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07 Eagle Grief Gorge

At once the little dragon became a white horse, and the Bodhisattva bade Wukong lead it to the Tang Monk. "The road west is so rough," Wukong grumbled. "When will I ever get a mortal monk there?" "Without a thousand sufferings, how shall the true scriptures be won?" said Guanyin. "And when you come to the point of mortal peril, I promise you this: call on heaven and heaven will answer; call on earth and earth will heed." She plucked three willow leaves and placed them behind his ear, and cried "Change!" — and they became three life-saving hairs. "In extremity," she said, "they will answer your need and rescue you from desperate peril." Then Guanyin returned to Mount Putuo in the South Sea, and Wukong, holding the white horse by the mane, brought his cloud down to earth. The Tang Monk was overjoyed. "Why, the horse is fatter and stronger than before!" "You are dreaming, Master," said Wukong. "The Bodhisattva was here but now and turned the dragon into a horse." "Where is she?" cried the monk. "Let me go and give thanks." "She has gone back to the South Sea," said Wukong. So the Tang Monk took up a handful of earth, burned incense and bowed toward the south. The mountain god and the earth god took their leave of Wukong and returned to their places. Wukong packed the luggage, helped his master mount, and the two of them went on westward together.

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