by Wu Cheng-En
“City god,” thought Pig, “you can leave me out. I'll offer you the triple sacrifice and 24 cups of pure wine…”
He muttered prayers as the devil continued, “The tall dark one is Friar Sand, and that's Pig with a long snout and big ears.” At the mention of himself Pig tucked his snout into his clothes.
“Bring your snout out, monk,” said the monster.
“I was born like this,” said Pig, “so I can't bring it out.” The monster ordered the junior devils to pull it out with hooks, at which Pig hastily thrust it out and said, “I just feel shy about it. Here it is. Look at it if you must, but don't hook it.”
Recognizing Pig, the monster raised his sword and hacked at him. Pig parried him with his rake and said, “Behave yourself, my lad, and take this.”
“You took your vows quite late,” said the monster with a smile.
“Clever boy,” replied Pig, “but how did you know?”
“From the way you handle that rake,” the monster said, “you used it to level up the ground in a vegetable garden. You must have stolen it.”
“You don't know this rake, my boy,” said Pig. “It's not the sort used in ground-leveling:
Its teeth are like a dragon's claws,
Flecked with gold in tigerish shapes.
Against a foe it blows a freezing wind,
And in a battle it shoots out flame.
It brushes away obstacles in the Tang Priest's path,
Capturing devils on the way to the Western Heaven.
When whirled, its vapors obscure the sun and moon,
And its black clouds darken the stars.
When it flattens Mount Tai the tigers tremble;
Dragons are frightened when it overturns the ocean.
Even if you have some tricks, you monster,
One blow from this rake will leave nine bloody holes.”
This made the monster more determined that ever, and with his Seven-starred Sword he battled thorough twenty inconclusive rounds with Pig on the mountain. Pig fought back with deadly fury, and at the sight of him pricking up his ears, spewing out saliva, and waving his rake with grunts and shouts, the frightened demon turned round to bring all his underlings into the battle beside him.
Had he been fighting only the one enemy, Pig would have done fine, but when all the little devils rushed him he lost control, could no longer put up any resistance, and fled in defeat. As he was not paying attention to the uneven path he tripped over a creeper and fell over. He was just picking himself up and starting off again when a junior demon who was lying there tugged at his ankle and brought him tumbling down like a dog eating muck. A crowd of demons seized him and carried him back to the cave, holding him by the bristles, ears, legs and tail. Indeed:
A single demon is hard enough to destroy;
Countless disasters can barely be averted.
If you don't know whether Pig lived or not, listen to the explanation in the next installment.
Chapter 33
Heterodoxy Confuses the True Nature
The Primal Deity Helps the Original Heart
Taking Pig into the cave the monster said, “Here's one, brother.”
“Let me have a look at him,” said the older demon with delight.
“Isn't this the one?” asked the younger demon.
“No,” the other replied, “you've caught the wrong one. He's useless.”
“Your Majesty,” said Pig, taking his chance, “I'm just a useless monk, so let me go. I'm scarcely human.”
“No, don't let him go, brother,” said the younger monster. “He may be no use himself, but he's with the Tang Priest. Pig's his name. We can soak him in the drinking-water pool at the back till his bristles come out, salt him and dry him to eat with our wine some rain day.”
“Dammit,” said Pig, “I would have to run into a devil who's a salt-pork peddler.” The junior demons carried Pig inside and threw him into the pool.
Sanzang meanwhile was sitting on the slope feeling uneasy. His ears were hot and his eyes twitched. “Wukong,” he said, “Pig's been a long time patrolling the mountain. Why isn't he back?”
“Don't you understand his mentality yet, Master?” said Monkey.
“What mentality?” Sanzang asked.
“If there were monsters in the mountains he'd be completely helpless,” said Monkey. “He'd make a tremendous fuss and come rushing back to tell me. I don't think that there can be any monsters. I expect he found the path easy and went straight ahead.”
“If he has gone ahead,” said Sanzang, “where shall we meet him? This is a vast wilderness. It won't be like finding him in a city or a market-place.”
“Mount your horse and stop worrying,” said Monkey. “That lazy idiot won't be walking fast, so you only have to make your horse get a move on. We're bound to catch him up and continue our journey together.” The Tang Priest mounted his horse as asked, and Monkey led the way into the mountains as Friar Sand carried the baggage.
“Brother,” said Gold Horn the senior demon king to Silver Horn the junior demon king, “as you've captured Pig we can be sure that the Tang Priest is here. Make another search and don't get the wrong one this time.”
“Right away,” said Silver Horn, who immediately mustered fifty junior demons and set out on patrol.
As they went along they saw an auspicious cloud drifting and circling around. “The Tang Priest is here,” said the junior demon king.
“Where?” the other demons asked.
“An auspicious cloud always shines above a good man's head and an evil effluence rises over a bad man,” said Silver Horn. “The Tang Priest is an incarnation of the Venerable Golden Cicada. He's a holy man who has cultivated his conduct for ten lives. That's why he has that auspicious cloud.”
When the others still could not see it the junior demon king pointed again and said, “There it is.” Sanzang shuddered thrice in the saddle, once each time the demon pointed.
“Why did I shudder, disciples?” he asked uneasily.
“Probably it's indigestion,” said Friar Sand.
“Nonsense,” said Monkey, “it must be because these steep mountains make the master feel nervous. Don't be frightened. You'll feel better when I've cleared the path with my cudgel.” Monkey then ran through all the routines in the military manuals as he swung his cudgel up and down and all around in front of his master's horse. The Tang Priest watched as he displayed divine powers unmatched on earth.
At the sight of Monkey hacking his way forward the demon almost died of terror; his souls went flying as he watched from the mountain top. “Well,” he found himself saying, “now I know that all I've been hearing about Sun the Novice for years is absolutely true.”
“Your Majesty,” said the junior demons, coming up to him, “you're boosting your enemy and making yourself small. Why? Who is it who's so terrific?”
“With Monkey's magic powers we'll never be able to eat the Tang Priest,” said Silver Horn.
“If you're not up to it,” said the junior demons, “we'll send some of us to ask the senior king to send all the troops in our cave into battle. If we all work together they can't possibly get away.”
“You've never seen that iron cudgel,” said the junior king. “He's more than a match for a whole army, so with only four or five hundred of us we wouldn't have a hope against that cudgel of his.”
“In that case,” said the other demons, “we'll never be able to eat the Tang Priest. There was no point in capturing Pig. Let's free him.”
“We were right to capture him and shouldn't let him go,” said the junior king. “We may not be able to eat the Tang Priest yet but sooner or later we will.”
“How many years will that take?” the others asked.
“It won't be a matter of years,” replied the junior king. “In my opinion we must catch him by cunning, not by being vicious. Try to grab him by force and we won't get so much as a smell of him. But if we make friends with him by kindness we'll be able to get him by
trickery.”
“Please find a place for us in your plan, Your Majesty,” said the little demons.
“Go back to the camp,” the junior demon king told them, “but don't let on to His Senior Majesty. If he gets alarmed and gives the game away our plan will be ruined. I can catch the Tang Priest through magical transformations.” As the other demons went away he leapt down the mountainside to the path, shook himself and changed into a aged Taoist. This is what he looked like:
A gleaming star-hat,
Unkempt white hair.
An embroidered belt round a cloak of feathers,
Cloud sandals tied with yellow coir.
Clear of spirit and bright-eyed as an immortal,
Strong and light like one who will live for ever.
He could be compared to the Taoist Riding a Buffalo,
But is more like the Master of the White Scroll.
This false image could be a real one;
His deception appears to be the truth.
There he was, beside the path, pretending to be a Taoist who had broken his leg. His feet were covered in blood. “Help help,” he shouted.
Just as Sanzang was happily walking along, supported by the Great Sage Monkey and Friar Sand, he heard a shout of “Help me, Father.”
“Well I never,” said Sanzang. “Who could that be shouting in these wild and uninhabited mountains? It must be someone who's been frightened by tigers, leopards or wolves.” Reining in his horse he called, “Who's that in trouble? Come out.” The demon crawled out from the undergrowth and kowtowed noisily for all he was worth before the Tang Priest, who was most upset to see that he was a Taoist and of such advanced years at that. He dismounted rapidly and helped the old man to his feet, begging him to rise.
“It's agony,” said the demon, “agony.”
When the Tang Priest released his hold and looked down he saw that blood was pouring from the old man's foot. “Where have you come from, sir,” asked a shocked Sanzang. “and how did you injure your foot?”
“West of this mountain, Father,” lied the demon, “there is a pure and quiet Taoist temple. I am a priest there.”
“What were you doing, wandering around here instead of looking after the incense and reciting the scriptures and the law in your temple?” Sanzang asked.
“The other day a benefactor of ours from South of the mountain invited all us priests to perform a service for his natal star and spread blessings for him. I was about halfway there with my disciple-we were late-when a ferocious and strongly patterned tiger carried my disciple off. As I staggered along shaking with terror and not knowing where to go I lost my balance on a scree and injured my foot. I can't find my way back. Thank heavens I have met you today, Father. I beg you in your great mercy to save me. If we find our way back to the temple, I'd even sell myself into slavery to repay your kindness.”
“Sir,” replied Sanzang, completely taken in, “you and I share a common destiny. I an a Buddhist priest and you are a Taoist. Although we wear different robes, we cultivate our conduct according to the same principles. Were I to fail to save you I would not be a true monk. But help you though I would, you can't walk.”
“I can't even stand, let alone walk,” replied the demon.
“Never mind, never mind,” said Sanzang. “I can walk, so you can ride my horse for a while and give it back when we reach your temple.”
“You are very generous and I am most grateful,” said the demon, “but I have hurt my thigh and couldn't ride.”
“Indeed,” said Sanzang, who then instructed Friar Sand to put the luggage on the horse and carry the Taoist over his shoulders. Friar Sand assented.
The monster turned round at once and looked closely at Friar Sand. “Father,” he said, “I got such a scare from that tiger, but this terrible-looking monk frightens me even more. I'd be too afraid to let him carry me.”
“Wukong, you carry him,” said Sanzang.
“Certainly, certainly,” replied Monkey. The demon recognized him and docilely allowed himself to be carried by him, saying no more.
“That old Taoist doesn't know what he's doing,” chuckled Friar Sand. “Fancy refusing to let me carry you and wanting Monkey to instead. If it wasn't for our master he'd smash you against a sharp boulder and break all your sinews.”
As Monkey carried the demon on his shoulders he muttered to himself with some amusement, “Wretched demon, how dare you try to provoke me? Do you think I'm a mere child? Your devilish nonsense may be good enough to hoodwink the Tang Priest but it won't fool me. I can see that you are a local mountain demon. I reckon you want to eat my master. He's no ordinary person-he's not for you to eat. Besides, if you want to eat him you'll have to give a good half to me.”
Hearing Monkey's mutterings the monster replied, “Father, I'm a Taoist monk from a decent family who was unlucky enough to meet that tiger today. I'm no evil spirit.”
“If you were afraid of the tiger why didn't you recite the Great Bear Scripture?” Monkey asked.
Sanzang, hearing Monkey's grumbling just as he was mounting the horse, chastised him: “Insolent ape. 'Better to save a human life than to build a seven-storied pagoda.' If you're carrying him, just get on with it. Stop talking about 'Great Bear Scriptures' or 'Little Bear Scriptures.'”
“You're in luck, damn you,” said Monkey. “Merciful and pious my master may be, but he's a bit rough under his kindly manner. He'll be angry if I don't carry you with me. I'll do it if I must, but there's something I want to tell you first: warn me if you want a piss or a shit. If you do it down my back the stench will be more than I can stand. Besides, there's nobody to wash my clothes if they get dirty.”
To which the demon replied, “Of course. I'm old enough to understand that.” At last Monkey hauled the demon up on his back and hastened Westwards with the Tang Priest and Friar Sand. When the going became very uneven in the mountains Monkey walked slowly and carefully, letting the Tang Priest get ahead.
Before they had gone a couple of miles the Master and Friar Sand dropped out of Monkey's sight into a hollow on the mountainside. “The Master doesn't have any sense of how things should be done despite his great age,” he grumbled to himself. “On this long journey I'd feel overloaded even if I were empty-handed. I wish I'd smashed this evil monster. I would have to carry him. Even he's not a monster but a good man he ought to die at his age. Why should I carry him? I'll fling him down and kill him.”
The demon realized that the Great Sage was deciding to kill him so he used his power to shift mountains and made mountain-moving sea-overturning magic on Monkey's back. He recited the words of the spell, bringing Mount Sumeru flying through the air to come crashing down on Monkey's head. The Great Sage twisted his head to one side in a flash, and the mountain landed on his left shoulder.
“Tell me, son,” said Monkey, “what magic have you used to make yourself so heavy? You're crushing me. I don't mind the weight, but 'a badly-balanced carrying-pole is much harder to manage than a well-balanced one.'”
“A mountain's not enough to crush him,” thought the demon, and he recited another spell to bring Mount Emei hurtling down through the air on Monkey's head. Monkey turned aside again, so that the mountain landed on his right shoulder. Just watch him as, with the two mountains on his shoulders, he hurries like a shooting star after his master. The monster broke into a cold sweat all over when he saw that Monkey could carry mountains. Then he pulled himself together recited another spell, and brought Mount Tai down from the sky on Monkey's head. By now the Great Sage was so weak with exhaustion that this mountain landing on his head pinned him down: his three corpse-spirits exploded, and blood spurted from his seven orifices.
When he had crushed Monkey with his magical powers the splendid evil spirit mounted a fast wind and caught up with Sanzang. The monster reached down from his cloud and made a grab for the Tang Priest as he rode his horse. Friar Sand threw down the luggage in horror and rushed forward wielding his demon-subduing staff to stop him. The
evil demon raised his Seven-star Sword to face Friar Sand. It was a fierce battle:
A sword of seven stars,
A demon-quelling staff,
Flash and gleam with golden light.
The one has glaring eyes, a black demon of death;
The iron-faced other is indeed a General of the Curtain.
Before the mountain the demon displays his powers,
Determined to capture Tang Sanzang.
His foe fights hard to save the worthy priest,
Ready to die before he lets him go.
Both belch fogs that Bide the heavenly palace,
And kick up clouds of dust to blot out stars.
The red sun pales before their battle,
Heaven and earth are thrown into confusion.
But after nine clashes yielding no result
Friar Sand, alas, is suddenly defeated.
The ferocious demon wielded his sword like a shooting star as he fought till Friar Sand was exhausted. Friar Sand turned to flee, but the monster parried his staff and brought a great hand wheeling round to grab him. Tucking the friar under his left arm, the demon pulled Sanzang from his horse with his right hand, hooked their luggage with his toes, opened his mouth to get his teeth into the horse's mane, and used his magic to levitate them and carry them in a puff of wind back to the Lotus Flower Cave.
“Elder brother,” he yelled, “I've got all the monks.”
The older monster was delighted. “Bring them here; I want to see them,” he said.
“These are the ones, aren't they?” said the younger.
“Brother,” sighed the older monster, “you've got the wrong ones again.”
“But you told me to get the Tang Priest,” said the younger. “This is the Tang Priest all right,” said the older monster, “but you still haven't caught that very powerful Sun the Novice. We can't eat the Tang Priest before we get him. Until we've got him we must on no account touch any of his people. That Monkey King has enormous magical powers and can turn himself into all sorts of things. There's no way he'll let us eat his master. If he comes to our door looking for a fight you can forget all about a quiet life.”