Monkey (30 page)

‘My child,’ said the queen, ‘why should you believe strangers, of whom you have no knowledge ?’

‘I should not,’ said the prince, ‘have dared to accept the Story as true, had not the king my father left behind a token
in the hands of these people.’ The queen asked what it was, and the prince took out from his sleeve the white jade tablet bordered with gold, and handed it to his mother. When she saw that it was indeed a treasure that had been the king’s in old days, she could not stop her tears gushing out like a water-spring. ‘My lord and master,’ she cried, ‘why have you been dead three years and never come to me, but went first to a priest and afterwards to the prince ?’

‘Mother,’ said the prince, ‘what do these words mean?’

‘My child,’ she said, ‘at the fourth watch I too had a dream. I dreamt I saw your father stand in front of me, all dripping wet, saying that he was dead, and that his soul had visited a priest of Tang and asked him to defeat the false king and rescue his own body from where it had been thrown. That is all I can remember, and it is only half. The other half I cannot get clear, and I was puzzling about it when you came. It is strange that you should just at this moment come with this tale, and bring this tablet with you. I will put it away, and you must go and ask that priest to come at once and do what he promises. If he can drive away the impostor and distinguish the false from the true, you will have repaid the king your father for the pains he bestowed upon your upbringing.’

The prince was soon back at the gates of the Treasure Wood Temple, where he was joined by his followers. The sun’s red disc was now falling. He told his followers to stay quietly where they were, went into the temple alone, arranged his hat and clothes, and paid his respects to Monkey, who came hopping and skipping from the main hall. The prince knelt down, saying, ‘Here I am again, Father.’

Monkey raised him from his knees. ‘Did you ask anyone anything when you were in the city ?’ he said.

‘I questioned my mother,’ said the prince; and he told the whole story.

Monkey smiled. ‘If it is as cold as that,’ he said, ‘he is probably a transformation of some chilly creature. No matter 1 Just wait while I mop him up for you. But today it is growing late, and I cannot very well start doing anything. You go back now, and I will come early tomorrow.’

‘Master,’ said the prince, kneeling before him, ‘let me wait here till the morning, and then go along with you.’

‘That will not do,’ said Monkey. ‘If I were to come into the city at the same time as you, the suspicions of the impostor would be aroused. He would not believe that I forced myself upon you, but would be sure you had invited me. And in this way the blame would fall on you.’

‘I shall get into trouble anyhow,’ said the prince, ‘if I go into the city now.’

‘What about ?’ asked Monkey.

‘I was sent out hunting,’ said the prince, ‘and I have not got a single piece of game. How dare I face the king ? If he accuses me of incompetence and casts me into prison, who will you have to look after you when you arrive tomorrow? There is not one of the officers who knows you.’

‘What matter?’ said Monkey. ‘You have only to mention that you need some game, and I will procure it for you.’ Dear Monkey! Watch him while he displays his arts before the prince. He gives himself a shake, jumps up on to the fringe of a cloud, performs a magic pass and murmurs a spell which compels the spirits of the mountain and the local deities to come before him and do obeisance.

‘Great Sage,’ they said, ‘what orders have you for us little divinities ?’

‘I guarded a priest of T’ang on his way here,’ said Monkey. ‘I want to seize an evil spirit, but this prince here has nothing to show for his hunting, and does not dare return to Court. I have sent for you divinities to ask you to do me a favour. Find some musk deer, wild boar, hares and so on – any wild beasts or birds you can discover, and bring them here.’

The divinities dared not disobey. ‘How many do you require of each ?’ they asked.

‘It does not matter exactly how many,’ said Monkey. ‘Just bring some along; that is all.’

Then these divinities, using the secret instruments that appertained to them, made a magic wind that drew together wild beasts. Soon there were hundreds and thousands of wild fowl, deer, foxes, hares, tigers, panthers, and wolves collected in front of Monkey. ‘It is not I who want them!’ he cried.
‘You must get them on the move again, and string them out on each side of the road for forty leagues. The hunters will be able to take them home without use of falcon or dog. That is all that is required of you.’

The divinities obeyed, and spread out the game on each side of the road. Monkey then lowered his cloud and said to the prince, ‘Your Highness may now go back. There is game all along the road; you have only to collect it.’

When the prince saw him floating about in the air and exercising magic powers, he was deeply impressed, and bent his head on the ground in prostration before Monkey, from whom he humbly took his leave. He then went out in front of the temple and gave orders to the huntsmen to return to Court. They were astonished to find endless wild game on each side of the road, which they took without use of falcon or dog, merely by laying hands upon it. They all believed that this blessing had been vouchsafed to the prince, and had no idea that it was Monkey’s doing. Listen to the songs of triumph that they sing as they throng back to the city!

When the priests of the temple saw on what terms Tripitaka and the rest were with the prince, they began to treat them with a new deference. They invited them to refreshments, and again put the Zen Hall at Tripitaka’s disposal. It was near the first watch; but Monkey had something on his mind and could not get to sleep at once. Presently he crept across to Tripitaka’s bed and called,’ Master 1’ Tripitaka was not asleep either; but knowing that Monkey liked giving people a start, he pretended to be asleep. Monkey rubbed his tonsure and shaking him violently, he said, ‘Master, why are you sleeping?’

“The rogue I’ cried Tripitaka crossly. ‘Why can’t you go to sleep, instead of pestering me like this ?’

‘Master,’ said Monkey, ‘there is something you must give me your advice about.’

‘What is that ?’ said Tripitaka.

‘I talked very big to the prince,’ said Monkey, ‘giving him to understand that my powers were high as the hills and deep as the sea, and that I could catch the false wizard as easily as one takes things out of a bag -1 had only to stretch out my
hand and carry him off. But I cannot get to sleep, for it has occurred to me that it may not be so easy.’

‘If you think it’s too difficult, why do it?’ said Tripitaka.

‘It’s not that there’s any difficulty about catching him,’ said Monkey.’ The only question is whether it is legal.’

‘What nonsense this monkey talks,’ said Tripitaka. ‘How can it be illegal to arrest a monster that has seized a monarch’s throne?’

‘You only know how to read scriptures, worship Buddha, and practise Zen, and have never studied the Code of Hsiao Ho. But you must at least know the proverb “Take robber, take loot”. The magician has been king for three years and not the slightest suspicion has been felt by anyone. All the late king’s ladies sleep with him, and the ministers civil and military disport themselves with him. Even if I succeed in catching him, how am I to convince anyone of his guilt ?’

‘What is the difficulty?’ asked Tripitaka. ‘Even if he were as dumb as a calabash, he would be able to talk one down. He would say boldly, “I am the king of Crow-cock. What crime have I committed against Heaven that you should arrest me ?” How would one argue with him then ?’

‘And you,’ said Tripitaka,’ what plan have you got ?’

‘My plan is already made,’ said Monkey smiling. “The only obstacle is that you have a partiality.’

‘A partiality for whom?’ said Tripitaka.

‘Pigsy,’ said Monkey; ‘you have a preference for him because he is so strong.’

‘What makes you think that?’ asked Tripitaka.

‘If it were not so,’ said Monkey, ‘you would pull yourself together and have the courage to stay here with Sandy to look after you, while I and Pigsy go off to the city of Crow-cock, find the flower garden, uncover the well, and bring up the Emperor’s body, which we will wrap in our wrapper, and next day bring to Court. There we will get our papers put in order, confront the Magician, and I will fell him with my cudgel. If he tries to exonerate himself, I will show him the body and say, “Here is the man you drowned.” And I will make the prince come forward and wail over his father, the queen come out and recognize her husband, the officers
civil and military look upon their lord, and then I and my brother will get to work. In this way the whole thing will be on a proper footing.’

Tripitaka thought this was a splendid plan, but he was not sure that Pigsy would consent. ‘Why not?’ said Monkey. ‘Didn’t I say you were partial to him and did not want him to go ? You think he would refuse to go because you know that when I call you it is often half an hour before you take any notice. You’ll see when I start, that I shall only need a turn or two of my three-inch tongue, and no matter if he is Pigsy or Wigsy I am quite capable of making him follow me.’

‘Very well,’ said Tripitaka,’ call him when you go.’

‘Pigsy, Pigsy,’ cried Monkey at Pigsy’s bedside. That fool did most of the hard work when they were on the road, and no sooner did his head touch the pillow than he was snoring, and it took a great deal more than a shout to wake him.

Monkey pulled his ears, tweaked his bristles, and dragged him from the pillow, shouting ‘Pigsy!’ That fool pushed him away. Monkey shouted again.

‘Go to sleep and don’t be so stupid,’ Pigsy said. ‘Tomorrow we have got to be on the road again.’

‘I am not being stupid,’ said Monkey, ‘there is a bit of business I want your help in.’

‘What business ?’ asked Pigsy.

‘You heard what the prince said ?’ said Monkey.

‘No,’ said Pigsy, ‘I did not set eyes on him, or hear anything he said.’

‘He told me,’ said Monkey, ‘that the magician has a treasure worth more than an army of ten thousand men. When we go to the city tomorrow, we are sure to fall foul of him, he will use it to overthrow us. Wouldn’t it be much better if we got in first and stole the treasure ?’

‘Brother,’ said Pigsy, ‘are you asking me to commit robbery ? If so, that’s a business I have experience of and can really be of some help. But there is one thing we must get clear. If I steal a treasure or subdue a magician I expect more than a petty, skunking share. The treasure must be mine.’

‘What do you want it for?’ asked Monkey. ‘I am not so clever as you are at talking people into giving me alms. I
am strong, but I have a very common way of talking, and I don’t know how to recite the scriptures. When we get into a tight place, wouldn’t this treasure be good to exchange for something to eat and drink ?’

‘I only care for fame,’ said Monkey. ‘I don’t want any treasures. You may have it all to yourself.’

That fool, when he heard that it was all to be his, was in high glee. He rolled out of bed, hustled into his clothes, and set out with Monkey.

Clear wine brings a blush to the cheeks;

Yellow gold moves even a philosophic heart.

The two of them opened the temple gate very quietly and, leaving Tripitaka, mounted a wreath of cloud and soon reached the city, where they lowered their cloud, just as the second watch was being sounded on the tower.

‘Brother! it’s the second watch,’ said Monkey.

‘Couldn’t be better,’ said Pigsy. ‘Everyone will just be deep in their first sleep.’

They did not go to the main gate, but to the back gate, where they heard the sound of the watchman’s clappers and bells.

‘Brother,’ said Monkey,’ they are on the alert at all the gates. How shall we get in ?’

‘When did thieves ever go in by a gate?’ said Pigsy. ‘We must scramble over the wall.’ Monkey did so, and at a bound was over the rampart and wall. Pigsy followed, and the two stealthily made their way in, soon rejoining the road from the gate. They followed this till they came to the flower garden.

In front of them was a gate-tower with three thatched white gables, and high up was an inscription in shining letters, catching the light of the moon and stars. It said ‘Imperial Flower Garden’. When Monkey came dose, he saw that the locks were sealed up several layers deep, and he told Pigsy to get to work. That fool wielded his iron rake, which he brought crashing down upon the gate and smashed it to bits. Monkey stepped over the fragments, and once inside could not stop himself jumping and shouting for joy. ‘Brother,’
said Pigsy, ‘you’ll be the ruin of us. Who ever heard of a thief making all that noise? You’ll wake everyone up, we shall be arrested and taken before the judge, and if we are not condemned to death we shall certainly be sent back to where we came from and drafted into the army.’

‘Why try to make me nervous?’ said Monkey. ‘Look!

‘The painted and carven balustrades are scattered and strewn;

The jewel-studded arbours and trees are toppling down.

The sedgy islands and knot-weed banks are buried in dust;

The white peonies and yellow glove-flowers, all dust-destroyed.