Monkey led Pig and Friar Sand forward to stand in attendance and asked, “Master, what are your instructions?”
“You can see how high the mountain in front of us is,” said Sanzang. “I am worried that there may be tigers, wolves, monsters and demon beasts who will kill us. You must be very careful.”
“Don't worry, Master,” said Monkey. “We three brothers have got on very well together since we were converted to the pursuit of the truth. With our magic powers to put down demons and monsters we've got nothing to fear from tigers, wolves or demons.” This greatly reassured Sanzang, who pressed ahead. When he reached the mouth of a gully and urged the horse up the slope he raised his head and saw that it was a splendid mountain:
Towering crags,
A steep and lofty range.
Towering crags pierced the heavens,
The steep and lofty range blocked out the azure shy.
Grotesque rocks were piled like sitting tigers,
Twisted, slanting pines seemed to fly like dragons,
Beautifully sang the birds on the ridge,
Heavy hung the scent of plum blossom by the scar.
Cold was the sluggish flow of the stream,
And menacing hung the dark clouds over the peak.
They saw whirling snow,
And an icy wind
Howling with the roar of hungry mountain tigers.
Cold rooks could find no perches in the trees
And wild deer did not know the way back home.
Hard it was indeed for the traveler to make progress
As he frowned with worry and covered up his head.
The four of them were trembling in the cold and the snow as they crossed that high ridge and saw in a distant hollow high towers and elegant houses. “Disciples,” said a relieved Sanzang from the back of his horse, “we have gone cold and hungry today, but there are many buildings in that hollow that I an sure must be a farm or a Buddhist or Taoist monastery. Let us go there and beg some food before we continue on our way.”
Monkey's immediate response was to take a good look. He saw that evil-looking clouds and vapors hung over the place, so he turned back to the Tang Priest and said, “Master, that's a bad place.”
“How could it possibly be a bad place with all those towers, pavilions and fine buildings?” Sanzang asked.
“You wouldn't know, Master,” Monkey replied. “There are any number of evil spirits and monsters along this road to the West who are good at making buildings by magic. They can make anything from towers and houses to halls and pavilions, and all just as bait. As you know, one of the nine kinds of dragon is called the clam-dragon. Its breath comes out looking like fine buildings and pools. Clam-dragon buildings appear when there is a heavy mist over a great river. Birds flying by will perch on them for a rest. The clam-dragon eats everyone up, even if there are thousands of them. It's a really lethal trick. The atmosphere over there looks thoroughly vicious: whatever you do don't go there.”
“Even if I may not I am still very hungry indeed,” said Sanzang.
“Yes, Master, you really must be,” replied Monkey. “Would you like to dismount and sit on this level ground here while I go somewhere else to beg food for you?” Sanzang followed this suggestion.
While Pig held the halter Friar Sand put the luggage down, opened up one of the bundles, and took out a begging bowl that he handed to Monkey, who gave him these parting instructions as he took it: “Don't go any further. Guard the master and make sure he stays sitting here until I come back with some food. Then we can carry on West.”
Friar Sand promised to do so. Monkey then spoke to Sanzang again: “Master, this is a very dangerous place. Whatever you do you mustn't move away from here. I'm off now to beg for food.”
“No need to say any more,” replied Sanzang. “Be back as soon as you can. I shall wait for you here.”
Monkey turned and was about to go when he turned back to add, “Master, I know that you haven't the patience to sit still, but I'll make a spell to keep you safe here.” With that he took out his gold-banded cudgel and in a flash he drew a circle on the ground with it. He asked the Tang priest to sit in the circle with Pig and Friar Sand standing on either side and the horse and luggage nearby.
Then he put his palms together and said to the Tang Priest, “The circle I've drawn is stronger than a wall of bronze or iron. No tiger, leopard, wolf, demon, fiend or monster will dare come anywhere near it. But you must not step outside it. I guarantee that you'll come to no harm as long as you sit inside the circle; but once you leave it very nasty things will happen to you. Please, please, please stay inside it whatever happens.” Sanzang did as he was told and they all sat down. Only then did Monkey set off due South on his cloud to beg for some food. When he saw the ancient trees of another farmhouse reaching up to the sky he brought his cloud down for a closer look. This is what he saw:
Willows bent down by cruel snow,
A square pool frozen hard.
A few sparse bamboos waving green,
The turquoise of a lofty and elegant pine.
Thatched cottages that looked covered with silver,
A slanting bridge that seemed paved with flour.
Daffodils by the fence were beginning to open,
While icicles hung low beneath the eaves.
The icy wind carried many a strange fragrance;
The plum blossom was lost amid the driving snow.
As Monkey walked towards the farm to take a look at it he heard the creak of a wicker gate opening as an old man came out. He was leaning on a wooden stick and wearing a sheepskin hat, a tattered tunic, and rush sandals. He looked up to the sky and said. “The Northwest wind in blowing, so the sky will be clear tomorrow.” Before the words were out of his mouth a Pekinese dog came bounding out from behind him and started barking wildly at Monkey. Only then did the man turn to see Monkey carrying his begging bowl.
“Venerable benefactor,” said Monkey, “I'm with the monk sent to the Western Heaven by the emperor of Great Tang in the East to worship the Buddha and fetch the scriptures. As we were passing this way and my master is very hungry I have come to your honorable residence to beg for a vegetarian meal.”
The old man nodded, hit the ground with his stick and said, “Reverend sir, don't beg here. You've lost your way.”
“No, I haven't,” said Monkey.
“The main trail West is over three hundred miles North of here,” said the old man, “so why aren't you on that?”
“That's where I've come from,” Monkey replied. “My master is now sitting by the main trail waiting for me to bring him some food.”
“You're talking nonsense, monk,” the old man replied. “How could your master be waiting by the main trail for you to bring him some food? Even if you could walk this far it would take you six or seven days to cover over three hundred miles and as long again to get back. By then he would have starved to death.”
“Honestly, benefactor,” replied Brother Monkey with a smile. “I have only just left my master, and it took me less time to get here than it would to drink a cup of tea. When I've been given the food I'll take it back for his lunch.”
This alarmed the old man, who drew back at once, saying, “That monk's a demon, a demon.”
He was just about to go back inside when Monkey took hold of him and asked, “Where are you going, benefactor? Give me some food at once.”
“It's very difficult,” the old man said, “very difficult. Try somewhere else.”
“You really don't understand, benefactor,” Monkey replied. “Just think, I've had to come over three hundred miles to get here, so it would probably be another three hundred miles to another house. You're trying to make my master starve to death.”