Home > Journey to the West > 25-kingdom-of-jisai

25 The Kingdom of Jisai

Seeing that the Tang Monk was weary, Wukong said, "Master, this pagoda has thirteen stories. If you are tired, sit down and rest and let old Sun sweep for you." The Tang Monk insisted, "I must sweep to the very top before my heart's vow is fulfilled." The Tang Monk swept three more stories until his back ached and his legs were sore, then sat down on the tenth and said, "Wukong, sweep those last three stories for me, and be sure to sweep them clean." Wukong agreed, roused his spirits, finished the eleventh story and went on to the twelfth. Even as he swept, he heard voices talking on the top of the pagoda. Wukong thought to himself, At the third watch of the night, how can there be anyone talking on the pagoda top? Let old Sun go and have a look. Good Wukong! He threw down the broom, slipped out of the pagoda door and mounted a cloud to look. In the thirteenth story he saw two demons sitting with wine and dishes before them, drinking and playing the finger-guessing game. Wukong whipped out his golden-hooped rod, blocked the pagoda door and shouted, "Demons! So you are the ones who stole the treasure from the pagoda!" The two demons panicked and rose to flee, but Wukong sprang forward and swept his iron club across, pinning them against the wall so that they could not struggle, and they could only cry, "Spare us!" Wukong seized the demons and carried them down to the tenth story. "Master," he said, "I have caught the thieves that stole the treasure." The Tang Monk had been dozing; at these words he was at once startled and delighted. Wukong ordered the demons to kneel and shouted, "What manner of demons are you? Where is the treasure you stole? Confess the truth at once!" Trembling with fear, the demons cried, "Spare us!" and made a full confession. "We are two whom the Dragon King Wansheng of the Emerald-Waves Pool on Mount Luanshi sent to patrol the pagoda. He is called Benbo'erba, and I am called Babo'erben. He is a catfish spirit, and I am a blackfish spirit." "The Dragon King Wansheng had a daughter, called Princess Wansheng. Her face was fair as a flower and bright as the moon, and she took a husband, called the Nine-Headed Son-in-Law, whose magic powers are vast. "The year before last the Nine-Headed Son-in-Law came here with the Dragon King, displayed his great magic, sent down a rain of blood to defile the pagoda, and seized the chance to steal the Buddha's relic within it. "The princess went up to heaven and stole the nine-leaf lingzhi herb of the Queen Mother from before the Hall of Divine Mists, and keeps it together with the relic at the bottom of the Emerald-Waves Pool. There is golden light and rosy color there, bright by day and by night." At this Wukong laughed coldly. He marched the two demons down out of the pagoda, ran iron chains through their collar bones and locked them up in the temple. When the monks learned that the thieves had been caught, they were so moved that tears ran down their faces, and they said again and again, "It is over! We shall see the clear blue sky again!" At dawn the next day the Tang Monk put on his cassock and went with Wukong to court to have his travel papers exchanged. Hearing that he was a monk from the court of Tang, the king did not dare treat him slightingly, and gave him a seat in the hall. When the king had read the papers he sighed and said, "A holy monk of the great Tang is indeed worthy of respect, to come ten thousand li to worship the Buddha and fetch the scriptures. How unlike the monks of this poor realm of mine, who know nothing but thieving!" The Tang Monk pressed his palms together and said, "Your Majesty wrongs the monks of your kingdom." Then he told how the demon that stole the treasure had been captured the night before. The king was overjoyed and asked, "Where is the thief?" The Tang Monk said, "My humble disciple has him locked in the Temple of Golden Light." The king ordered his royal guards, "Go at once to the Temple of Golden Light and fetch the thief!" The Tang Monk said again, "Your Majesty, it would be most fitting for my disciple to go and fetch him." And he pointed at Wukong beside him. When the king saw Wukong he was greatly startled. "The holy monk has such noble bearing," he said, "how comes it that his disciple looks like this?" Wukong was much displeased and cried, "Your Majesty, a man is not to be judged by his looks. If handsome looks were all that mattered, how would anyone catch a demon thief?"

 3/8   Home Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next Last