WHEN they had mounted together for a little while, Monkey forgot all about the Star Spirit and soon left him far behind; and when he reached the southern gate of Heaven, the Spirit was out of sight. He was just going in when a number of Guardian Deities, armed with daggers, swords and halberds, barred his path. 'What an old swindler that Planet is!' exclaimed Monkey. 'Fancy letting these cut-throats hold me up like this, after inviting me to come!' At this point the Planet arrived, quite out of breath. 'You old fraud,' said Monkey, confronting him, 'you said you had come with an invitation from the Jade Emperor. Why are these people barring the gate?' 'Don't be angry,' said the Planet. 'As you haven't been to the Hall of Heaven before and haven't yet been given a name, the Guardians don't know who you are, and are quite right not to let you pass. When you have seen the Emperor and received your appointment, they'll let you go in and out as you please.' 'That's as may be,' said Monkey, 'but at the present moment I can't get in.' 'You can if you come with me,' said the Planet, and he called in a loud voice, 'Guardians of the Gate of Heaven, captains great and small, make way! This is an Immortal from earth below, whom the Jade Emperor commissioned me to bring here.' The Guardians then withdrew their weapons and retired. Monkey, his confidence in the Planet now quite restored, walked slowly by his side through the gates and on into the palace. Without waiting to be announced, they went at once into the August Presence. The Planet immediately prostrated himself, but Monkey stood erect by his side, not showing any sign of respect, but only pricking his ears to hear what the Planet would say. 'I beg to report,' he said, 'that I have carried out your command; the pernicious Immortal is here.' 'Which is he?' asked the Emperor, peeping over the top of his screen-of-state. At this point Monkey bowed, saying, 'It's me.' The assembled ministers turned pale with horror. 'This barbarous monkey!' they cried. 'When brought into the Presence he did not prostrate himself, and now, without being addressed, he has ventured to say "It's me." Such conduct is worthy of death.' 'He comes from earth below,' said the Jade Emperor, 'and only recently learned human ways. For the present we must not be too hard on him if he does not know how to behave at Court.'
The celestial ministers all congratulated the Emperor on his clemency, and Monkey shouted 'Bravo!' at the top of his voice. Officials were then ordered to look through the lists and see what appointments were vacant. 'There is no vacancy at present in any section of any department,' one of them reported. 'The only chance is in the Imperial Stables, where a supervisor is wanted.' 'Very well then,' said the Jade Emperor, 'make him Pi-ma-wên in the stables.' Accordingly he was taken to the stables and the duties of this department were explained to him. He was shown the list of the horses, of which there were a thousand, under the care of a steward, whose duty it was to provide fodder. Grooms who combed and washed the horses, chopped hay, brought them their water and cooked their food. The superintendent and vice-superintendent helped the supervisor in the general management. All of them were on the alert night and day. In the daytime they managed to get a certain amount of fun; but at night they were on the go all the time. The horses all seemed either to go to sleep just when they ought to be fed, or to start galloping when they ought to be in their stalls. When they saw Monkey, the heavenly horses pressed round him in a surging mob, and ate the food he brought them with such appetite as they had never shown before. After a week or two the other officers of the stables gave a banquet to celebrate Monkey's appointment. When the feast was at its height, he suddenly paused, and cup in hand he asked, 'What does it really mean, this word Pi-ma-wên?' 'It's the name of the rank you hold,' they said. 'What class of appointment is it?' Monkey asked. 'It doesn't come in any class,' they said. 'I suppose it's too high to count as being in any class?' said Monkey. 'On the contrary,' they said, 'it's too low.' 'Too low!' exclaimed Monkey. 'What do you mean?' 'When an officer doesn't manage to get classed, they put him to mind the horses. There's no salary attached. The most you'll get for fattening up the horses as you've done since you were here, is a casual "Not bad!" But if any of them had gone a bit lame or out of condition, you'd have caught it hot. And if any of them had come to real harm, you'd have been prosecuted and fined.'
Flames leapt up in Monkey's heart when he heard this. He ground his teeth and said in a great rage, 'So that's what they think of me! Don't they know that on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit I was king and patriarch? How dared they swindle me with coming and looking after horses? If looking after horses is a job for the lowest riff-raff of all, what do they want to put me into it for? I won't stand it! I'm going at once!'
With a sudden cry of rage, he pushed over the official desk, took his treasure from behind his ear and rushed out to the Southern Gate. The deities on guard, knowing that he was now an official and authorized to go in and out, did not attempt to stop him. Soon he lowered his cloud and landed on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. 'Little Ones,' he cried, 'Old Monkey has come back.' They gave him a great banquet of welcome, saying, 'As your Majesty has stayed away in the upper regions for ten years, we may surely presume that you have had a great success there?' 'I've been away about a fortnight,' said Monkey. 'What do you mean by ten years?' 'In Heaven,' they said, 'you did not notice how the time was going. One day in heaven is a year below. Tell us, please, what rank they gave you.' 'Don't talk of it!' said Monkey, 'or I shall die of shame. The Jade Emperor has no idea how to make use of one. He saw what I am; but all he could do with me was to make me into something they call a Pi-ma-wên. I was told to look after his horses-just a menial post to which no rank attaches at all. I didn't realize this when I took the job, and didn't have a bad time playing about in the stables. But to-day I asked some of the others, and discovered what sort of post it was. I was furious and gave up the job at once. So here I am!' 'And a good thing too,' they said. 'With an enchanted spot like this to rule over, what sense is there in going away to be a groom? Little ones, prepare a banquet, to cheer our great king.'
They were just beginning to drink, when someone announced that two one-horned demon kings were outside, asking to see the Monkey King. 'Show them in,' said Monkey. The demons tidied themselves and hastened into the cave, prostrating themselves deeply. 'What has brought you here?' asked Monkey. 'We have known for a long time,' they said, 'that you appreciate good qualities, but no suitable occasion presented itself for us to pay you our respects. However, hearing that you had secured a post in Heaven and returned triumphant, we thought you would not object to receiving a little present. Here is a red and yellow rug, which we hope you will accept. And if you will deign also to take into your service such humble folk as ourselves, we are ready to perform the most menial of tasks.' Monkey wrapped the rug round himself in high glee, and all his subjects lined up and did homage. The demon kings were made Marshals of the Vanguard, and when they expressed their gratitude, they asked what position Monkey had held in Heaven. 'The Jade Emperor,' said Monkey, 'has no regard for talent. He made me a groom in the stables!' 'With magic powers like yours,' they said, 'why should you stoop to look after horses? "The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven,"-that is the title for such a one as you.' Monkey was delighted with the sound of this, and having exclaimed 'Good, good, good!' many times, he ordered his generals to set up a banner with 'Great Sage, Equal of Heaven' written on it in large letters. Henceforward, he said, he was to be addressed by no other name, and instructions to this effect were to be given to all fiends that acknowledged his sway.
When the Jade Emperor held his court next day, the head of the Stable appeared kneeling on the steps of the throne, announcing that the newly appointed groom had complained that the job was not good enough for him and had returned to earth. 'Very good,' said the Jade Emperor, 'you may return to your duties. I will send heavenly soldiers to arrest him.' At once Vai?ravana and his son Natha came forward and volunteered for this service. They were put in command of the expedition, and appointed the Mighty Magic Spirit to lead the way, the Fish-Belly general to bring up the rear, and the captain of the Yakshas to drive the troops on. Soon they were out of the southern gate of Heaven, and on their way to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit. They then chose a piece of flat ground, where they encamped, and the Mighty Magic Spirit was chosen to provoke battle. He buckled on his armour and, brandishing his great axe, he strode towards the mouth of the Water-curtain Cave. Outside it were gathered together a band of monsters-wolves, tigers and so on-prancing about, flourishing spears and swords, leaping and noisily brawling. 'Accursed creatures,' cried the spirit, 'go quickly and tell the groom that a great commandant from Heaven has come by order of the Jade Emperor to receive his submission. Tell him to be quick about it, or you will all of you pay with your lives.' The monsters came helter-skelter into the cave. 'A terrible thing has happened,' they announced. 'What's the matter?' asked Monkey. 'There's a heavenly commandant at the gate,' they said, 'declaring that he has been sent by the Jade Emperor to receive your submission. If you don't submit at once, he says we shall all pay for it with our lives.' 'Bring me my arms,' cried Monkey. He put on his bronze helmet, his golden corselet and cloud-stepping shoes, and with his magic staff in his hand, he led out his followers and arrayed them for battle.
When the Mighty Magic Spirit saw him, 'Wretched monkey,' he cried, 'do you know me or not?' 'What scurvy deity are you?' asked Monkey. 'I have never set eyes on you. Tell me your name at once.' 'Vile trickster!' cried he, 'how dare you pretend you do not know me? I am the leader of the vanguard of Vai?ravana's heavenly host, the Mighty Magic Spirit. I come by command of the Jade Emperor to receive your submission. Disarm at once and throw yourself on Heaven's mercy, or all the denizens of this mountain will be put to the sword. Breathe so much as half of the word "No," and you will instantly be sliced to pieces.' 'Scurvy deity,' cried Monkey, very angry, 'stop your bragging. If I were to strike you dead with one blow of my staff, you could not carry my message. So I shall spare your life, that you may go back to Heaven and tell the Jade Emperor that he does not know how to use a good man when he finds one. I have innumerable arts of magic. Why should I be put to mind the horses? Look what is written on this banner. If he admits my right to this title, I will leave him in peace. But if he refuses, I will come up at once and strike such a blow at his palace as will tumble him from his dragon couch.' Looking about, the spirit saw the banner, with its inscription, and laughed aloud. 'The impudence of this vile monkey!' he cried. 'Call yourself "Equal of Heaven" if you please, but first swallow a good dose of this axe of mine!' and he struck at Monkey's head. But Monkey was not ruffled, and met the blow with his staff. It was a good fight that followed. At last the spirit could withstand no longer. Monkey aimed a smashing blow at his head, which he attempted to parry with his axe. The axe split in two, and he was obliged to run for his life. Back in the camp he went straight to Vai?ravana and kneeling before him panted out, 'The groom has magic powers that are too great for us. I was unable to stand up to him and have come to plead for mercy.' 'This wretch,' said Vai?ravana, looking contemptuously at the spirit, 'has humiliated me. Take him away and cut off his head!' But his son, prince Natha, slipped forward and said, bowing profoundly, 'Father, do not be angry. Spare the spirit for a while, and let me go to do battle, so that we may know how things really stand.' Vai?ravana accepted this offer, and ordered the spirit to go back to his camp and await trial.
The prince, having buckled on his armour, sprang from the camp and rushed to the Cave of the Water Curtain. Monkey was just disarming himself, but now came to the gate and said, 'Whose litttle brother are you and why have you come gatecrashing here?' 'Nauseous ape,' cried Natha, 'why pretend you do not know me? I am Vai?ravana's third son. The Jade Emperor has sent me here to arrest you.' 'Little prince,' laughed Monkey, 'you have not yet lost your milk-teeth, your womb-down is not yet dry. How dare you talk so big? For the moment I'll spare your life, provided that you look at what is written on that banner, and tell the Jade Emperor that if he will give me that rank he need send no more armies; I will submit of my own accord. But if he will not agree, I shall come and batter down his Jewel Palace of the Magic Mists.'
Natha looked up and saw the inscription: 'Great Sage, Equal of Heaven.' 'You must think yourself a wonder-worker indeed, that you dare lay claim to such a title! Don't worry! One stroke of my sword will settle you,' said Natha. 'I'll stand my ground,' said Monkey, 'and you can break as many swords upon me as you like.' 'Change!' roared Natha, and he at once changed into a deity with three heads and six arms. 'So this little brother,' said Monkey, 'knows some tricks! I'll trouble you to look at my magic.' So saying, he too assumed three heads and six arms, and at the same time changed his cudgel into three cudgels, each of which he grasped with two hands. The battle that followed was one that shook the earth and rattled the hills. Truly a good fight! Each displayed his terrifying powers, and they battled as many as thirty times. The prince turned his six weapons into a thousand thousand weapons. Monkey followed suit. The sparks fell like falling stars as they fought half-way up in the sky, and still neither gained advantage.
But Monkey was very swift of hand and eye. Just at the height of the fray, he changed back into his proper shape and, cudgel in hand, closed with Natha. In his own shape he moved with greater freedom; getting behind the prince's head, he brought down a mighty blow on his shoulder. Just as Natha was preparing a new magic, he heard the swish of Monkey's cudgel as it clove the air. He had no time to dodge, and so great was his pain that he at once took to his heels, changed into his true form, and returned ignominiously to his father's camp. Vai?ravana had been watching the battle, and was just thinking of going to his son's assistance, when Natha suddenly appeared before him and, trembling from head to foot, said: 'My father and king! The groom has indeed stupendous powers. Even such magic as mine could not withstand him, and in the end he wounded my shoulder.' 'If a fellow has such powers as this' said Vai?ravana dismayed, 'how are we to bring him to heel?' 'Outside his cave,' said the prince, 'he has put up a banner, upon which is written "Great Sage, Equal of Heaven." He had the insolence to say that if you would acknowledge his right to this title he would give no more trouble. Otherwise, he will batter down the Jewel Palace of Magic Mists.' 'If that is so,' said Vai?ravana, 'we had better leave him alone for the present. I will report this to the Jade Emperor and ask for heavenly reinforcements, that we may hem him in while there is still time.' 'Am I to believe,' said the Jade Emperor, when the situation was explained to him, 'that one monkey is so powerful that reinforcements are needed to deal with him?' Natha then stepped forward. 'Great One,' he said, 'though I know that I deserve death at your hands, I beg you to hear me. That Monkey possesses an iron cudgel with which he first defeated the River Spirit and then wounded my shoulder.' 'Take the whole army,' said the Emperor 'and slay him immediately!' At this moment the Spirit of the Planet Venus stepped forward. 'That Monkey,' he said, 'flings his words about recklessly, and there is no reason to suppose that he can do all he threatens to do. But if soldiers are sent to deal with him, it will mean a long and exhausting campaign. It would be better if your Majesty were to pursue a policy of mercy. Say that you desire a peaceful solution and are quite willing to let him be "The Sage, Equal to Heaven." There will be no harm in his having a nominal post under that title, of course without salary.' 'I don't think I quite understand,' said the Jade Emperor, 'what you are proposing that his position should be.' 'He could be called by that title,' said the Planet, 'without having any special duties or any salary. The advantage would be that living on celestial ground he would soon turn from his depravity, cease his mad tricks, and the Universe would have a chance to settle down quietly.' 'Agreed!' said the Emperor. And the Planet was sent to convey the peace offering.
He left Heaven by the southern gate and went straight to the Cave of the Water Curtain. Things were very different this time. The place bristled with weapons; every sort of wild ogre was on guard, and they were armed with lances, swords, staves, which they brandished fiercely, leaping this way and that. Seeing the star-spirit, they all rushed forward. 'Come chieftains,' said the spirit, 'I'll trouble you to tell your master that I am here. I am a heavenly messenger sent by God on High, and am come with a summons to your king.' 'Welcome to him,' said Monkey, when he heard that a messenger had come. 'It must be the Spirit of the Planet Venus, who came to fetch me before. That time, although the job I got was not worthy of me, my time in heaven was not entirely wasted. I ran round a good deal, and got to know my way about. No doubt he has come this time to offer me something better.'
And he ordered the chieftains to lead the spirit in, with a great waving of flags and rattle of drums. Monkey received him at the mouth of the cave in full panoply surrounded by hosts of lesser apes. 'Step in, old star,' he called, 'and forgive me for not having come to meet you.' 'Your colleagues,' said the planet, 'informed the Jade Emperor that you were discontented with your appointment in the Stables, and had absconded. "Everyone has to start with something small and work his way upward," said the Emperor. "What has he got to complain of?" And armies were sent to subdue you. When your magic powers proved superior to theirs, and it was proposed to band together all the forces of heaven and dispatch them against you, I put in a word, suggesting that you should be accorded the title you have assumed. This was accepted, and I have come to fetch you.' 'I am much obliged to you for your trouble this time and last,' said Monkey. 'But I don't know whether there is such a rank in heaven as "Great Sage, Equal of Heaven!"' 'My proposal was that you should have this rank,' said the Planet, 'and it was accepted; otherwise I should never have dared to come with the message. If anything goes wrong, I am ready to take the responsibility.'
Monkey wished to detain the planet and give a banquet in his honour. But the planet would not stay; and they both set off together for the Southern Gate of Heaven. When the 'monkey groom' was announced the Jade Emperor said, 'Come forward, Monkey. I hereby proclaim you Great Sage, Equal of Heaven. The rank is a high one, and I hope we shall have no more nonsense.' Monkey gave a great whoop of delight and thanked the Emperor profusely.
Heavenly carpenters were ordered to build the office of the Great Sage to the right of the Peach Garden. It had two departments, one called Peace and Quiet and the other Calm Spirit. In each were Immortal Officers who attended Monkey wherever he went. A star spirit was detailed to escort Monkey to his new quarters, and he was allowed a ration of two jars of Imperial wine and ten sprays of gold-leaf flowers. He was begged not to allow himself to get in any way excited or start again on his pranks.
As soon as he arrived, he opened both jars and invited every one in his office to a feast. The star spirit went back to his own quarters, and Monkey, left to his own devices, lived in such perfect freedom and delight as in earth or heaven have never had their like.
And if you do not know what happened in the end, you must listen to what is told in the next chapter.
