Monkey (8 page)

Monkey was delighted with the sound of this, and having exclaimed ‘Good, good, good!’ many times, he ordered his generals to set up a banner with’ Great Sage, Equal of Heaven’ written on it in large letters. Henceforward, he said, he was to be addressed by no other name, and instructions to this effect were to be given to all fiends that acknowledged his sway.

When the Jade Emperor held his court next day, the head of the Stable appeared kneeling on the steps of the throne, announcing that the newly appointed groom had complained that the job was not good enough for him and had returned to earth. ‘Very good,’ said the Jade Emperor, ‘you may return to your duties. I will send heavenly soldiers to arrest him.’ At once Vaisravana and his son Natha came forward and volunteered for this service. They were put in command of the expedition, and appointed the Mighty Magic Spirit to lead the way, the Fish-Belly general to bring up the rear, and the captain of the Yakshas to drive the troops on. Soon they were out of the southern gate of Heaven, and on their way to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. They then chose a piece of flat ground, where they encamped, and the Mighty Magic Spirit was chosen to provoke battle. He buckled on his armour and, brandishing his great axe, he strode towards the mouth of the Water Curtain Cave. Outside it were gathered together a band of monsters–wolves, tigers, and so on -prancing about, flourishing spears and swords, leaping and noisily brawling. ‘Accursed creatures,’ cried the spirit, ‘go quickly and tell the groom that a great commandant from Heaven has come by order of the Jade Emperor to receive his submission. Tell him to be quick about it, or you will all of you pay with your lives.’ The monsters came helter-skelter into the cave.

‘A terrible thing has happened,’ they announced.

‘What’s the matter ?’ asked Monkey.

‘There’s a heavenly commandant at the gate,’ they said, ‘declaring that he has been sent by the Jade Emperor to receive your submission. If you don’t submit at once, he says we shall all pay for it with our lives.’

‘Bring me my arms,’ cried Monkey. He put on his bronze helmet, his golden corselet and cloud-stepping shoes, and with his magic staff in his hand, he led out his followers and arrayed them for battle.

When the Mighty Magic Spirit saw him, ‘Wretched monkey,’ he cried,’ do you know me or not ?’

‘What scurvy deity are you?’ asked Monkey. ‘I have never set eyes on you. Tell me your name at once.’

‘Vile trickster!’ cried he, ‘how dare you pretend you do not know me ? I am the leader of the vanguard of Vais”ravana’s heavenly host, the Mighty Magic Spirit. I come by command of the Jade Emperor to receive your submission. Disarm at once and throw yourself on Heaven’s mercy, or all the denizens of this mountain will be put to the sword. Breathe so much as half of the word “No,” and you will instantly be sliced to pieces.’

‘Scurvy deity,’ cried Monkey, very angry, ‘stop your bragging. If I were to strike you dead with one blow of my staff, you could not carry my message. So I shall spare your life, that you may go back to Heaven and tell the Jade Emperor that he does not know how to use a good man when he finds one. I have innumerable arts of magic. Why should I be put to mind the horses? Look what is written on this banner. If he admits my right to this title, I will leave him in peace. But if he refuses, I will come up at once and strike such a blow at his palace as will tumble him from his dragor couch.’

Looking about, the spirit saw the banner, with its inscription, and laughed aloud. ‘The impudence of this vile monkey 1’ he cried. ‘Call yourself “Equal of Heaven” if you please, but first swallow a good dose of this axe of mine!’ and he struck at Monkey’s head. But Monkey was not ruffled, and met the blow with his staff. It was a good fight that followed. At last the spirit could withstand no longer. Monkey aimed a smashing blow at his head, which he attempted to parry with his axe. The axe split in two, and he was obliged to run for his life. Back in the camp he went straight to Vaisravana and kneeling before him panted out, ‘The groom has magic powers that are too great for us. I
was unable to stand up to him and have come to plead for mercy.’

‘This wretch,’ said Vaisravana, looking contemptuously at the spirit, ‘has humiliated me. Take him away and cut off his head!’ But his son, prince Natha, slipped forward and said, bowing profoundly, ‘Father, do not be angry. Spare the spirit for a while, and let me go to do battle, so that we may know how things really stand.’ Vaisravana accepted this offer, and ordered the spirit to go back to his camp and await trial.

The prince, having buckled on his armour, sprang from the camp and rushed to the Cave of the Water Curtain. Monkey was just disarming himself, but now came to the gate and said, ‘Whose little brother are you and why have you come gatecrashing here?’

‘Nauseous ape,’ cried Natha, ‘why pretend you do not know me? I am Vaisravana’s third son. The Jade Emperor has sent me here to arrest you.’

‘Little prince,’ laughed Monkey, ‘you have not yet lost your milk-teeth, your womb-down is not yet dry. How dare you talk so big ? For the moment I’ll spare your life, provided that you look at what is written on the banner, and tell the Jade Emperor that if he will give me
that
rank he need send no more armies; I will submit of my own accord. But if he will not agree, I shall come and batter down his Jewel Palace of the Magic Mists.’

Natha looked up and saw the inscription: ‘Great Sage, Equal of Heaven’. ‘You must think yourself a wonder-worker indeed, that you dare lay claim to such a title! Don’t worry! One stroke of my sword will settle you,’ said Natha.

‘I’ll stand my ground,’ said Monkey, ‘and you can break as many swords upon me as you like.’

‘Change!’ roared Natha, and he at once changed into a deity with three heads and six arms.

‘So this little brother,’ said Monkey, ‘knows some tricks! I’ll trouble you to look at my magic’

So saying, he too assumed three heads and six arms, and at the same time changed his cudgel into three cudgels, each of which he grasped with two hands. The battle that followed
was one that shook the earth and rattled the hills. Truly a good fight 1 Each displayed his terrifying powers, and they battled as many as thirty times. The prince turned his six weapons into a thousand thousand weapons. Monkey followed suit. The sparks fell like falling stars as they fought half-way up in the sky and still neither gained advantage.

But Monkey was very swift of hand and eye. Just at the height of the fray, he changed back into his proper shape and, cudgel in hand, closed with Natha. In his own shape he moved with greater freedom; getting behind the prince’s head, he brought down a mighty blow on his shoulder. Just as Natha was preparing a new magic, he heard the swish of Monkey’s cudgel as it dove the air. He had no time to dodge, and so great was his pain that he at once took to his heels, changed into his true form, and returned ignominiously to his father’s camp. Vaisravana had been watching the battle, and was just thinking of going to his son’s assistance, when Natha suddenly appeared before him and, trembling from head to foot, said:

‘My father and king! The groom has indeed stupendous powers. Even such magic as mine could not withstand him, and in the end he wounded my shoulder.’

‘If a fellow has such powers as this,’ said Vaisravana dismayed, ‘how are we to bring him to heel ?’

‘Outside his cave,’ said the prince, ‘he has put up a banner, upon which is written “Great Sage, Equal of Heaven”. He had the insolence to say that if you would acknowledge his right to this title he would give no more trouble. Otherwise, he will batter down the Jewel Palace of Magic Mists.’

‘If that is so,’ said Vaisravana, ‘we had better leave him alone for the present. I will report this to the Jade Emperor and ask for heavenly reinforcements, that we may hem him in while there is still time.’

‘Am I to believe,’ said the Jade Emperor, when the situation was explained to him, ‘that one monkey is so powerful that reinforcements are needed to deal with him ?’

Natha then stepped forward. ‘Great One,’ he said, ‘though I know that I deserve death at your hands, I beg you to hear me. That Monkey possesses an iron cudgel with which
he first defeated the River Spirit and then wounded my shoulder.’

‘Take the whole army,’ said the Emperor ‘and slay him immediately 1’

At this moment the Spirit of the Planet Venus stepped forward. ‘That Monkey,’ he said, ‘flings his words about recklessly, and there is no reason to suppose that he can do all he threatens to do. But if soldiers are sent to deal with him, it will mean a long and exhausting campaign. It would be better if your Majesty were to pursue a policy of mercy. Say that you desire a peaceful solution and are quite willing to let him be ‘The Sage, Equal of Heaven”. There will be no harm in his having a nominal post under that title, of course without salary.’

‘I don’t think I quite understand,’ said the Jade Emperor, ‘what you are proposing that his position should be.’

‘He could be called by that title,’ said the Planet, ‘without having any special duties or any salary. The advantage would be that living on celestial ground he would soon turn from his depravity, cease his mad tricks, and the Universe would have a chance to settle down quietly.’

‘Agreed!’ said the Emperor. And the Planet was sent to convey the peace offering.

He left Heaven by the southern gate and went straight to the Cave of the Water Curtain. Things were very different this time. The place bristled with weapons; every sort of wild ogre was on guard, and they were armed with lances, swords, staves, which they brandished fiercely, leaping this way and that. Seeing the star spirit, they all rushed forward. ‘Come chieftains’ said the spirit, ‘I’ll trouble you to tell your master that I am here. I am a heavenly messenger sent by God on High, and am come with a summons to your king.’ ‘Welcome to him,’ said Monkey, when he heard that a messenger had come. ‘It must be the Spirit of the Planet Venus, who came to fetch me before. That time, although the job I got was not worthy of me, my time in heaven was not entirely wasted. I ran round a good deal, and got to know my way about. No doubt he has come this time to offer me something better.’

And he ordered the chieftains to lead the spirit in, with a great waving of flags and rattle of drums. Monkey received him at the mouth of the cave in full panoply surrounded by hosts of lesser apes.

‘Step in, old star,’ he called, ‘and forgive me for not having come to meet you.’

‘Your colleagues,’ said the planet, ‘informed the Jade Emperor that you were discontented with your appointment in the Stables, and had absconded. “Everyone has to start with something small and work his way upward,” said the Emperor. “What has he got to complain of?” And armies were sent to subdue you. When your magic powers proved superior to theirs, and it was proposed to band together all the forces of heaven and dispatch them against you, I put in a word, suggesting that you should be accorded the title you have assumed. This was accepted, and I have come to fetch you.’

‘I am much obliged to you for your trouble this time and last,’ said Monkey. ‘But I don’t know whether there is such a rank in heaven as “Great Sage, Equal of Heaven “!’

‘My proposal was that you should have this rank,’ said the Planet, ‘and it was accepted; otherwise I should never have dared to come with the message. If anything goes wrong, I am ready to take the responsibility.’

Monkey wished to detain the planet and give a banquet in his honour. But the planet would not stay; and they both set off together for the Southern Gate of Heaven. When the ‘monkey groom’ was announced the Jade Emperor said, ‘Come forward, Monkey. I hereby proclaim you Great Sage, Equal of Heaven. The rank is a high one, and I hope we shall have no more nonsense.’ Monkey gave a great whoop of delight and thanked the Emperor profusely.

Heavenly carpenters were ordered to build the office of the Great Sage to the right of the Peach Garden. It had two departments, one called Peace and Quiet and the other Calm Spirit. In each were Immortal Officers who attended Monkey wherever he went. A star spirit was detailed to escort Monkey to his new quarters, and he was allowed a ration of two jars of Imperial wine and ten sprays of gold-leaf flowers. He
was begged not to allow himself to get in any way excited or start again on his pranks.

As soon as he arrived, he opened both jars and invited everyone in his office to a feast. The star spirit went back to his own quarters, and Monkey, left to his own devices, lived in such perfect freedom and delight as in earth or heaven have never had their like.

And if you do not know what happened in the end, you must listen to what is told in the next chapter.

M
ONKEY
knew nothing about official matters, and it was fortunate that all he had to do was to mark his name on a list. For the rest, he and his subordinates ate their three meals, slept soundly at night, had no worries, but only perfect freedom and independence. When there was nothing else going on, he went round and made friends with the other denizens of heaven. He was careful to address the members of the Trinity as ‘Venerable’, and the four Emperors as ‘Majesty’; but all the rest, Planets, Lunar Mansions, spirits of the Hours and Days, he treated as equals. Today he wandered east, tomorrow rambled west; his goings and comings were unhampered as the passage of the clouds. One day at Court an Immortal stepped forward and made the following petition: ‘I submit that the Sage, Equal of Heaven has no duties to perform. He spends all his time going round and making friends. All the stars of heaven, high and low, are now his cronies. Trouble will come of it, unless some way is found of employing his time.’ The Jade Emperor accordingly sent for Monkey, who arrived in high glee, asking ‘What promotion or reward has your Majesty sent for me to announce ?’