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“We humble monks know how to pray for things,” said Monkey with a smile.
Hearing this, the king ordered that the altars be swept clean and sent for his carriage as he was going to watch the ritual from the Tower of Five Phoenixes. The officials then moved him in his carriage to the tower, where he was soon seated. The Tang Priest stood at the foot of the tower with Monkey, Friar Sand and Pig, while the three Taoist masters sat with the king in the tower. Before long an official galloped in to report, “Everything is ready at the altar. Will the Teacher of the Nation please come to the altar?”
The Great Immortal Tiger Power bowed to take his leave of the king and descended from the tower. Brother Monkey blocked his way and said, “Where are you going, sir?”
“To the altar to pray for rain,” the immortal replied.
“You're being too arrogant,” said Monkey. “Why don't you show some courtesy to us monks from far away? Oh well, 'a mighty dragon can't crush a snake in its lair.' You go first, but you'll have to explain to His Majesty.”
“Explain what?” the Great Immortal asked.
“If we both pray for rain at the altar,” Monkey replied, “how will we know whether it's your rain or mine? It'll be hard to tell who should get the credit.” When the king heard this up on his tower he was discreetly delighted as he said, “That little monk talks sense.”
Friar Sand too hid a smile as he thought, “The king doesn't realize that Monkey hasn't even started showing how much sense he has in him.”
“No explanations will be needed,” said the immortal. “Of course His Majesty will know whose the rain is.”
“I'm sure he will,” said Monkey, “but we monks from far away have never met you before. If later on both sides made false claims that would be terrible. We must have it all sorted out before we start.”
“When I go to the altar,” said the Great Immortal, “this magic wand of mine will give the signal. When it first sounds, the wind will come. The second time the clouds will rise. The third time it will bring thunder and lightning. The fourth time it will rain. The fifth time the clouds will break up and the rain will finish.”
“Splendid,” said Monkey with a laugh. “I've never seen anything like that. Please go ahead.”
The Great Immortal then strode straight to the gates of the altar compound followed by Sanzang and his disciples. They looked up to see a raised terrace over thirty feet high. To the left and right of it were planted ba
The Great Immortal walked straight into the altar enclosure and without any show of modesty went straight up the altar mound and took his place. A young Taoist at his side handed him several yellow pieces of paper that had spells written on them and a precious sword. Holding the sword the Great Immortal recited a spell and burnt a spell on a candle. Two or three of the young Taoists standing below the altar mound passed him a model figure holding a spell and a written document, both of which he also lit and burnt. Then there was a loud report from the wand, and up in the sky the signs of a wind blowing up could be seen.
“This is bad,” muttered Pig. “The Taoist really has got some powers. He just had to sound his wand once to make the wind blow.”
“Keep quiet, brothers,” said Monkey, “and don't say anything else to me. Look after the master while I get busy.”
The splendid Great Sage then plucked out one of his hairs, blew on it with magic breath, called “Change!” and turned it into an imitation Monkey who stood by the Tang Priest while his true self escaped, rose up into the air and shouted, “Who's in charge of the wind?” This threw Gra
“I'm protecting the holy priest from Tang on his journey to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures,” Monkey said. “We're now having a rainmaking competition with an evil Taoist in the country of Tarrycart. Why are you helping him instead of me? If you put your wind away I'll let you off, but if there's even enough wind to move a whisker in that Taoist's beard I'll give you twenty strokes each with my iron cudgel.”
“We wouldn't dare help him,” said Gra
In his impatience Pig started to yell wildly, “Give up, give up. You've sounded your wand and there's not a breath of wind. Come down now and let us go up.”
Once again the Taoist took his magic wand, burnt spells, and made a report with the wand. The sky filled with clouds.
“Who's spreading the clouds out?” the Great Sage asked up overhead. Boy Cloudpusher and Young Lord Mistspreader bowed to him. Once again Monkey explained what had happened; Cloudpusher and Mistspreader put the clouds away, and the sun shone brightly once more in a clear sky.
“This teacher has been fooling the king and hoodwinking the common people,” laughed Pig. “He doesn't really have any powers at all. His wand has sounded for the second time, and there's not a cloud to be seen.”
By now the Taoist was getting anxious. Leaning on his sword he let down his hair, said the words of a spell, and cracked his magic wand for the third time. From the Southern Gate of Heaven the Heavenly Lord Deng led Grandfather Thunder and Mother Lightning to bow to Monkey in mid-air. Monkey told them what had happened and asked, “Why are you being so dutiful? What sort of orders are they you're obeying?”
“That Taoist really does know the Five Laws of Thunder,” the Heavenly Lord Deng replied. “He issued the right document, burned the summons, and alarmed the Jade Emperor, who issued an edict to the offices of the Universal Honoured One of the Ninth Heaven Who Responds to the Primal with the Sound of Thunder. We are going on imperial orders to help Grandfather Thunder and Mother Lightning make rain.”
“In that case you'd better stay where you are and let me sort things out,” said Monkey; and indeed the thunder did not sound, nor did the lightning flash.
The Taoist was becoming more anxious than ever. He lit more incense-sticks, burnt charms, said incantations, and sounded his wand once more. The dragon kings of the four seas all gathered in mid-air. “Where are you going, Ao Guang?” Monkey asked. The four dragon kings Ao Guang, Ao Shun, Ao Qin and Ao Run came up and bowed to him.
He told them what had happened then said, “When I troubled you the other day you didn't succeed. I hope you will help me again today.”
“We hear and obey,” replied the dragon kings.
Monkey then thanked Ao Shun: “I am very grateful to your son for capturing the monster and saving my master the other day.”
“That wretch is being kept in chains in the sea,” the dragon king Ao Shun replied. “I have not ventured to deal with him on my own initiative, and I would like to ask you, Great Sage, to decide on his sentence.”