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

“Brother,” he said, chuckling, “I'll carry you.” Realizing that Pig was up to something Monkey decided to beat him at his own game and replied, “Very well, you're stronger than Friar Sand.” Pig then took Monkey on his back.

Friar Sand parted a way through the waters of the River of Heaven for the brother-disciples. When they had covered thirty or forty miles on the riverbed the idiot made a grab for Monkey, who pulled out one of his hairs and turned it into a double of himself that he put on Pig's back, while changing his real self into a pig louse that clung firmly to the idiot's ear. Pig suddenly stumbled as he walked along, threw Monkey forward and made him fall. Now as the double was only a hair transformed it floated up and disappeared.

“Brother,” said Friar Sand to Pig, “what are you doing? Why have you fallen over in the mud instead of walking along properly? And even if you have to do that, where have you dropped Monkey?”

“He couldn't stop himself falling,” Pig replied, “and he's vanished. Never mind whether he's alive or dead. We two will go and find the master.”

“No,” said Friar Sand, “we need him. He's no swimmer but he's cleverer than us. If he not coming I won't go with you.” Monkey could restrain himself no longer.

“Pig!” he shouted at the top of his voice from inside the ear. “I'm here.”

When Friar Sand heard this he said with a laugh, “That's done it. You're the one that's had it, you idiot. You had a nerve, trying to put one over on him. What are we going to do now? We can hear him but he's disappeared.”

Pig knelt in the mud and started to kowtow desperately, saying, “I did wrong, brother, I did wrong. When we've rescued the master I'll apologize to you properly on shore. Where did you talk to us from? You scared me to death. Please, please turn back into yourself. I'll carry you, and I promise not to knock you about any more.”

“You've been carrying me all the time,” said Monkey. “I won't play any tricks on you. Now, get going, and fast.” The idiot staggered to his feet still mumbling apologies and pressed on with Friar Sand.

After another thirty or forty miles they looked up to see a tall building on which was written in large letters RESIDENCE OF THE RIVER TURTLE. “This must be where the monster lives,” said Friar Sand. “We two can't go up to the doors and challenge him to battle without finding out how things stand.”

“Wujing,” said Brother Monkey to Friar Sand, “is there water inside and outside the door?”

“No,” said Friar Sand. “In that case you two hide near here while I take a look round,” said Monkey.

The splendid Great Sage climbed out of Pig's ear, shook himself, turned into a female shrimp with long legs, and reached the doors with two or three jumps. When he took a good look around he saw the monster sitting up above the door with all his watery tribe drawn up around him and the female mandarin fish sitting at his side. They were all discussing how to eat the Tang Priest. Monkey looked carefully around but could see the master nowhere. Then he noticed another female shrimp coming over and standing in the portico to the West. Monkey leapt forward and called, “Sister-in-law, where is this Tang Priest that His Majesty and everyone else are talking about eating?”

“His Majesty caught him yesterday when he made all that snow and ice,” the female shrimp replied. “He's now in a stone chest behind the palace. If his disciples don't come here to make trouble we'll have music and feast on him tomorrow.”

When Monkey heard this he kept up his act for a little longer then went straight round to the back of the palace where he found a stone chest just like a stone pig-trough in a sty or a stone coffin. He measured it, found that it was six feet long, lay on it and listened. He could hear Sanzang sobbing inside. Monkey said nothing but put his ear against the lid, listened more carefully, and could make out Sanzang gnashing his teeth and saying amid moans,

“If only my fate had not always been so bad:

Disasters in rivers all my life have I had.

Soon after I was born I was floated on the water,

And now that have I drowned never I will not see Lord Buddha.

Not so long ago the Black River made me weep,

And now the breaking ice has consigned me to the deep.

I wonder if at any time my followers will come

To let me fetch the scriptures and complete my journey home.”

Monkey could not restrain himself from calling to him, “Master, don't be so upset about troubles by water. As the Classic of Water Disaster has it, 'Earth is the mother of the Five Elements, and water is their origin. Without earth there can be no life, and without water there can be no growth.' I'm here.”

“Save me, disciple,” said Sanzang, hearing Monkey's voice.

“Don't worry,” said Monkey, “I promise we'll save you when we've captured the monster.”

“Act fast,” said Sanzang. “If I'm here for another day I'll die of suffocation.”

“No problem,” said Monkey, “no problem. I'm off.” He turned, sprang out through the main doors, turned back into himself, and called for Pig.

“What's happening?” asked the idiot and Friar Sand as they came up to him.

“The monster caught the master with that trick,” Monkey replied. “He's unhurt, but the monster has put him inside a stone chest. You two challenge the monster to battle at once while I get out of the water. Capture him if you can, and if you can't then pretend to be beaten and lure him out of the water for me to kill.”

“Out you go, brother, and don't worry,” said Friar Sand. “We'll find out what the monster's really like.” Monkey then made a water-averting spell with his hands, shot up through the waves, and stood on the bank to wait.

Watch while Pig charges at the doors in a murderous mood yelling, “Damned monster, give us our master back.”

The little devils inside the doors rushed back in panic to report, “Your Majesty, there are people outside asking for their master.”

“It must be those bloody monks here,” said the monster. “Fetch my armor and weapons at once.” The little devils ran to fetch them, and when the monster was in his armor and holding his weapons in his hand he ordered that the doors be opened. As he came out Pig and Friar Sand, who were standing one to each side, could see how he was dressed and equipped. He was a fine monster. Just look:

On his head a gleaming helmet of gold,

On his body golden armor that made a rainbow.

His belt was studded thick with pearls and jade;

The strange boots on his feet were of smoky yellow leather.

His nose was as high as a mountain ridge,

His brow as majestically broad as a dragon's.

Fierce and round were his eyes that flashed,

Spikes of steel were his sharp, neat teeth.

His short, matted hair seemed to be ablaze,

And his long whiskers bristled like golden spikes.

In his mouth he was chewing a tender reed

While he wielded a nine-knobbed mace of copper.

The noise when the doors were opened wide

Rivaled the crashing of thunder in spring.

Few such could be seen in the world of mortals:

The Great King truly deserves his title.

The evil spirit came outside accompanied by a hundred or more of his little devils, who brandished their swords and spears as they formed themselves up into two companies. “Where are you from, monks,” he asked Pig, “and why are you making this horrible noise here?”

“You got away before, but I'll get you now, damned monster,” Pig shouted back. “Stop pretending you don't know who I am-we've had words already. I'm a disciple of the holy priest from the Great Tang who's going to worship the Buddha and collect the scriptures in the Western Heaven. You and your little tricks, calling yourself the Great King of Miraculous Response, and eating boys and girls in Chen Village. Can't you recognize me? I was the Chen family's little girl, Pan of Gold.”