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33 The Kingdom of Miefa

The robbers ran upstairs, found no trace of the travellers, lit torches, and searched the lower floor closely. In the end they found the great chest in the courtyard. Sure that treasure was locked inside it, they hoisted it up, took the white dragon horse, and left the inn. Bajie woke to find the chest being carried along, and took fright. Wukong whispered with a laugh, "Never mind. Let them carry us. If they carry us all the way to the Western Heaven, we shall not even have to walk." "Wukong, no fooling," said the Tang Monk. "Better make them set it down." Wukong nodded. Through the little hole he saw a patrol of soldiers coming from the west, and he cast a thousand-pound weight upon the chest. The robbers, caught unawares, were crushed and sent sprawling. Then Wukong shouted at the top of his voice, "Robbers! Seize the robbers!" The thieves were scared out of their wits. They dropped the chest, let go the white horse, and vanished in a puff of smoke. The soldiers came up but caught no one, so they took the chest and the horse to the garrison headquarters, meaning to report to the king in the morning. "Once we are handed to the authorities," said the Tang Monk, "our lives will hardly be worth a straw." Wukong thought for a moment, then said, "Have no fear, Master. Old Sun has a plan." With that he turned into an ant and crawled out through the little hole. Once outside, Wukong took his own shape again, rose upon a cloud, and came to the royal palace of Miefa. The king was fast asleep. Wukong plucked hairs from his left arm, breathed a magic breath on them, and turned them into countless little Wukongs. From his right arm he made countless sleepy-bugs. Wukong spoke the true words and called up the local earth god, bidding him lead the little Wukongs about and spread the sleepy-bugs, so that every man who held office should sleep and not wake. Then Wukong took his golden-hooped rod, cried "Change!", and turned it into hundreds of razors. He told each little Wukong to take one and shave the heads of all in the palace and in every government office. This done, Wukong thought to himself, "This king is stubborn indeed. Let old Sun send him a dream and teach him a lesson." That night the king of Miefa dreamed that he had gone into the royal garden to enjoy the flowers. He was admiring them most happily when a hairy-faced monk dropped out of the sky and landed before him. The king started and turned to run, but the monk barred his way. "Do not go, king. I have come here on purpose for you."

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