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

“Thank you, brothers,” said Monkey, going back up the high bank.

“Brother,” said Friar Sand, “you may not think that monster is up to much on the shore, but he's a real terror underwater. Pig and I attacking together were only as good as him alone. How are we going to deal with him and rescue the master?”

“We've no time to lose,” said Monkey. “He may kill the master.”

“I'll trick him into coming out,” said Pig. “You wait up in the air and say nothing at all. When you reckon his head is above the water, hit him a good hard one on the forehead from upside-down. Even if that doesn't kill him his head will ache and he'll feel faint. When I catch him one with my rake that'll settle his score.”

“Good idea,” said Monkey, “good idea. That's what they call a coordinated attack, and it will do the trick.” The two of them went back into the water.

The evil monster fled to his palace in defeat, where the other demons greeted him and the mandarin fish asked, “Where did Your Majesty chase those two monks to?”

“They have an accomplice,” the monster replied. “When they jumped ashore he swung an iron cudgel at me. I dodged it and fought back. Goodness only know how heavy that cudgel is: I couldn't keep it off me with my mace. He sent me back here beaten in less than three rounds.”

“Can you remember what their accomplice looks like, Your Majesty?” the mandarin fish asked.

“He's a monk with a hairy face that looks like a thunder god's,” the monster replied, “pointed ears, a broken nose, and fiery eyes with golden pupils.” At this the mandarin fish shuddered.

“Thank goodness Your Majesty could see how good a fighter he was and ran away,” she said. “You would never have survived another three rounds. I know who that monk is.”

“Who is he then?” the monster asked.

“When I was in the Eastern Ocean many years ago I once heard the old dragon king talk of his fame. He's the Handsome Monkey King, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven who made himself into a golden Immortal of the Supreme Monad and made havoc in Heaven five hundred years ago. Now he has submitted to the Buddha's teachings, changed his name to Sun Wukong the Novice, and is protecting the Tang Priest on his journey to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures. He has enormous divine powers and can do all sorts of transformations. Your Majesty, you must not provoke him or have any more fights with him.”

Before these remarks were out of her mouth the little devils from by the door came back to report, “Your Majesty, those two monks are back here challenging you to battle again.”

“Good sister,” said the monster, “you are very wise. I won't go out, but I'll see what happens.” He sent this urgent order: “Little ones, shut the doors firmly. As they say,

You can stand outside and roar,

But we won't unlock the door.

They can hang around for a couple of days, and when they can't take any more and go away we'll feast on the Tang Priest at our ease.”

The little demons piled up rocks and made a clay cement to seal the doors firmly shut. When the repeated shouts of Pig and Friar Sand failed to bring the monster out the idiot lost his patience and started to smash the doors with his rake, but they were so firmly barricaded that even though he broke up the doors themselves with seven or eight blows there were still so many layers of clay and rocks behind them that he had no hope of getting through.

“Brother,” said Friar Sand when he saw this, “that demon is so scared that he's barricaded his doors and won't come out. We'd better go back to the shore and discuss it with Monkey.” Pig agreed and they returned to the Eastern bank.

When Monkey, who was waiting up in the mist and clouds with his cudgel in his hand, saw the two of them emerge with no demon after them he landed his cloud on the bank to meet them. “Brothers,” he asked, “why haven't you brought him up with you?”

“The monster has barricaded his doors and won't show himself,” said Friar Sand. “When Brother Pig smashed his doors down he saw that the doorway was strongly blocked up with clay and rocks, and as we can't fight him we've come back to discuss with you some other way of saving the master.”

“It sounds hopeless,” said Monkey. “You two patrol the bank and don't let the monster escape while I'm away.”

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

“I'm going to Potaraka to call on the Bodhisattva,” Monkey replied, “and find out about the monster's name and background. When I've found his ancestral home and captured his relations and neighbors I'll come back to get him and rescue the master.”

“But doing all that will be too much trouble and take far too long,” laughed Pig. “I assure you it won't take any time or trouble,” replied Brother Monkey. “I'll soon be back.”

The splendid Great Sage set off from the river bank at high speed on his auspicious cloud and headed for the Southern Sea. Within an hour Potaraka Island was in view, and he landed the cloud on Pota Cliff, where the twenty-four devas, the guardian god of the island, Moksa the Novice, the boy Sudhana, and the Naga Maiden Pengzhu all came forward to bow in greeting and ask, “Why have you come, Great Sage?”

“There is something about which I would like to see the Bodhisattva,” Monkey replied.

“The Bodhisattva left her cave this morning to go to her bamboo grove,” the devas replied. “She allowed nobody to accompany her, but as she knew that you would be coming today she told us to wait here to greet you. Since you will not be able to see her at once would you please sit under the Turquoise Cliff until the Bodhisattva comes out and decides what to do.”

Brother Monkey did as they suggested, but before he had sat down the page Sudhana came up to him and said with a bow, “Great Sage Sun, thanks to you earlier kindness the Bodhisattva deigned to keep me. I never leave her side, and am always at the foot of her lotus throne. She has been very good to me.” Monkey, who knew that he had previously been the Red Boy, laughed as he said, “You were so confused by evil then that you only realize I'm a good person now you've been converted.”

When he had been waiting for a long time but the Bodhisattva had still not appeared Monkey said anxiously. “Will you please report that I'm here? Time's being lost, and I'm worried that my master may be killed.”

“We would not dare,” the devas replied. “The Bodhisattva told us to wait till she came herself.” Monkey, who was much too impatient to wait a moment longer, rushed inside.

The Handsome Monkey King

Was impatient and very snide.

The devas could not hold him back,

When he wanted to go inside.

He strode deep into the grove,

Eyes wide as he peered around.

He saw the Saviour sitting on

Bamboo leaves on the ground.

She was not washed or combed,

And her face was free of care.

There were no tassels to hold in place

The silken strands of her hair.

She did not wear her plain blue robe,

But only a clinging vest,

A skirt of brocade round her waist,

And both arms left undressed.

There was no shawl for her shoulders;

On her foot she wore no shoe.

Her jade hand held a knife of steel

With which she peeled bamboo.

When Monkey saw her he could not restrain himself from shouting, “Bodhisattva, your disciple Sun Wukong offers his pious respects.”

“Wait outside,” said the Bodhisattva.

“Bodhisattva,” Monkey replied, “my master is in trouble and I have come to inquire respectfully about the background of the evil monster in the River of Heaven.”

“Get out,” said the Bodhisattva, “and wait till I come out.”