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

“But she's much too small and delicate for me to turn into, brother,” said Pig.

“Hurry up if you don't want me to hit you,” said Monkey.

“Don't hit me,” pleaded Pig in desperation. “I'll see if I can make the change.”

The idiot then said the words of a spell, shook his head several times, called “Change!” and really did make his head look like the little girl's. The only troubles was that his belly was still much too fat and disproportionately big.

“Change some more,” said Monkey with a laugh.

“Hit me then,” said Pig. “I can't change any more, and that's that.”

“But you can't have a little girl's head on a monk's body,” said Monkey. “You won't do at all like that-you're neither a man nor a girl. Do the Dipper star-steps.” Monkey then blew on him with magic breath and in fact did change his body to make it look like the little girl's.

“Will you two old gentlemen please take the young master and the young lady inside and make no mistake about who they are,” said Monkey. “My brother and I will be trying to dodge the monster and fooling around, and we may come in here, so that it will be hard to tell us from the real children. Have some fruit ready for them to eat and don't let them cry, in case the Great King notices and our secret gets out. Now we're off to see if we can fool him.”

The splendid Great Sage then told Friar Sand to look after the Tang Priest while Pig and he changed into Chen Guan-given and Pan of Gold. When the two of them were ready Monkey asked, “How are the victims presented? Tied up in a bundle, or with their hands roped together? Are they steamed or chopped up into little bits?”

“Brother,” pleaded Pig, “don't do me down. I haven't got those magic powers.”

“We would never dare to,” said the old men. “We would just like you two gentlemen each to sit in a red lacquer dish that would be put on a table. You would then be carried into the temple on the tables by a pair of youngsters.”

“Fine, fine,” said Monkey. “Bring the dishes in here for us to try out.” The old men sent for the two red dishes, in which Monkey and Pig sat while four young men carried them for a few steps in the courtyard before setting them down again in the hall. “Pig,” said Monkey with delight, “being carried around on dishes like this makes us like abbots sitting in the seats of honour.”

“I wouldn't be at all scared of being carried in and out of here till dawn,” said Pig, “but being carried into the temple to be eaten is no joke.”

“Just watch me,” said Brother Monkey, “and run away when he eats me.”

“How do you know who he'll eat first?” said Pig. “If he eats the boy first I'll be able to get away; but what shall I do if he eats the girl first?”

At this one of the old men said, “During the sacrifices in other years some of the bolder of us have slipped into the back of the temple or hidden under the tables on which the offerings were made. They have seen that he eats the boy first and the girl afterwards.”

“Thank goodness,” said Pig, “thank goodness.”

While the two brother-disciples were talking they heard a mighty noise of gongs and drums and a blaze of lights outside as the villagers opened the front gates and poured in, shouting, “Bring out the boy and the girl.” The four young men then carried Monkey and Pig out to the sobs and wails of the old men.

If you do not know whether they lost their lives or not, listen to the explanation in the next installment.

A Devilish Blizzard Makes the Snow Whirl

The Monk Who Seeks to Worship Buddha Walks on Ice

The story tells how the believers in Chen Village noisily carried Monkey and Pig with pork, mutton, beef and wine straight to the Temple of Miraculous Response, where they set them all out with the young boy and girl in the most prominent place. Monkey looked around and saw that the offertory tables were covered with fragrant flowers and wax candles. In front of him was a tablet on which were inscribed in letters of gold, GREAT KING OF MIRACULOUS RESPONSE. There were no statues of any other gods. When the believers had set everything out properly they all kowtowed and made this prayer:

“Great King, our lord, at this hour of this day of this month of this year Chen Cheng, the master of the sacrifice, and all the other faithful of different ages beg to offer in accordance with annual custom the little boy Chen Guan-given, the little girl Pan of Gold, pork, mutton, beef and wine for the delectation of the Great King. We beg you to give us the right amounts of wind and rain and to grant a good harvest for all our crops.” After praying they burnt paper horses and all went home.

When they had all gone Pig said to Monkey, “Let's go home.”

“Where's your home?” Monkey asked.

“Let's go back to old Chen's place for a sleep,” Pig replied.

“You're talking nonsense again, idiot,” said Monkey. “You've made them a promise and now you've got to fulfil their wish.”

“You're the idiot, not me, despite what you've always saying,” replied Pig. “Why don't we just take him for a ride. You can't be serious about us being sacrificed for them.”

“Always finish what you begin,” said Monkey. “We'll only be able to tidy this business up if we stay here till the Great King comes to eat us up. Otherwise we'll make him cause disasters, which would be terrible.”

As they were talking they heard the howling of a wind outside. “This is terrible,” said Pig. “What made the wind come?” ”

Shut up,” said Monkey, “while I cope.” A moment later an evil creature came in through the temple doors. Look at him:

Gold armor, golden helmet, shining bright;

Red clouds enfold the jade belt at his waist.

His eyes were gleaming like the stars at night,

His teeth resembled those on a pair of saws.

Under his feet wafted sunset clouds;

Warm and scented were the mists all around.

Cold blew the negative winds as he walked;

Heavy lay the air of death where he stood.

He was just like an officer guarding an emperor,

Or a god at the gateway protecting a monastery.

The monster stood blocking the entrance to the temple and asked, “Who is making the sacrifice this year?”

“Thank you for asking,” Monkey replied. “This year the village heads are the family of Chen Cheng and Chen Qing.” This reply struck the monster as very odd.

“That boy has a lot of courage,” he thought, “and he's a good talker too. Usually the children who are offered say nothing the first time I ask them a question and are frightened out of their wits the second time. Before I've even grabbed them in my hand they are already dead. So why's this boy today so good at answering?”

Instead of seizing him the monster asked another question: “What is your name, boy?”

“My name is Chen Guan-given, and the girl is called Pan of Gold.”

“According to the old custom of this sacrifice I should eat you first,” said the monster.

“I have no objection,” said Brother Monkey. “Enjoy your meal.”

Hearing this the monster was once more afraid to grab Monkey, so instead he blocked the doorway and shouted, “I'll have none of your answering back. Usually I eat the boy first, but this year I shall start with the girl.”

“Better to follow the old custom,” said Pig in a panic. “Don't break with tradition.”

Without any more discussion the monster made a grab for Pig, who leapt down, turned back into himself, and struck at the monster's hand with his rake. The monster pulled his hand back and fled. All that could be heard was a mighty clang. “I've smashed his armor,” exclaimed Pig.