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32 The Bottomless Cave

They fought a long while, and the she-demon saw she was no match for Wukong. A sudden plan came to her, and she broke away and ran. Wukong shouted, "Demon, where do you think you are going?" and sprang after her. Finding Wukong close upon her, the she-demon pulled the embroidered shoe from her left foot, breathed upon it, muttered a spell and cried, "Change!" The shoe became her very likeness and barred Wukong's way. Her true body, meanwhile, turned into a wisp of clear breeze and swept straight to the Tang Monk's room, caught him up onto a cloud, and bore him back to her own cave. To return to Wukong: growing impatient in the fight, he struck the she-demon down with one blow, and she proved to be nothing but an embroidered shoe. Knowing he had been tricked, he hurried back to guard his master. He rushed to the room, but of the Tang Monk there was no trace. When he questioned Bajie and Sandy, neither of them could give any account. Wukong's breast swelled with rage. "Old Sun has a mind to beat the pair of you to death," he cried; "I should have gone for Master myself!" Sandy said soothingly, "Elder brother, do not fret. Without the two of us, who would watch the horse and the baggage?" Bajie pleaded too: "Brother ape, be not angry. When we go to look for master tomorrow, old Zhu will lead the way." At that Wukong's anger cooled. At daybreak the three took leave of the monks, led the horse and shouldered the baggage, and set off eastward, hoping to find their master by the road they had come. Back again in the dark pine forest, Wukong grew restless, swung up his golden-hooped rod and laid about him with a clatter. At the noise two old men appeared and bowed, saying, "Great Sage, the mountain god and the earth god attend you!" Wukong shouted, "Have you news of my master? Out with it!" The earth god said, "A thousand li from here stands a mountain called Xiankong Mountain, and in it a cave known as the Bottomless Cave. It was the demon of that cave who carried off your master." When Wukong had heard them out he dismissed the mountain god and the earth god, called Bajie and Sandy, and rode the clouds straight for Xiankong Mountain. The three alighted upon Xiankong Mountain, and Wukong said, "Sandy and I will stay here with the horse and the baggage. Bajie shall go down the mountain and scout out the way, that we may go together to rescue master." Bajie set down his rake, went down the mountain and found a narrow path. He followed it for five or six li until he saw two women drawing water at a well. Bajie went up to them and shouted, "Demons!" The two women flew into a rage. "Stupid monk," they cried, "we are strangers to you; why do you insult us?" They snatched up the carrying pole they used for the water and struck at his head. Bajie had no weapon, took a few blows about the shoulders, clapped a hand to his head and ran. Bajie ran back up the mountain, crying, "Brother ape, the demons are fierce!" Wukong heard his tale and laughed. "By my reckoning you were hit too seldom. Let old Sun instruct you: look to see how old she is. If she is about our own age, call her 'young lady'; if she is older than we are, call her 'grandmother'." Bajie went down the mountain again and changed himself into a swarthy, stout monk. He swaggered up to the two women, bowed low and said, "Good grandmothers, this poor monk greets you." The women were pleased. "This monk is a good one," they said, "with a honeyed tongue and fine manners."

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