Monkey (33 page)

‘What talk is that?’ said Monkey laughing. ‘The proverb says “A household cannot have two masters.” There is no harm in letting him pay his respects to you.’

Tripitaka, still feeling somewhat embarrassed, raised the Emperor to his feet and brought him to the Hall of Meditation, where he and his disciples again prostrated themselves, and set him on a seat. The priests of the temple had got ready their breakfast, and invited Tripitaka and his party to join them. Imagine their astonishment when they saw an Emperor, his clothes still dripping. ‘Don’t be surprised,’ said Monkey,
coming forward. “This is the King of Crow-cock, your rightful lord. Three years ago he was robbed of his life by a fiend, and tonight I brought him back to life. Now we must take him to the city and expose the impostor. If you have anything for us to eat, serve it now, and we will start as soon as we have breakfasted.’

The priests brought the Emperor hot water to wash in, and helped him out of his clothes. The almoner brought him a cloth jacket, and instead of his jade belt tied a silk sash round his waist; took off his upturned shoes, and gave him a pair of old priest’s sandals. Then they all had breakfast, and saddled the horse.

‘Pigsy, is your luggage very heavy ?’ asked Monkey.

‘Brother, I’ve carried it so many days on end that I don’t know whether it’s heavy or not.’

‘Divide the pack into two,’ said Monkey, ‘take one half yourself, and give the other to this Emperor to carry. In that way we shall get quicker to the city and dispose of our business.’

‘That’s a bit of luck,’ said Pigsy. ‘It was a nuisance getting him here. But now that he’s been made alive, he is coming in useful as a partner.’

Pigsy then divided the luggage after his own methods. Borrowing a hod from the priests of the temple he put everything light into his own load, and everything heavy into the king’s. ‘I hope your Majesty has no objection,’ said Monkey laughing, ‘to being dressed up like this, and carrying the luggage, and following us on foot.’

‘Master,’ said the Emperor, instantly flinging himself upon his knees, ‘I can only regard you as my second progenitor, and let alone carrying luggage for you, my heartfelt desire is to go with you all the way to India, even if I were only to serve you as the lowest menial, running beside you whip in hand as you ride.’

‘There’s no need for you to go to India,’ said Monkey. ‘That’s our special concern. All you have to do is to carry the luggage forty leagues to the city and then let us seize the fiend. After which you can go on being Emperor again, and we can go on looking for scriptures.’

‘That’s all very well,’ said Pigsy. ‘But in that case he gets off with forty leagues, while I shall be on the job all the time.’

‘Brother,’ said Monkey, ‘don’t talk nonsense, but be quick and lead the way out.’ Pigsy and the Emperor accordingly led the way, while Sandy supported Tripitaka on his horse and Monkey followed behind. They were accompanied to the gates by five hundred priests in gorgeous procession, blowing conches as they walked. ‘Don’t come with us any further,’ said Monkey. ‘If some official were to notice, our plans might get out, and everything would go wrong. Go back at once, and have the Emperor’s clothes well cleaned, and send them to the city tonight or early tomorrow. I will see to it that you are well paid for your pains.’

They had not travelled for half a day when the walls and moat of the city of Crow-cock came into view. ‘Monkey,’ said Tripitaka, ‘I think this place in front of us must be the city of Crow-cock.’

‘It certainly is,’ said Monkey. ‘Let us hurry on and do our business.’

When they reached the city they found the streets and markets thronging with people, and everywhere a great stir and bustle. Soon they saw rising before them towers and gables of great magnificence. ‘Disciples,’ said Tripitaka, ‘let us go at once to Court and get our papers put in order. Then we shall have no more trouble hanging about in government offices.’

‘That is a good idea,’ said Monkey. ‘We will all come with you; the more the tellers, the better the story.’

‘Well, if you all come,’ said Tripitaka, ‘you must behave nicely, and not say anything till you have done homage as humble subjects of the throne.’

‘But that means bowing down,’ said Monkey.

‘To be sure,’ said Tripitaka. ‘You have to bow down five times and strike your forehead on the ground three times.’

‘Master,’ said Monkey, ‘that’s not a good idea. To pay homage to a thing like that is really too silly. Let me go in first, and I will decide what we are to do. If he addresses us, let me answer him. If you see me bow, then you must bow too; if I squat, then you must squat.’

Look at him, that Monkey King, maker of many troubles, how he goes straight up to the door and says to the high officer in charge: ‘We were sent by the Emperor of China to worship Buddha in India, and fetch scriptures. We want to have our papers put in order here, and would trouble you to announce our arrival. By doing so, you will not fail to gain religious merit.’ The eunuch went in and knelt on the steps of the throne, announcing the visitors and their request. ‘I did not think it right to let them straight in,’ he said. ‘They await your orders outside the door.’ The false king then summoned them in. Tripitaka entered, accompanied by the true king, who as he went could not stop the tears that coursed down his cheeks.

‘Alas,’ he sighed to himself, ‘for my dragon-guarded rivers and hills, my iron-girt shrines! Who would have guessed that a creature of darkness would possess you all ?’

‘Emperor,’ said Monkey, ‘you must control your emotion, or we shall be discovered. I can feel the truncheon behind my ear twitching, and I am certain that I shall be successful. Leave it to me to slay the monster and when things are cleaned up, those rivers and hills will soon be yours again.’

The true king dared not demur. He wiped away his tears, and followed as best he could. At last they reached the Hall of Golden Bells, where they saw the two rows of officials civil and military, and the four hundred Court officers, all of imposing stature and magnificently apparelled. Monkey led forward Tripitaka to the white jade steps, where they both stood motionless and erect. The officials were in consternation. ‘Are these priests so utterly bereft of decency and reason?’ they exclaimed. ‘How comes it that, seeing our king, they do not bow down or greet him with any word of blessing? Not even a cry of salutation escaped their lips. Never have we seen such impudent lack of manners!’

‘Where do they come from?’ interrupted the false king.

‘We were sent from the eastern land of T’ang in Southern Jambudvi’pa, said Monkey haughtily, ‘by royal command, to go to India that is in the Western Region, and there to worship the Living Buddha in the Temple of the Great Thunder Clap, and obtain true scriptures. Having arrived
here we dare not proceed without coming first to you to have our passports put in order.’

The false king was very angry. ‘What is this eastern land of yours?’ he said. ‘Do I pay tribute to it, that you should appear before me in this rude fashion, without bowing down? I have never had any dealings with your country.’

‘Our eastern land,’ said Monkey, ‘long ago set up a Heavenly Court and became a Great Power. Whereas yours is a Minor Power, a mere frontier land. There is an old saying, “The king of a Great Country is father and lord; the king of a lesser country is vassal and son.” You admit that you have had no dealings with our country. How dare you contend that we ought to bow down ?’

‘Remove that uncivil priest,’ the king called to his officers of war. At this all the officers sprang forward. But Monkey made a magic pass and cried ‘Halt!’ The magic of the pass was such that these officers all suddenly remained rooted to the spot and could not stir. Well might it be said:

The captains standing round the steps became like figures of wood,

The generals on the Royal Dais were like figures of clay.

Seeing that Monkey had brought his officers civil and military to a standstill, the false king leapt from his Dragon Couch and made as though to seize him. ‘Good,’ said Monkey to himself. ‘That is just what I wanted. Even if his hand is made of iron, this cudgel of mine will make some pretty dents in it!’

But just at this moment a star of rescue arrived. ‘Who can this have been ?’ you ask. It was no other than the prince of Crow-cock, who hastened forward and clutched at the false king’s sleeve, and kneeling before him cried, ‘Father and king, stay your anger.’

‘Little son,’ asked the king, ‘why should you say this ?’

‘I must inform my father and king,’ said the prince. ‘Three years ago I heard someone say that a priest had been sent from T’ang to get scriptures in India, and it is he who has now unexpectedly arrived in our country. If my father and king, yielding to the ferocity of his noble nature, now arrests and beheads this priest, I fear that the news will one day reach
the Emperor of T’ang, who will be furiously angry. You must know that after Li Shih-min had established this great dynasty of T’ang and united the whole land, his heart was still not content, and he has now begun to conquer far-away lands. If he hears that you have done harm to his favourite priest, he will raise his hosts and come to make war upon you. Our troops are few and our generals feeble. You will, when it is too late, be sorry indeed that you provoked him. If you were to follow your small son’s advice, you would question these four priests, and only punish such of them as are proved not to travel at the King of China’s bidding.’

This was a stratagem of the prince’s. For he feared that harm might come to Tripitaka, and therefore tried to check the king, not knowing that Monkey was ready to strike.

The false king believed him, and standing in front of the Dragon Couch, he cried in a loud voice: ‘Priest, how long ago did you leave China, and why were you sent to get scriptures ?’

‘My Master,’ said Monkey haughtily, ‘is called Tripitaka, and is treated by the Emperor of China as his younger brother. The Emperor in a vision went to the Realms of Death, and on his return he ordered a great Mass for all souls in torment. On this occasion my Master recited so well and showed such compassionate piety that the Goddess Kuan-yin chose him to go on a mission to the west. My Master vowed that he would faithfully perform this task in return for his sovereign’s bounties, and he was furnished by the Emperor with credentials for the journey. He started in the thirteenth year of the Emperor’s reign, in the ninth month, three days before the full moon. After leaving China, he came first to the Land of the Two Frontiers, where he picked up me, and made me his chief disciple. In the hamlet of the Kao family, on the borders of the country of Wu-ssu, he picked up a second disciple, called Pigsy; and at the river of Flowing Sands he picked up a third, whom we call Sandy. Finally a few days ago, at the Temple of the Treasure Wood, he found another recruit -the servant who is carrying the luggage.’

The false king thought it unwise to ask any more questions
about Tripitaka; but he turned savagely upon Monkey and addressed to him a crafty question. ‘I can accept,’ he said, ‘that one priest set out from China, and picked up three priests on the way. But your story about the fourth member of your party I altogether disbelieve. This servant is certainly someone whom you have kidnapped. What is his name? Has he a passport, or has he none? Bring him before me to make his deposition!’

The true king shook with fright. ‘Master,’ he whispered, ‘what am I to depose ?’

‘That’s all right,’ said Monkey. ‘I’ll make your deposition for you.’

Dear Monkey! He stepped boldly forward and cried to the magician in a loud, clear voice: ‘Your Majesty, this old man is dumb and rather hard of hearing. But it so happens that when he was young, he travelled in India, and knows the way there. I know all about his career and origins and with your Majesty’s permission I will make a deposition on his behalf.’

‘Make haste,’ said the false king, ‘and furnish a true deposition or you will get into trouble.’

Monkey then recited as follows:

‘The subject of this deposition is far advanced inyears; he is deaf and dumb, and has fallen on evil days. His family for generations has lived in these parts; but five years ago disaster overtook his house. Heaven sent no rain; the people perished of drought, the lord king and all his subjects fasted and did penance. They burned incense, purified themselves and called upon the Lord of Heaven; but in all the sky not a wisp of cloud appeared. The hungry peasants dropped by the roadside, when suddenly there came a Taoist magician from the Chung-nan Mountains, a monster in human form. He called to the winds and summoned the rain, displaying godlike power; but soon after secretly destroyed this wretched man’s life. In the flower-garden he pushed him down into the crystal well; then set himself on the Dragon Throne, none knowing it was he. Luckily I came and achieved a great success; I raised him from the dead and restored him to life without hurt or harm. He earnestly begged to be admitted to our faith, and act as carrier on the road, to join with us in our quest and journey to the Western
Land. The false king who sits on the throne is that foul magician; he that now carries our load is Crow-cock’s rightful king I’

When the false king in the Palace of Golden Bells heard these words, he was so startled that his heart fluttered like the heart of a small deer. Then clouds of shame suffused his face, and leaping to his feet he was about to flee, when he remembered that he was unarmed. Looking round he saw a captain of the Guard with a dagger at his waist, standing there dumb and foolish as a result of Monkey’s spell. The false king rushed at him and snatched the dagger; then leapt upon a cloud and disappeared into space.