Wu Cheng-en - Journey to the West (vol. 3)

“No need for any more thinking about it,” replied Brother Monkey with a smile, “and no need to make the smiths suffer for what's not their fault. I would like to ask Your Royal Highness if there are any evil monsters in the mountains and forests around the city.”

“That's a very good question,” the prince replied. “There is a mountain North of the city called Mount Leopard Head, with a Tigermouth Cave in it. People often say that immortals, or tigers and wolves, or evil spirits live there. As I've never been there to find out the truth I am not sure what kind of creatures there are.”

“No need to say any more,” replied Monkey with a laugh. “It must be someone wicked from there who knew they were treasures and came during the night to steal them. Pig, Friar Sand,” he ordered, “stay here to guard the master and the city while I go for a look round.” He then told the smiths to keep the furnace burning and carry on forging the new weapons.

The splendid Monkey King took his leave of Sanzang and whistled out of sight. Soon he was on Mount Leopard Head, which took him but an instant as it was only ten miles from the city. As he climbed to the summit to look around he saw that there was quite an air of evil about it. Indeed, it was

A long dragon chain of hills,

A mighty formation.

Sharp peaks thrusting into the sky,

Streams flowing fast along chasms deep.

In front of the mountain grow cushions of rare plants;

Behind the mountain strange flowers form brocade.

Tall pine and ancient cypress,

Old trees and find bamboo.

Crows and magpies sing as they fly,

Cranes call and gibbons scream.

Below the beetling scar

David's deer go in twos;

In front of the sheer rock-face

Are pairs of badgers and foxes.

Dragons from afar emerge briefly from the waters

Of the twisting, winding stream that runs deep under the ground.

This ridge runs right to the edge of Yuhua,

A place of beauty for a thousand ages.

Just as he was surveying the scene Monkey heard voices on the other side of the mountain, turned quickly round to look, and saw a couple of wolf-headed ogres climbing towards the Northwest and talking loudly as they went.

“They must be monsters patrolling the mountain,” Monkey guessed. “I'm going to listen to what they have to say.”

Making magic with his hands and saying the words of a spell Monkey shook himself, turned into a butterfly, spread his wings and fluttered after them. It was a very lifelike transformation:

A pair of powdery wings,

Two silver antennae.

In the wind it files very fast;

In the sun it's a leisurely dancer.

It crosses rivers and walls in a flash.

Enjoys stealing fragrance and playing with catkins.

This delicate creature loves the taste of fresh flowers

It shows its beauty and elegance as it pleases.

He flew to a spot right above the evil spirits' heads, where he floated and listened to what they had to say. “Brother,” one of them shouted suddenly, “our chief keeps on striking it lucky. The other month he caught himself a real beauty to live with him in the cave, and he was as pleased as anything about that. Then last night he got the three weapons, which really are priceless treasures. Tomorrow there's going to be a Rake Banquet to celebrate, so we're all going to benefit.”

“We've been quite lucky too,” the other replied, “being given these twenty ounces of silver to buy pigs and sleep. When we get to Qianfang Market we can have a few jugs of wine to start with, and then fiddle the accounts to make ourselves two or three ounces of silver to buy ourselves padded jackets for the winter. It's great, isn't it?” As they laughed and talked the two monsters hurried along the main path at a great speed.

When Monkey heard about the banquet to celebrate the rake he was quietly delighted. He would have liked to kill the devils, but it was not their fault and, besides, he had no weapon. So he flew round till he was in front of them, turned back into himself and stood at a junction along the path. As the devils gradually came closer he blew a mouthful of magic saliva at them, recited the words Om Humkara and made a fixing spell that held the two wolf-headed spirits where they were. Their eyes were fixed in a stare, they could not open their mouths, and they stood upright, both legs rigid. Monkey then knocked them over, undid their clothes and searched them, finding the twenty ounces of silver in a purse carried by one of them in the belt of his kilt. Each of them was also carrying a white lacquered pass. One of these read “Wily Freak” and the other read “Freaky Wile.”

Having taken their silver and undone their passes the splendid Great Sage went straight back to the city, where he told the princes, the Tang Priest, the officials high and low and the smiths what had happened.

“I reckon my treasure's the one that shone the brightest,” said Pig with a grin. “That's why they're buying pigs and sheep for a slap-up meal to celebrate. But how are we going to get it back?”

“We'll all three of us go,” said Monkey. “This silver was for buying pigs and sheep. We'll give it to the smiths: His Royal Highness can provide us with some animals. Pig, you turn yourself into Wily Freak, I'll turn into Freaky Wile, and Friar Sand can be a trader selling pigs and sheep. We'll go into Tigermouth Cave, and when it suits us we'll grab our weapons, kill all the monsters, come back here to pack up and be on our way again.”

“Terrific,” said Friar Sand. “No time to lose. Let's go.” The senior prince agreed with the plan and told his steward to buy seven or eight pigs and four or five sheep.

The three of them left their master and gave a great display of their magic powers once outside the city.

“Brother,” said Pig, “I've never seen that Wily Freak, so how can I possibly turn myself into his double?”

“I did fixing magic on him to keep him over there somewhere,” Monkey said, “and he won't come round till tomorrow. I can remember what he looks like, so you stand still while I tell you how to change. Yes, like this…no, a bit more like that…That's it. That's him.”

While the idiot said an incantation Brother Monkey blew on him with magic breath, turned him into Wily Freak's double and gave him a white pass to tuck in at his waist. Monkey then turned himself into Freaky Wile with a pass at his waist too, and Friar Sand made himself look like a travelling dealer in pigs and sheep. Then they drove the pigs and sheep together along the path West towards the mountain. Before long they were in a mountain gully, where they met another junior devil. He had the most horrible face. Just look:

A pair of round and bulging eyes

Shining like lanterns;

A head of red and bristly hair,

Blazing like fire.

A red nose,

A twisted mouth,

Sharp and pointy fangs;

Protruding ears,

A brow that seemed hacked into shape,

And a green and bloated face.

He was wearing a pale yellow tunic

And sandals made of sedge.

He looked most imposing, like some evil god,

As he hurried along like a vicious demon.

This devil was carrying a coloured lacquer invitation box under his left arm as he greeted Monkey and the other two with a call of “Freaky Wile, good to see you both. Did you buy us some pigs and sheep?”

“Can't you see we're driving them along?” Monkey replied.

“Who's this gentleman?” the devil asked, looking at Friar Sand.

“He's the dealer in pigs and sheep,” Monkey replied. “We still owe him a couple of ounces of silver, so we're taking him home with us to fetch it. Where are you going?”

“To Bamboo Mountain to invite His Senior Majesty to the feast tomorrow morning,” the devil said.