Output:
“What caused them then?” Sanzang asked.

“There’s a village not far ahead,” Monkey replied, “where the people are so pious that they’re steaming white rice and white breadrolls to feed monks with. I think that the mist must have been steam escaping from their steamers. It was the result of their goodness.”

When Pig heard this he thought Monkey was telling the truth, so he grabbed hold of him and whispered, “Did you eat their food before you came back?”

“Only a bit,” Monkey replied. “The vegetable dishes were too salty—I didn’t want to eat too much.”

“Screw that,” said Pig. “I’d eat my fill of it however salty it was. If it made me really thirsty I’d come back for a drink of water.”

“Would you like some?” Monkey asked.

“Sure thing,” Pig replied. “I’m hungry and I’d like some now. What do you think?”


Output:
“You mustn’t even talk about it,” said Monkey. “As the ancient book says, ‘When the father is present the son must do nothing on his own account.’ Our master, who’s as good as a father to you, is here, so none of us should dare go ahead.”

“If you’ll say nothing about it, I’m going,” replied Pig with a grin.

“Let’s see how you do it,” Monkey replied. “I’ll say nothing.” When it came to eating the idiot knew a thing or two.

He went up to his master, made a loud “na-a-aw” of respect, and said, “Master, elder brother has just told me that there are people in a village ahead of us who feed monks. Just look at that horse. It looks as though it’s going to start playing it up. We’ll be causing a lot of trouble if we have to ask for grass and other fodder for it. Luckily the wind and the clouds have gone now, so why don’t you all sit here for a while while I fetch some tender grass? We can go and beg for food from that house when we’ve fed the horse.”


Output:
“Splendid,” said the Tang Priest with delight. “I wondered why you’ve become so hardworking today. Be as quick as you can.”

Smiling secretly to himself the idiot started out. “Brother,” said Monkey, catching up and grabbing hold of him, “they feed monks all right, but only good-looking ones.”

“In that case I’ll have to change again,” said Pig.

“Yes,” said Brother Monkey, “you change.”

The splendid idiot, who could perform thirty-six transformations, went into a hollow on the mountainside, made a spell with his hands, said the magic words, shook himself and turned himself into a short, skinny monk, beating a wooden fish-shaped dram with his hand and mumbling, “Oh great one, oh great one,” because he knew no scriptures to recite.


Output:
After putting away the wind and the mist the evil spirit ordered all his devils to form a circle round the main road, ready for any travelers. The idiot’s luck was out, and he was soon inside the trap and surrounded by the devils, who grabbed at his clothes and his silken sash as they all crowded in on him together.

“Don’t pull,” Pig said. “You can let me eat in all your houses in turn.”

“What do you want to eat, monk?” the devils asked. “You feed monks here,” Pig replied, “and I’ve come to be fed.”

“So you’re hoping to be fed, are you, monk?” said the demons. “You don’t seem to realize that what we like doing best here is eating monks. We’re all evil immortals who’ve found the Way here in the mountains, and the only thing we want to do is to catch you monks, take you home with us, pop you in the steamer till you’re tender and eat you. And you’re still hoping for a vegetarian meal!”


Output:
At this Pig’s heart was filled with terror, and he started complaining about Monkey. “That Protector of the Horses is a crook. He lied to me about them feeding monks in this village. There aren’t any villagers here and there’s nobody who feeds monks. They’re all evil spirits.” The idiot was being tugged at so hard that he turned back into himself, pulled the rake out from his belt and struck out wildly, driving all the junior devils back.

They rushed back to report to the senior demon, “Disaster, Your Majesty.”

“What disaster?” the senior demon asked.

“A neat-looking monk came along in front of the mountain,” they replied, “so we decided to catch him and steam him. We were going to keep what we couldn’t eat now for a bad day. Then to our astonishment he transformed himself.”

“What did he turn himself into?” the senior demon asked.


Output:
“Not into anything human,” they replied. “He’s got a long snout, big ears, and a bristly mane on his back. He lashed out furiously at us with a rake that he used two-handed. He gave us such a terrible fright that we’ve run straight back to report to Your Majesty.”

“Don’t be afraid,” the senior demon said. “Let me go and have a look.” Swinging his iron mace he went up for a closer look and saw that the idiot really was hideous. This is what he looked like:

A snout like a husking hammer over three feet long;

Tusks like silver nails protruding from his mouth.

Two round eyes that flashed like lightning;

A pair of ears that made a howling wind when they flapped.

The bristles behind his head were rows of iron arrows;

All of his hide was rough and green and scabby.

In his hands he held an amazing object:

A nine-toothed rake of which everyone was afraid.

Summoning up his courage, the evil spirit shouted, “Where are you from? What’s your name? Tell me at once and I’ll spare your life.”


Output:
To this Pig replied with a laugh, “So you can’t recognize your own ancestor Pig either, my boy. Come closer and I’ll tell you:

For my huge mouth and tusks and mighty powers

I was made Marshal Tian Peng by the Jade Emperor,

Commanding eighty thousand marines on the River of Heaven,

And happy amid all the joys of the heavenly palace.

Because when drunk I fluted with a palace lady

I decided to play the hero for a while.

One butt from my snout destroyed the Dipper and Bull Palace;

I ate the magic mushrooms of the Queen Mother of the West.

The Jade Emperor himself gave me two thousand hammer-blows,

Made me an exile from the world of Heaven.

This made me determined to nourish my spirit,

And become an evil monster in the lower world.

Just when I had made a good marriage in Gao Village

Fate brought me up against my brother Monkey.

He subdued me with his gold-banded cudgel;

I was forced to bow my head and enter the Buddhist faith.

I do the heavy work, saddle the horse and carry luggage:


Output:
I must have been the Tang Priest’s debtor in an earlier life.

As the iron-footed Marshal Tian Peng my surname was Zhu;

My name as a Buddhist is Zhu Bajie.”

When the evil spirit heard this he shouted, “So you’re the Tang Priest’s disciple. I’ve long heard that his flesh is very tasty. You’re one of the people I most want to catch. I’m not going to spare you now you’ve fallen into my clutches. Stay where you are, and take this from my mace.”

“Evil beast,” Pig replied. “You must have been a dyer before.”

“What do you mean, I must have been a dyer?” the evil spirit asked.

“If you weren’t a dyer, how come you know how to use a pestle?” Pig retorted, and with no further argument the monster was upon him, striking furiously. They fought a fine battle in the mountain hollow:

A nine-toothed rake,

An iron mace.

As the rake went through its movements they were like a howling gale;

The mace’s skilful blows came as thick and fast as rain.

One was an unknown ogre blocking the mountain road;


Output:
The other was the offending Tian Peng now guarding his true nature’s master.

When one’s nature is right monsters cause no fear;

When the mountain is high earth cannot come from metal.

One fought with his mace like a python from a pool;

The other’s rake was like a dragon from the waters.

Their angry shouts shook mountains and rivers;

Their mighty roars caused terror down in hell.

Each of the heroes displayed his prowess,

Staking his life on his magical powers.

We will say no more of how Pig set a mighty wind blowing as he fought the evil spirit, who ordered his junior devils to keep Pig surrounded. Instead the story tells how Brother Monkey suddenly gave a bitter laugh behind the Tang Priest’s back.

“Why are you laughing like that, elder brother?” Friar Sand asked.


Output:
“Pig really is an idiot,” Monkey replied. “As soon as he heard that they feed monks there he fell for my trick. He’s been away a long time now. If he’d beaten the evil spirit with a single blow of his rake you’d have seen him coming back in triumph by now, loudly insisting on his great victory. But if the demon’s been too much for him and captured him my luck’s out. Goodness only knows how often he’ll have cursed the Protector of the Horses behind my back. Say nothing while I go to take a look around, Wujing.”

With that the splendid Great Sage, who did not want the venerable elder to know what was happening, quietly pulled a hair out of the back of his head, blew on it with magic breath, said “Change!” and turned it into his own double to stay with the master together with Friar Sand. Then his real self disappeared as he leapt up into the air to look around. He saw the idiot lashing out wildly with his rake at the devils who were surrounding him and gradually getting the better of him.


Output:
This was more than Monkey could bear. Bringing his cloud down to land, he shouted at the top of his voice, “Take it easy, Pig. Monkey’s here.” Recognizing that it was Monkey’s voice gave the idiot a chance to be more ferocious than ever as he hit wildly forward with his rake. The evil spirit was no match for him.

“You weren’t up to much before, monk,” he said, “so how come you’re so fierce now?”

“You’d better stop bullying me now, my lad,” Pig replied. “I’ve got one of my people here now.” A moment later he was swinging wildly again with the rake. The evil spirit, unable to stave off the blows, led his devils away in defeat. As soon as Monkey saw that the devils had been beaten he drew no closer but went straight back on his cloud, shook the hair and put it back on his body. With his mortal, fleshly eyes the Tang Priest noticed nothing of this.


Output:
Before long a triumphant Pig returned too, so exhausted that his nose was dripping with snot as he foamed at the mouth and was panting loudly. “Master!” he called.

When the Tang Priest saw him he exclaimed in astonishment, “Pig, you went to fetch some grass for the horse. Why have you come back in so terrible a state? Were there watchmen on the mountain who wouldn’t let you cut any?”

The idiot flung his rake down, beat his chest and stamped his feet as he replied, “Don’t ask me about it, Master. If I had to tell you I’d die of shame.”

“What would you be so ashamed of?” Sanzang asked.


Output:
“Elder brother tricked me,” Pig replied. “He told me that it wasn’t an evil spirit behind that wind and mist. He said there was nothing sinister about it, but that it was from a village where the people were so pious that they were steaming white rice and breadrolls made with white flour to feed monks with. I believed him. As I was so hungry I thought I’d go ahead to beg for some. Fetching grass for the horse was only an excuse. I never expected to be surrounded by a crowd of evil spirits. They gave me a hard fight, and if Monkey hadn’t helped me out with his mourner’s staff I’d have had no hope of escaping and getting back here.”

‘The idiot’s talking nonsense,” said Monkey, who was standing beside them, with a smile. “If you’ve taken to robbery you’re trying to get a whole gaolful of people into trouble. I’ve been looking after the master here. I’ve never left his side.”

“It is true,” Sanzang said, “Wukong has never left my side.”


Output:
The idiot then sprang up shouting, “You don’t understand, Master. He’s got a double.”

“Is there really a monster there, Wukong?” Sanzang asked. Monkey could keep his deception up no longer.

“There are a few little devils,” Monkey replied with a bow and a smile, “but they won’t dare give us any trouble. Come here, Pig. I’m going to look after you. We’re going to escort the master along this steep mountain path as if we were an army on the march.”

“How?” Pig asked.

“You’ll be the commander of the vanguard,” Monkey replied, “going in front and clearing the way. If the evil spirit doesn’t show up again that will be that; but if he does, you fight him. When you beat the evil spirit that’ll be something to your credit.”

Reckoning that the evil spirit’s powers were much the same as his own, Pig said, “Very well then. I’m ready to die at his hands. I’ll take the lead.”

“Idiot,” said Monkey, “if you start by saying such unlucky things you’ll never get anywhere.”

“As you know, brother,” Pig replied,


Output:
“As you know, brother,” Pig replied,

“When a gentleman goes to a banquet

He gets either drunk or well filled;

When a hero goes into a battle

He gets either wounded or killed.

By saying something unlucky first I’ll make myself stronger later.” This delighted Monkey, who saddled the horse and invited the master to ride while Friar Sand carried the luggage as they all followed Pig into the mountains.

The evil spirit meanwhile led a few of his underlings who had survived the rout straight back to his cave, where he sat brooding in silence high up above a rocky precipice. Many of the junior devils who looked after things in his household came up to him and asked, “Why are you so miserable today, Your Majesty? You’re usually in-such high spirits when you come back.”

“Little ones,” said the demon king, “usually when I go out to patrol the mountains I can be sure of bringing home a few people or animals I’ve caught to feed you with. Today my luck was out: I’ve met my match.”

“Who?” the junior devils asked.


Output:
“Who?” the junior devils asked.

“A monk,” the demon king replied, “a disciple of the Tang Priest from the East who’s going to fetch the scriptures. He’s called Zhu Bajie. He went for me so hard with his rake that he beat me. I had to run away. I’m thoroughly fed up. For ages now I’ve heard it said that the Tang Priest is an arhat who has cultivated his conduct for ten successive lifetimes. Anyone who eats a piece of his flesh will live for ever. To my surprise he’s come to my mountain today, and it would have been an ideal time to catch him, cook him and eat him. I never realized he’d have a disciple like that one.”

Before he had finished saying this a junior devil slipped forward from the ranks. First he gave three sobs in front of the demon king, then three laughs.

“Why sob then laugh?” shouted the demon king.

The junior devil fell to his knees as he replied, “Because Your Majesty just said that you wanted to eat the Tang Priest. His flesh isn’t worth eating.”


Output:
“But everyone says that a piece of his flesh will make you live as long as the heavens,” said the demon king. “How can you say that it’s not worth eating?”

“If he were so good to eat,” the junior devil replied, “he’d never have got this far. Other demons would have eaten him up. And he’s got three disciples with him.”

“Do you know who?” the demon king asked.

“The senior disciple is Sun the Novice,” said the junior devil, “and the third disciple is Friar Sand. The one you met must have been his second disciple Zhu Bajie.”

“How does Friar Sand compare with Zhu Bajie?” asked the demon king.

“He’s much the same,” the junior devil said,


Output:
“He’s much the same,” the junior devil said,

“What about Sun the Novice?” the demon king asked, at which the junior devil thrust out his tongue in horror and replied, “I daren’t tell you. That Monkey has tremendous magic powers and can do all sorts of transformations. Five hundred years ago he made terrible havoc in heaven. None of the heavenly warriors dared give him any trouble, from the Twenty-eight Constellations, the Star Lords of the Nine Bright Shiners, the Gods of the Twelve Branches, the Five Officers and the Four Ministers, the East and West Dippers and the Gods of the North and the South, to the Five Peaks and the Four Rivers. How can you have the nerve to want to eat the Tang Priest?”

“How do you know so much about him?” the demon king asked.


Output:
“I used to live in the Lion Cave of the demon king on Lion Ridge,” the junior devil replied. “He was reckless enough to want to eat the Tang Priest, and that Sun the Novice smashed his way in through the gates with his gold-banded cudgel. It was terrible. They were wiped out. Luckily I had enough sense to escape by the back door and come here, where Your Majesty allowed me to stay. That’s how I know about his powers.”

The senior demon turned pale with shock when he heard this: it was a case of the commander-in-chief being afraid of the soothsayer’s words. How could he help being alarmed when he heard all this from one of his own people? Just when they were all feeling terrified another junior devil stepped forward and said, “Don’t be so upset and afraid, Your Majesty. As the saying goes, easy does it. If you want to catch the Tang Priest let me make you a plan to capture him.”

“What plan?” the senior demon asked.

“I have a plan to ‘divide the petals of the plum blossom.’”


Output:
“What do you mean by ‘dividing the petals of the plum blossom?’” the demon king asked.

“Call the roll of all the devils in the cave,” the junior devil replied. “Choose the best hundred from all thousand of them, then the best ten out of that hundred, and finally the best three out of the ten. They must be capable and good at transformations. Have them all turn into Your Majesty’s doubles, wear Your Majesty’s helmet and armor, carry Your Majesty’s mace, and lie in wait in three different places. First send one out to fight Zhu Bajie, then one to fight Sun the Novice and finally one to fight Friar Sand. This way you’ll only have to spare three junior devils to draw the three disciples away. Then Your Majesty will be able to stretch down from mid-air with your cloud-grabbing hand to catch the Tang Priest. He’ll be in the bag. It’ll be as easy as catching flies in a dish of fish juice. Nothing to it.”


Output:
This suggestion delighted the demon king, who said, “What a brilliant plan, brilliant! If I don’t catch the Tang Priest this way, that’ll be that. But if I do I can assure you you’ll be richly rewarded. I’ll make you commander of the vanguard.” The junior devil kowtowed to thank him for his grace and went off to call the roll of the devils. After all the monsters in the cave had been carefully checked through, three capable junior devils were selected. They turned into the senior devil’s doubles and went to lie in wait for the Tang Priest with their iron maces.

The venerable Tang elder meanwhile was following Pig along the way without a care in the world. When they had been going for some time there was a crashing sound from beside the track and out leapt a junior devil who rushed straight at them, evidently to grab Sanzang. “The evil spirit’s here, Pig,” Monkey shouted. “Get him!”


Output:
The idiot, who was taken in by the imposture, hacked wildly at the devil with his rake. The evil spirit parried Pig’s blows with his mace as he met the onslaught. While the battle between the pair of them ebbed and flowed on the mountainside there was a noise in the undergrowth as another monster sprang out and charged at the Tang Priest.

“This is bad, Master,” said Monkey. “Pig can’t see straight. He’s let the monster escape to catch you. I’m going to fight him.” Pulling his cudgel out in a flash, he went up to the monster, shouting, “Where d’you think you’re going? Take this!”


Output:
Without saying a word the evil spirit raised his mace to meet the attack. But while the two of them were locked in combat, swinging at each other, there was a howling wind from the other side of the mountain and a third evil spirit sprang out who also rushed straight at the Tang Priest. When Friar Sand saw it he exclaimed in alarm, “Master, big brother and second brother both can’t see straight. They’ve let the evil spirit get away to catch you. Stay on the horse while I get him.”

Friar Sand was taken in too. Brandishing his staff he blocked the evil spirit’s iron mace and started a bitter combat. It was a wild fight with shouts and awful yells, and they drew further and further away. When the demon king saw from up in the sky that the Tang Priest was alone on the horse he reached down with his five-clawed steel hook and seized him. The master lost horse and stirrups as the evil spirit carried him off in a gust of wind. Alas! This was a case of


Output:
When the dhyana-nature encountered a monster the true achievement was hard;

The monk of the river current met once more with a star of disaster.

Bringing his wind down to land, the demon king took the Tang Priest into the cave and called, “Commander of the vanguard!”

The junior devil who had made the plan came forward, knelt and said, “I am not worthy.”

“How can you say that?” the demon king replied. “Once the commander-in-chief has spoken, white becomes black. What I said before was that if I failed to catch the Tang Priest, that would be that; but that if I succeeded I’d make you my commander of the vanguard. Your brilliant plan has succeeded today, so there is no reason why I should break faith with you. Bring the Tang Priest here and tell the underlings to fetch water, scrub the cooking pot, fetch some firewood and light the fire. When he’s been steamed you and I will each have a piece of his flesh and live for ever.”

“Your Majesty,” the commander of the vanguard replied, “he mustn’t be eaten yet.”


Output:
“Why ever not?” the demon king asked. “We’ve captured him.”

“It wouldn’t matter if you ate him, Your Majesty,” said the commander of the vanguard, “as far as Zhu Bajie and Friar Sand are concerned. They would be reasonable. But I’m worried about that Sun the Novice: he’d be really vicious. If he found out we’d eaten the Tang Priest he wouldn’t come to give us a straight fight. He’d just thrust that gold-banded cudgel of his into the mountainside and make a hole so big that the whole mountain would collapse. We’d be homeless.”

“What do you suggest, commander of the vanguard?” the demon king asked.

“In my opinion,” the commander replied, “we should send the Tang Priest out to the back garden, tie him to a tree, and starve him for two or three days. That will clean him up inside and let us make sure that the three disciples don’t come here looking for him. Once we’ve found out that they’ve gone home we can bring the Tang Priest out and enjoy him at our leisure. That’d be better, wouldn’t it?”


Output:
“Yes, yes,” the senior demon said with a laugh. “You’re right, commander of the vanguard.”

An order was issued and the Tang Priest taken into the back garden to be roped to a tree, while all the junior devils went out to the front to keep watch. Look at the venerable elder as he suffers in his bonds, tied up

tightly and unable to stop the tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Disciples,” he called, “where did you chase those demons to when you went to capture them in the mountains? I have been captured by a wicked ogre and have met with disaster. When will I ever see you again? The pain is killing me.”

Just when the tears from both eyes were joining in a single stream he heard someone calling from a tree opposite, “Venerable elder, you’re here too.”

Taking control of himself, the Tang Priest asked, “Who are you?”

“I’m a woodcutter who lives on this mountain,” the other replied. “I’ve been tied up here for three days. I reckon they’re going to eat me.”


Output:
“Woodcutter,” said the Tang Priest with tears in his eyes, “If you die it will only be you. You have nothing else to worry about. But if I die it won’t be a clean end.”

“What do you mean, it won’t be a clean end, venerable elder?” the woodcutter asked. “You have no parents, wife or children, so if you die that’ll be that.”

“I am from the East,” the Tang Priest replied, “and was going to fetch the scriptures from the Western Heaven. I was going on the orders of Emperor Taizong of the Tang to worship the living Buddha and fetch the true scriptures. This was to save all the lonely souls in the underworld who have nobody to care for them. If I lose my life today the vain waiting will kill my sovereign and I will let down his ministers. Countless wronged souls in the City of the Unjustly Slain will suffer a terrible disappointment and never ever be able to escape from the wheel of life. The true achievement will all be turned to dust in the wind. How can that possibly be considered a clean end?”


Output:
When the woodcutter heard this the tears fell from his eyes as he said, “If you die that is all there to it. But my death will be even more painful for me to bear. I lost my father when I was a boy, and live alone with my mother. Because we had no property I have had to make our living as a woodcutter. My aged mother is eighty-two this year and I am her only support. If I die who will there be to bury her? It’s very hard to bear: the pain of it is killing me.”

When the venerable elder heard this he began to wail aloud, “Oh dear, oh dear,

Even the mountain man thinks of his mother;

I am reciting the sutras in vain.

Serving one’s monarch and serving one’s parents are both the same in principle. You are moved by your mother’s goodness to you and I by my sovereign lord’s goodness to me.” This was indeed a case of

Weeping eyes looking at eyes that weep,

A heartbroken one who sees off one with a broken heart.


Output:
But we will say no more of Sanzang’s sufferings as we return to Monkey, who after driving the junior devil back down the grassy slope rushed back to the track to find that his master had disappeared. All that was left were the white horse and the luggage. In his alarm he led the horse and shouldered the carrying-pole as he headed for the top of the mountain in his search for the master. Oh dear! Indeed:

The long-suffering monk of the river current had met with new suffering;

The Great Sage, subduer of demons, had run into a demon.

If you do not know how his search for his master ended, listen to the explanation in the next installment.

Chapter Eighty-Six

The Mother of Wood Lends His Might in Defeating the Ogre

The Metal Lord Uses His Magic to Wipe Out the Monster


Output:
The story tells how the Great Sage Monkey was leading the horse and carrying the baggage while he searched the whole mountain top, calling out for his master. Suddenly Pig came running up to him, puffing and panting, to ask, “Why are you shouting like that, brother?”

“The master’s disappeared,” Brother Monkey replied. “Have you seen him?”

“Why did you have to play that trick on me when I was being a good monk with the Tang Priest?” Pig asked. “What was all that about me being commander of the vanguard? I had to fight for my life before I could beat that evil spirit and come back in one piece. You and Friar Sand were looking after the master, so why ask me about it?”

“I don’t blame you, brother,” said Monkey. “Somehow or other your eyes must have gone blurred—you let the evil spirit get away and come back to catch the master again. When I went off to fight it I told Friar Sand to look after the master, and he’s disappeared too.”


Output:
“I expect he’s taken the master somewhere for a crap,” said Pig with a grin, but before he had finished speaking Friar Sand turned up.

“Where’s the master, Friar Sand?” Monkey asked.

“You two must both be blind,” retorted Friar Sand, “letting the evil spirit escape to come back for the master. When I went to fight the evil spirit the master was left in the horse by himself.”

At this Monkey leapt with rage, shouting, “He’s fooled me! He’s fooled me!”

“How’s he fooled you?” Friar Sand asked.

“It was a ‘dividing the petals of the plum blossom’ trick,” Monkey replied, “to draw us three off so that he could make a blow for the heart and carry off the master. Whatever in the name of Heaven are we to do?”


Output:
He could not stop the tears from streaming down his cheeks, at which Pig said, “Don’t cry. If you cry you’re a pustule. He can’t be far away. He must be on this mountain. Let’s look for him.” The three of them had no better plan than to look for him on the mountain. When they had covered some six or seven miles they saw a cave palace at the foot of a beetling precipice:

Clean-cut pinnacles blocking the light,

Towering and grotesque-shaped rocks.

The fragrance of rate and wonderful flowers,

The beauty of red apricots and green peaches.

The ancient trees in front of the precipice,

Forty spans round, and with bark scarred by frost and rain;

The azure pines standing outside the gates,

Two thousand feet of green blue reaching up to the sky.

Pairs of wild cranes

That dance in the breeze at the mouth of the cave;

Mountain birds in couples

Chirping by day at the ends of the branches.

Clumps of yellow creepers like ropes,

Rows of misty willows with leaves like hanging gold.


Output:
Water fills the pools that are square;

All over the mountain are caves that are deep.

In the pools that are square

Dragons lie hidden with scales unchanged.

In the mountain’s deep caves

Dwell ogres that long have been eaters of humans.

This can be matched with the lands of immortals,

A den where the winds and the vapors are stored.

When Monkey saw this he took two or three paces forward, sprang towards the gates and saw that they were shut tight. Above them was a horizontal stone tablet on which was written in large letters

LINKED RING CAVE:

BROKEN RIDGE:

HIDDEN MISTS MOUNTAIN.

“Strike, Pig,” said Monkey. “This is where the evil spirit lives. The master must be here.”


Output:
At this the idiot turned vicious, raised his rake, and brought it down on the gates with all his strength, smashing a big hole in them and shouting, “Ogre, send my master out at once if you don’t want me to smash your gates down and finish the lot of you off.” At this the junior devils on the gates rushed back inside to report, “Disaster, Your Majesty.”

“What disaster?” the senior demon asked.

“Someone’s smashed a hole in the front gates and is yelling that he wants his master,” the junior devils replied.

“I wonder which one’s come looking for him,” said the demon king in a state of great alarm.

“Don’t be frightened,” said the commander of the vanguard. “Let me go out and take a look.” He hurried straight to the front gates, twisted his head to one side and craned to look through the hole that had been smashed in them. He saw someone with a long snout and big ears.


Output:
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty,” he turned round and shouted at the top of his voice, “it’s Zhu Bajie. He’s not up to much and he won’t dare try any nonsense on us. If he does we can open the gates and drag him inside to put in the steamer too. The only one to worry about is that hairy-cheeked monk with a face like a thunder god.”

“Brother,” said Pig when he heard this from outside, “he’s not scared of me but he is of you. The master’s definitely inside. Come here quick.”

“Evil damned beast,” said Monkey abusively. “Your grandfather Monkey is here. Send my master out and I’ll spare your life.”

“This is terrible, Your Majesty,” the commander of the vanguard reported. “Sun the Novice is here looking for him too.” At this the demon king started complaining, “It’s all because of your ‘petal-dividing’ or whatever you called it. You’ve brought disaster on us. How is this going to end?”


Output:
“Don’t worry, Your Majesty,” the commander of the vanguard replied, “and don’t start grumbling yet. That Sun the Novice is a monkey of great breadth of spirit. Although he has such tremendous magical power he’s partial to flattery. We’ll take an imitation human head out to fool him with, say a few flattering things to him and tell him we’ve eaten his master already. If we can take him in, the Tang Priest will be ours to enjoy. If we can’t we’ll have to think again.”

“But where are we to get an imitation human head?” the demon king asked.

“I’ll see if I can make one,” the commander of the vanguard replied.

The splendid ogre then cut a piece of willow root with an axe of pure steel into the shape of a human head, spurted some human blood on it from his mouth to make it all sticky, and told a junior devil to take it to the gates on a lacquer tray, calling, “My Lord Great Sage, please overcome your anger and allow me to address you.”


Output:
Brother Monkey really was partial to being flattered, and when he heard himself being addressed as “My Lord Great Sage” he grabbed hold of Pig and said, “Don’t hit him. Let’s hear what he has to say.”

To this the junior devil with the tray replied, “When my king took your master into the cave the junior devils were naughty and behaved very badly. They gobbled and gnawed and grabbed and bit, and ate the whole of your master up except his head, which I have here.”

“If you’ve eaten him up, that’s that,” Monkey replied. “Bring the head out and let me see whether it’s real or false.” The junior devil threw the head out through the hole in the gates, a sight that started Pig howling and saying, “This is terrible. The master went in looking one way and he’s come out looking like this.”

“Idiot,” said Monkey, “have a look and find out if it’s real before you start crying.”

“You’re shameless,” said Pig, “how could there ever be such a thing as a fake human head?”

‘This one’s a fake,” Brother Monkey replied.


Output:
‘This one’s a fake,” Brother Monkey replied.

“How can you tell?” Pig asked. “When you throw a real human head it lands quietly,” Monkey explained, “but when you throw a fake it makes a loud noise like a pair of wooden clappers. If you don’t believe me, I’ll throw it for you. Listen!” He picked the head up and threw it against a rock, where it gave a hollow ring.

“It was loud, brother,” said Friar Sand.

“That means it’s a fake,” said Monkey. “I’ll make it turn back into its real self to show you.” Producing his gold-banded cudgel in a flash he hit the head open. When Pig looked he saw that it was a piece of willow root. This was too much for the idiot, who started talking abusively.

“I’ll get you, you hairy lot,” he said, “you may have hidden my master in your cave and fooled your ancestor Pig with a piece of willow root, but don’t imagine that my master is just a willow-tree spirit in disguise.”


Output:
The junior devil who was holding the tray was thrown into such a panic by this that he ran shaking with fear back to report, “It’s terrible, terrible, terrible.”

“What’s so terribly terrible then?’ the senior demon asked.

“Zhu Bajie and Friar Sand were taken in, but Monkey’s like an antique dealer—he really knows his stuff,” the junior demon replied. “He could tell it was an imitation head. If only we could give him a real human head he might go away.”

“But how are we to get one?” the senior demon wondered, then continued, “Fetch a human head we haven’t eaten yet from the flaying shed.” The devils then went to the shed and choose a fresh head, after which they gnawed all the skin off it till it was quite smooth and carried it out on a tray.


Output:
“My lord Great Sage,” the messenger said, “I am afraid it was a fake head last time. But this really is Lord Tang’s head. Our king had kept it so as to bring good fortune to our cave, but now he’s making a special offering of it.” He then threw the head out through the hole in the gates, it landed with a thud and rolled on the ground, gory with blood.

Seeing that this human head was a real one Monkey could not help starting to wail, in which he was joined by Pig and Friar Sand.

“Stop crying, brother,” said Pig, holding back his tears. “This is very hot weather, and the head will soon become putrid. I’m going to fetch and bury it while it’s still fresh. We can cry for him afterwards.”


Output:
“You’re right,” said Monkey, and the idiot cradled the head against his chest, not caring about the filth, as he hurried up the cliff till he found a South-facing spot where the winds and the natural forces were gathered. Here he hacked out a hole with his rake, buried the head, and piled a grave-mound over it. Only then did he say to Friar Sand, “You and big brother weep over him while I look for some offerings.”

Going down to the side of a gill, he broke off some willow branches and gathered a few pebbles. Taking them back up to the tomb, he planted the willow branches on either side and piled the pebbles in front of it. “What’s all that about?” Monkey asked.

“The willow branches are used instead of cypresses to shade the master’s tomb for the time being,” Pig answered, “and the pebbles are offerings to him instead of cakes.”

“Cretin!” Monkey shouted. “He’s already dead. What do you want to go offering him stones for?”


Output:
“Just to show what the living feel,” Pig replied, “and out of mourning and respect.”

“You’d better cut that nonsense out,” Monkey replied. “Tell Friar Sand to come here. He can guard the tomb and keep an eye on the horse and the luggage while we two go and smash the cave palace up, capture the monster and break his body into ten thousand bits. Then we’ll have avenged the master.”

“You’re absolutely right, big brother,” said Friar Sand through his tears. “You two be careful. I’ll keep watch here.”


Output: The splendid Pig then took off his black brocade tunic, tied his undershirt tightly, picked up his rake and followed Monkey. The two of them rushed straight for the stone gates, and with no more ado they smashed them down and shouted with a yell that made the heavens shake, “Give us our Tang Priest back alive!” This sent the souls flying from all the devils old and young in the cave, who complained that the commander of the vanguard had wronged them. “How are we going to deal with these monks now they’ve fought their way in through the gates?” the demon king asked.


Output:
“The ancients used to say,” the commander of the vanguard replied, “‘Put your hand in a basket of fish and it’s bound to stink.’ Now we’re in this we’ve got to see it through. We’ll just have to take our troops into battle with these monks.” When the demon heard this he had no alternative but to issue the order, “Stand together, my little ones. Bring your best weapons with you and come with me.” They then charged out through the entrance of the cave with a great war cry.

The Great Sage and Pig quickly fell back a few paces before they held the devilish onslaught on a piece of flat ground on the mountainside, shouting, “Who’s your best-known boss? Who’s the ogre who captured our master?”


Output:
The devils had now palisaded their position, over which a multicolored embroidered flag flew, and the demon king shouted straight back as he held the iron mace, “Damned monks! Don’t you know who I am? I’m the Great King of the Southern Mountains, and I’ve been running wild here for hundreds of years. I’ve eaten your Tang Priest up. What are you going to do about it?”

“You’ve got a nerve, you hairy beast,” retorted Monkey abusively. “How old are you, daring to call yourself after the Southern Mountains? Lord Lao Zi was the ancestor who opened up heaven and earth, but even he sits on the right of the Supreme Pure One. The Tathagata Buddha is the Honoured One who rules the world, and he sits below the Great Roc. Confucius the Sage is the Honoured One of the Confucian School, and all he’s called is Master. So how dare you call yourself Great King of the Southern Mountains and talk about running wild for several hundred years? Don’t move, and take this from your grandfather’s cudgel!”


Output:
The evil spirit twisted aside to avoid the cudgel, which he parried with his iron mace. “How dare you try to put me down like that, monkey-face,” said the monster, glaring furiously. “What kind of powers have you got, acting like a maniac at my gates.”

“I’ll get you, you nameless beast,” replied Brother Monkey with a grin. “You evidently don’t know who I am, so just stand there and make yourself brave while I tell you:

My ancestral home is in the Eastern Continent,

Where heaven and earth nourished me for thousands of years.

On the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit was a magic stone egg;

When the egg broke open my roots were inside.

My birth was not like that of an ordinary being:

My body was formed when sun and moon mated.

1 cultivated myself with formidable effect;

Heaven gave me a perceptive and cinnabar head.

As the Great Sage I dwelt in the palace in the clouds,

Using my strength in a fight against the Dipper and Bull Palace.

A hundred thousand heavenly troops could get nowhere near me;


Output:
All the stars in the sky were easily subdued.

My fame resounds throughout the cosmos;

I know all about everything between earth and sky.

Since my conversion to Sakyamuni’s teachings

1 have been helping my master on his journey to the West.

When I clear a path through mountains no one can stop me;

My skill at bridging rivers causes demons distress.

In forests I use my power to seize tigers and leopards;

I capture wild beasts bare-handed before sheer cliffs.

For the sake of the East’s true achievement I have come to the Western Regions;

What evil monster will dare to show itself?

I hate the wicked beasts who have murdered my master;

Their lives will all be ended at this moment.”


Output:
Their lives will all be ended at this moment.”

These remarks both shocked and infuriated the ogre, who ground his teeth, sprang forward and struck at Brother Monkey with his iron mace. Monkey blocked it effortlessly with his cudgel and would have said some more to him when Pig, unable to restrain himself any longer, started swinging wildly at the demon king’s commander of the vanguard. The commander of the vanguard led his whole force into action, and a hectic and splendid battle was fought on that piece of level ground on the mountainside:

The monk from the great and superior country in the East

Was going to fetch true scriptures from the Western Paradise.

The great leopard of the Southern mountains breathed out wind and clouds

To block their way through the mountains and show off his prowess.

With tricks

And deception

He had foolishly captured the priest from Great Tang.

Then he met Monkey with his tremendous powers

As well as the famous Zhu Bajie.


Output:
As well as the famous Zhu Bajie.

While the demons fought on level ground in the mountains

Dust clouds arose and darkened the sky.

Above the fray rose the junior devils’ roars

As they thrust out wildly with spear and with sword.

On the other side the monks shouted back,

Fighting with rake and with cudgel together.

The Great Sage was a matchless hero,

And Pig in his perfection reveled in his strength.

The ancient ogre of the South,

And his vanguard commander

For the sake of a piece of the Tang Priest’s flesh

Were prepared to throw their own lives away.

These two hated them for killing their master:

The other two were set on murder because of the Tang Priest.

The struggle long swayed to and fro,

The clashes and charges yielding no victor.


Output: When Monkey realized that the junior devils were fighting so hard that repeated attacks were failing to drive them back he used body-dividing magic, plucked out a bunch of hairs, chewed them up in his mouth, spat the pieces out, called “Change!” and turned them all into his own doubles, each wielding a gold-banded cudgel and fighting his way into the cave from the outside. The one or two hundred junior devils, unable to cope with their attacks from all sides, all fled for their lives back into the cave. Monkey and Pig then fought their way back out through the enemy ranks from the inside. The evil spirits who had no sense tried to stand up to the rake and found themselves bleeding from nine wounds, or resisted the cudgel and had their flesh and bones beaten to paste. The Great King of the Southern Mountains was so alarmed that he fled for his life on his clouds and wind. The commander of the vanguard, who did not know how to do transformations, had already fallen to Monkey’s club and been revealed as what he


Output: to Monkey’s club and been revealed as what he really was: an iron-backed gray wolf ogre.


Output:
Pig went up to him, turned him over by his leg, and said, “Goodness only knows how many piglets and lambs this so-and-so has eaten.”

Monkey meanwhile shook himself, put the hair back on his body and said, “No time to lose, idiot. After the demon king! Make him pay for the master’s life.” Pig turned back, but all the little Monkeys had disappeared.

“Your magic bodies have all gone, brother,” he exclaimed.

“I’ve taken them back,” Monkey replied.

“Splendid,” said Pig, “splendid.” The two of them went back in triumph, feeling very pleased.

When the senior demon escaped back to the cave he told his underlings to move rocks and earth to barricade the front gates. The surviving junior demons were all trembling with terror as they barricaded the entrance: they would not have dared to stick their heads out again now. Monkey led Pig to the gates and shouted without getting any response. Pig’s rake made no impression when he struck them with it.


Output:
Realizing what had happened, Monkey said, “Don’t waste your effort, Pig. They’ve barricaded the gates.”

“Then how are we going to avenge the master?” Pig asked.

“Let’s go back to his grave and see Friar Sand,” Brother Monkey replied.

When they got back there they found Friar Sand still weeping, at which Pig became more miserable than ever, throwing down his rake, prostrating himself on the tomb mound and beating the ground with his hand as he howled, “Poor, poor Master. Master from so far away! I’ll never see you again!”

“Don’t distress yourself so, brother,” said Monkey. “The evil spirit may have barricaded his front gates, but he’s bound to have a back entrance to go in and out through. You two wait here while I go and look for it.

“Do be careful, brother,” said Pig through his tears. “Don’t get caught yourself too. We could never cope if we had to wail for the master then for you by turns. We’d make an awful mess of it.”

“No problem,” said Monkey. “I’ve got my ways of doing things.”


Output: Putting his cudgel away the splendid Great Sage tightened his kilt, stepped out and went back over the mountain. On his way he heard the sound of flowing water. When he turned round to look he saw that there was a brook flowing down from above him, and beside the gill was a gate, to the left of which was a drainpipe from which red water was coming out.


Output: “Goes without saying,” he thought. “That must be the back entrance. If I go as myself the junior demons may well recognize me when I open the door and see them. I’d better turn into a water snake to go in. No, hold on. If the master’s spirit knows that I’ve turned into a water snake he’ll be angry with me as a monk for turning into something so long drawn-out. I’d better turn into a little crab. No, that’s no good either. The master would be cross with me for having too many legs for a monk.” So he turned into a water rat who slipped into the water with a soughing sound and went straight to the inner courtyard along the drainpipe. Here he thrust his head out for a look around and saw some junior devils setting out gobbets of human flesh to dry in a sunny spot.


Output:
“Heavens!” said Monkey. “That must be what they can’t finish from the master’s flesh. No doubt they’re drying it to save for a rainy day. If I turned back into myself now, went up to them and wiped them out with one swing of my cudgel I’d be making myself look brave but stupid. I’ll do another change, go in to look for the senior devil, and find out what’s what.” With that he jumped out of the drain, shook himself, and turned himself into a winged ant. Indeed:

Weak and tiny and known as black colts,

They hide away for many a day till they have wings and can fly.

Casually crossing beside the bridge they draw up their ranks;

They enjoy battles of high strategy under the bed.

Because they know when rain is coming they block their holes

And build their mounds of dust that turn to ashes.

Light they are, and delicate and quick,

Rarely observed as they pass the wicker gate.


Output:
Rarely observed as they pass the wicker gate.

He spread his wings and flew straight into the inner hall, unseen and unheard. Here the senior demon could be seen sitting very angrily in the seat of honour, while a junior devil ran up from behind to report, “Many congratulations, Your Majesty.”

“What on?” the senior demon asked.

“I was on lookout by the gill outside the back door just now,” the junior devil replied, “when suddenly I heard some loud wails. I rushed up to the top of the mountain to take a look and saw Zhu Bajie, Sun the Novice and Friar Sand all bowing to a grave and weeping bitterly. I think they must have taken that head for the Tang Priest’s and buried it, piled up a grave mound and mourned for it.”

When Monkey overheard this he said to himself with delight, “From what he’s said they’ve still got the master here and haven’t eaten him yet. I’ll take a look around and find out if he’s still alive, then have a word with him.”


Output:
The splendid Great Sage then flew into the main hall and looked all around until he saw a very tiny doorway on one side of it. It was very firmly shut, and when he squeezed through the narrow gap between the doors he found himself in a big garden in which he could vaguely make out the sound of sobbing. Flying further inside he saw a clump of tall trees at the foot of which were tied two men. One of these was the Tang Priest. As soon as Monkey saw him he felt an itch in his heart that he could not scratch.

He could not help turning back into himself, going up to Sanzang and calling, “Master.”

When the Tang Priest saw who it was he started crying and saying, “Is that you, Wukong? Save me as quickly as you can, Wukong.”


Output: “Don’t keep saying my name, Master,” Monkey replied. “There are people at the front and the secret may get out. As you’re still alive I can rescue you. The ogres said they’d already eaten you and tricked me with an imitation human head. Now we’re in a bitter struggle with them. There’s no need to worry, Master. Just stick it out for a little longer till I’ve beaten the evil spirit, then I’ll be able to rescue you.”


Output:
The Great Sage said the words of a spell, shook himself, turned into an ant again and flew back into the hall, where he landed on the main beam. From here he saw the surviving junior devils jostling and shouting. One of them sprang out from the crowd and said, “Your Majesty, now they know we’ve blocked the main gate and they won’t be able to fight their way in they’ve given up hope. They’ve even made a tomb for the wrong head. They spent today mourning for him, and they’ll do the same again tomorrow and the day after. I’m sure they’ll go away after that. Once we find out that they’ve split up we can bring the Tang Priest out, chop him up into little bits, and fry him with aniseed. Then everyone will be able to eat a piece when he’s steaming hot, and we’ll all live forever.”

At this another junior devil clapped his hands together and said, “No, no, he’d taste much better steamed.”

“Boiling him would save some firewood,” another put in.


Output:
“He’s such a rare and wonderful thing,” said someone else, “that we ought to salt him down and take our time over eating him.”

When Monkey heard all this from up among the beams he thought with fury, “What harm did my master ever do you? Why are you making these plans to eat him?” He pulled out a handful of hairs, chewed them up into little pieces, blew them lightly out of his mouth and silently recited the words of the spell that turned all the pieces into sleep insects. These he threw into the faces of all the devils, and the insects crawled up their noses, gradually making the devils feel sleepy. Before long the junior devils were all lying stretched out fast asleep. The demon king was the only one left fitfully awake as he kept rubbing his face and head, sneezing and pinching his nose.


Output:
“Perhaps he knows about how to cope with sleep insects,” Monkey thought. “I’d better give him a double dose.” He pulled out a hair, made two more sleep insects as before, and threw them into the demon’s face to crawl up his nose, one up the left nostril and one up the right. The demon king jumped to his feet, stretched, yawned twice and fell fast asleep, breathing heavily.

Quietly delighted, Monkey then sprang down from the roof and turned back into himself. He produced his cudgel from his ear and waved it till it was the thickness of a duck egg, then with a loud bang broke down the side door, ran into the garden at the back and called out, “Master!”

“Untie me quick, disciple,” the venerable elder said. “Being roped up like this has been agony.”


Output:
“Be patient, Master,” said Monkey. “When I’ve killed the evil spirit I’ll come and untie you.” He then hurried back into the hall, lifted his cudgel and was about to strike when he stopped and thought, “No, this is wrong. I ought to release the master before I kill the evil spirit.” He went back into the garden, where he changed his mind again: “No, I’ll kill the monster first.” This happened two or three times till finally he came dancing back into the garden, where his master’s grief turned to joy at the sight of him.

“You monkey,” he said, “I suppose it’s because you’re beside yourself with pleasure at seeing me still alive that you’re dancing about like that.” Only then did Monkey go up to him, untie him, and help him walk away. The man tied to the other tree then called out, “Please save me too in your great mercy, my lord.”

The venerable elder stopped and said, “Untie him too, Wukong.”

“Who’s he?” Monkey asked.


Output:
“Who’s he?” Monkey asked.

“He was captured and brought here a day before me,” Sanzang replied. “He’s a woodcutter. He tells me his mother is very old and he is most worried about her. He is a very dutiful son. You must save him too.”

Doing as he was bid, Monkey untied the other man and took them both out through the back gate, up the scar and across the ravine. “Thank you for rescuing this man and me, worthy disciple,” said Sanzang. “Where are Wuneng and Wujing?”

“Mourning for you over there,” Monkey replied, “Give them a shout.”

Sanzang then shouted at the top of his voice, “Bajie! Bajie!” The idiot, who had been weeping so much that his head was spinning, wiped away the snot and tears to call, “Friar Sand, the master’s come back as a ghost. That him calling, isn’t it?”

“Idiot,” shouted Monkey, going up to him, “that’s no ghost. It’s the master himself.”


Output:
When Friar Sand looked up and saw who it was he fell to his knees in front of Sanzang and said “Master, you’ve suffered terribly. How did big brother rescue you?” Monkey then told them everything that had happened.

When Pig heard all this he gnashed his teeth, unable to restrain himself from knocking the tomb mound over with one blow of his rake, digging out the head and smashing it to pulp “Why are you hitting it?” the Tang Priest asked.

“Master,” said Pig, “goodness only knows what kind of wretch he was, but we all mourned for him.”

“It was thanks to him that I’m still alive,” Sanzang replied. “When you disciples attacked their gates and demanded me they took him out to fob you off with. Otherwise they would have killed me. I think we should bury him properly as a mark of our monastic respect.” When the idiot heard his master saying this he buried that bag of flesh and bone that had been beaten to a pulp and piled up a tomb mound over it.


Output:
“Master,” said Brother Monkey with a smile, “won’t you sit here for a while while I go to wipe them out?” With that he leapt down the cliff, crossed the ravine, went into the cave and took the ropes with which the Tang Priest and the woodcutter had been hound into the hall, where he used them to truss together the arms and legs of the demon king, who was still asleep. He then lifted the demon up with his cudgel onto his shoulder and took him out by the back door.

“You like making things difficult for yourself, brother,” said Pig when he saw him coming from a distance. “Why don’t you find another to balance him?”

Monkey then set the demon king down in front of Pig, who raised his rake and was just about to hit him when Monkey said, “Wait a moment. We haven’t captured the junior devils in the cave yet.”

“If there are any left,” Pig said, “take me in with you to smash them.”


Output:
“Smashing them would be too much trouble,” Monkey replied. “The best thing would be to find some firewood and wipe them out that way.”

When the woodcutter heard this he led Pig to a hollow to the East to find some broken ends of bamboo, pines that had lost their needles, hollow stumps of willows, creepers broken off from their roots, withered artemisia, old reeds, rushes and dead mulberry. They carried a lot of this into the back entrance, where Monkey set it alight and Pig fanned the flames with both ears. Then the Great Sage sprang up, shook himself and put the sleep-insect hairs back on his body. When the junior devils woke up they were all already on fire. Poor things! None of them had the faintest chance of surviving. When the whole cave was burnt right out the disciples went back to see the master.


Output:
When Sanzang saw that the senior demon had woken up and was shouting he called, “Disciples, the evil spirit has come round.” Pig went up and killed him with one blow of his rake, whereupon the ogre turned back into his real form as a leopard spirit with a coat patterned like mugwort flowers.

“Leopards with flower-patterned coats can eat tigers,” Monkey observed, “and this one could turn into a human too. Killing him has prevented a lot of serious trouble in future.” The venerable elder could not express his gratitude strongly enough, and he then mounted the saddle. “My home isn’t far from here to the Southwest, sirs,” said the woodcutter. “I invite you to come there to meet my mother and accept my kowtows of thanks for saving my life. Then I’ll see you gentlemen along your way.”

Sanzang was happy to accept, and instead of riding he walked there with his three disciples and the woodcutter. After they had followed a winding path to the Southwest for a short distance this is what they saw.


Output:
Lichen growing across a stone-flagged path,

Wisteria joining across the wicker gate,

Chains of mountains on every side, And a wood full of singing birds.

A dense thicket of pine and bamboo,

Rare and wonderful flowers in profusion.

The place is remote and deep amid the clouds,

A thatched cottage with a bamboo fence.

While they were still some distance away they could make out an old woman leaning on the wicker gate with tears streaming from her eyes, weeping and calling to heaven and earth for her son.

As soon as the woodcutter saw his mother he left the Tang Priest behind as he rushed straight to the gate, knelt down and said, “Mother, I’m back.”

Throwing her arms around him the woman said, “My boy, when you didn’t come home for days on end I thought the mountain lord must have caught you and killed you. I’ve suffered terrible heartache. If you weren’t killed why didn’t you come back before? Where are your carrying-pole, ropes and axe?”


Output: The woodcutter kowtowed as he replied, “Mother, the mountain lord did capture me and tie me to a tree. I was lucky to escape with my life, thanks to these gentlemen. They are arhats sent by the Tang court in the East to fetch the scriptures from the Western Heaven. This gentleman was captured by the mountain lord and tied to a tree as well. His three disciples have enormous magic powers. They killed the mountain lord with a single blow: he was a leopard with mugwort flower spots who had become a spirit. They burnt all the junior devils to death, untied the senior gentleman and then untied me too. I owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude: but for them your son would certainly be dead. Now that the mountain is completely safe I’ll be able to walk around at night without any danger.”


Output:
After hearing this the old woman came forward to greet Sanzang and his disciples, kowtowing at every step. Then she led them in through the wicker gate to sit down in the thatched cottage. Mother and son next performed endless kowtows as expressions of their gratitude before hastily and in a fluster preparing them some vegetarian food as a mark of their thanks.

“Brother,” said Pig to the woodcutter, “I know you’re hard up here. Just put something simple together for us. Don’t go to a lot of trouble and effort.”

“Quite frankly, sir,” the woodcutter replied, “we’re very poor here. We don’t have any gill fungus, button mushrooms, peppers or aniseed. All we can offer you gentlemen are some wild vegetables.”

“We’re putting you to a lot of trouble,” said Pig. “Be as quick as you can. We’re starving.”

“It’ll soon be ready,” the woodcutter replied, and before long a table and stools were set out and wiped clean, and several dishes of wild vegetables served:

Tender-scalded day lilies,


Output:
Tender-scalded day lilies,

White lumps of pickled scallion,

Knotweed and purslane,

Shepherds purse and “goosegut blossom.”

The “swallows stay away” was delicious and tender;

The tiny fists of beansprouts were crisp and green.

Indigo heads boiled soft,

White-stewed “dog footprints,”

“Cat’s ears,”

Wild turnips,

All with tender and tasty gray noodles.

“Scissor shafts,”

“Oxpool aid,”

Tipped in the pot with broom purslane.

Broken grain purslane,

And lettuce purslane,

All green, delicious and smooth.

“Birdflower” fried in oil,

Superb water-chestnuts,

Roots of reeds and wild-rice stems,

Four kinds of excellent water plants.

“Wheat-mother,”

Delicate and finely flavored;

“Raggedy patches”

You could never wear.

Under the bitter sesame bed runs a fence.

Sparrows wander around,

Macaques leave their footprints,

Eager to eat it all when fried and piping hot.

Sloping wormwood and green artemisia surround crown daisy chrysanthemums;

The moths fly around the buckwheat.

Bald “goat’s ear,”


Output:
Bald “goat’s ear,”

Wolfberry fruits,

That don’t need oil when combined with dark indigo.

A meal of every kind of wild vegetable

As a mark of the woodcutter’s reverent thanks.

When master and disciples had eaten their fill they packed up ready to start out again. Not daring to press them to stay, the woodcutter asked his mother to come out and bow to them in thanks again. He then kowtowed, fetched a club of jujube wood, fastened his clothes tight, and came out to see them on their way.

Friar Sand led the horse, Pig carried the shoulder-pole, and Monkey followed close behind them while the master put his hands together on the back of the horse and said, “Brother woodcutter, could you kindly lead us to the main track? We will take out leave of you there.” Together they then climbed high, went down slopes, skirted ravines and negotiated inclines. “Disciples,” said the venerable elder thoughtfully as he rode,

“Since leaving my monarch to come to the West


Output:
“Since leaving my monarch to come to the West

I have made a long journey across a great distance.

At each river and mountain I have met with disaster,

Barely escaping from monsters and fiends.

My heart has been set on the Three Stores of scriptures,

And my every thought is of Heaven above.

When will my toil and my labor be ended?

When will I go home, my journey completed?”

When the woodcutter heard Sanzang saying this he said, “Don’t be so downhearted, sir. It’s only some three hundred miles West along this road to India, the land of paradise.”


Output:
As soon as Sanzang heard this he dismounted and replied, “Thank you for bringing us so far. Now that we are on the main track, please go home now, brother woodcutter, and give our respects to your venerable mother. We poor monks have no way to reward you for the sumptuous meal you gave us just now except by reciting surras morning and evening to protect you and your mother and enable both of you to live to be a hundred.” The woodcutter took his leave of them and went back by the way he had came. Master and disciples then headed West together.

Indeed:

The ogre subdued and wrongs set to right, he escaped from his peril;

Having been shown this kindness he set out on his way with the greatest of care.

If you don’t know how long it was till they reached the Western Heaven, listen to the explanation in the next installment.

Chapter Eighty-Seven

When Heaven Is Offended in Fengxian It Stops the Rain

The Great Sage Urges Goodness and Brings a Downpour

Deep and mysterious is the Great Way;


Output:
Deep and mysterious is the Great Way;

What news is there of it?

When revealed it will alarm ghosts and divine beings.

It controls the universe,

Divides darkness and light;

In the world of true happiness there is no competition.

Before the Vulture Peak

Pearls and jewels emerge,

Shining with every color.

It illuminates all beings that live between heaven and earth;

Those who understand it live as long as mountains and seas.

The story tells how Sanzang and his three disciples took their leave of the woodcutter on the Hidden Clouds Mountain and hurried along the main road. After they had been going for several days they suddenly saw a walled and moated city not far before them.

“Wukong,” said Sanzang, “is that city ahead of us India, do you think?”


Output:
“No, no,” said Monkey shaking his head. “Although the Tathagata lives in a paradise there are no cities there. It’s a great mountain, Vulture Peak, on which are the high buildings and halls of Thunder Monastery. Even if we’ve now reached the land of India this isn’t where the Buddha lives. I don’t know how far India is from Vulture Peak. Presumably this city is one of the frontier prefectures of India. We’ll know when we get there.”

Soon they were outside the city, where Sanzang dismounted to go in through the triple gates. Here they found the people destitute and the streets deserted. When they reached the market there were many black-clad government servants lined up on either side of a number of officials wearing their hats and sashes of office and standing under the eaves of a building. As the four travelers came along the road these men did not give way at all, so Pig in his rough way raised his snout and shouted, “Out of the way! Out of the way!”


Output:
When the men looked up with a start and saw what he looked like their bones went soft, their sinews turned numb and they fell over, shouting, “Evil spirits! Evil spirits!”

This gave the officials standing under the eaves such a fright that they were shivering as they bowed and asked, “Where are you from?”

Sanzang, who was worried that his disciples would cause trouble, pushed himself forward and said to the men, “I am a monk sent by His Majesty the Great Tang emperor to worship the Lord Buddha and fetch the scriptures in the Great Thunder Monastery in the land of India. Our journey brings us to this distinguished place, but as we do not know its name and have not yet found a place to stay we hope that you gentlemen will forgive us if we have caused any offence to your customs on entering your city.”


Output:
Only then did the officials return his courtesy and say, “This is the prefecture of Fengxian, one of the frontier prefectures of India. Because we have been suffering from drought for years on end the marquis has sent us to put up a notice here calling for masters of the Dharma to pray for rain and save the people.”

“Where’s the notice?” asked Monkey when he heard this.

“Here,” the officials said. “The arcade has only just been swept clean: we haven’t posted it yet.”


Output: “Bring it here and show me,” said Brother Monkey. The officials then opened the notice out and hung it up under the eaves. Monkey and the others went up to read it, and this was what was written on it: Shangguan, Marquis of Fengxian Prefecture in Great India, issues this notice to invite enlightened teachers and great masters of the Dharma. This country with its prosperous soldiers and people has been afflicted with drought for years. Military and civil land alike has been devastated; the rivers have dried up and the ditches are empty. There is no water in the wells, and the springs have stopped flowing. While the rich are barely managing to stay alive, the poor cannot survive. A bushel of wheat costs a hundred pieces of silver; a bundle of firewood costs five ounces. Girls of ten are being sold for three pints of rice; boys of five are being given to whoever will take them. Because the city dwellers fear the law they pawn their clothes to buy the necessities for survival; but in the countryside thugs rob


Output: for survival; but in the countryside thugs rob and eat people in order to live. I have therefore issued this notice in the hope that wise and worthy men from all around will pray for rain to save the people. The will be richly rewarded for their kindness with a thousand pieces of silver. This is no empty promise. Let those who would take it up come to this notice.


Output:
When he had read it Monkey asked the officials, “What’s Shangguan?”

“Shangguan is our marquis’ surname,” they replied.

“It’s a very rare surname,” said Monkey with a laugh.

“You’ve never been to school, brother,” said Pig. “There’s a bit at the end of the book The Hundred Surnames that goes ‘Ouyang and Shangguan.’”

“Stop this idle chatter, disciples,” said Sanzang. “If any of you know how to pray for rain, bring them a fall of timely rain and save the people from this affliction: that would be a very good thing indeed to do. If you cannot, we must be on our way and waste no more time.”

“What’s so difficult about praying for rain?” Monkey asked. “I can turn rivers upside down, stir up the sea, move the stars and constellations about, kick the sky, churn up water in wells, breathe out mist and clouds, carry mountains, drive the moon along and summon wind and rain. They’re all child’s play. Nothing to them!”


Output:
When the officials heard this they sent two of their number straight to the prefectural offices to report, “Your Excellency, something very splendid indeed has happened.”

The marquis, who was burning incense and praying silently at the time, asked what it was when he heard that something splendid had happened. “We were taking the notice to post at the entrance to the market,” the officials replied, “when four monks came along who said that they have been sent by the Great Tang in the East to the Great Thunder Monastery in India to worship the Buddha and fetch the scriptures. As soon as they read the notice they said they could bring timely rain, which is why we have come here to report.”

Refusing to take a sedan-chair, horse or large retinue, the marquis went on foot in his robes of office straight to the entrance to the market in order to invite the strangers with the utmost courtesy to pray for rain.

“His Excellency the marquis is here,” it was suddenly announced, and everybody moved out of the way.


Output:
As soon as he saw the Tang Priest the marquis, who showed no fear of his hideous disciples, prostrated himself in the middle of the street and said, “I am Marquis Shangguan of Fengxian Prefecture, and I have bathed and perfumed myself in order to beg you teachers to pray for the rain that will save the people. I implore you in your great mercy to give play to your divine powers and bring us deliverance.”

Returning his courtesies, Sanzang said, “This is no place to talk. We will be able to act when we have gone to a monastery.”

“Please come with me to my humble palace,” the marquis replied. “We have a pure place there.”


Output:
Master and disciples then led the horse and carried the luggage straight to the palace, where they all exchanged greetings and the marquis ordered tea and a vegetarian meal. When the food arrived a little later Pig ate for all he was worth like a hungry tiger, terrifying the waiters, who trembled as they kept coming and going with more and more soup and rice. They looked like the figures on one of those revolving lanterns, and they could just keep him supplied until he had eaten his fill. Only then did he stop.

When the meal was over the Tang Priest expressed his thanks then asked, “How long has the drought lasted here, Your Excellency?” To this the marquis replied,

“This is a part of the great land of India,

Fengxian Prefecture of which I am governor.

For three years on end we have suffered from drought:

Grass does not grow, and the grain has all died.

Business is hard for rich and for poor;

Nearly all of the families are weeping with grief.

Two thirds of the people have now died of starvation;


Output:
The rest barely survive, like a candle flame in the wind.

I have issued a notice for worthies

And am lucky you monks have come to our land.

If you bring the people a whole inch of rain

A thousand in silver will be your reward.”

When Monkey heard this his face showed his pleasure as he chuckled, “Don’t say that, don’t say that. If you promise us a reward of a thousand pieces of silver you won’t get a single drop of rain. But if you put it in terms of accumulating merit I’ll provide you with plenty of rain.”

The marquis, a thoroughly upright and good man who cared deeply for his people, invited Monkey to take the seat of honour, then bowed to him and said, “Teacher, if you really can show us this great compassion this humble official will do nothing to offend against morality.”

“Please get up,” said Monkey, “only look after my master well while I do the job.”

“How are you going to do it, brother?” asked Friar Sand. “


Output:
“You and Pig are to must come here and be my assistants outside while I summon a dragon to make rain,” Monkey replied. Pig and Friar Sand did as he bade them, and while the three of them went outside the marquis burned incense and prayed. Sanzang sat there reciting sutras.

While Monkey recited the spell and said the magic words a dark cloud appeared to the East and slowly moved till it was in front of the hall: it was Ao Guang, the ancient dragon of the Eastern Sea. Ao Guang then put away his cloud feet and turned himself into human form to go up to Monkey, bow low to him with full courtesy and ask, “What have you sent for this humble dragon to do, Great Sage?”

“Please rise,” Monkey replied. “The only reason why I have troubled you to make this long journey is because there has been a drought in this prefecture of Fengxian for years on end. I’d like to ask you if you couldn’t send some rain.”


Output:
“I must inform you, Great Sage,” the dragon replied, “that although I can make rain I can only act on the orders of Heaven. I would never dare come here to make rain on my own authority without Heaven’s instructions.”

“As our journey brought us this way I asked you specially to come here to make rain and save the people,” said Monkey, “so why are you trying to get out of it?”

“I’d never dare,” the dragon king replied. “I came because you summoned me with the magic words, Great Sage, and I’d never dare try to get out of it. In the first place I haven’t had an edict from Heaven, and secondly I haven’t brought the magic rain-making generals with me. How could I, Great Sage? If you wish to be a savior, you must let me go back to the sea to muster my forces while you go to the heavenly palace to obtain an imperial edict for a fall of rain and ask the officials in charge of water to release us dragons, so that I can make rain in the quantities ordered.”


Output:
Accepting the force of his argument, Brother Monkey had to let the old dragon go back to the sea. He then told the Tang Priest what the dragon king had said.

“In that case you had better go and do that,” the Tang Priest said. “But don’t be telling lies.”

Monkey then told Pig and Friar Sand to look after the master while he went up to the heavenly palace. No sooner had the splendid Great Sage said he was going than he was out of sight.

“Where has Lord Sun gone?” the marquis asked, trembling with shock.

“He’s gone up to Heaven on a cloud,” replied Pig with a grin. With great reverence the marquis then issued an urgent order that all the people in the big and little streets of the city, whether nobility, high officials, gentry, commoners, soldiers or civilians, were to worship dragon-king tablets and set out water urns with sprigs of willow in them in front of their gates. They were also to burn incense and pray to Heaven.


Output:
Once on his somersault cloud Monkey went straight to the Western Gate of Heaven, where the Heavenly King Lokapala soon appeared at the head of his heavenly soldiers and warriors to greet him and say, “Great Sage, have you fetched the scriptures yet?”

“Quite soon now,” Monkey replied. “We’ve reached a frontier prefecture called Fengxian on the borders of India now. It hasn’t rained for three whole years there, and the people are suffering terribly. I want to pray for rain to save them. I sent for the dragon king, but he told me that he couldn’t do it on his own authority without a heavenly order, which is why I’ve come to see the Jade Emperor to request an edict.”


Output:
“I don’t think it’s supposed to rain there,” the heavenly king said. “I heard just now that the marquis of Fengxian had behaved disgracefully and offended both Heaven and Earth. His Majesty took it badly and immediately had a rice mountain, a flour mountain and a huge gold lock set up. It won’t rain till all three have been knocked over or snapped.” Not understanding what all this was about, Monkey demanded to see the Jade Emperor, and, not daring to stop him, the heavenly king let him in.

Going straight to the Hall of Universal Brightness, Brother Monkey was met by the four heavenly teachers, who asked, “What are you here for, Great Sage?”


Output:
“On my journey escorting the Tang Priest I’ve reached Fengxian Prefecture on the frontiers of India, where there is a drought,” Monkey replied. “The marquis there has been asking for magicians to pray for rain. I sent for the dragon king to order him to make rain, but he said that he could not do so on his own authority without an edict from the Jade Emperor. I have now come to request an edict in order to relieve the people’s suffering.”

“But it’s not supposed to rain there,” said the four heavenly teachers.

“As to whether it’s supposed to rain or not,” said Monkey with a smile, “could I trouble you to take me in to submit a memorial so that I can find out whether I can still get a favour done?”

To this the heavenly teacher Ge Xianweng replied, “As the saying goes, ‘a fly that needs a net for a veil—what a nerve!’”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” said Xu of Jingyang. “Just take him in.”


Output:
Qiu Hongji, Zhang Daoling, Ge and Xu took Monkey to the outside of the Hall of Miraculous Mist, where they reported, “Your Majesty, Sun Wukong has reached Fengxian Prefecture in India and wants to obtain rain. He has come to ask for an edict.”

“Three years ago,” the Jade Emperor replied, “on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, when we were inspecting the myriad heavens and travelling through the three worlds, we arrived at his city. We saw that Shangguan was most wicked; he knocked over the vegetarian offerings to heaven to feed to dogs, spoke foully, and was guilty of lese-majeste. That is why we set up those three things in the Hall of Fragrance. Take Sun Wukong to see them. When those three things have been accomplished we will issue our edict; but if they are not, then do not meddle in what does not concern you.”


Output:
When the four heavenly teachers led Brother Monkey to the Hall of Fragrance he saw a mountain of rice about a hundred feet high and a mountain of flour about two hundred feet high. Beside the rice mountain was a chicken the size of a fist eating the rice, sometimes with quick pecks, sometimes with slow ones. Beside the flour mountain was a golden-haired Pekinese licking the flour, sometimes with long licks and sometimes with short ones. To the left of it a golden padlock about one foot three or four inches long hung from an iron frame. The crossbar of the lock was about the thickness of a finger, and under it was a lamp, the flame of which was heating the bar.

Not understanding what all this was about, Monkey turned back to ask the heavenly teachers, “What does it mean?”


Output:
“When that wretch offended Heaven the Jade Emperor had these three things set up,” the heavenly teachers replied. “That place will only be due for rain when the chicken has eaten all the rice, the dog has licked up all the flour, and the lamp has melted the bar of the lock.”

When Monkey heard this he went pale with shock, and he dared make no more memorials to the throne. He left the palace hall overcome with embarrassment. “Don’t take it so badly, Great Sage,” said the four heavenly teachers with smiles. “This is something that can be resolved through goodness. Once a single kind thought moves Heaven the rice and flour mountains will collapse and the bar of the padlock will be broken. If you can persuade the marquis to return to goodness then blessings will come of themselves.”


Output:
Monkey accepted their advice, and instead of going back to the Hall of Miraculous Mist to take his leave of the Jade Emperor he headed straight down to the lower world and its ordinary mortals. Within an instant he was at the Western Gate of Heaven, where he saw Heavenly King Lokapala again, who asked, “Did you get the decree you wanted?” Monkey told him about the rice and flour mountains and the metal lock.

“What you said to me was quire right,” he continued. “The Jade Emperor refuses to issue a decree. Just now the heavenly teachers told me as they saw me off that the secret of blessings lay in persuading that so-and-so to return to goodness.” With that Monkey took his leave and went down to the lower world on his cloud.


Output:
When the marquis, Sanzang, Pig, Friar Sand and the officials high and low all welcomed him back they crowded round him asking questions. Monkey then shouted at the marquis, “It’s all because on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month three years ago you offended Heaven and Earth that the people are suffering, you wretch. That’s why rain won’t be sent now.”

At this the marquis was so alarmed that he fell to his knees, prostrated himself on the ground and asked, “How do you know about what happened three years ago, teacher?”

“Why did you knock the vegetarian offerings to Heaven over to feed to dogs?” said Monkey, “You’d better tell me the truth.”


Output: Not daring to conceal anything, the marquis said, “On the twenty-fifth of the twelfth month three years ago I was making offerings to Heaven within the palace. As my wife was wicked we quarreled and said bad things to each other. In an unthinking outburst of fury I knocked over the table with the offerings and scattered the vegetarian food. It’s true that I called the dogs to eat it up. I never realized that Heaven would take offence at this and harm the common people. For the last couple of years it has been preying on my mind. My thoughts have been disturbed, and I haven’t been able to understand why. I never realized that it was because Heaven had taken offence that it was inflicting this disaster on the common people. Now that you have come down to visit us, teacher, I beg you to enlighten me on what the upper world intends to do.”


Output:
“That happened to be a day on which the Jade Emperor was visiting the lower world,” Monkey replied. “When he saw you feed the vegetarian food to the dogs and heard your foul language the Jade Emperor set three things up to remember you by.”

“What three things, brother?” Pig asked.

“In the Hall of Fragrance he had set up a rice mountain about a hundred feet high and a flour mountain about two hundred feet high. Beside the rice mountain is a chicken the size of a fist who’s eating it with quick pecks and slow pecks. Beside the flour mountain is a golden-haired Pekinese licking the flour up with long licks and short licks. And to the left is an iron frame from which hangs a golden padlock with a crossbar the thickness of a finger under which a lamp is burning and warming the bar. You will only be due for rain here when-the chicken’s eaten all the rice, the dog’s licked up all the flour and the lamp has melted the bar of the lock.”


Output:
“No problem,” said Pig, “no problem. If you take me with you, brother, I can do a transformation, eat all the rice and flour up in one sitting and snap the bar of the lock. I can guarantee rain.”

“Don’t talk nonsense, you idiot,” said Monkey. “This is a plan that’s been made by Heaven. You’ll never be able to get there.”

“From what you say I don’t know what to do,” said Sanzang.

“It’s easy,” said Monkey, “easy. As I was leaving the four heavenly teachers said to me that this could only be solved through goodness.”

The marquis then prostrated himself on the ground again and said imploringly, “I will do just as you tell me, teacher.”

“If your heart can turn back to goodness,” Monkey replied, “I hope that you’ll at once start invoking the Buddha and reciting scriptures. Then I’ll be able to help you. If you persist in refusing to reform there’ll be nothing I can do to get you off. It won’t be long before Heaven executes you, and your life will be beyond saving.”


Output:
The marquis kowtowed in worship, swearing to return to the faith. At once he summoned all the Buddhist and Taoist clergy in the city and ordered that a site be prepared for religious ceremonies. They were all to write out documents and memorials for three days. The marquis led his followers in burning incense and worshipping, thanking Heaven and Earth and repenting of his sins. Sanzang recited surras on his behalf. At the same time urgent notices were sent out ordering all the men and women, young and old, in all the households inside and outside the city to burn incense sticks and invoke the Buddha. From that moment on all ears were filled with virtuous sounds. Only then did Brother Monkey feel happy.

“You two look after the master,” he said to Pig and Friar Sand, “while I go off for him again.”

“Where are you going this time, brother?” Pig asked.


Output:
“The marquis really believed what I told him and is being reverent, good and kind,” Monkey replied, “and he’s sincerely invoking the Buddha’s name. So I’m going back to submit another request for rain to the Jade Emperor.”

“If you’re going, don’t lose any time, brother,” said Friar Sand. “This is holding us up on our journey. But do get a fall of rain: it’ll be another true achievement for us.”

The splendid Great Sage set his cloud off once more and went straight to the gate of Heaven, where he met Heavenly King Lokapala again.

“What have you come for now?” Lokapala asked.

“The marquis has mended his ways,” Monkey replied, which pleased the Heavenly King. As they were talking the Straight Spell Messenger arrived at the gate of Heaven to deliver letters and documents written by Taoist and Buddhist clergy.

When he saw Monkey the messenger bowed and said, “This is all the result of your successful conversion, Great Sage.”

“Where are you taking those letters?” Monkey asked.


Output:
“Straight to the Hall of Universal Brightness,” the messenger replied, “to give to the heavenly teachers to pass on to the Great Heavenly Honoured One, the Jade Emperor.”

“In that case you’d better go first and I’ll follow,” Monkey said. The messenger then went in through the heavenly gate. “Great Sage,” said Heavenly King Lokapala, “there’s no need for you to go to see the Jade Emperor. You should go to borrow some thunder gods from the Office of Response to the Primary in the Ninth Heaven, then set off thunder and lightning. After that there’ll certainly be rain.”

Monkey accepted this suggestion and went in through the gate of Heaven. Instead of going to the Hall of Miraculous Mist to ask for an edict he at once turned his cloud-treading steps towards the Office of Response to the Primary in the Ninth Heaven, where the Envoy of the Thunder Gate, the Corrector of Records and the Inspector of Probity appeared to bow and say, “Why are you here, Great Sage?”


Output:
“There’s something I’d like to see the Heavenly Honoured One about,” Monkey replied, and the three envoys passed this on in a memorial to the Heavenly Honoured One, who then came down from behind his screen of red clouds and nine phoenixes in full court dress.

When they had exchanged greetings Monkey said, “There is something I would like to request of you.”

“What might that be?” the Heavenly Honoured One asked.

“While escorting the Tang Monk I have reached the prefecture of Fengxian,” said Brother Monkey, “and as they have long been suffering from drought there I promised to make it rain for them. The reason I have come here is to ask for the loan of some of your subordinate officials and generals in order to ask for rain.”

“I am aware that three things have been set up because the marquis there offended Heaven,” the Heavenly Honoured One replied, “but I have not yet heard that rain is due to fall there.”


Output:
“When I went to ask the Jade Emperor for an edict yesterday,” Monkey replied with a smile, “he told the heavenly teachers to take me to see the three things in the Hall of Fragrance: the mountain of rice, the mountain of flour and the golden lock. Rain isn’t due to fall till these three things have been knocked down or broken. When I was feeling very upset because it was so difficult the heavenly teachers advised me to persuade the marquis and his people to do good deeds because Heaven is bound to help anyone who has a good thought. So there’s a good chance of persuading Heaven to change its mind and delivering them from this disaster. Now good thoughts are happening everywhere, and all ears are filled with good sounds. Not long ago the Straight Spell Messenger took letters showing that they had mended their ways and turned towards goodness to the Jade Emperor, which is why I’ve come to your illustrious palace to ask for the help of your

thunder officials and thunder generals.”


Output:
thunder officials and thunder generals.”

“In that case,” the Heavenly Honoured One replied, “I’ll send Deng, Xin, Zhang and Tao to take Mother Lightning and go with you to Fengxian Prefecture to make thunder, Great Sage.”

Before long the four generals and the Great Sage had reached the boundaries of Fengxian and started performing their magic in mid air. A great ramble of thunder could be heard, and there were sizzling flashes of lightning. Indeed:

The lightning was like snakes of purple gold;

The thunder was like the noise of sleeping insects awakened.

Flashes of light like flying fire,

Thunderclaps like landslides in the mountains.

The jagged lines lit up the whole of the sky;

The great noise caused the earth itself to move.

When the red silk flashed like sprouts of plants

Rivers and mountains shook for three thousand miles.


Output:
Inside and outside the city of Fengxian nobody, whether an official high or how, a soldier or a civilian had heard thunder or seen lightning for three whole years; and now that the thunder was booming and the lightning flashing they all fell to their knees, put incense burners on their heads, held sprigs of willow in their hands and said, “We submit to Amitabha Buddha. We submit to Amitabha Buddha.” These good thoughts had indeed moved Heaven, as is proved by an old-style poem:

When thoughts have been born in human minds

Heaven and earth will both be aware.

If evil and good do not get their due

Sides have been taken by powers up there.


Output:
Sides have been taken by powers up there.

We will for the moment leave the Great Sage Monkey directing the thunder generals as they unleashed thunder and lightning over Fengxian Prefecture, where everyone had turned back to goodness, and tell how the Straight Spell Messenger took the Taoist and Buddhist documents straight to the Hall of Universal Brightness, where the four heavenly teachers submitted them to the Jade Emperor in the Hall of Miraculous

Mist.

When the Jade Emperor had seen them he said, “As that wretch has had some virtuous thoughts, see what has happened to the three things.” Just as he was speaking the official in charge of the Hall of Fragrance came in to report, “The rice and flour mountains have collapsed: the rice and flour all disappeared in an instant. The bar of the lock has also been broken.”


Output:
Before he could finish submitting this memorial the heavenly official in attendance led in the local deity, the city god and the gods of the altars from Fengxian, who all bowed and reported, “The lord of our prefecture and every member of every household, high and low, of the people have been converted to the true achievement and are worshipping the Buddha and Heaven. We now beg you in your compassion to send a widespread fall of timely rain to deliver the common people.”

When the Jade Emperor heard this he was very pleased, so he issued an edict: “Let the departments of wind, cloud and rain go to the lower world in accordance with orders. At this hour on this day the clouds are to be spread, the thunder shall roar, and three feet and forty-two drops of rain shall fall.” At once the four heavenly teachers transmitted the edict to the weather departments, who were all to go to the lower world, show their powers and act together.


Output:
Monkey was enjoying himself up in the sky with Deng, Xin, Zhang and Tao, who were ordering Mother Lightning about, when the arrival of all other gods filled the sky with their assembly. As the wind and the clouds met, the timely rain began to pour down.

Thick, heavy clouds,

Lowering black mists,

The rumbling of the thunder cart,

The searing flash of lightning,

A roaring gale,

A torrential downpour.

Indeed, when one thought goes up to Heaven

Ten thousand hopes are all fulfilled.

Because the Great Sage has used his powers

The landscape is darkened for thousands of miles.

The wonderful rain falls like rivers and seas,

Hiding the country and heavens from sight.

Water comes pouring down the eaves,

Noisily pounding outside the windows.

While every household invokes the Buddha

All of the streets and markets are flooded.

To East and West every channel is filled;

Winding streams meander to North and to South.

Dried-up shoots receive moisture,

Withered trees revive.


Output:
Withered trees revive.

The hemp and wheat now flourish in the fields;

Beans and other grains grow in the countryside.

Traders happily travel to sell their wares;

Cheerful peasants get ready to work.

After this the millet will do well,

And the crops are bound to yield a bumper harvest.

When wind and rain are timely the people know content;

When rivers and seas are calm the world is at peace.

That day three feet and forty-two drops of rain fell, after which all the gods began to tidy up and go away. “Gods of the four departments,” yelled the Great Sage at the top of his voice, “stay there for a moment with your cloud followers while I tell the marquis to bow to you all and express his thanks. You may part the clouds and appear in your true forms to let this mortal see you with his own eyes. That’s the only way he’ll believe and make offerings.” When the gods heard this they all stayed where they were up in the clouds.


Output:
Monkey then brought his cloud down to land and went straight into the prefectural palace, where Sanzang, Pig and Friar Sand all greeted him. The marquis kowtowed to him in thanks at every pace he took.

“Stop thanking me,” said Monkey. “I’ve asked the gods of the four departments to stay. Could you tell everyone to come here to kowtow and thank them so that they’ll make it rain properly in future?” The marquis issued urgent orders summoning everyone to give thanks, and they all kowtowed with incense-sticks in their hands. The gods of the four departments—rain, thunder, cloud and wind—then parted the clouds and revealed themselves in their true form.

The dragon king appeared,

The thunder generals were revealed,

The clouds boys were seen,

The lords of the wind came down.

The dragon king appeared:

With silver whiskers and an azure face he was really peerless.

The thunder generals were revealed

With their countenances of matchless might and crooked mouths.

The cloud boys were seen


Output:
The cloud boys were seen

Wearing gold crowns over faces like jade.

The lords of the wind came down

With flustered brows and bulging eyes.

All were displayed on the azure clouds

Drawn up in ranks with their holy countenances.

Only then were the people of Fengxian convinced

As they kowtowed, burned incense and rejected evil.

Today they gazed up at the heavenly generals,

Washing their hearts as they all turned to goodness.

The gods stood there for two hours as the people kowtowed to them endlessly. Monkey rose up into the clouds again to bow to all the gods and say, “I’ve put you to great trouble. All you gentlemen may now return. I’ll make everyone in this prefecture give pure and lofty offerings to thank you at the due season. From now on you gentlemen must send wind every five days and rain every ten days to help them out.” The gods all consented as he told them and returned to their own departments.


Output:
Bringing his cloud down to land, Monkey said to Sanzang, “Now that the job’s been done and the people given peace we can pack our things and be on our way again.”

When the marquis heard this he hastened to bow and say, “How can you say such a thing, Lord Sun? What has happened today has been an infinitely great act of kindness. I have sent people to prepare a humble banquet to thank you for your great kindness. Then I will buy some land from the people to build a monastery for you, my lords, with a shrine to you with inscribed tablets where offerings can be made in all four seasons. Even if I were to carve my own bones and heart it would be hard to repay a ten thousandth part of what I owe you. You can’t possibly leave.”


Output:
“What Your Excellency says is very fine,” Sanzang replied, “but we are pilgrim monks who can only put up for the night on our journey West. We cannot stay here long. We definitely must leave in a day or two.” The marquis refused to let them go, and he ordered many people to prepare a banquet and start building a monastery that very night.

The next day there was a magnificent banquet at which the Tang Priest took the place of honour while the Great Sage Monkey sat beside him with Pig and Friar Sand. The marquis and his officials high and low passed them cups of wine and dishes of food while fine music was played, and so they were entertained all day. It was a most happy occasion, and there is a poem to prove it:

After long drought the fields received sweet rain;

Merchants were travelling along all watercourses.

They were deeply moved by the monks who had come to the city,

And by the Great Sage who had gone up to Heaven.

The three things had now been accomplished;