stood a pine-tree before their very eyes. At this they all broke out
into a horse-laugh. The Master heard the noise and came out of the
gate, dragging his cane behind him.
"Why are you making such a noise?" he called out to them harshly.
Said they: "Sun Wu Kung has turned himself into a pine-tree, and this
made us laugh."
"Sun Wu Kung, come here!" said the Master. "Now just tell me what
tricks you are up to? Why do you have to turn yourself into a
pine-tree? All the work you have done means nothing more to you than a
chance to make magic for your companions to wonder at. That shows
that your heart is not yet under control."
Humbly Sun Wu Kung begged his forgiveness.
But the Master said: "I bear you no ill will, but you must go away."
With tears in his eyes Sun Wu Kung asked him: "But where shall I go?"
"You must go back again whence you came," said the Master. And when
Sun Wu Kung sadly bade him farewell, he threatened him: "Your savage
nature is sure to bring down evil upon you some time. You must tell no
one that you are my pupil. If you so much as breathe a word about it,
I will fetch your soul and lock it up in the nethermost hell, so that
you cannot escape for a thousand eternities."
Sun Wu Kung replied: "I will not say a word! I will not say a word!"
Then he once more thanked him for all the kindness shown him, turned a
somersault and climbed up to the clouds.
Within the hour he had passed the seas, and saw the Mountain of
Flowers and Fruits lying before him. Then he felt happy and at home
again, let his cloud sink down to earth and cried: "Here I am back
again, children!" And at once, from the valley, from behind the rocks,
out of the grass and from amid the trees came his apes. They came
running up by thousands, surrounded and greeted him, and inquired as
to his adventures. Sun Wu Kung said: "I have now found the way to
eternal life, and need fear Death the Ancient no longer." Then all the
apes were overjoyed, and competed with each other in bringing flowers
and fruits, peaches and wine, to welcome him. And again they honored
Sun Wu Kung as the Handsome Ape King.
Sun Wu Kung now gathered the apes about him and questioned them as to
how they had fared during his absence.
Said they: "It is well that you have come back again, great king! Not
long ago a devil came here who wanted to take possession of our cave
by force. We fought with him, but he dragged away many of your
children and will probably soon return."
Sun Wu Kung grew very angry and said: "What sort of a devil is this
who dares be so impudent?"
The apes answered: "He is the Devil-King of Chaos. He lives in the
North, who knows how many miles away. We only saw him come and go amid
clouds and mist."
Sun Wu Kung said: "Wait, and I will see to him!" With that he turned a
somersault and disappeared without a trace.
In the furthest North rises a high mountain, upon whose slope is a
cave above which is the inscription: "The Cave of the Kidneys." Before
the door little devils were dancing. Sun Wu Kung called harshly to
them: "Tell your Devil-King quickly that he had better give me my
children back again!" The little devils were frightened, and delivered
the message in the cave. Then the Devil-King reached for his sword and
came out. But he was so large and broad that he could not even see Sun
Wu Kung. He was clad from head to foot in black armor, and his face
was as black as the bottom of a kettle. Sun Wu Kung shouted at him:
"Accursed devil, where are your eyes, that you cannot see the
venerable Sun?" Then the devil looked to the ground and saw a stone
ape standing before him, bare-headed, dressed in red, with a yellow
girdle and black boots. So the Devil-King laughed and said: "You are
not even four feet high, less than thirty years of age, and
weaponless, and yet you venture to make such a commotion." Said Sun Wu
Kung: "I am not too small for you; and I can make myself large at
will. You scorn me because I am without a weapon, but my two fists can
thresh to the very skies." With that he stooped, clenched his fists
and began to give the devil a beating. The devil was large and clumsy,
but Sun Wu Kung leaped about nimbly. He struck him between the ribs
and between the wind and his blows fell ever more fast and furious. In
his despair the devil raised his great knife and aimed a blow at Sun
Wu Kung's head. But the latter avoided the blow, and fell back on his
magic powers of transformation. He pulled out a hair, put it in his
mouth, chewed it, spat it out into the air and said: "Transform
yourself!" And at once it turned into many hundreds of little apes who
began to attack the devil. Sun Wu Kung, be it said, had eighty-four
thousand hairs on his body, every single one of which he could
transform. The little apes with their sharp eyes, leaped around with
the greatest rapidity. They surrounded the Devil-King on all sides,
tore at his clothes, and pulled at his legs, until he finally measured
his length on the ground. Then Sun Wu Kung stepped up, tore his knife
from his hand, and put an end to him. After that he entered the cave
and released his captive children, the apes. The transformed hairs he
drew to him again, and making a fire, he burned the evil cave to the
ground. Then he gathered up those he had released, and flew back with
them like a storm-wind to his cavern on the Mountain of Flowers and
Fruits, joyfully greeted by all the apes.
After Sun Wu Kung had obtained possession of the Devil-King's great
knife, he exercised his apes every day. They had wooden swords and
lances of bamboo, and played their martial music on reed pipes. He
had them build a camp so that they would be prepared for all dangers.
Suddenly the thought came to Sun Wu Kung: "If we go on this way,
perhaps we may incite some human or animal king to fight with us, and
then we would not be able to withstand him with our wooden swords and
bamboo lances!" And to his apes he said: "What should be done?" Four
baboons stepped forward and said: "In the capital city of the Aulai
empire there are warriors without number. And there coppersmiths and
steelsmiths are also to be found. How would it be if we were to buy
steel and iron and have those smiths weld weapons for us?"
A somersault and Sun Wu Kung was standing before the city moat. Said
he to himself: "To first buy the weapons would take a great deal of
time. I would rather make magic and take some." So he blew on the
ground. Then a tremendous storm-wind arose which drove sand and stones
before it, and caused all the soldiers in the city to run away in
terror. Then Sun Wu Kung went to the armory, pulled out one of his
hairs, turned it into thousands of little apes, cleared out the whole
supply of weapons, and flew back home on a cloud.
Then he gathered his people about him and counted them. In all they
numbered seventy-seven thousand. They held the whole Mountain in
terror, and all the magic beasts and spirit princes who dwelt on it.
And these came forth from seventy-two caves and honored Sun Wu Kung as
their head.
One day the Ape King said: "Now you all have weapons; but this knife
which I took from the Devil-King is too light, and no longer suits me.
What should be done?"
Then the four baboons stepped forward and said: "In view of your
spirit powers, O king, you will find no weapon fit for your use on all
the earth! Is it possible for you to walk through the water?"
The Ape King answered: "All the elements are subject to me and there
is no place where I cannot go."
Then the baboons said: "The water at our cave here flows into the
Great Sea, to the castle of the Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea. If
your magic power makes it possible, you could go to the Dragon-King
and let him give you a weapon."
This suited the Ape King. He leaped on the iron bridge and murmured an
incantation. Then he flung himself into the waves, which parted before
him and ran on till he came to the palace of water-crystal. There he
met a Triton who asked who he was. He mentioned his name and said: "I
am the Dragon-King's nearest neighbor, and have come to visit him."
The Triton took the message to the castle, and the Dragon-King of the
Eastern Sea came out hastily to receive him. He bade him be seated and
served him with tea.
Sun Wu Kung said: "I have learned the hidden knowledge and gained the
powers of immortality. I have drilled my apes in the art of warfare in
order to protect our mountain; but I have no weapon I can use, and
have therefore come to you to borrow one."
The Dragon-King now had General Flounder bring him a great spear. But
Sun Wu Kung was not satisfied with it. Then he ordered Field-Marshal
Eel to fetch in a nine-tined fork, which weighed three thousand six
hundred pounds. But Sun Wu Kung balanced it in his hand and said: "Too
light! Too light! Too light!"
Then the Dragon-King was frightened, and had the heaviest weapon in
his armory brought in. It weighed seven thousand two hundred pounds.
But this was still too light for Sun Wu Kung. The Dragon-King assured
him that he had nothing heavier, but Sun Wu Kung would not give in and
said: "Just look around!"
Finally the Dragon-Queen and her daughter came out, and said to the
Dragon-King: "This saint is an unpleasant customer with whom to deal.
The great iron bar is still lying here in our sea; and not so long ago
it shone with a red glow, which is probably a sign it is time for it
to be taken away."
Said the Dragon-King: "But that is the rod which the Great Yu used
when he ordered the waters, and determined the depth of the seas and
rivers. It cannot be taken away."
The Dragon-Queen replied: "Just let him see it! What he then does with
it is no concern of ours."
So the Dragon-King led Sun Wu Kung to the measuring rod. The golden
radiance that came from it could be seen some distance off. It was an
enormous iron bar, with golden clamps on either side.
Sun Wu Kung raised it with the exertion of all his strength, and then
said: "It is too heavy, and ought to be somewhat shorter and thinner!"
No sooner had he said this than the iron rod grew less. He tried it
again, and then he noticed that it grew larger or smaller at command.
It could be made to shrink to the size of a pin. Sun Wu Kung was
overjoyed and beat about in the sea with the rod, which he had let
grow large again, till the waves spurted mountain-high and the
dragon-castle rocked on its foundations. The Dragon-King trembled with
fright, and all his tortoises, fishes and crabs drew in their heads.
Sun Wu Kung laughed, and said: "Many thanks for the handsome present!"
Then he continued: "Now I have a weapon, it is true, but as yet I have
no armor. Rather than hunt up two or three other households, I think
you will be willing to provide me with a suit of mail."
The Dragon-King told him that he had no armor to give him.
Then the ape said: "I will not leave until you have obtained one for
me." And once more he began to swing his rod.
"Do not harm me!" said the terrified Dragon-King, "I will ask my
brothers."
And he had them beat the iron drum and strike the golden gong, and in
a moment's time all the Dragon-King's brothers came from all the other
seas. The Dragon-King talked to them in private and said: "This is a
terrible fellow, and we must not rouse his anger! First he took the
rod with the golden clamps from me, and now he also insists on having
a suit of armor. The best thing to do would be to satisfy him at once,
and complain of him to the Lord of the Heavens later."
So the brothers brought a magic suit of golden mail, magic boots and a
magic helmet.
Then Sun Wu Kung thanked them and returned to his cave. Radiantly he
greeted his children, who had come to meet him, and showed them the
rod with the golden clamps. They all crowded up and wished to pick it
up from the ground, if only a single time; but it was just as though a
dragon-fly had attempted to overthrow a stone column, or an ant were
trying to carry a great mountain. It would not move a hair's breadth.
Then the apes opened their mouths and stuck out their tongues, and
said: "Father, how is it possible for you to carry that heavy thing?"
So he told them the secret of the rod and showed them its effects.
Then he set his empire in order, and appointed the four baboons
field-marshals; and the seven beast-spirits, the ox-spirit, the
dragon-spirit, the bird-spirit, the lion-spirit and the rest also
joined him.
One day he took a nap after dinner. Before he did so he had let the
bar shrink, and had stuck it in his ear. While he was sleeping he saw
two men come along in his dream, who had a card on which was written
"Sun Wu Kung." They would not allow him to resist, but fettered him
and led his spirit away. And when they reached a great city the Ape
King gradually came to himself. Over the city gate he saw a tablet of
iron on which was engraved in large letters: "The Nether World."
Then all was suddenly clear to him and he said: "Why, this must be the
dwelling-place of Death! But I have long since escaped from his power,
and how dare he have me dragged here!" The more he reflected the
wilder he grew. He drew out the golden rod from his ear, swung it and
let it grow large. Then he crushed the two constables to mush, burst
his fetters, and rolled his bar before him into the city. The ten
Princes of the Dead were frightened, bowed before him and asked: "Who
are you?"
Sun Wu Kung answered: "If you do not know me then why did you send for
me and have me dragged to this place? I am the heaven-born saint Sun
Wu Kung of the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. And now, who are you?
Tell me your names quickly or I will strike you!"
The ten Princes of the Dead humbly gave him their names.
Sun Wu Kung said: "I, the Venerable Sun, have gained the power of
eternal life! You have nothing to say to me! Quick, let me have the
Book of Life!"
They did not dare defy him, and had the scribe bring in the Book. Sun
Wu Kung opened it. Under the head of "Apes," No. 1350, he read: "Sun
Wu Kung, the heaven-born stone ape. His years shall be three hundred
and twenty-four. Then he shall die without illness."
Sun Wu Kung took the brush from the table and struck out the whole ape
family from the Book of Life, threw the Book down and said: "Now we
are even! From this day on I will suffer no impertinences from you!"
With that he cleared a way for himself out of the Nether World by
means of his rod, and the ten Princes of the Dead did not venture to
stay him, but only complained of him afterward to the Lord of the
Heavens.
When Sun Wu Kung had left the city he slipped and fell to the ground.
This caused him to wake, and he noticed he had been dreaming. He
called his four baboons to him and said: "Splendid, splendid! I was
dragged to Death's castle and I caused considerable uproar there. I
had them give me the Book of Life, and I struck out the mortal hour of
all the apes!" And after that time the apes on the Mountain no longer
died, because their names had been stricken out in the Nether World.
But the Lord of the Heavens sat in his castle, and had all his
servants assembled about him. And a saint stepped forward and
presented the complaint of the Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea. And
another stepped forward and presented the complaint of the ten Princes
of the Dead. The Lord of the Heavens glanced through the two
memorials. Both told of the wild, unmannerly conduct of Sun Wu Kung.
So the Lord of the Heavens ordered a god to descend to earth and take
him prisoner. The Evening Star came forward, however, and said: "This
ape was born of the purest powers of heaven and earth and sun and
moon. He has gained the hidden knowledge and has become an immortal.
Recall, O Lord, your great love for all that which has life, and
forgive him his sin! Issue an order that he be called up to the
heavens, and be given a charge here, so that he may come to his
senses. Then, if he again oversteps your commands, let him be punished
without mercy." The Lord of the Heavens was agreeable, had the order
issued, and told the Evening Star to take it to Sun Wu Kung. The
Evening Star mounted a colored cloud and descended on the Mountain of
Flowers and Fruits.
He greeted Sun Wu Kung and said to him: "The Lord had heard of your
actions and meant to punish you. I am the Evening Star of the Western
Skies, and I spoke for you. Therefore he has commissioned me to take
you to the skies, so that you may be given a charge there."
Sun Wu Kung was overjoyed and answered: "I had just been thinking I
ought to pay Heaven a visit some time, and sure enough, Old Star, here
you have come to fetch me!"
Then he had his four baboons come and said to them impressively: "See
that you take good care of our Mountain! I am going up to the heavens
to look around there a little!"
Then he mounted a cloud together with the Evening Star and floated up.
But he kept turning his somersaults, and advanced so quickly that the
Evening Star on his cloud was left behind. Before he knew it he had
reached the Southern Gate of Heaven and was about to step carelessly
through. The gate-keeper did not wish to let him enter, but he did not
let this stop him. In the midst of their dispute the Evening Star came
up and explained matters, and then he was allowed to enter the
heavenly gate. When he came to the castle of the Lord of the Heavens,
he stood upright before it, without bowing his head.
The Lord of the Heavens asked: "Then this hairy face with the pointed
lips is Sun Wu Kung?"
He replied: "Yes, I am the Venerable Sun!"
All the servants of the Lord of the Heavens were shocked and said:
"This wild ape does not even bow, and goes so far as to call himself
the Venerable Sun. His crime deserves a thousand deaths!"
But the Lord said: "He has come up from the earth below, and is not as
yet used to our rules. We will forgive him."
Then he gave orders that a charge be found for him. The marshal of the
heavenly court reported: "There is no charge vacant anywhere, but an
official is needed in the heavenly stables." Thereupon the Lord made
him stablemaster of the heavenly steeds. Then the servants of the Lord
of the Heavens told him he should give thanks for the grace bestowed
on him. Sun Wu Kung called out aloud: "Thanks to command!" took
possession of his certificate of appointment, and went to the stables
in order to enter upon his new office.
Sun Wu Kung attended to his duties with great zeal. The heavenly
steeds grew sleek and fat, and the stables were filled with young
foals. Before he knew it half a month had gone by. Then his heavenly
friends prepared a banquet for him.
While they were at table Sun Wu Kung asked accidentally:
"Stablemaster? What sort of a title is that?"
"Why, that is an official title," was the reply.
"What rank has this office?"
"It has no rank at all," was the answer.
"Ah," said the ape, "is it so high that it outranks all other
dignities?"
"No, it is not high, it is not high at all," answered his friends.
"It is not even set down in the official roster, but is quite a
subordinate position. All you have to do is to attend to the steeds.
If you see to it that they grow fat, you get a good mark; but if they
grow thin or ill, or fall down, your punishment will be right at
hand."
Then the Ape King grew angry: "What, they treat me, the Venerable Sun,
in such a shameful way!" and he started up. "On my Mountain I was a
king, I was a father! What need was there for him to lure me into his
heaven to feed horses? I'll do it no longer! I'll do it no longer!"
Hola, and he had already overturned the table, drawn the rod with the
golden clamps from his ear, let it grow large and beat a way out for
himself to the Southern gate of Heaven. And no one dared stop him.
Already he was back in his island Mountain and his people surrounded
him and said: "You have been gone for more than ten years, great king!
How is it you do not return to us until now?"
The Ape King said: "I did not spend more than about ten days in
Heaven. This Lord of the Heavens does not know how to treat his
people. He made me his stablemaster, and I had to feed his horses. I
am so ashamed that I am ready to die. But I did not put up with it,
and now I am here once more!"
His apes eagerly prepared a banquet to comfort him. While they sat at
table two horned devil-kings came and brought him a yellow imperial
robe as a present. Filled with joy he slipped into it, and appointed
the two devil-kings leaders of the vanguard. They thanked him and
began to flatter him: "With your power and wisdom, great king, why
should you have to serve the Lord of the Heavens? To call you the
Great Saint who is Heaven's Equal would be quite in order."
The ape was pleased with this speech and said: "Good, good!" Then he
ordered his four baboons to have a flag made quickly, on which was to
be inscribed: "The Great Saint Who Is Heaven's Equal." And from that
time on he had himself called by that title.
When the Lord of the Heavens learned of the flight of the ape, he
ordered Li Dsing, the pagoda-bearing god, and his third son, Notscha,
to take the Ape King prisoner. They sallied forth at the head of a
heavenly warrior host, laid out a camp before his cave, and sent a
brave warrior to challenge him to single combat. But he was easily
beaten by Sun Wu Kung and obliged to flee, and Sun Wu Kung even
shouted after him, laughing: "What a bag of wind! And he calls himself
a heavenly warrior! I'll not slay you. Run along quickly and send me a
better man!"
When Notscha saw this he himself hurried up to do battle.
Said Sun Wu Kung to him: "To whom do you belong, little one? You must
not play around here, for something might happen to you!"
But Notscha cried out in a loud voice: "Accursed ape! I am Prince
Notscha, and have been ordered to take you prisoner!" And with that he
swung his sword in the direction of Sun Wu Kung.
"Very well," said the latter, "I will stand here and never move."
Then Notscha grew very angry, and turned into a three-headed god with
six arms, in which he held six different weapons. Thus he rushed on to
the attack.
Sun Wu Kung laughed. "The little fellow knows the trick of it! But
easy, wait a bit! I will change shape, too!"
And he also turned himself into a figure with three heads and with six
arms, and swung three gold-clamp rods. And thus they began to fight.
Their blows rained down with such rapidity that it seemed as though
thousands of weapons were flying through the air. After thirty rounds
the combat had not yet been decided. Then Sun Wu Kung hit upon an
idea. He secretly pulled out one of his hairs, turned it into his own
shape, and let it continue the fight with Notscha. He himself,
however, slipped behind Notscha, and gave him such a blow on the left
arm with his rod that his knees gave way beneath him with pain, and he
had to withdraw in defeat.
So Notscha told his father Li Dsing: "This devil-ape is altogether too
powerful! I cannot get the better of him!" There was nothing left to
do but to return to the Heavens and admit their overthrow. The Lord of
the Heavens bowed his head, and tried to think of some other hero whom
he might send out.
Then the Evening Star once more came forward and said: "This ape is so
strong and so courageous, that probably not one of us here is a match
for him. He revolted because the office of stablemaster appeared too
lowly for him. The best thing would be to temper justice with mercy,
let him have his way, and appoint him Great Saint Who Is Heaven's
Equal. It will only be necessary to give him the empty title, without
combining a charge with it, and then the matter would be settled." The
Lord of the Heavens was satisfied with this suggestion, and once more
sent the Evening Star to summon the new saint. When Sun Wu Kung heard
that he had arrived, he said: "The old Evening Star is a good fellow!"
and he had his army draw up in line to give him a festive reception.
He himself donned his robes of ceremony and politely went out to meet
him.
Then the Evening Star told him what had taken place in the Heavens,
and that he had his appointment as Great Saint Who Is Heaven's Equal
with him.
Thereupon the Great Saint laughed and said: "You also spoke in my
behalf before, Old Star! And now you have again taken my part. Many
thanks! Many thanks!"
Then when they appeared together in the presence of the Lord of the
Heavens the latter said: "The rank of Great Saint Who Is Heaven's
Equal is very high. But now you must not cut any further capers."
The Great Saint expressed his thanks, and the Lord of the Heavens
ordered two skilled architects to build a castle for him East of the
peach-garden of the Queen-Mother of the West. And he was led into it
with all possible honors.