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The splendid Great Sage then told Friar Sand to look after the Tang Priest while Pig and he changed into Chen Guan-given and Pan of Gold. When the two of them were ready Monkey asked, “How are the victims presented? Tied up in a bundle, or with their hands roped together? Are they steamed or chopped up into little bits?”
“Brother,” pleaded Pig, “don't do me down. I haven't got those magic powers.”
“We would never dare to,” said the old men. “We would just like you two gentlemen each to sit in a red lacquer dish that would be put on a table. You would then be carried into the temple on the tables by a pair of youngsters.”
“Fine, fine,” said Monkey. “Bring the dishes in here for us to try out.” The old men sent for the two red dishes, in which Monkey and Pig sat while four young men carried them for a few steps in the courtyard before setting them down again in the hall. “Pig,” said Monkey with delight, “being carried around on dishes like this makes us like abbots sitting in the seats of honour.”
“I wouldn't be at all scared of being carried in and out of here till dawn,” said Pig, “but being carried into the temple to be eaten is no joke.”
“Just watch me,” said Brother Monkey, “and run away when he eats me.”
“How do you know who he'll eat first?” said Pig. “If he eats the boy first I'll be able to get away; but what shall I do if he eats the girl first?”
At this one of the old men said, “During the sacrifices in other years some of the bolder of us have slipped into the back of the temple or hidden under the tables on which the offerings were made. They have seen that he eats the boy first and the girl afterwards.”
“Thank goodness,” said Pig, “thank goodness.”
While the two brother-disciples were talking they heard a mighty noise of gongs and drums and a blaze of lights outside as the villagers opened the front gates and poured in, shouting, “Bring out the boy and the girl.” The four young men then carried Monkey and Pig out to the sobs and wails of the old men.
If you do not know whether they lost their lives or not, listen to the explanation in the next installment.
Chapter 48
A Devilish Blizzard Makes the Snow Whirl
The Monk Who Seeks to Worship Buddha Walks on Ice
The story tells how the believers in Chen Village noisily carried Monkey and Pig with pork, mutton, beef and wine straight to the Temple of Miraculous Response, where they set them all out with the young boy and girl in the most prominent place. Monkey looked around and saw that the offertory tables were covered with fragrant flowers and wax candles. In front of him was a tablet on which were inscribed in letters of gold, GREAT KING OF MIRACULOUS RESPONSE. There were no statues of any other gods. When the believers had set everything out properly they all kowtowed and made this prayer:
“Great King, our lord, at this hour of this day of this month of this year Chen Cheng, the master of the sacrifice, and all the other faithful of different ages beg to offer in accordance with a
When they had all gone Pig said to Monkey, “Let's go home.”
“Where's your home?” Monkey asked.
“Let's go back to old Chen's place for a sleep,” Pig replied.
“You're talking nonsense again, idiot,” said Monkey. “You've made them a promise and now you've got to fulfil their wish.”
“You're the idiot, not me, despite what you've always saying,” replied Pig. “Why don't we just take him for a ride. You can't be serious about us being sacrificed for them.”
“Always finish what you begin,” said Monkey. “We'll only be able to tidy this business up if we stay here till the Great King comes to eat us up. Otherwise we'll make him cause disasters, which would be terrible.”
As they were talking they heard the howling of a wind outside. “This is terrible,” said Pig. “What made the wind come?” ”
Shut up,” said Monkey, “while I cope.” A moment later an evil creature came in through the temple doors. Look at him:
Gold armor, golden helmet, shining bright;
Red clouds enfold the jade belt at his waist.
His eyes were gleaming like the stars at night,
His teeth resembled those on a pair of saws.
Under his feet wafted sunset clouds;
Warm and scented were the mists all around.
Cold blew the negative winds as he walked;
Heavy lay the air of death where he stood.
He was just like an officer guarding an emperor,
Or a god at the gateway protecting a monastery.
The monster stood blocking the entrance to the temple and asked, “Who is making the sacrifice this year?”
“Thank you for asking,” Monkey replied. “This year the village heads are the family of Chen Cheng and Chen Qing.” This reply struck the monster as very odd.
“That boy has a lot of courage,” he thought, “and he's a good talker too. Usually the children who are offered say nothing the first time I ask them a question and are frightened out of their wits the second time. Before I've even grabbed them in my hand they are already dead. So why's this boy today so good at answering?”
Instead of seizing him the monster asked another question: “What is your name, boy?”
“My name is Chen Guan-given, and the girl is called Pan of Gold.”
“According to the old custom of this sacrifice I should eat you first,” said the monster.
“I have no objection,” said Brother Monkey. “Enjoy your meal.”
Hearing this the monster was once more afraid to grab Monkey, so instead he blocked the doorway and shouted, “I'll have none of your answering back. Usually I eat the boy first, but this year I shall start with the girl.”
“Better to follow the old custom,” said Pig in a panic. “Don't break with tradition.”
Without any more discussion the monster made a grab for Pig, who leapt down, turned back into himself, and struck at the monster's hand with his rake. The monster pulled his hand back and fled. All that could be heard was a mighty clang. “I've smashed his armor,” exclaimed Pig.
Monkey, who had resumed his own true form as well, looked, saw two fish scales the size of an ice dish, and gave a shout of “After him!”
The two of them sprang up into the air, where the monster, who had come unarmed to his feast, asked them from a cloud, “Where are you from, monks, and why have you come here to bully me, spoil my offerings, and ruin my reputation?”
“What you don't realize, damned monster,” Monkey replied, “is that we are disciples of the holy priest Sanzang from Great Tang in the East who has been sent by his emperor to fetch the scriptures from the Western Heaven. We were spending last night at the Chen household when were told that an evil spirit pretending to be Miraculous Response demands the sacrifice of a boy and a girl every year. In our mercy we decided to save life and capture you, damned monster. You'd better make a full and true confession at once. How long have you been here calling yourself 'Great King,' and at two a year how many little boys and girls have you eaten? Given me a full account and return them to me if you want your life spared.” At that the monster fled, avoiding another blow that Pig struck at him with his rake. He turned into a wild wind and went straight into the River of Heaven.
“No need to chase him,” said Monkey. “I'm sure the monster's a river creature. We'll have to work out a way of catching him and getting the master across the river tomorrow.” Pig accepted this suggestion and went straight back to the temple, from where he carried the offerings of pork, mutton and wine, tables and all, back to the Chen house. The Tang Priest, Friar Sand and the Chen brothers were waiting for news in the hall when they saw Monkey and Pig burst in and put all the pork, mutton and other offerings in the courtyard.