Home > Journey to the West > 20-heaven-reaching-river

20 The River That Reaches Heaven

Meanwhile the Tang Monk and his disciples were staying at the Chen house. Near dawn they suddenly felt a cold chill. Bajie shivered from the cold and cried, "Elder Brother, it's cold!" Wukong scolded, "You fool, you have no stamina at all." The Tang Monk said, "Disciple, it is indeed very cold." The master and disciples could not sleep. They got up, put on their clothes, opened the door, and saw the world blanketed in white, with snowflakes falling thick and fast like willow catkins. Wukong said, "With such heavy snow, no wonder you complain of the cold." After breakfast, the Tang Monk saw the snow falling harder and felt troubled. He asked Chen Cheng, "Old benefactor, why does such heavy snow fall in autumn?" Chen Cheng answered, "The climate here is different from that of the Eastern Land; frost and snow are common in the seventh and eighth months." At noon the snow stopped. The Chen brothers set out wine and a vegetarian meal in the hall to entertain the Tang Monk and his disciples. The Tang Monk was eager to continue the journey and had no mind to drink. Suddenly he heard a passerby in the street say, "What cold weather! The Tongtian River has frozen over!" When the Tang Monk heard this, he stepped forward to ask what was happening. The passerby said, "The eight-hundred-li Tongtian River is frozen like a mirror, and people are walking on the ice!" The Tang Monk was overjoyed. He bowed toward heaven and said, "I thank the Emperor of Heaven for his protection in freezing the river and helping your disciple to cross." He told Sandy to ready the horse, intending to cross on the ice. The Chen brothers could not persuade them to stay. They brought out a tray of broken gold and silver, saying, "We are grateful to you, sir, for saving our children; this money is a small token of our thanks." The Tang Monk refused to accept it, but at the brothers' repeated insistence he told Bajie to accept some dry provisions, and they hurriedly took their leave. When the master and disciples reached the river, they saw that there really were people on the ice. Sandy said, "Master, it would be better to return to the Chen house and stay a few more days, then cross by boat when the ice melts. Acting so hastily now, I fear we may make mistakes in our haste." But the Tang Monk's mind was set on fetching the scriptures, and he insisted on leaving at once. Bajie said, "No need to argue. Let Old Pig test the thickness of the ice." He tucked up his robe, strode to the river, raised his rake with both hands, and struck with all his might. With a thud he made nine white marks, and his hands were numbed by the shock. Bajie laughed and said, "We can go, we can go! The river is frozen very solid!" The Tang Monk mounted his horse at once and set out across the ice with his disciples. They walked until sunset, dared not stop long, and traveled through the night by starlight. At dawn they ate some dry food and continued on their way. Meanwhile, after freezing the Tongtian River, the demon had been waiting under the ice. Now hearing the sound of hooves, he worked a magic beneath them, and with a loud crack the frozen ice burst open. Wukong's eyes were sharp; he noticed the ice cracking and quickly leaped into the air. The remaining three, along with the horse and luggage, all fell into the water. The demon was overjoyed. Taking advantage of the confusion, he seized the Tang Monk and carried him back to the water palace. Bajie and Sandy recovered the luggage in the water, loaded it onto the white horse, and returned to the bank. Then Wukong also descended; seeing that their Master was lost, he was greatly distressed. The three could not find the Tang Monk, so they returned to Chen Village. The Chen brothers came out to greet them and asked, "Why do we not see Master Sanzang?" Bajie answered, "He is no longer called Sanzang; he has changed his name to 'Chen Daodi.'" When the two old men heard this, tears fell from their eyes.

 5/9   Home Previous 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next Last