Monkey (11 page)

The heavenly kings then took up their places, and Erh-lang and his brothers went out to give the challenge, telling their fellows to form a circle, keeping their falcons tethered and their dogs on leash. When he reached the door of the cave, Erh-lang found a host of monkeys drawn up in coiling dragon
formation. In their midst was a banner with ‘The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven’ inscribed upon it.

‘How dare the cursed monster call himself equal of Heaven ?’ snarled Erh-lang.

‘Don’t worry about that,’ said the brothers, ‘but go and challenge him at once.’

When the small monkeys at the entrance to the camp saw Erh-lang coming, they scuttled inside and made their report. Monkey seized his metal-bound cudgel, donned his golden breast-plate, put on his cloud-treading shoes and golden cap, and rushed out to the gate, glaring about him.

‘What little captain are you and where do you hail from,’ shouted Monkey, ‘that you dare come here and challenge me to battle?’

‘Have you eyes with no eyeballs, that you fail to know me ?’ shouted Erh-lang. ‘I am the Jade Emperor’s nephew. I have come now by his Majesty’s command to arrest you, rebellious groom-ape that you are! Your hour has come.’

‘I remember,’ said Monkey, ‘that some years ago the emperor’s sister fell in love with a mortal of the world below, became his consort and had a son by him, who is said to have split the Peach Mountain with his axe. Are you he ? I am half minded to give you a bit of my mind, but you are not worth it. I should be sorry to strike you, for one blow of mine would be the end of you. Go back where you came from, little fellow, and tell the four kings of Heaven to come instead.’

Erh-lang was furious. ‘Keep a civil tongue in your head,’ he cried,’ and taste my blade.’

Monkey dodged aside and swiftly raising his cudgel struck in his turn. They closed over three hundred times without reaching a decision. Erh-lang exerted all his magic power, shook himself hard and changed into a giant figure a hundred thousand feet high. His two arms, each holding aloft a magic trident, were like the peaks that crown Mount Hua, his face was blue and his teeth stuck far out, the hair on his head was scarlet and his expression malignant beyond words. This terrible apparition advanced upon Monkey, aiming a blow straight down upon his head. But Monkey, also using
his magic powers, changed himself into an exact counterpart of Erh-lang, save that he held above him a single gigantic cudgel, like the solitary pillar that towers above Mount K’un-lun, and with this he fended off Erh-lang’s blow. But Monkey’s generals were completely discomfited by the giant apparition, and their hands began to tremble so much that they could not wave their banners. His other officers were in panic and could not use their swords. At a word from the brothers the plant-headed divinities rushed in, letting loose their falcons and dogs, and bow in hand all charged into the fray. Alas, Monkey’s four generals fled and two or three thousand of the creatures they commanded were captured. The monkeys threw down their weapons and rushed screaming, some up the mountain, some into the cave. It was just as when a cat at night disturbs roosting birds and their panic fills the starry sky.

When Monkey saw his followers scatter, his heart fluttered, he abandoned his giant form and fled as fast as his feet could carry him. Erh-lang strode after him with huge steps, crying, ‘Where are you off to ? Come back this minute, and I will spare your life.’ But Monkey fled faster than ever to his cave, where he ran straight into the brothers. ‘Wretched monkey, where are you running to ?’ they cried. Monkey, trembling in every limb, hastily turned his cudgel into an embroidery needle, and hiding it about his person, changed himself into a fish, and slipped into the stream. Rushing down to the bank, Erh-lang could see nothing of him. ‘This simian,’ he said, ‘has certainly changed himself into a fish and hidden under the water. I must change myself too if I am to catch him.’ So he changed himself into a cormorant and skimmed hither and thither over the stream.

Monkey, looking up out of the water, suddenly saw a bird hovering above. It was like a blue kite, but its plumage was not blue. It was like a heron, but had no tuft on its head. It was like a crane, but its feet were not red. ‘I’ll be bound that’s Erh-lang looking for me ...’ He released a few bubbles and swam swiftly away.

“That fish letting bubbles,’ said Erh-lang to himself, ‘is like a carp, but its tail is not red; it is like a tench, but there are no
patterns on its scales. It is like a black-fish, but there are no stars on its head; it is like a bream, but there are no bristles on its gills. Why did it make off like that when it saw me? I’ll be bound it’s Monkey, who has changed himself into a fish.’ And swooping down, he opened his beak and snapped at him. Monkey whisked out of the water, and changed himself into a freckled bustard, standing all alone on the bank. Seeing that he had reached the lowest possible stage in transformation, for the freckled bustard is the lowest and most promiscuous of creatures, mating at hazard with any bird that comes its way, Erh-lang did not deign to close with him, but returned to his true form, and fetching bis sling, shot a pellet that sent Monkey rolling. Taking advantage of his opportunity, Monkey rolled and rolled down the mountain side, and when he was out of sight he changed himself into a wayside shrine; his mouth wide open was the door-opening, his teeth he turned into door flaps, his tongue into the guardian Bodhisattva. His two eyes were the two round windows; he didn’t quite know what to do with his tail, but sticking up straight behind it looked like a flag-pole. When Erh-lang arrived at the bottom of the slope, he expected to find the bustard that he had toppled over, but instead he only found a small shrine. Examining it closely he noticed the ‘flag-pole’ sticking up behind and laughed, saying ‘That’s Monkey, that is! He’s trying his tricks on me again. I have seen many shrines, but never one with a flag-pole sticking up behind. No doubt about it, this animal is playing one of his games. He hopes to lure me up close to him, and then he will bite me. He won’t get me that way. I’ll clench my fist and bang in the windows first. Afterwards I’ll kick down the doors.’ When Monkey heard this he was horrified. ‘That’s a bit too much,’ he said to himself. ‘The doors are my teeth and the windows are my eyes. If he kicks my teeth and bangs my eyes, that won’t be nice.’ So saying, he made a tiger-spring and disappeared into the sky.

Erh-lang was just getting tired of the vain pursuit, when his brothers arrived.

‘Well, have you caught the Great Sage ?’ they asked.

‘He has just been trying to dodge me,’ said Erh-lang, ‘by
turning into a shrine. I was just going to hit his windows and kick down his doors, when he suddenly disappeared. It’s a queer business.’ They all began peering helplessly about in every direction, but could find nothing. ‘You stay here and keep a look-out,’ said Erh-lang, ‘while I go up and search for him.’ He mounted the clouds, and half way up the sky came across Vaisravana, who was holding the magic mirror, his son at his side. ‘Have you seen the Monkey King?’ he asked. ‘He has not been up here,’ said Vaisravana. ‘I can see him in my mirror, you know.’ When Erh-lang had told him about the capture of the lesser monkeys and the Great Sage’s repeated transformations, he added, “Then he changed into a shrine, and when I hit at him he suddenly disappeared.’ Vaisravana looked in his mirror and burst out laughing. ‘Make haste, Erh-lang, make haste,’ he cried. ‘That monkey has made himself invisible, decamped, and made straight for your River of Libations.’ When Erh-lang heard this he picked up his magic lance and fled towards the River of Libations as fast as he could.

Now as soon as Monkey reached the river, he changed himself into the exact image of Erh-lang and went straight into Erh-lang’s shrine. The guardian demons of the shrine could not tell the difference and bowed low as he came in. He examined the incense-smoke, and was looking at the votive paintings round the walls, when someone came and announced ‘Another Erh-lang has arrived.’ The guarding deities rushed out, and could hardly believe their eyes.

‘Has a creature calling himself the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven been here ?’ the real Erh-lang asked.

‘We’ve seen nothing of any Great Sage,’ they said, ‘but there’s another holy Erh-lang inside, examining the incense-smoke.’

He rushed in, and as soon as Monkey saw him he changed into his true form and said, ‘Erh-lang, I don’t mind telling you the surname of that shrine was Sun.’
^*

Erh-lang raised his three-pronged, two-bladed magic lance and struck at Monkey’s cheek. Monkey dodged, and the two of them, cursing and fighting, edged towards the shrine-gate
and out into the mists and clouds, struggling as they went, till at last Monkey was driven to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, where the kings of the Four Quarters were keeping strait guard. The brothers came to meet Erh-lang and surrounded Monkey, pressing about him on every side.

Meanwhile in Heaven everyone was wondering why a whole day had passed without any news from Erh-lang.

‘Would your Majesty,’ asked Kuan-yin, ‘permit me and the Patriarch of Tao to go down in person and see how things are going on ?’

‘Not a bad idea,’ said the Jade Emperor, and in the end he and the Queen of Heaven as well as Kuan-yin and Lao Tzu all went to the Southern Gate of Heaven and looked out. They saw the great cordon of heavenly troops, and Vaisravana standing half way up the sky, holding a mirror, while Erh-lang and his brothers pressed round Monkey tussling fiercely with him.

‘That Erh-lang, whom I proposed, hasn’t done so badly,’ said Kuan-yin. ‘He has hemmed the Great Sage in, though he has not yet taken him prisoner. With a little help, I think he could manage it.’

‘What weapon do you propose to use, how are you going to help him ?’ asked Lao Tzu.

‘I shall throw my vase and willow spray down on to his head,’ said Kuan-yin. “That won’t kill him; but it will make him lose his balance, and Erh-lang will easily be able to catch him.’

‘Your vase,’ said Lao Tzu, ‘is made of porcelain. If it fell in just the right place, it might be all right. But if it misses his head and falls on his iron cudgel, it will get broken. You had better leave him to me.’

‘Have
you
got a weapon ?’ asked Kuan-yin.

‘I certainly have,’ said Lao Tzu, and he produced from his sleeve a magic snare. ‘This,’ said he, ‘is called the Diamond Snare. In old days, when I left China, converted the barbarians of the West and became a god, I owed my success entirely to this snare. It comes in handy for keeping off all manner of dangers. Let me throw it down on to him.’

Standing at the gate of Heaven, he cast his snare, and it
went rippling down straight on to Monkey’s head. Monkey was busy warring with Erh-kng and his brothers, and did not notice that a weapon was falling upon him out of the sky. It hit him just on the crown of the head, and toppled him over. He scrambled to his feet and fled, pursued by Erh-lang’s dogs, who went for his calves, so that he stumbled again. Lying on the ground, he cursed, saying, “That has done for me! Why can’t you go and trip up your own master, instead of coming and biting Old Monkey’s legs?’ He twisted and turned, but could not rise, for the brothers were holding him down. Soon they had bound him tightly with ropes, and severed his lute-bone with a knife, so that he could not transform himself.

Lao Tzu drew in his snare, and begged the Emperor, Kuan-yin, the Queen of Heaven, and all the Immortals to go back to the palace. On earth below the kings of the Four Quarters and Vaisravana, and all the heavenly host sheathed their swords and plucked up their palisades. Then they came up to Erh-kng and congratulated him, saying, ‘We owe this victory to you.’

‘Not at all,’ said Erh-lang. ‘It was entirely due to the Founder of Tao and the gallant performances of the heavenly contingent. I can claim no credit at all.’

‘Elder brother,’ said the brothers of Erh-lang, ‘you have said enough. What we must do now is to hoist this fellow up to Heaven and get a ruling from the Jade Emperor as to how he is to be disposed of.’

‘Brothers,’ said Erh-lang, ‘you are not on the roll of Immortals, and cannot appear before the Emperor. Heavenly troops must be told to carry him up, and Vaisravana and I will go up and report. The rest of you had better search the mountain, and when you can report that all is clear, come to the River of Libations and let me know. Meanwhile I will claim the reward due for my services, and then come back to make merry with you.’

The brothers bowed their assent. Erh-lang mounted the clouds, chanting songs of victory, and made his way to Heaven. Here he sent in a message, saying, “The Great Sage has been captured by the hosts of Heaven, and I have come
to receive your instructions.’ The Jade Emperor accordingly told the demon-king Mahabali and a contingent of heavenly troops to hoist Monkey up and bring him to the executioner’s block, where he was to be cut into small pieces.

If you do not know what now became of this Monkey King, listen to what is told in the next chapter.

M
ONKEY
was brought to the place of execution, where heavenly soldiers bound him to a pillar and began to hew him with axes, stab him with spears, slash him with swords. But all this had no effect whatever, and presently the Southern Pole-star sent for the spirits of the Fire Stars to come and set him alight; but they were quite unable to burn him. The thunder spirits hurled thunderbolts at him; but this had even less effect.

‘I don’t know where the Great Sage got this trick of inviolability,’ said Mahabali to the Jade Emperor. ‘Neither weapons nor thunderbolts have the least effect on him. What are we to do?’