Monkey (10 page)

‘I was on my way to the banquet,’ he said, ‘in response to her Majesty’s invitation, when I met the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, who told me that he had been asked to inform all guests that they were to go first to the Hall of Penetrating Light and rehearse the ceremonies of the banquet. I did as he said. But when I got there, I saw no sign of your Majesties having arrived, and thought it better to come at once to Court.’

The Jade Emperor was more outraged and astonished than ever. ‘So the rogue counterfeits Imperial orders and deceives my ministers!’ he exclaimed. ‘Tell the Celestial Detective to get on to his tracks at once.’ After an exhaustive inquiry, the Detective reported that the disturbances in Heaven had been caused by the Great Sage.

The Jade Emperor then commanded the Kings of the Four Quarters and Vaisravana and his son to marshal the twenty-eight Lunar Mansions, the Nine Planets, the Twelve Hours, and all the Stars, together with a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers, and draw a cordon round the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, so that Monkey should have no escape.

When this had been done, the Nine Planets were called upon to issue the challenge. Monkey and his generals were drinking wine from Heaven, and when he was told that the Planets were at the door, he refused to worry himself.

‘If today you have wine, get drunk today;

Pay no heed to what is at the door, be it good or ill.’

he quoted. A small imp now scurried up saying that these nine fierce deities were raging at the gate, flinging battle-taunts.
Monkey only laughed. ‘Don’t pay any attention to them!’ he said:

‘Poetry and wine are enough to make this day glad;

High deeds must take their turn, glory can afford to wait.’

But while he was speaking, another imp rushed in. ‘Father,’ he cried, ‘those nine fierce deities have broken down the gates and are advancing to the attack.’ ‘Have those scoundrels no manners!’ cried Monkey.’ I’ve never interfered with them. Why should they come here worrying me ?’ And he ordered the One Horned Ogre to lead out the kings of the seventy-two caves to battle, while he and his four generals came in the rear. The ogre and his followers could get no farther than the Iron Bridge. Here the Planets barred their path. ‘Make way!’ cried Monkey, and he strode through their midst, brandishing his cudgel. The Planets dared not oppose him, and beat a hasty retreat.

When they had re-formed their ranks a little way back, their leader cried, ‘Insensate groom! What crime is there that you have not committed? You have stolen peaches and stolen wine, upset the high feast, purloined Lao Tzu’s elixir, and then taken more wine for your banquet here. You have piled up sin upon sin; do you not realize what you have done?’

‘Quite true,’ said Monkey, ‘all quite true. What are you going to do about it ?’

‘We have been sent by the Jade Emperor,’ they said, ‘to receive your submission. If you surrender at once, you will be spared; if not, we shall stamp on your mountain till it is flat, and smash your cave to bits.’

‘And where are you going to get the strength from,’ asked Monkey, ‘to do that? How dare you talk such nonsense 1 Stand your ground and take Old Monkey’s cudgel.’ The Planets leapt at him; but Monkey was no whit afraid. He brandished his cudgel, parrying here and thrusting there, till the Planets were quite worn out and one by one slunk away, trailing their weapons after them, to seek refuge in their tents. ‘That Monkey King is a valiant fighter indeed,’ they said to Vaisravana. ‘We were unable to overcome him, and have had to give up the fight.’ The Kings of the Four Quarters
and the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions were then ordered to advance. But Monkey did not quail, but bade the One Horned Ogre, the kings of the seventy-two caves and his four valiant generals to take their stand outside the cave.

The combat began at dawn, and lasted till the sun sank behind the western hills. The One Horned Ogre and all the kings of the seventy-two caves were captured and carried away. Only the four generals and the monkeys escaped and hid in the far recesses of the cave. But Monkey all alone, cudgel in hand, held back the kings of the Four Quarters, Vaisravana, and Natha, warring with them half way up the sky. At last, seeing that dusk was at hand, he plucked a handful of his hairs, tossed them into his mouth, chewed them up small and spat them out, crying ‘Change!’ Whereupon they changed into thousands of monkeys each armed with a metal-plated cudgel. They drove back Vaisravana, Natha, and the four kings. Then Monkey, at last victorious, withdrew the hairs and returned to his cave. At the Iron Bridge, he was met by the four generals and all the host of monkeys. On seeing him they wailed three times, and laughed, hee-hee, ho-ho, three times.

‘What made you wail three times and laugh three times when you saw me ?’ asked Monkey.

‘We wailed,’ they said, ‘because the One Horned Ogre and the seventy-two kings were defeated and captured, and because we had to fly for our lives. We laughed with joy because you have come back victorious and unharmed.’

‘There is always defeat in victory and victory in defeat,’ said Monkey. ‘There is an old saying ‘To slay ten thousand costs three thousand.” In this case the chieftains captured were all tigers, leopards, wolves, and the like. Not one of our monkey-kind was taken or hurt; so there is nothing to worry about. By the art of self-division I have put them to flight. But it is certain that they have encamped at the foot of our mountain. We must keep strict guard and husband our strength. Tomorrow you shall see me use my most potent magic against those divinities, and avenge the captured.’

Then the four generals and all the monkeys drank a cup or two of date-wine and went quietly to sleep.

After the retreat of the kings of the Four Quarters, all the celestial warriors told of their deeds. Some had captured tigers and leopards, some deer, some wolves and foxes. But not one of them could boast that he had taken a monkey. They did indeed, as Monkey had foretold, set up a camp, surrounding it with a great palisade. Here the meritorious were rewarded, and the troops who formed the cordon round the caves were instructed to give warning by bell or cry and be ready for the great battle that would begin at dawn.

How they fared after day broke, you will hear in the next chapter.

S
O
the great Sage quietly rested, while the hosts of Heaven encompassed him. Meanwhile the Great Compassionate Bodhisattva Kuan-yin had come at the invitation of the Queen of Heaven to attend the great feast. With her she brought her chief disciple, Hui-yen, and on arriving they were astounded to find the banqueting halls in utter desolation and confusion. The couches were broken or pushed aside, and although there were a good few Immortals, they had not attempted to take their places, but were standing about in noisy groups, protesting and disputing. After saluting the Bodhisattva they told her the whole story of what had occurred. ‘If there is no banquet and no drinks are going,’ she said, ‘you had better all come with me to see the Jade Emperor.’ On the way they met the Red-legged Immortal and others, who told them that a heavenly army had been sent to arrest the culprit, but had not yet returned. ‘I should like to see the Emperor,’ said Kuan-yin. ‘I must trouble you to announce my arrival.’ Lao Tzu was with the Emperor, and the Queen of Heaven in attendance behind the throne.

‘What about the Peach Banquet?’ Kuan-yin asked, after the customary greetings had been exchanged.

‘It has always been such fun, year after year,’ said the Emperor. ‘It is terribly disappointing that this year everything has been upset by that terrible ape. I have sent 100,000 soldiers to pen him in, but the whole day has passed without news, and I don’t know whether they have been successful!’

‘I think you had better go down quickly to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit,’ said the Bodhisattva to her disciple, Hui-yen, ‘and investigate the military situation. If hostilities are actually in progress, you can give a hand. In any case let us know exactly how things stand.’

When he arrived, he found a close cordon many soldiers deep, with sentries on watch at every exit. The mountain was
completely surrounded, and escape impossible. Day was just breaking when Hui-yen, who was the second son of Vaisra-vana and had been called Prince Moksha before his conversion, was shown into his father’s tent.

‘Where do you come from, my son?’ asked Vaisravana.

‘I have been sent to see how things are going on,’ he said.

‘We camped here yesterday,’ said Vaisravana, ‘and I sent the Nine Planets as challengers, but they were unable to stand up against this rogue’s magic and returned discomfited. Then I led an army myself and he marshalled his followers. We were about 100,000 men, and fought with him till dusk, when he used some magic method of self-multiplication, and we had to withdraw. On examining our booty we found we had captured a certain number of tigers, wolves, leopards and other animals, but not a single monkey. Today the fight has not yet begun.’

While they were speaking a messenger rushed in and announced that the Great Sage and all his host of monkeys were outside, shouting their battle cries. The kings of the Four Quarters, Vaisravana and his son Natha had just agreed to go out and meet him, when Hui-yen said, ‘Father, I was sent by the Bodhisattva to obtain information. But she said that if hostilities were in progress I was to lend a hand. I confess I should like to go and have a look at this Great Sage of yours.’

‘My son,’ said Vaisravana, ‘you cannot have studied with the Bodhisattva for so many years without having learnt some form of magic. Don’t forget to put it into practice.’

Dear prince! Girding up his embroidered cloak and brandishing his iron cudgel with both hands, he rushed out to the camp-gate, crying in a loud voice, ‘Which of you is the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven?’

Monkey held up his wishing-staff and answered, ‘I am he. Who are you, that you so rashly dare inquire for me?’

Hui-yen said, ‘I am Vaisravana’s second son, Moksha. Now I am pupil and defender of the Bodhisattva Kuan-yin, and stand before her throne. My name in religion is Hui-yen.’

‘What then are you doing here ?’ asked Monkey.

‘I was sent,’ said he, ‘to get news of the battle. And as they are having so much trouble with you, I have come myself to arrest you.’

‘How dare you talk so big?’ said Monkey. ‘Stand your ground and taste Old Monkey’s cudgel.’

Moksha was not at all afraid, but advanced flourishing his iron cudgel. Those two stood face to face at the foot of the mountain, outside the gate of the camp. It was a grand fight. They closed fifty or sixty times, till at last Hui-yen’s arms and shoulders were aching, he could resist no more and fled from the battlefield. Monkey too withdrew his monkey troops, and bade them rest outside the cave.

Moksha, still gasping and panting, tottered into his father’s camp. ‘It’s only too true,’ he said. ‘That Great Sage is indeed the most formidable of magicians I I could do nothing with him and have had to come back leaving him in possession of the field.’ Vaisravana was very astonished. He saw nothing for it but to write out an appeal for further help. This he entrusted to the demon-king Mahabali and his son Moksha, who at once passed through the cordon and soared to Heaven. ‘How are you people down below getting on?’ asked Kuan-yin. ‘My father told me,’ said Hui-yen, ‘that in the first day’s battle they captured a number of tigers, leopards, wolves, and other animals, but not a single monkey. Soon after I arrived, the battle began again, and I closed with the Great Sage some fifty or sixty times, but could not get the better of him and was obliged to retire to the camp. My father then sent the demon-king Mahabali and me to ask for help.’ The Bod-hisattva Kuan-yin bowed her head and reflected.

When the Jade Emperor opened Vaisravana’s missive and saw that it contained an appeal for help, he said laughing, “This is preposterous! Am I to believe that a single monkey-spirit is so powerful that a hundred thousand heavenly troops cannot deal with him ? Vaisravana says that he must have help, but I don’t know what troops he expects me to send.’ Before he had finished speaking, Kuan-yin pressed together the palms of her hands and said, ‘Your Majesty need not worry. I know of a divinity who can certainly catch this monkey.’

‘Whom do you mean ?’ asked the Emperor.

‘Your nephew, the magician Erh-lang’ she said. ‘He lives at the mouth of the River of Libations, and there receives the incense that is burnt in the world below. In old days he once overcame six ogres. He has his brothers with him and one thousand plant-headed deities of very great magical powers. Though he would not come if ordered to, he would listen to an appeal. If you send an appeal to him for troops, with his assistance we could effect a capture.’

The demon-king Mahabali was sent as messenger, and in less than half an hour the cloud he rode on reached Erh-lang’s temple. He came out with his brothers, and after burning incense, read the appeal. ‘Let the heavenly messenger go back,’ he said, ‘and announce that I will help to the utmost of my power.’

So he called together his brothers and said, ‘The Jade Emperor has just asked us to go to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, and receive the submission of a troublesome monkey. Let’s be off!’ The brothers were delighted, and they at once marshalled the divinities in their charge. The whole temple set out, falcon on wrist, or leading their dogs, bow in hand, carried by a wild magic wind. In a trice they had crossed the Eastern Ocean and reached the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. Having announced their mission they were led through the cordon and shown into the camp. They asked how matters stood. ‘I shall certainly have to try a transformation,’ Erh-lang said. ‘Keep the cordon closely drawn, but don’t worry about what goes on overhead. If I am getting the worst of it, do not come to my assistance; my brothers will look after me. If I conquer him, do not try to bind him, but leave that to my brothers. All I ask is that Vaisravana should use an imp-reflecting mirror, standing with it half way up the sky. If he tries to run away and hide, watch his reflection in the mirror, so that we don’t lose sight of him.’