the Seas to lead the heavenly troops and subdue Monkey. They had been repeatedly worsted in battle. It was resentment at this defeat five hundred years earlier that goaded him to fury.

“Old Changgeng,” he said to the planet, showing his irritation, “what kind of decree have you brought here?”

“It is a case that the Great Sage Sun has brought against you,” the planet replied.

The heavenly king had been in a bad enough temper before this, but the word “case” provoked a thunderous outburst of fury: “What case has he got against me?”


Output:
“He accuses you of masquerading as an evil spirit and kidnapping,” the planet said. “Will you please burn incense and read it for yourself.”

Seething with anger, the heavenly king had an incense table set up, looked into the sky as he thanked the emperor for his grace, made his obeisances, opened out the decree and read it through.

When he saw what it contained he thumped the incense table and exclaimed, “That ape has trumped up a pack of lies.”

“Please keep your temper,” the planet replied. “A tablet and an incense-burner have been submitted to His Majesty as evidence. He says it was your daughter who did it.”


Output: “All I have are my three sons and a single daughter,” said the heavenly king. “My elder son Jinzha serves the Tathagata Buddha as a Vanguard Guardian of the Law Dharma. My second son Moksa is a disciple of Guanyin in the Southern Ocean. My third son Nezha stays with me as my escort at all times. My daughter Zhenying is only six and an innocent child. She could not possibly have become an evil spirit. If you don’t believe me I’ll carry her out to show you. This ape is really a disgrace. Never mind that I’m one of the most distinguished elder statesmen in heaven and been given the authority to cut heads off before reporting to the throne: not even an ordinary commoner in the lower world should be falsely accused. As the Legal Code says, ‘the penalty for false accusation is three grades higher than the crime alleged.’”


Output:
He then ordered his underlings to fetch demon-binding rope and tie Monkey up. The Mighty Miracle God, General Fishbelly and General Yaksha who were drawn up outside the court rushed on Monkey and tied him up.

“Heavenly King Li,” the Metal Planet pleaded, “please don’t invite disaster. I have come here with him from the imperial presence under orders from His Majesty to summon you. That rope of yours is heavy, and it could very quickly hurt him badly or strangle him.”

“Metal Star,” the heavenly king replies, “there’s no way I’m going to stand for his false, trumped-up charge. Won’t you take a seat while I fetch my demon-hacking sword to kill this ape with? I’ll report to His Majesty with you after I’ve done that.” At the sight of the heavenly king fetching the sword the planet trembled with terror.


Output:
“You’ve made a terrible mistake,” he said to Monkey. “A case before the emperor isn’t to be lightly started. You’ve brought this disaster on yourself by not finding the facts out properly and you’ll die for it. This is terrible.”

Monkey was completely unafraid. “Don’t worry, old man,” he said with a chuckle, “this is nothing. This has always been my way of doing business: I lose out at first and win in the end.”

Before the words were all out of his mouth the heavenly king’s sword swung down towards Monkey’s head. But Prince Nezha was already in front of Monkey, parrying the blow with his great sword used for cutting men in half at the waist and calling, “Please calm your temper, father.”

This greatly shocked the heavenly king. Very strange! If a son used his broadsword to block his father’s cutlass he ought to be bawled out, so why did Nezha’s father turn pale with shock?


Output: Now when this son had been born to the heavenly king the word Ne was written on the palm of his left hand and Zha on his right one, which was why he was called Nezha. When only three days old the young prince had caused great trouble by plunging into the sea to clean himself. He had kicked the water crystal palace down, captured a dragon and insisted on pulling its sinews out to make a belt. On learning about this, the heavenly king had been so worried about the disastrous consequences that he had decided to kill the boy.


Output: This had made Nezha so indignant that he had seized a sword, cut off his flesh and returned it to his mother, then picked his bones clean and given them back to his father. Having returned his father’s seed and his mother’s blood he had taken his soul straight off to the Western Paradise to appeal to the Buddha. When the Buddha, who was expounding the sutras to all the Bodhisattvas, heard a call of “Help!” from within his curtained and jeweled canopy he had looked with his wise eyes and seen that it was Nezha’s soul. He had made Nezha bones out of green lotus root and clothes from lotus leaves, then recited the spell to revive the dead.


Output: Thus it was that Nezha had come back to life. He had used his divine ability and great magical powers to subdue ninety-six caves of demons through dharma. After this Nezha had wanted to kill his father in revenge for having had to pick the flesh off his own bones, leaving the heavenly king with no choice but to beg the help of the Tathagata Buddha. For the sake of harmony the Buddha had given the heavenly king an intricately-made golden As-You-Will reliquary pagoda, in each story of which were Buddhas radiant with splendor. The Buddha called on Nezha to regard these Buddhas as his father, thereby ending the hatred between them. This is why Heavenly King Li is called the Pagoda-bearer. As the heavenly king was at home off duty that day and not carrying the pagoda he was afraid that Nezha was set on revenge. This was why he turned pale with terror.


Output:
So he turned his hand back to take the golden pagoda from its stand and hold it as he asked Nezha, “What do you want to say to me, son? Why have you parried my sword with your broadsword?”

Throwing his broadsword down, Nezha kowtowed to his father as he replied, “Father, Your Majesty, there is a daughter of our family in the lower world.”

“My boy,” the heavenly king replied, “I have only had you four children. Where could I have got another daughter from?”

“You have forgotten, Your Majesty,” Nezha replied. “The girl was once an evil spirit. Three hundred years ago she became a monster. She stole and ate some of the Tathagata’s incense, flowers and candles on Vulture Peak, and the Tathagata sent us to capture her with heavenly soldiers. When she was caught she should have been beaten to death, but the Tathagata said,

‘Raise fish in deep water but never catch them;

Feed deer in the depths of the mountains in the hope of eternal life.’


Output:
So we spared her life. In her gratitude she bowed to you as her adoptive father, Your Majesty, and to me as her elder brother. She set up a tablet to us in the lower world to burn incense. I never imagined she’d become an evil spirit again and try to ruin the Tang Priest. Now Sun the Novice has trailed her to her den and brought the tablet up here to use in a case against us before the Jade Emperor. She is your adopted daughter, not my real sister.”

This came as a terrible shock to the heavenly king. “Son,” he said, “I really had forgotten. What’s she called?”


Output:
“She has three names,” the prince replied. Where she originally came from she was called Gold-nosed White-haired Mouse Spirit. Then she was called Half-Bodhisattva-Guanyin because she had stolen the incense, flowers and candles. When she was forgiven and sent down to the lower world she changed her name again and became Lady Earth-gusher.” Only then did the heavenly king come to his senses. He put his pagoda down and started to untie Monkey himself. At this Monkey started playing it up.

“Don’t you dare try to untie me!” he said. “If you want to do something you can carry me roped up as I am to see the emperor. Then I’ll win my case.” The heavenly king felt weak from terror and the prince could say nothing. Everybody fell back.

The Great Sage meanwhile was rolling about and playing it up, insisting that the heavenly king take him to the emperor. The heavenly king could do nothing except beg the Metal Planet to put in a good word for him.


Output:
“There is an old saying,” the planet replied, “that one should always be lenient. You went too far: you tied him up and were going to kill him. The monkey is a notorious trouble-maker. How do you expect me to deal with him? From what your worthy son has said, she is your daughter, even though adopted rather than your own, and a child by adoption is especially dear. However one argues it you are guilty.”

“Surely you can find some way of putting in a good word for me and helping me off the hook, venerable planet,” said the heavenly king.

“I would like to end the quarrel between you,” the planet replied, “but I have never done him a good turn that I can remind him of.”

“Tell him how it was you who proposed that he should be amnestied and given an official post,” said the heavenly king.

The Metal Planet did then step forward, stroke Brother Monkey and say, “Great Sage, won’t you let us take the rope off before going to see the emperor, just for my sake?”


Output:
“No need to bother, old man,” Monkey replied. “I’m a good roller and I can roll all the way there.”

“You’ve got no decent feelings, you monkey,” said the planet with a smile. “I did you some good turns in the old days, but you won’t do this little thing for me.”

“What good turn did you ever do me?” Monkey asked.


Output: “When you were a monster on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit you subdued tigers and dragons, forcibly removed yourself from the register of death and assembled hordes of fiends to run wild and wreak havoc. Heaven wanted to have you arrested. It was only because I made strong representations that an edict of amnesty and recruitment was issued and you were summoned to Heaven to be appointed Protector of the Horses. You drank some of the Jade Emperor’s wine of immortality, and it was only because I made strong representations again that you were given the title of Great Sage Equaling Heaven. But you refused to know your place. You stole the peaches and the wine and robbed Lord Lao Zi of his elixir, and so it went on till you ended up in a state of no death and no birth. If it hadn’t been for me you’d never have got where you are today.”


Output:
“As the ancients put it,” Monkey replied, “‘Don’t even share a grave with an old man when you’re dead: all he’ll do is complain.’ I was just a Protector of the Horses who made havoc in the heavenly palace: there was nothing much apart from that. Oh well, never mind. I’ll show you a bit of consideration as you’re such an old man. He can untie me himself.” Only then did the heavenly king dare step forward, untie the rope, and ask Brother Monkey to dress and take the seat of honour while they all took it in turn to pay their respects to him.

“Old man,” Monkey said to the Metal Planet, “what about it then? I told you I lose first and win later. That’s my way of doing business. Make him hurry and see the emperor: delay could be disastrous for my master.”

“Don’t be impatient,” the Metal Planet said. “After everything that’s happened we should take a cup of tea.”


Output:
“If you drink his tea, accept favours from him, take a bribe to let a criminal escape, and treat imperial edicts with disrespect I wonder what you’ll be charged with,” Monkey replied.

“I won’t stop for tea,” the Metal Planet replied, “I won’t stop for tea. You’re even trying to frame me. Hurry up, Heavenly King Li, we must be on our way.” The heavenly king dared not go for fear that Monkey would concoct some unfounded story and start playing it up: if Monkey started talking wildly he would be unable to argue against him. So once again the heavenly king pleaded with the Metal Planet to put in a good word for him.

“I have a suggestion to make,” the planet said to Monkey. “Will you follow it?”

“I’ve already agreed about being tied up and hacked at,” Monkey replied. “What else have you to say? Tell me! Tell me! If it’s a good idea I’ll follow it; and if it isn’t, don’t blame me.”


Output:
”‘Fight a lawsuit for one day and it’ll go on for ten,’” said the Metal Planet. “You brought a case before the emperor saying that the evil spirit is the heavenly king’s daughter and the heavenly king says she isn’t. You two will argue endlessly in front of His Majesty, but I tell you that a day in heaven is a year in the lower world. In that year the evil spirit will have your master under her control in the cave, and she won’t just have married him. By then there may have been a happy event and she may have had a little baby monk. Then your great enterprise will be ruined.”

“Yes,” thought Monkey, his head bowed, “when I left Pig and Friar Sand I said I’d be back in the time it takes to cook a meal at longest and at quickest before they could make a cup of tea. I’ve been ages already and it might be too late. Old man,” he said aloud, “I’ll take your advice. How do we obey this imperial decree?”


Output:
“Have Heavenly King Li muster his troops and go down with you to subdue the demon,” the Metal Planet replied, “while I report back to the emperor.”

“What will you say?” Monkey asked.

“I’ll report that the plaintiff has absconded and that the defendant is therefore excused,” the planet replied.

“That’s very fine,” said Monkey with a grin. “I show you consideration and you accuse me of absconding. Tell him to muster his troops and wait for me outside the Southern Gate of Heaven while you and I report back on our mission.”

“If he says anything when he’s there I’ll be accused of treason,” exclaimed the heavenly king with terror.

“What do you take me for?” asked Monkey. “I’m a real man. Once I’ve given my word a team of horses couldn’t take it back. I’d never slander you.”

The heavenly king thanked Monkey, who went with the Metal Planet to report back on their mission, while the heavenly king mustered his heavenly troops and went straight to the outside of the Southern Gate of Heaven.


Output:
When the Metal Planet and Monkey had their audience with the Jade Emperor they said, “The person who has trapped the Tang Priest is the Golden-nosed White-haired Mouse turned spirit. She has fraudulently set up a tablet to the heavenly king and his son. As soon as he found out, the heavenly king mustered his troops to go and subdue the demon. We beg your Celestial Majesty to forgive him.”

Once the Jade Emperor knew what had happened he dropped the prosecution in his heavenly mercy. Monkey then went back on his cloud to the outside of the Southern Gate of Heaven, where he found the heavenly king and the prince waiting for him with their heavenly soldiers draw up on parade. The heavenly commanders met the Great Sage amid blustering winds and seething mists, then they all took their clouds straight down to Mount Pitfall.


Output:
Pig and Friar Sand were wide-eyed at the sight of the heavenly hosts coming down with Brother Monkey. Greeting the heavenly king with due courtesy, the idiot said, “We have put you to great trouble in coming here.”

“You don’t realize, Marshal Tian Peng,” the heavenly king replied, “that it was because my son and I accepted a joss-stick from her that the evil spirit in her wickedness captured your master. Please don’t be angry with us for being so long. Is this Mount Pitfall? Where is the entrance to the cave?”

“I know the way very well by now,” said Monkey. “This cave is called the Bottomless Cave and it measures over a hundred miles around. The evil spirit has a great many holes in it. Last time my master was held in the gate tower with double eaves, but it’s deadly quiet now. There’s not even the shadow of a demon. I don’t know where she’s taken him to now.” To this the heavenly king replied,

”‘No matter how many the tricks she may try

She’ll never escape from the nets of the sky.’


Output:
She’ll never escape from the nets of the sky.’

We’ll think of something else when we get to the cave entrance.”

They all then started out, and after they had gone three or four miles they reached the great rock. “This is it,” Monkey said pointing at the entrance that was no larger than the mouth of a large jar.

“You’ll never capture the tiger’s cub unless you go into the tiger’s lair,” observed the heavenly king. “Who dares go in first?”

“I’ll go,” said Monkey.

“No, I’ll go first,” objected Prince Nezha. “I was the one the emperor ordered to capture the demon.”

The idiot then started acting tough, shouting, “It ought to be me first.”

“Stop that din,” said the heavenly king. “I’ll decide. The Great Sage Sun and the prince will go down with the soldiers while we three hold the entrance. Then we’ll have a coordinated action inside and outside, which will make it impossible for her to find her way up to heaven or go further underground. That will show her a bit of our powers.”


Output:
“Yes, sir,” they all said in assent.

Watch as Monkey and Prince Nezha slip into the cave at the head of their troops. As they rode their clouds they looked around and saw that it really was a fine cave:

The pair of sun and moon as before;

A vista of rivers and hills like the other world.

Warm mists spread over pools and wells of pearl;

Much more there is to admire down here.

Crimson houses, painted halls,

Red cliffs, green fields,

Willows in the spring and lotos in the autumn;

A rare and splendid cave heaven.

An instant later they brought their clouds to a halt and went straight to the mansion where the evil spirit had lived before. They went from gateway to gateway in their search, yelling and shouting as they went deeper and deeper inside, trying one place after the next. All the grass for a hundred miles was trampled away. But where was the evil spirit? Where was Sanzang?


Output: “The wicked beast,” everyone was saying, “she must have got out of this cave ages ago. She’ll be far away by now.” What they did not know was that down underneath a dark corner in the Southeast of the cave there was another, smaller cave, where behind a pair of tiny gates there was a tiny cottage with flowers growing in pots and a few canes of bamboo beside the eaves. The atmosphere was dark and heavy with fragrance. This was where the evil spirit had carried Sanzang and was going to force him to marry her. She was sure that Monkey would never find them; none of them realized that her union was fated to be thwarted.


Output:
The junior devils were jabbering away in a great crush when a bolder one among them stretched outside the cave for a look around only for her head to butt into a heavenly soldier, who shouted, “They’re here!” At this Monkey flew into a rage, grasped the gold-banded cudgel and charged straight down in. The cave was tiny and all the demons from the big cave were in there, so that when Prince Nezha sent his heavenly soldiers crowding into the attack, not a single one of the demons could hide.

Monkey found the Tang Priest, the dragon horse and the baggage. The senior demon was at her wit’s end. All she could do was to kowtow to Prince Nezha, begging him to spare her life.

“We are here to arrest you at the Jade Emperor’s command,” Prince Nezha replied, “which is not something to be treated lightly. My father and I were nearly in terrible trouble because of you.”


Output:
He then shouted at the top of his voice, “Heavenly soldiers, fetch demon-binding rope. Tie all those evil spirits up.” The senior demon too had to suffer for a while. They all went back out of the cave together by cloud.

Monkey was chuckling with delight when the heavenly king withdrew his guard from the mouth of the cave and greeted Monkey with the words, “Now I can meet your master.”

“Many thanks,” said Monkey, “many thanks,” and he led Sanzang to bow in gratitude to the heavenly king and the prince.

Friar Sand and Pig were all for chopping the senior devil into tiny pieces, but the heavenly king said, “She was arrested at the Jade Emperor’s command, and must not be mistreated. We must go to report back on our mission.”


Output:
The heavenly king and Prince Nezha at the head of their heavenly troops and divine officers escorted the evil spirit as a prisoner to report to the heavenly court and receive the emperor’s verdict on her. Meanwhile Brother Monkey guarded the Tang Priest while Friar Sand collected the luggage and Pig went over to the horse and invited the master to ride. Then they all set out along their way again. Indeed:

The silken net had been cut, the golden sea dried up,

The precious lock undone, and troubles left behind.

If you do not know what lay in store for them on their way ahead listen to the explanation in the next installment.

Chapter Eighty-Four

The Indestructible Proteges of the Buddha Complete Enlightenment

The Dharma King Comes to the Truth Through His Own Nature


Output:
The story tells how Tang Sanzang kept his masculine essence intact and escaped from the terrible snare of mist and flowers. As he headed Westwards with Brother Monkey he did not notice that it was already summer: warm breezes were beginning to blow, and the early summer rain was falling. It was a beautiful sight:

Dark is the shade under tender green;

In the gentle breeze the swallows lead their young.

New lotus leaves are opening on the ponds;

Elegant bamboo is gradually reviving.

The fragrant plants join their blue to the sky;

Mountain flowers carpet all the ground.

Beside the stream the rushes are like swords;

The fiery pomegranate blossom makes the picture even more magnificent.


Output:
As the master and his three disciples traveled along enduring the heat they suddenly noticed two rows of tall willows, from under the shade of which an old woman emerged, leaning on a small boy. “Don’t go any further, monk,” she called out. “Stop your horse and go back East as soon as you can. The road West leads nowhere.”

This gave Sanzang so bad a fright that he sprang off the horse, made a gesture of greeting and said, “Venerable Bodhisattva, in the words of the ancients,

‘The sea’s breadth allows the fish to leap;

The sky’s emptiness lets birds fly.’


Output:
The sky’s emptiness lets birds fly.’

How could there possibly be no way to the West?” To this the old woman replied, pointing Westwards, “If you go that way you will come to the capital of Dharmadestructia in a couple of miles. The king formed a hatred of Buddhism in an earlier existence, and in his present life he is punishing it without just cause. Two years ago he made a monstrous vow to kill ten thousand Buddhist monks. In that time he’s killed 9,996 unknown monks in succession. He’s just waiting for four famous monks to make up his ten thousand so that he will fulfil the vow. If you go into the city you will be throwing away your lives for nothing.”

At the sound of this Sanzang was so terrified that he shivered and shook as he replied, “Venerable Bodhisattva, I am deeply moved by your great kindness and infinitely grateful too. But, tell me, is there a suitable way I could take that does not go into the city?”


Output:
“There’s no way round,” the old woman replied with a laugh, “no way round. The only way you’ll get past it is if you can fly.”

At this Pig started shooting his mouth off from where he stood beside them: “Don’t try to put us off. We can all fly.”

Monkey’s fiery eyes with their golden pupils really could distinguish good from evil, and he saw that the old woman and the little boy on whom she was leaning were in fact the Bodhisattva Guanyin and the page Sudhana. He hastily flung himself to the ground and began to kowtow, calling out, “Bodhisattva, your disciple failed to welcome you. I’m sorry.”

The Bodhisattva then rose slowly on her multicolored cloud, so startling the venerable elder that his legs gave way under him and he kowtowed as he knelt there for all he was worth. Pig and Friar Sand also fell to their knees in alarm and kowtowed to heaven. A moment later she was heading straight back to the Southern Sea amid auspicious clouds.


Output:
Monkey then got up and supported his master as he said, “Get up please. The Bodhisattva’s already gone back to her island.”

“Wukong,” Sanzang said, “if you knew she was the Bodhisattva why did you not say so before?”

“You ask too many questions,” Monkey replied with a grin. “When I started kowtowing wasn’t that early enough?”

“It was lucky the Bodhisattva told us that Dharmadestructia, where they kill monks, is ahead of us,” Pig and Friar Sand said to Monkey. “Whatever are we to do?”


Output:
“Don’t be afraid, idiot,” Monkey replied. “We’ve come to no harm from any of the vicious demons and evil monsters we’ve met already or in the tigers’ dens and dragons’ pools we’ve been in. This is just a country of ordinary people. What’s there to be so scared of? The only thing is that we can’t stay here. It’s getting late in the day and some of the villagers are coming back from market in the town. It will be no good if they see we’re monks and raise a hue and cry. We’d better take the master away from the main road to some quiet and secluded spot where we can discuss things.” Sanzang accepted Monkey’s suggestion and they slipped away from the main road to a hollow in the ground where they sat down.

“Brother,” said Monkey, “you two look after the master while I turn myself into something and go into town to take a look around. I’ll find a side road that we can get away along tonight.”

“Disciple,” said Sanzang, “don’t take this lightly. The royal law is implacable. You must be careful.”


Output:
“Don’t worry,” said Monkey with a smile, “don’t worry. I can cope.”

This said, the Great Sage leapt whistling up into the air. It was very strange:

No rope to hold on to above,

No pole to support him below.

Others are all like their parents,

But the weight of his bones was low.

As he stood in the clouds looking down he saw that the city was full of the most happy and auspicious atmosphere. “What a splendid place,” Monkey said. “Why are they trying to destroy the Dharma here?” He looked around for a while, and in the gathering dusk he saw:

Bright lights at the crossroads,

Incense and bells in the ninefold hall.

The seven brightest stars shone in the blue heavens,

And the travelers stopped moving in all eight directions.

From the army barracks

The painted bugle could just be heard;

In the drum tower

The copper water-clock began to drip.

All around the evening mists were dense;

Cold fog was thick in the markets.

Two by two the couples went to their beds


Output:
Two by two the couples went to their beds

As the bright moon’s disk was rising in the East.

“If I went down into the streets to look for our way with a face like this,” he thought, “anyone I saw would be sure I was a monk. I’d better change.” He made a spell with his hands, said the magic words, shook himself and turned into a moth, the sort that flies into the lantern:

A tiny body, a pair of delicate wings,

Who puts out the lamp and flies into the candle when seeking the light.

Formed by changing its own original body,

It makes its magic response in grass that’s decaying.

Loving the burning light of the candle’s flame,

Endlessly flying around it with never a pause,

The purple-clad moth with its scented wings drives off the fireflies;

What it likes best is the windless calm of the night.


Output:
Watch him as he flutters and flies straight to the main streets and the markets, keeping close to the eaves and the corners of the buildings he passes. As he was flying along he noticed an angled row of houses on a corner with a lantern hanging above each doorway.

“They must be celebrating the Lantern Festival here,” he thought. “Why else is that line of lighted lanterns there?” Stiffening his wings and flying up for a closer look, he saw that on a square lantern outside the middle house was written, “Accommodation for Commercial Travelers,” with “Wang the Second’s Inn” beneath it. Only then did Monkey realize that this was an inn. Stretching his head forward for a closer look he saw eight or nine men inside who had all eaten their supper, taken off their clothes and hats, washed their hands and feet and gone to bed.


Output:
“The master will get through,” Monkey thought with secret delight. How did he know that? Because he was having a wicked idea: he would wait till they were all asleep, then steal their clothes and hats so that he and his companions could go into the city dressed as laymen.

Oh dear! This was one of those things that don’t turn out as you want them to. While Monkey was still thinking about his plan Wang the Second went up to the merchants and said, “Please be vigilant, gentlemen. We have villains here as well as decent people. You must all be careful about your clothes and luggage.”


Output:
As you can imagine, the travelling merchants were all very vigilant, and the innkeeper’s advice made them more cautious than ever. So they all got out of bed and said, “You’re quite right, host. We travelers have a hard time. We’re always worried that if there’s some emergency when we’re asleep we may not wake up; and if things go wrong we’re in a mess. You’d better take all our clothes, hats and bags and look after them for us inside. Tomorrow morning you can give them back to us when we get up.”

Wang the Second then took all the clothes he could find into his own room. Monkey anxiously spread his wings, flew in there and landed on the hat stand, from where he saw Wang the Second take the lantern down from the door, lower the blinds, and shut the door and window. Only then did he go into his bedroom, undress and lie down.


Output:
Now Wang the Second had a wife and two children who were crying and making a noise, in no hurry to sleep. Wang’s wife then started mending a torn piece of clothing, so that she too was still awake. “If I have to wait till that woman stops working and goes to sleep,” thought Monkey, “I’ll be keeping the master waiting too.” He then started worrying that if he left it till much later the city gates would be shut, so he lost patience and flew down into the flame of the lamp. It was indeed a case of

He was ready to die when he dived at the blaze,

And with brows scarred by fire to live out his days.

Having extinguished the lamp he shook himself and turned into a rat who gave a couple of squeaks, jumped down, grabbed hats and clothes and went outside. “Old man,” the woman said with alarm, “this is terrible. A rat’s turned into a spirit.”


Output:
When Monkey heard this he used another trick, blocking the doorway and yelling at the top of his voice, “That woman’s talking nonsense, Wang the Second. Ignore her. I’m not a rat turned spirit. As a decent man I don’t do underhanded things. I’m the Great Sage Equaling Heaven come down to earth to protect the Tang Priest while he goes to fetch the scriptures from the Western Heaven. I’ve come to borrow these clothes as a disguise for my master because your king is so wicked. I’ll bring them back soon when we’re out of the city.”

Once Wang the Second heard this he scrambled out of bed and started groping around the floor in the dark. He was in such a rush that when he got hold of his trousers he thought they were his shirt: there was no way he could put them on no matter how he tried.


Output:
By now the Great Sage had used lifting magic to escape on his cloud, which he turned round to go straight back to the hollow by the road. Sanzang was looking out for him fixedly by the bright light of the moon and the stars, and as soon as he saw Monkey approaching he called out, “Can we get through the capital of Dharmadestructia, disciple?”

Coming up and laying the clothes down in front of him, Monkey replied, “Master, you won’t get through Dharmadestructia as a monk.”

“Brother,” said Pig, “who do you think you’re making things hard for? It’s easy to stop being a monk. All you have to do is stop shaving your head for six months and let your hair grow.”

“We can’t wait six months,” Monkey replied. “We’re going to turn into laymen right now.”


Output:
“But that’s a completely ridiculous thing to say,” said a shocked Pig. “We’re all monks now, and if we turned into laymen straight away we wouldn’t be able to wear hats. Even if we could pull them tight enough at the edges we’ve got no hair to tie the string at the top to.”

“Stop fooling about,” Sanzang shouted, “and be serious. What do you really have in mind?”


Output:
“I’ve had a good look at this city, Master,” Monkey replied, “and although the king is a wicked one who kills monks he is a true son of heaven. There is an auspicious glow and a happy atmosphere above the city. I know my way round the streets now, and I can understand and talk the local language. I’ve just borrowed these hats and clothes from an inn for us to dress ourselves up as laymen in. We’ll go into the city, put up for the night, get up at the fourth watch and ask the innkeeper to fix us some vegetarian food. At the fifth watch we’ll go out through the gate and head West along the main road. If we meet anyone who tries to stop us we can talk our way out of it. I’ll tell him we were sent by the ruler of their suzerain state. The king of Dharmadestructia won’t dare hold us up. He’ll let us go on our way.”

“Our big brother has arranged things very well,” said Friar Sand. “Let’s do as he suggests.”


Output: The venerable elder did indeed have no option but to take off his monastic tunic and hat and put on a layman’s clothing and headwear. Friar Sand changed too, but Pig’s head was too big for him to be able to wear a hat. Monkey fetched needle and thread, tore two hats open and sewed them into a single one. Then he put the hat on Pig’s head and found a garment big enough for him to wear. Finally he dressed himself and said, “Gentlemen, we must ban the words ‘master’ and ‘disciples’ on this journey.”


Output: “What else can we call each other?” Pig asked. “We must talk like people who address each other as brothers,” Monkey replied. “The master can call himself Tang the Eldest. You can be Hogg the Third, and Friar Sand can be Sand the Fourth. I’ll be Sun the Second. But when we are in the inn none of you must say anything. Leave all the talking to me. When they ask what line of business we’re in I’ll say we’re horse dealers. I’ll pretend that the white horse is a sample and that there are ten of us altogether, of whom we four have come ahead to book rooms at an inn and sell this horse. The innkeeper will be bound to treat us well then. We’ll be properly looked after, and before we leave I’ll find a piece of broken tile and turn it into silver to pay him with. Then we’ll be able to go on our way.” Although he was not happy about it the Tang Priest had to go along with this.


Output:
The four of them hurried to the city, leading the horse and carrying the luggage. As this was a very peaceful place the city gates were still open although it was already night. They went straight into the city, and as they passed the gateway of Wang the Second’s inn they could hear shouting inside.

People were yelling, “My hat’s disappeared!” and “My clothes have gone!” Pretending he did not know what this was all about, Monkey took them to an inn further along on the other side of the road. This inn was still showing its lantern, so Monkey went up to the gateway and called, “Do you have a vacant room for us, innkeeper?”

“Yes, yes,” a woman answered from inside. “Please come upstairs, gentlemen.” Before she had finished speaking a man came out to take the horse. Monkey handed him the horse to take inside. He then led the master into the building in the shadow of the lamp. Upstairs there were tables and chairs conveniently arranged, and when the window was opened they all sat down in the clear moonlight.


Output:
When someone came with a lighted lamp Monkey blocked the doorway, blew it out and said, “No need for a lamp on a bright night like this.”

No sooner had the man with the lamp gone down than a maid came up with four bowls of tea. Monkey took the bowls from her, only for her to be followed by a woman who looked to be about fifty-six or fifty-seven coming up the stairs.

Standing beside Monkey she asked, “Where are you gentlemen from? What fine goods do you have?”

“We’re from the North,” Monkey replied, “and we’ve got a few poor horses to sell.”

“You’re very young to be a horse dealer,” the woman said.

“This gentleman is Tang the Eldest,” Monkey explained, “this is Hogg the Third, and this is Sand the fourth. I’m Sun the Second, an apprentice.”


Output:
“But your surnames are all different,” said the woman with a smile. “Yes,” Monkey replied, “our surnames are different but we all live together. There are ten of us brothers altogether, and we four have come ahead to fix our board and lodging. The other six have found a place outside the city to stay tonight. It would have been awkward for them to come into the city as they’ve got a herd of horses. They’ll come in tomorrow morning when we’ve fixed some accommodation. We won’t go home till we’ve sold the horses.”

“How many horses are there in your herd?” the woman asked.

“Over a hundred of all ages,” Monkey replied. “They’re all like that one of ours, except that they come in different colours.”


Output:
“Mr. Sun,” the woman said with a laugh, “you really know how to travel. You should have come straight here: no other inn would be able to put you up. We have a big courtyard well supplied with troughs and tethering posts and plenty of fodder too. We could feed several hundred horses here. There’s just one thing I should mention. I’ve been keeping this inn for many years and it’s quite well known. My late husband was called Zhao, but I’m afraid he died long ago, so this is now called Widow Zhao’s Inn. We have three classes of entertainment for our guests. Let’s get sordid money matters out of the way, then we can be more civilized later. The first thing is to discuss the tariffs and agree on one so that we know where we stand when it’s time to settle the accounts.”

“Quite right,” Monkey replied. “What are your three classes of entertainment? As the saying goes,

Your tariffs may be low, your tariffs may be dear,

But treat us all the same, who come from far or near.


Output:
What do your tariffs involve? Could you explain them to me?”

“We have first, second and third-class tariffs,” the old woman replied. “The first class is a banquet with five kinds of fruit and five different dishes. The tables are set with confectionery lions and immortals fighting. Two gentlemen share a table, and there are young ladies to sing to them and sleep with them. It costs half an ounce of silver per head, the price of the room included.”

“I’d agree to that,” Monkey replied. “Where we come from half an ounce wouldn’t even pay for a girl.”

“For the second-class tariff,” the woman continued, “you all eat from the same dishes of food and we provide fruit and warm wine that you help yourselves to in your drinking games. No young ladies are provided and it costs one fifth of an ounce of silver each.”

“I’d agree to that too,” Monkey replied. “What about the third class?”

“I wouldn’t like to discuss it with such distinguished gentlemen as yourselves,” she replied.


Output:
“No harm in telling us about it,” Monkey replied, “so that we can choose what suits us best.”

“Nobody waits on you in the third class,” she said, “and we provide a big pot of rice for you to eat from as you will. When you’re full there’s straw for you to spread out on the ground and sleep on where it suits you. At dawn you give us a few coppers for the rice and I can assure you we won’t argue about how much.”

“We’re in luck,” said Pig, “we’re in luck. That’s the sort of deal I like. I’ll eat my fill from the cauldron then have a bloody good sleep in front of the stove.”

“What nonsense, brother,” said Monkey. “We’ve earned an ounce or two of silver on our travels. Give us the first-class treatment.”

“Make some good tea,” the woman said with great delight, “and tell the kitchen to get the food ready quickly.” She then went downstairs calling out, “Kill chickens and geese and boil up some pickled meat for them to have with their rice.”


Output:
Then she shouted, “Kill a pig and a sheep. What can’t be eaten today can be served tomorrow. Get some good wine. Use the best white rice, and make some pancakes with white flour.”

When Sanzang heard all this from upstairs he said, “Whatever shall we do, Sun the Second? They’re going to slaughter chickens, geese, a pig and a sheep. If they bring us all these we won’t be able to eat them as we’re all vegetarians.”

“I’ve got an idea,” said Monkey, and he stamped in the doorway and called out, “Mrs. Zhao, come up here.”

“What instructions do you have for me, sir,” she asked.

“Don’t kill any living creatures today. We’re eating vegetarian food today,” Monkey replied.

“Are you gentlemen permanent vegetarians, or just vegetarians for this month?” asked the woman in surprise.


Output:
“Neither,” replied Monkey. “We’re vegetarians on gengshen days. Today’s one, so we have to eat meatless food. But after the third watch tonight it’ll be a xinyou day and the restrictions won’t apply. Kill them tomorrow. Lay on some vegetarian food today, and make it first-class.”

This made the woman happier than ever. “Don’t slaughter anything,” she said, hurrying downstairs, “don’t slaughter anything. Fetch some tree-ear fungus, Fujian bamboo shoots, beancurd and wheat gluten. Pick some green vegetables in the garden, make vermicelli soup, steam some brad rolls, boil more white rice and make some scented tea.”

Now the cooks were experts because they cooked every day, so that everything was ready in an instant to be set out upstairs. They also had some confectioneries of lions and immortals that were already made for the four travelers to eat their fill of.


Output:
When the question was asked, “Would you like some mild wine?” Brother Monkey replied, “Eldest Brother Tang won’t have any, but the rest of us will have a few cups.” The widow then fetched a jug of warm wine.

When drinks had been poured out for the three of them they heard the sound of banging against wooden boards. “Has some furniture fallen over downstairs, missus?” Monkey asked.

“No,” the woman replied, “It’s some retainers from my farm who arrived late this evening with rent rice. We let them sleep downstairs. As we were short-staffed when you gentlemen arrived I told them to take the sedan-chairs to the brothel to fetch some young ladies to keep you company. They must have hit the underneath of the floorboards with the chair-poles.”


Output:
“You mentioned that before,” Monkey said. “But don’t send for them now. Today’s a fast day, and besides, our brothers aren’t here yet. They’ll be here tomorrow for sure. Then we can all send for some call-girls and have a good time in your excellent establishment before we sell our horses and go.”

“What good men,” the woman said, “what good men. That way you’ll all stay friends and you won’t waste your energy.” Then she ordered that the sedan-chairs be brought back in as the whores were not to be fetched. The four of them finished their wine and food, the utensils were cleared away, and the meal was over.

“Where are we going to sleep?” Sanzang whispered in Monkey’s ear.

“Upstairs,” Monkey replied.

“Too dangerous,” Sanzang replied. “We have all had so hard a journey that we may well fall fast asleep. If any of the inn people come in to tidy up and our hats have rolled off they will see our bald heads, realize that we are monks, and raise a hue and cry. That would be a disaster.”


Output:
“You’re right,” said Monkey, going out to stamp his foot again.

“What instructions do you have this time, Mr. Sun?” the woman asked, coming upstairs once more.

“Where are we to sleep?” Monkey asked.

“Upstairs is best,” she replied. “There are no mosquitoes and there’s a South wind. Open the windows wide and you’ll sleep beautifully.”

“We won’t be able to,” said Monkey. “Our Mr. Hogg the Third has a touch of gout, Mr. Sand the Fourth has some rheumatism in his shoulder, Brother Tang can only sleep in the dark, and I don’t like the light myself. So this is no place for us to sleep.”

As the woman went downstairs, leaning on the banisters and sighing, her daughter, who was carrying a child in her arms, came up to her and said, “Mother, as the saying goes, ‘Be stuck on a sandbank for ten days, then said past nine sandbanks in one.’ It’s too hot now to be doing much business, but once autumn begins we’ll have more than we can handle. What are you sighing like that for?”


Output:
“It’s not because business is slack, daughter,” the older woman replied. “I was just going to close the inn up this evening when four horse dealers came and took a room. They wanted the first-class tariff. I was hoping to make a little silver out of them, and I’m sighing because we won’t earn much: they’re fasting.”

“As they’ve already eaten they can’t very well go to another inn,” the daughter replied. “And we’ll be able to make money out of them when we serve them meat and wine tomorrow.”

“They’re all poorly,” the older woman replied, “and want somewhere dark to sleep because they don’t like drafts or light. All the rooms in the inn have got missing tiles, so where am I going to find somewhere dark for them? It’d be best to write off the cost of the meal and tell them to stay somewhere else.”

“But we do have somewhere dark in the house, mother,” her daughter replied, “where there’s no draft and no light. It’ll do splendidly.”

“Where?” the older woman asked.


Output:
“Where?” the older woman asked.

“The big trunk that father had made when he was still alive,” the daughter replied. “It’s four feet wide, seven feet long and three feet high, and big enough for seven people to sleep in. Tell them to sleep in the trunk.”

“I don’t know whether it’ll do,” said the older woman. “I’ll ask them. Mr. Sun, if you won’t have our poky little room there’s nowhere darker here than our big trunk. It’ll keep out light and drafts. So why don’t you sleep in the trunk?”

“Splendid,” Monkey replied. She then told several of the retainers to carry the trunk out and open the lid, while inviting her guests to come downstairs. Monkey led the master and Friar Sand carried the luggage as they went to the trunk, following in the lantern’s shadow. The reckless Pig was the first to climb inside. Friar Sand lifted the luggage in then helped the Tang Priest in before getting in himself.

“Where’s our horse?” Monkey asked.


Output:
“Where’s our horse?” Monkey asked.

“Tied up eating hay in the stables at the back,” replied the servant who was attending them.

“Bring it here,” said Monkey, “and bring the trough too. Tether the animal next to the trunk.” Only then did he get inside himself and call out, “Shut the lid, Mrs. Zhao, fasten the hasp and padlock it. And look it over for us. Glue paper wherever it lets in the light. Open it again early tomorrow morning.”

“You’re very particular,” the widow said. After that the doors were fastened and everyone went to bed.

The story switches to the four of them in the chest. Poor things! They were wearing hats, the weather was very hot and it was airless and stuffy. They took off their hats and clothes, and fanned themselves with their monastic hats for lack of fans. They were all crowded in next to each other and did not fall asleep till the second watch. Monkey, however, wanted to make trouble, so he stayed awake. He put his hand out and gave Pig a pinch on the leg.


Output:
The idiot pulled his leg in and mumbled, “Go to sleep. We’ve had a hard day. What do you want to fool around pinching people’s hands and feet for?”

“We started by laying out five thousand ounces of silver,” said Monkey aloud, deliberately making mischief, “and we sold those horses the other day for three thousand. We’ve got four thousand in the two bags, and we’ll sell this herd of horses for another three thousand. That means we’ll have doubled our capital. That’s not bad.” Pig, who was sleepy, did not bother to reply.


Output: Now the floor staff, the water-carriers and the kitchen porters were in league with bandits. After hearing Brother Monkey talking about all the money they had, several of them slipped off to fetch twenty or more armed bandits to come with torches to rob the four horse traders. As they charger in through the gates they gave Widow Zhao and her daughter such a fright that shivering and shaking they fastened the doors of their room and let the robbers take whatever they wanted outside. Now the bandits were not after the inn’s property but were looking for the guests. When they went upstairs and found no sign of them there, they lit their torches and held them out while they looked all around. All they could see was a large trunk in the courtyard, to the bottom of which was tethered a white horse. The lid was tightly locked and could not be prized open.


Output:
“Travelling merchants all know what they’re about,” the bandits said. “This trunk looks so strong that it’s bound to be full of purses, valuables and silk. Let’s steal the horse, take the trunk out of town, open it up and share out what’s inside. That would be the best thing, wouldn’t it?” The bandits then found some rope with which they lifted the box and carried it off, swinging and swaying.

“Brother,” said Pig, woken up by this, “go to sleep. Why are you rocking us?”

“Shut up,” Monkey replied. “Nobody’s rocking us.”

Sanzang and Friar Sand had been abruptly awoken too, and they asked, “Who’s carrying us?”

“Keep quiet,” said Monkey, “keep quiet. Let them carry us. If they carry us to the Western Heaven we’ll be saved the trouble of walking.”


Output:
But the successful bandits were not heading West. Instead they headed towards the East of the city, killing the soldiers on the city gate, opening it and letting themselves out. This caused a sensation in the streets and the markets, where the watchmen of all the shops reported it to the commander-in-chief of the city garrison and the East city commissioner. As this was their responsibility the commander-in-chief and the East city commissioner mustered a force of infantry, cavalry and bowmen that left the city in pursuit of the bandits. Seeing that resistance to so powerful a government force would have been pointless, the bandits abandoned the trunk and the white horse, scattered into the undergrowth and disappeared. The government troops did not catch even half a robber: all they captured was the trunk and the white horse, with which they returned in triumph. The commander-in-chief examined the horse in the light of the lamps and saw that it was a fine one:

Threads of silver grew in his mane;


Output:
Threads of silver grew in his mane;

In his tail hung strands of jade.

Forget about Eight Chargers and dragon steeds;

This was steadier than the great Sushuang;

Its bones alone would have sold for a thousand ounces of silver;

It could gallop after the wind for three thousand miles.

When it climbed a mountain it merged into the clouds;

As it neighed at the moon it was as white as snow.

It was truly a dragon from an ocean island,

A unicorn of Jade in the human world.

The commander-in-chief rode the white horse instead of his own steed as he led his men back into the city. The trunk was carried to his headquarters, where he and the East city commissioner sealed it with strips of paper on which they wrote and set a guard over it till morning, when they would submit a memorial to the king and request a decision on what to do with it. After that the other troops were dismissed.


Output:
The story now tells how the venerable Tang Priest was grumbling at Monkey inside the chest. “Ape,” he said, “you’ve killed me this time. If I had been arrested outside and taken to the king of Dharmadestructia I might well have been able to put up a good argument in my defense. But now I am here, locked in this trunk. I have been carried off by bandits and recaptured by the army. When we are shown to the king tomorrow we will be all ready for him to put to the sword and make up his ten thousand.”

“There are people outside!” exclaimed Monkey. “If they open the trunk and take you out you’ll either be tied up or hung up. If you don’t want to be tied or strung up you’d better show a little patience. When we’re taken to see this deluded king tomorrow I’ll definitely be able to talk my way out of things. I guarantee that not one hair of yours will be harmed. So stop worrying and go back to sleep.”


Output: In the third watch Monkey used one of his magic powers. Slipping his cudgel out he blew on it with a magic breath, called “Change!” and turned it into a triple auger with which he drilled two or three holes near the bottom of the chest, forming a single larger hole. He put the auger away, shook himself, turned into an ant and crawled out. Then he turned back into himself and rode his cloud straight to the palace gates. The king was fast asleep at the time, so Monkey used his Great All powerful Body-dividing Magic.


Output: Plucking all the hairs out of his left arm he blew on them with a magic breath, called “Change!” and turned them into little Monkeys. Then he pulled all the hairs out from his right arm, blew on them with a magic breath, called “Change!” and turned them into sleep-insects. Next he recited the magic word Om and told the local deity of the place to take the little Monkeys to distribute them throughout the palace to all the officials in every office and department of government. Each holder of official rank was given a sleep-insect to ensure that he or she would sleep soundly and not get up. Monkey then took his gold-banded cudgel in his hands, squeezed it, waved it, called, “Change, treasure!” and turned it into over a thousand razors of the sort used for shaving the head. Taking one himself, he told all the little monkeys to take one each and shave the heads of everyone in the inner quarters of the palace and in all the government departments and offices. This was indeed a case of:


Output:
When the Dharma king would destroy it the Dharma is infinite;

The Dharma runs through heaven and earth, opening the Great Way.

The origins of ten thousand Dharmas all come down to one;

The features of the Three Vehicles are basically the same.

He bored through the trunk to find out the news,

Distributed his golden hairs to smash delusion,

Determined to bring the Dharma king to the true achievement,

To the eternal emptiness of what is not born and dies not.

That night the head-shaving was completed, so Monkey said another spell to dismiss the local deity, shook himself to bring all the hairs back to his arms, then touched all the razors to turn them back into their true form as the gold-banded cudgel, which he made much smaller and hid in his ear again. Finally he reverted to being an ant, crawled back into the trunk, and went on guarding the Tang Priest in his time of danger.


Output:
When the palace ladies in the inner quarters got up to wash and do their hair before dawn the next morning they all found that their hair had gone. The same had happened to all the eunuchs, senior and junior, who moved around the palace. They all crowded to the outside of the royal bedchamber, where they played music to wake the king up, all holding back their tears but not daring to speak. Before long the queen in the palace woke up to find her hair gone too. When she hurried with lanterns to the dragon bed she found a monk sleeping in the brocade quilt, at which she could restrain her tongue no longer, thus awakening the king.

When the king suddenly opened his eyes wide and saw the queen’s bald head he got straight out of bed and said, “Why are you like that, my queen?”

“You’re the same, Your Majesty,” she replied. The king then rubbed his head, which gave him such a fright that the three souls in his body groaned, and his seven spirits flew off into the air.

“What has happened to me?” he exclaimed.


Output:
“What has happened to me?” he exclaimed.

Just when he was in this panicky state the royal consorts, the palace ladies and the eunuchs young and old all fell to their knees, their heads shaved bald, and said, “Lord, we have all been turned into monks.”

At the sight of them the king wept. “We think this must be because of all the monks we have killed,” he said. He then gave these orders: “None of you are to say anything about the loss of our hair as, if you do, the civil and military officials may slander our country and say that it has been badly governed. Let us now hold court in the throne hall.”

Now all the officials high and low in all the departments and offices of government went to court to pay their respects before dawn. As it turned out, all these men had lost their hair in the night too, and they all submitted memorials reporting the fact. All that could be heard was:

The whip of silence sounding three times at the royal audience;

As all report that their heads have now been shaved.


Output:
If you do not know what happened to the booty in the trunk that the commander-in-chief had recaptured and whether the Tang Priest and his three disciples were to live or die, listen to the explanation in the next installment.

Chapter Eighty-Five

The Mind-ape is jealous of the Mother of Wood

The Demon Chief Plots to Devour the Master of Dhyana

The story tells how when the king held his dawn audience the civil and military officials all carried memorials. “Sovereign Lord,” they reported, “we beg you to forgive your servants for their lack of decorum.”

“Gentlemen,” the king replied, “you are all as courteous as ever. What lack of decorum are you showing?”

“Sovereign Lord,” they said, “we do not know why, but all of your servants lost their hair last night.” Holding in his hand these memorials about the lost hair, the king descended from his dragon throne to say to the officials, “Indeed, we do not know why either, but everyone in the palace, young and old, lost their hair last night.”


Output:
King and ministers alike all wept as they said, “From now on we will not dare kill any more monks.” The king then returned to his throne and the officials took their places in their proper ranks. The king then said, “Let those with business here come forward from their ranks to report. If there is no other business the curtain may be rolled up and the audience ended.”

The commander-in-chief of the capital’s garrison then moved forward from the ranks of military officials and the East city commissioner moved forward from the ranks of the civil officials to kowtow at the steps of the throne and report, “We were patrolling the city on Your Majesty’s orders last night when we recaptured a trunk of bandits’ booty and a white horse. As we do not dare take unauthorized action over these we beg Your Majesty to issue an edict.” The king was delighted.

“Bring it here, trunk and all,” he ordered.


Output:
“Bring it here, trunk and all,” he ordered.

The two officials then returned to their own offices, mustered a full complement of soldiers and had the trunk carried out. Sanzang, who was inside, felt his soul leaving his body. “Disciples,” he said, “what shall we say in our defense when we reach the king?”

“Shut up,” said Monkey with a grin. “I’ve fixed everything. When the trunk’s opened the king will bow to us as his teachers. The only thing is that Pig mustn’t quarrel about precedence.”

“If they don’t kill me that’ll be heaven,” Pig replied. “What would I want to quarrel about?” Before these words were all out of his mouth they had been carried to the palace entrance and in through the Tower of Five Phoenixes to be set at the foot of the steps to the throne.


Output:
On being invited by the two officials to have the trunk opened and look inside the king ordered that this be done. No sooner was the lid lifted than Pig, who could restrain himself no longer, sprang outside, giving all the officials such a fright that they shivered, unable to speak. Next Brother Monkey could be seen helping the Tang Priest out, while Friar Sand lifted the luggage out.

Seeing that the commander-in-chief was holding the white horse, Pig went up to him, made an angry noise and said, “That’s my horse. Hand it over!” This so terrified the official that he collapsed head over heels.

The four pilgrims all stood upright in the middle of the steps, and when the king saw that they were monks he came down at once from his dragon throne, sent for his queen and consorts from the inner quarters, descended the steps of the throne hall, bowed to them along with all his officials and asked, “What brings you venerable gentlemen here?”


Output:
“I have been sent by His Majesty the Great Tang Emperor to go to the Great Thunder Monastery in India in the West to worship the living Buddha and fetch the true scriptures,” Sanzang replied.

“Venerable Master,” the king said, “you have come from far away. But why did you sleep in this trunk last night?”


Output: “I knew that Your Majesty had sworn a vow to kill Buddhist monks,” Sanzang replied, “which is why I did not dare to visit your illustrious country openly, but disguised myself as a layman to arrive late at night to find lodging in one of your inns. We slept in the trunk because we were afraid that our real identity would be d i s c o v e r e d . U n f o r t u n a t e l y t h e t r u n k w a s s t o l e n b y b a n d i t s , t h e n b r o u g h t b a c k h e r e b y t h e commander-in-chief. Now that I have been able to see Your Majesty’s dragon countenance, the clouds have cleared away and the sun has come out. I hope that Your Majesty will pardon and release me, ascetic monk that I am: my gratitude will be as deep as the ocean.”


Output:
“Venerable Master,” the king replied, “you are a distinguished monk from our suzerain heavenly dynasty. It was wrong of us not to go out to welcome you. For years we have been fulfilling a vow to kill monks because a monk once maligned us. The vow we made to heaven was to kill ten thousand monks to make up a round number. We never imagined that today we would return to the truth and that we would all be turned into monks. Now all of us, king, officials, queen and consorts, have had our hair shaved off. I beg, Venerable Master, that you will not be grudging with your lofty virtue and will take us as your disciples.”

When Pig heard this he started roaring with laughter: “If you’re going to be our disciples what introductory presents have you got for us?”

“If you will accept us as your follower, Master,” the king replied, “we will present you with all the wealth in our kingdom.”


Output:
“Don’t talk about wealth to us,” said Brother Monkey, “as we’re proper monks. As long as you inspect and return our passport and escort us out of the city I can guarantee that your monarchy will last for ever and that you will enjoy a long and happy life.” On hearing this the king ordered his office of foreign relations to arrange a great feast at which monarch and officials together returned to the one truth. The passport was immediately inspected and returned, after which Sanzang was asked to change the name of the country.

”‘Dharma’ in the name of Your Majesty’s country is excellent,” Monkey said, “but the ‘destructia’ part is nonsense. Now that we’ve come here you should change the name to ‘Dharmarespectia’. This would guarantee

Clear waters and victory for a thousand generations;

Timely winds and rain with universal peace.”

The king thanked them for their gracious kindness, had the royal carriage prepared and escorted the Tang Priest and his three disciples Westwards out of the city.


Output:
We will say no more of how monarch and subjects now held to the true faith, but tell how after leaving the king of Dharmarespectia the venerable elder said happily from on his horse, “What excellent magic you used, Wukong. It worked very well.”

“Elder brother,” said Friar Sand, “where did you find so many barbers to shave all those heads in one night?” Monkey then told them all about how he had used his miraculous powers, at which they all laughed so much they could not stop.

Just as they were feeling so cheerful a great mountain came into view, blocking their way. Reining in the horse, the Tang Priest said, “Disciples, see how high that mountain is. You must be very careful.”

“Don’t worry,” said Monkey with a grin, “don’t worry. I promise you nothing will go wrong.”


Output:
“Don’t say that,” Sanzang replied. “I can see those jutting peaks, and even from a distance it looks rather sinister. Storm clouds are streaming from it, and I am beginning to feel frightened. My whole body is turning numb and my spirits are disturbed.”

“You have already forgotten the Heart Sutra that the Rook’s Nest Hermit taught you,” said Brother Monkey.

“I can still remember it,” Sanzang said.

“Even if you can still remember that,” said Monkey, “there is a quatrain that you’ve forgotten.”

“What quatrain?” Sanzang asked, to which Monkey replied,

“Do not go far to seek the Buddha on Vulture Peak;

Vulture Peak is in your heart.

Everybody has a Vulture Peak stupa

Under which to cultivate conduct.”

“Of course I know it, disciple,” said Sanzang. “According to that quatrain the thousands of scriptures all come down to cultivating the heart.”

“Goes without saying,” Monkey replied.

“When the heart is purified it can shine alone;

When the heart is preserved all perceptions are pure.


Output:
If there is any mistake then laziness follows,

And success will not come in a myriad years.

As long as your will is sincere Thunder Peak is before your eyes.

But if you’re as scared, frightened and disturbed as this the Great Way is distant, and Thunder Peak is far, far away. Forget those wild fears and come with me.” When the venerable elder heard this his spirits were revived and his worries disappeared.

The four of them had only gone a few more steps when they reached the mountain. When they raised their eyes this was what they saw:

A fine mountain,

Dappled with many colours.

White clouds drifted around the peak,

And cool were the shadows of the trees in front of the cliff.

The birds rustled in the leaves,

The beasts were ferocious.

Among the woods were a thousand pines,

On the ridge a few bamboos.

Howls came from gray wolves seizing their prey,

And roars from hungry tigers fighting over food.

Long screamed the wild apes searching for fruit;


Output:
Long screamed the wild apes searching for fruit;

The David’s-deer climbed through blossoms into mists of green.

The wind was blowing,

The waters babbled,

And hidden birds sang in the deserted pass.

Here and there wisteria was climbing

While rare flowers bloomed by the stream amid orchids.

Intricately shaped and strange were the rocks,

And sheer rose the crags.

Foxes and raccoon-dogs ran in packs;

Badgers and apes were playing in groups.

The travelers were worried by so high and steep a mountain:

Why was the ancient track so twisted?

While master and disciples were moving timidly ahead they heard the howling of a wind. “There’s a wind,” said Sanzang in fear.

“In the spring there are mild winds,” Monkey replied, “in the summer hot ones, in the autumn golden ones and in the winter North winds. There are winds in all four seasons. What’s so frightening about a wind?”

“This wind is blowing very hard,” Sanzang replied. “It is definitely not a wind from heaven.”


Output:
“But winds always come from the earth and clouds from mountains,” Monkey replied, “so how could there be a wind from heaven?” Before he had finished speaking a mist arose. That mist really was

Darkness joining up with the sky,

Obscurity making the whole earth dim.

The sun had completely vanished from sight

And no bird sang.

All was as indistinct as primal chaos,

And the air seemed filled with flying dust.

The trees on the mountain could not be seen

Where had the herb-gatherers gone?

“Wukong,” said Sanzang in fright, “why is there this mist when the wind is still blowing?”

“Don’t get upset,” Monkey replied. “Get off your horse, Master. I’ll go and see whether or not it’s sinister while you two keep guard, brothers.”

The splendid Great Sage needed only to bow in order to be in mid-air. Holding his hand to his brow for shade, he opened his fiery eyes wide and looked down to see an evil spirit sitting at the foot of a beetling scar. Just look and see what he was like:

A mighty body full of charm,


Output:
A mighty body full of charm,

A heroic manner of great vigor.

The fangs protruding from his mouth were drills of steel;

His nose hung like a jade hook in the middle.

His golden eyes with pupils round gave animals a fright;

Demons and gods were scared of his bristling silver whiskers.

He sat upright by the cliff in terrible might,

Making the mist and wind as he hatched his plot.

On either side of him some thirty or forty junior demons could be seen, all drawn up in line and blowing out mist and wind for all they were worth. Monkey grinned at this and thought, “So my master is clairvoyant. He said it wasn’t a heavenly wind, and it was in fact caused by this evil spirit trying to fool us. Now if I went straight down and hit him with what they call a ‘garlicsmasher’ that’d kill him sure enough, but it would ruin my reputation.” Monkey had been a true hero all his life and was quite incapable of playing a dirty trick like that.


Output:
“I’d better go back and give Pig some attention. I’ll ask him to hit the evil spirit first. If Pig’s good enough to kill the evil spirit we’ll be in luck. If he isn’t and the evil spirit captures him I can come back to rescue him and win myself a bit of fame. He’s always putting on such an act and being so lazy—he won’t make an effort. Still, he is very greedy and partial to a good feed. I think I’ll try a trick on him and see how that works.”

At once he brought his cloud down to land in front of Sanzang, who asked, “Are the wind and the mist sinister or not?”

“It’s clear now,” Monkey replied. “They’ve gone.”

“Yes,” said Sanzang, “they have eased off a little.”

“Master,” said Monkey with a smile, “my eyesight is very good usually, but this time I was wrong. I thought there’d probably be a monster behind that wind and mist but there wasn’t.”

“What caused them then?” Sanzang asked.