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

“But he told me to guess what treasure is inside,” said the Tang Priest. “What sort of treasure is an old cloak?”

“Never mind about that,” said Monkey. “Just make that guess.” The Tang Priest stepped forward and was just about to state his guess when Deer Power said, “I shall make the first guess. The chest contains a mountain, river and state jacket and a heaven, earth and land skirt.”

“No,” said the Tang Priest, “it does not. The chest contains a rotten cloak.”

“That monk is being outrageous,” said the king. “He has the effrontery to suggest that our country has no treasures by guessing that it contains a tattered old cloak. Execute him!”

The two groups of guards officers were just about to fall upon the Tang Priest when he called out desperately, “Your Majesty, spare me for a moment while the chest is opened for you to look inside. If there really is a treasure there I shall accept my punishment; but if there is not you would be doing me an injustice.” The king then ordered that the chest be opened, and when the officials in attendance on him opened it and lifted out the red tray he saw that there really was a putrid old cloak on it.

“Who put that there?” asked the king in a great fury.

The queen then slipped forward from behind the dragon throne to say, “My lord, I put the mountain, river and state jacket and the heaven, earth and land skirt inside myself. I don't know how they can have turned into that.”

“You may retire, good wife,” said the king. “I believe you. All the things used in the harem are of the finest silks and gauzes. We would never have anything like that.” He then ordered that the chest be carried up to him so that he could put a treasure inside it himself for another test.

The king then went into the harem, picked a peach as big as a bowl from the magic peach tree in the palace gardens, placed it in the chest and had it carried down for the two of them to guess what it was.

“Disciple,” said the Tang Priest, “I have to guess again.”

“Don't worry,” said Monkey, “I'll take another look.” Once more he buzzed over, went in through the same crack, and saw a peach that was just to his liking. He turned back into himself and ate the peach clean up as he sat in the chest, nibbling every single piece of it, including the damaged parts of the skin, and leaving the stone there when he turned back into the tiniest of insects and flew back to land on Sanzang's ear. “Master,” he said, “guess that it's a peach stone.”

“Don't make a fool of me, disciple,” said Sanzang. “If I hadn't spoken up fast just now I would have been executed. This time I must guess that it is something precious, and there is nothing precious about a peach stone.”

“Don't be afraid,” said Monkey. “All that matters is winning.”

Before Sanzang could speak the Great Immortal Antelope Power said, “I shall make the first guess. It is a magic peach.”

“It is not a peach, only a peach stone,” said Sanzang.

“But we put the peach in there ourself,” said the king. “It could not possibly be only a stone. The Third Teacher of the Nation is right.”

“Your Majesty,” put in Sanzang, “open the chest up and look.”

Once more the officials in attendance carried the chest up to be opened, lifted out the dish, and revealed only a stone with no skin or flesh, a sight that shocked the king.

“Teachers of the Nation,” he said, “stop competing with him and let him go. We put the magic peach in there with our own hands. If there is only a stone there now, who can have eaten it? He must have gods or demons helping him in secret.”

When Pig heard this he said to Friar Sand with a touch of a sarcastic grin, “The king doesn't realize that Monkey is an expert when it comes to eating peaches.”

As he was saying this the Great Immortal Tiger Power came back into the throne hall after combing his hair and washing himself in the Hall of Literary Splendor. “Your Majesty,” he said, “this monk has the art of shifting and changing things. Have the chest brought up here. I will break his magic and have another divination contest with him.”

“What do you want to guess now?” the king asked.

“Magic can change only things, not people,” said Tiger Power. “Hide this boy Taoist in the chest, and I guarantee that the monk will not be able to change him.” The boy got inside, the lid was put on, and the chest carried down.

“Guess what treasure is inside it this third time, monk,” the king said.

“Again!” exclaimed Sanzang, to which Monkey replied, “Wait while I take another look.” Once more he buzzed over and squeezed inside, this time to find a little boy inside.

Splendid Monkey knew what to do. How true it is that few in the world can do improvised transformations, and hardly any as skillfully as he. He shook himself, turned into the exact image of the old Taoist, went into the chest and said “Disciple.”

“Where have you come from, master?” the boy asked him.

“I came by disappearing magic,” Monkey replied.

“What instructions do you have for me?” the boy asked.

“The Buddhist monk saw you getting into the chest,” said Monkey, “and if he says that there's a young Taoist in here we'll have lost. I've come here to work out a plan with you. We'll shave your head and guess that you're a Buddhist monk.”

“Do whatever you decide, master,” said the boy, “as long as we win. If we lose to him again our reputation will be ruined and the king will have no more respect for us.”

“You are right,” said Monkey. “Come here, my boy, and if we win I'll reward you richly.” He then turned his gold-banded cudgel into a razor, put his arms firmly round the boy, and said, “Put up with the pain, there's a good boy, and don't make a sound while I shave your head.” In an instant he had shaved off the boy's hair, which he stuffed into a ball and hid in a corner of the chest. Then he put the razor away and stroked the boy's shaven pate saying, “Your head looks like a Buddhist monk's now, my boy, but your clothes are wrong. Take them off and I'll transform them for you.”

The boy took off his greenish-white cloud-patterned crane cloak with embroidered brocade hems. Monkey blew on it with a magic breath, called “Change!” and turned it into a brown Buddhist monk's habit for the boy to put on. Monkey pulled out two more hairs and turned them into a wooden fish that he gave to the boy saying, “Listen carefully, disciple. Whatever happens don't come out when you hear a call of 'Taoist boy'. But when you hear someone say 'Buddhist monk,' lift the lid of the chest with your head, strike the wooden fish, and come out reciting a Buddhist surra. Do that and we will win.”

“But I can only recite the Classic of the Three Officials, the Classic of the Dipper, and the Classic of Elimination of Disaster,” said the boy, “I don't know any Buddhist scriptures.”

“Can you recite the name of a Buddha?” asked Monkey. “Anyone can recite 'Amitabha Buddha,'“ the boy replied.

“That'll have to do then,” said Monkey. “Recite the Buddha's name and save me the trouble of having to teach you a sutra. Remember what I've told you as I'm going now.” Monkey then turned back into the tiniest of insects, squeezed out, flew back to beside the Tang Priest's ear, and said, “Master, say that there's a Buddhist monk inside.”

“This time we are certain to win,” replied Sanzang.

“How can you be so sure?” Monkey asked.

“The sutras teach us that there are three treasures,” said Sanzang, “the Buddha, the Dharma and the Clergy; so a monk must count as a treasure.”

As Sanzang was saying this the Great Immortal Tiger Power said, “Your Majesty, this third time there is a Taoist boy inside.” Tiger Power called and called but the boy would not come out. Sanzang then put his hands together and said, “There is a monk inside.”