Wu Cheng-en - Journey to the West (vol. 1)

“Certainly, certainly,” replied Monkey. The demon recognized him and docilely allowed himself to be carried by him, saying no more.

“That old Taoist doesn't know what he's doing,” chuckled Friar Sand. “Fancy refusing to let me carry you and wanting Monkey to instead. If it wasn't for our master he'd smash you against a sharp boulder and break all your sinews.”

As Monkey carried the demon on his shoulders he muttered to himself with some amusement, “Wretched demon, how dare you try to provoke me? Do you think I'm a mere child? Your devilish nonsense may be good enough to hoodwink the Tang Priest but it won't fool me. I can see that you are a local mountain demon. I reckon you want to eat my master. He's no ordinary person-he's not for you to eat. Besides, if you want to eat him you'll have to give a good half to me.”

Hearing Monkey's mutterings the monster replied, “Father, I'm a Taoist monk from a decent family who was unlucky enough to meet that tiger today. I'm no evil spirit.”

“If you were afraid of the tiger why didn't you recite the Great Bear Scripture?” Monkey asked.

Sanzang, hearing Monkey's grumbling just as he was mounting the horse, chastised him: “Insolent ape. 'Better to save a human life than to build a seven-storied pagoda.' If you're carrying him, just get on with it. Stop talking about 'Great Bear Scriptures' or 'Little Bear Scriptures.'”

“You're in luck, damn you,” said Monkey. “Merciful and pious my master may be, but he's a bit rough under his kindly manner. He'll be angry if I don't carry you with me. I'll do it if I must, but there's something I want to tell you first: warn me if you want a piss or a shit. If you do it down my back the stench will be more than I can stand. Besides, there's nobody to wash my clothes if they get dirty.”

To which the demon replied, “Of course. I'm old enough to understand that.” At last Monkey hauled the demon up on his back and hastened Westwards with the Tang Priest and Friar Sand. When the going became very uneven in the mountains Monkey walked slowly and carefully, letting the Tang Priest get ahead.

Before they had gone a couple of miles the Master and Friar Sand dropped out of Monkey's sight into a hollow on the mountainside. “The Master doesn't have any sense of how things should be done despite his great age,” he grumbled to himself. “On this long journey I'd feel overloaded even if I were empty-handed. I wish I'd smashed this evil monster. I would have to carry him. Even he's not a monster but a good man he ought to die at his age. Why should I carry him? I'll fling him down and kill him.”

The demon realized that the Great Sage was deciding to kill him so he used his power to shift mountains and made mountain-moving sea-overturning magic on Monkey's back. He recited the words of the spell, bringing Mount Sumeru flying through the air to come crashing down on Monkey's head. The Great Sage twisted his head to one side in a flash, and the mountain landed on his left shoulder.

“Tell me, son,” said Monkey, “what magic have you used to make yourself so heavy? You're crushing me. I don't mind the weight, but 'a badly-balanced carrying-pole is much harder to manage than a well-balanced one.'”

“A mountain's not enough to crush him,” thought the demon, and he recited another spell to bring Mount Emei hurtling down through the air on Monkey's head. Monkey turned aside again, so that the mountain landed on his right shoulder. Just watch him as, with the two mountains on his shoulders, he hurries like a shooting star after his master. The monster broke into a cold sweat all over when he saw that Monkey could carry mountains. Then he pulled himself together recited another spell, and brought Mount Tai down from the sky on Monkey's head. By now the Great Sage was so weak with exhaustion that this mountain landing on his head pinned him down: his three corpse-spirits exploded, and blood spurted from his seven orifices.

When he had crushed Monkey with his magical powers the splendid evil spirit mounted a fast wind and caught up with Sanzang. The monster reached down from his cloud and made a grab for the Tang Priest as he rode his horse. Friar Sand threw down the luggage in horror and rushed forward wielding his demon-subduing staff to stop him. The evil demon raised his Seven-star Sword to face Friar Sand. It was a fierce battle:

A sword of seven stars,

A demon-quelling staff,

Flash and gleam with golden light.

The one has glaring eyes, a black demon of death;

The iron-faced other is indeed a General of the Curtain.

Before the mountain the demon displays his powers,

Determined to capture Tang Sanzang.

His foe fights hard to save the worthy priest,

Ready to die before he lets him go.

Both belch fogs that Bide the heavenly palace,

And kick up clouds of dust to blot out stars.

The red sun pales before their battle,

Heaven and earth are thrown into confusion.

But after nine clashes yielding no result

Friar Sand, alas, is suddenly defeated.

The ferocious demon wielded his sword like a shooting star as he fought till Friar Sand was exhausted. Friar Sand turned to flee, but the monster parried his staff and brought a great hand wheeling round to grab him. Tucking the friar under his left arm, the demon pulled Sanzang from his horse with his right hand, hooked their luggage with his toes, opened his mouth to get his teeth into the horse's mane, and used his magic to levitate them and carry them in a puff of wind back to the Lotus Flower Cave.

“Elder brother,” he yelled, “I've got all the monks.”

The older monster was delighted. “Bring them here; I want to see them,” he said.

“These are the ones, aren't they?” said the younger.

“Brother,” sighed the older monster, “you've got the wrong ones again.”

“But you told me to get the Tang Priest,” said the younger. “This is the Tang Priest all right,” said the older monster, “but you still haven't caught that very powerful Sun the Novice. We can't eat the Tang Priest before we get him. Until we've got him we must on no account touch any of his people. That Monkey King has enormous magical powers and can turn himself into all sorts of things. There's no way he'll let us eat his master. If he comes to our door looking for a fight you can forget all about a quiet life.”

“Elder brother,” said the younger monster with a laugh, “you're overrating him. From the way you're going on about how marvellous he is anyone would think that there were none like him on earth and few enough in the heavens. As I see it he's nothing special: he hasn't any powers.”

“Did you catch him?” the elder demon asked.

“He can't move an inch,” the other replied. “He's crushed under three mountains I dropped on him. It was only when I'd done that to him I collected the Tang Priest, Friar Sand, the horse and the baggage and brought them all here.”

The news filled the old monster's heart with pleasure. “What luck! What luck! Now you've dealt with that wretched Sun the Tang Priest is as good as food in our mouths.” Saying this the older monster ordered the young devils, “Bring wine at once, and give the Junior King a drink to celebrate his success.”

“No, I won't have a drink,” said the younger demon. “Tell the little devils to pull Pig out of the water and hang him up.” Pig was then hung up in the Eastern wing of the cave, Friar Sand in the West, and Tang Priest in the middle. The white horse was sent off to the stables, and the luggage was stored away.

“You have great powers, my brother,” said the older monster with a laugh. “You've caught the three monks twice. But even though you've crushed him under a mountain you'll need some magic to get that Sun into our cooking pot. That'll be the day.”