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08 The Stolen Cassock

"Wretched monkey," said the Bodhisattva sharply. "It was you who showed off your treasure before a petty man, and called up wind to feed the fire that burned my monastery — and now you come here to bully me?" Seeing he was found out, Wukong bowed hastily. "Forgive me, Bodhisattva. But I beg you, help me get the cassock back." "Very well," said the Bodhisattva. "For the Tang Monk's sake I will go with you this once." And she mounted an auspicious cloud with Wukong and made for Black Wind Mountain. At Black Wind Mountain they saw a Taoist coming along the slope, a glass dish in his hand holding two pills of immortality. He was hurrying along with his head down and ran full into Wukong. Wukong drew his golden-hooped rod and struck the Taoist on the head; he fell down dead, and his true shape appeared — a grey wolf. "Monkey," cried the Bodhisattva in alarm, "why have you killed him?" "You do not know, Bodhisattva — this Taoist is a friend of the bear spirit, on his way to the Buddha Robe Gathering." He picked up the dish and looked; on its base were engraved the words "Made by Lingxuzi." Then Wukong had an idea. He swallowed one of the pills and said with a laugh, "Bodhisattva, you become the Taoist, and old Sun will become the pill. You go and coax the bear; once he swallows the pill, we shall have him." At the thought of taking a demon's shape, the Bodhisattva hesitated. "If you will not, Bodhisattva," said Wukong, "then let us each go home. The cassock will be a gift given for nothing, and the Tang Monk will come away empty-handed." "What a sharp monkey tongue you have!" said the Bodhisattva, laughing. And she turned herself into Lingxuzi. "Marvellous!" cried Wukong. "Is it a demon turned bodhisattva, or a bodhisattva turned demon?" "Whether one is a bodhisattva or a demon," she said with a smile, "hangs on a single thought." Then Wukong turned himself into a pill, made a little larger than the other. The Bodhisattva took up the glass dish and went to the cave mouth, where the lesser demons were shouting, "The Immortal Lingxu has come!" and running in to announce him. Before long the bear spirit came out to greet her. "That the Immortal Lingxu should honour us — our poor cave is radiant with light!" They went in and sat down. The Bodhisattva raised the dish, picked out the larger of the two pills and offered it to the bear. "This humble Taoist presents one pill of immortality, and wishes the great king a thousand years of life." The bear made a show of courtesy and took it in his hand — but as he was about to swallow, the pill rolled of itself down his throat. Inside the bear's belly Wukong resumed his true shape and began to kick and hammer without mercy, until the bear rolled on the ground in agony. The Bodhisattva too resumed her own form. "Black bear spirit," she said, "hand over the Buddha robe at once." The bear begged for quarter, brought out the robe and gave it to her. She took it — and fearing he might yet be unruly, she cast a band down over his head. Sure enough, no sooner had Wukong come out through the bear's nostril than the bear sprang up with a roar and levelled his spear at the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva rose into the air and recited the true words; the pain made the bear drop his spear and roll about the ground.

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