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36 The Rake Feast

Bajie suspected the smiths of having stolen them and moved to strike. The smiths cried out in terror, "Spare us, reverend sirs! We are but mortal men; even if the weapons were given to us, we could not lift them!" The prince came over, heard the whole story, and said after a pause, "The people of my prefecture are plain and honest; theft and robbery have never been known here. What man could have power enough to steal such weapons?" "Your Highness," asked Wukong, "are there demons in the hills nearby?" The prince said, "Seventy li north of the city stands Leopard Head Mountain, and on it is a Tiger-Mouth Cave. They say a demon dwells there, though what manner of thing it is I do not know." "Then it was that demon who stole them," said Wukong grimly. He charged Bajie and Sandy to guard their master, sprang onto a cloud, and made straight for Leopard Head Mountain. When Wukong reached the mountain he stood looking about him, and suddenly heard voices behind the ridge. He turned; two wolf-headed demons were talking together as they walked off towards the north-west. Wukong wanted to hear what they said, so he changed himself into a butterfly, spread his wings, and flew above the two demons. He heard one of them say, "Our king's luck is in. He has just taken a fair lady, and last night he came by three weapons. Tomorrow he holds a feast, a Rake Feast." Said the other, "We have these twenty taels to buy pigs and sheep. Let us go to the market and drink a few pots first." Wukong was secretly pleased. He resumed his own shape, spoke the spell that fixes men in place, and froze the two lesser demons where they stood. On them he found twenty taels of silver and two waist tokens, one inscribed "Cunning and Queer," the other "Queer and Cunning." Back at the palace, Wukong had the prince buy seven sheep and eight pigs. He and Bajie turned themselves into Cunning and Queer, while Sandy dressed as a dealer in pigs, and together they drove the beasts into the hills. Once in the hills they met a lesser demon coming towards them, who greeted Wukong and Bajie. Wukong noticed a letter case tucked under his left arm and asked where he was bound. "To Bamboo-Knot Mountain, to deliver an invitation," said the demon. "The old great king is asked to come to the Rake Feast tomorrow." The three came to the cave mouth, where a pack of lesser demons was playing under the trees. At the sight of the pigs and sheep they all rushed forward, seized them, and tied them up. The yellow lion demon heard the pigs squealing and came out. "How many beasts have you two bought?" he asked Wukong. "Seven sheep and eight pigs," said Wukong. "They cost twenty-five taels in all. We paid twenty and still owe five, so the dealer has come along for his silver." The lion demon ordered a lesser demon to fetch the money and pay it. Then Wukong said, "This dealer is faint with walking. Will our king give him something to eat?" "There is food and wine within," said the demon. "You two take him in." The three brothers went into the cave, and there on the table of the great hall lay the nine-toothed rake, with the golden-hooped rod standing on the left and the demon-quelling staff on the right. The yellow lion demon, who loved to show off, came in after them. "These are all treasures newly come to me," he said. Hot-headed Bajie no sooner saw his nine-toothed rake than he ran and snatched it up; Wukong and Sandy seized their weapons too. The three resumed their true shapes, raised their weapons, and struck at the yellow lion all together.

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