escorting the Tang Priest on his way to worship the Buddha and fetch the scriptures in the Western Heaven. He was converted by the compassionate and merciful Bodhisattva Guanyin of Potaraka, who changed his name to Sun Wukong the Novice. Why ever did you have to bring this catastrophe on yourself? He came across a messenger of yours in our ocean, took the invitation, and went straight into our crystal palace to make things very awkward for my father and myself. He has us on a charge of conspiring with evil spirits to kidnap. You’d better bring the Tang Priest and Pig straight to the bank, hand them back to the Great Sage Monkey, and join me in making apologies to him if you want to keep alive. If you even hint at a ‘no’ you can forget about remaining here in one piece.”

This threw the alligator monster into a terrible rage. “My own cousin taking their side!” he exclaimed. “You’d have me hand the Tang Priest over, but nothing comes that easy in this world. Just because you’re scared of him it doesn’t mean that I am. If he’s really got such powers and he has the guts to go three rounds with me in front of my palace gates I’ll give him his master back. If he’s no match for me I’ll capture him too and cook him with the others. And this time there’ll be no guests or relations; I’ll fasten the doors, my little ones will sing and dance for me, and I’ll sit in the place of honour and have a fine old time bloody well eating them myself.”

“Damned devil,” the crown prince swore back at him, “you’re a disgrace. Even if you’re not going to regard the Great Sage Monkey as a worthy foe will you dare to fight me?”

“A tough guy is afraid of nobody,” the demon replied. He then called for his armor, at which a host of little devils came forward with his armor and his steel flail. The two of them were now glaring at each other and each wanted to play the hero. The orders were given, the drums rolled, and a fight ensued that was much harder than the one with Friar Sand. What could be seen were:

Dazzling banners,

Gleaming halberds.

The encampment was quickly broken up,

While the gates of the palace were opened wide.

Prince Mo’ang wielded his golden mace;

That alligator parried with his flail.

Fierce were the river soldiers as the cannon roared;

Wild were the ocean warriors as the gong was beaten.

Shrimp fought with shrimp,

And crab with crab.

Whales and giant turtles swallowed red carp;

Bream and carp set mollusks running.

The shark and mullet put the mackerel to flight;

The mussels all panicked when oysters captured clams.

The swordfish barbs were hard as iron rods;

The barracudas needles were sharper than spears.

Sturgeons chased the white eel;

Perch and herring seized the back pomfret.

The river was full of battling demons,

While both side’s dragon warriors contended.

The long melee stirred up the waves,

And Crown Prince Mo’ang was better than a vajrapani,

As he roared and struck at the head with his mace,

Capturing the alligator who caused the trouble.

The prince pretended to drop his guard with his three-bladed mace. Not realizing that this was a trick, the evil spirit rushed him, whereupon the crown prince skillfully first struck him a blow with the mace on the right arm that made him stumble, caught up with him, then struck at his feet and set him sprawling.

The ocean soldiers rushed up, seized Alligator, tied both hands behind his back, put an iron chain through his collar bone, hauled him up on the bank, and took him to Monkey, where the prince reported, “Great Sage, I have arrested the alligator demon and am handing him over to you for judgement.”

“You disobedient wretch,” said Monkey when he and Friar Sand saw the demon, “your uncle sent you to live here, build up your nature, and look after yourself. Once you had made your name he was going to transfer you to duties somewhere else. Why did you have to seize the river god’s home and become a bully? Why did you use deception to capture my master and my brother? I was going to hit you, but this cudgel of mine hits so hard that a mere touch of it would finish you off. Where have you put my master?”

“Great Sage,” replied the demon, kowtowing ceaselessly, “this humble alligator had never heard of your mighty name. But now I have been arrested by my cousin for my disobedience to him and for my flagrant offences against right. I am endlessly grateful to you, Great Sage, for sparing my life. Your master is still tied up in the water palace. If you would take off the chain and untie my hands I will return to the river and bring him back to you.”

“Great Sage,” said Prince Mo’ang who was standing beside them, “he is a vicious and deceitful beast. If you were to release him he might have evil ideas.”

“I know where his place is,” said Friar Sand. “I’ll find the master.”

He and the river god then leapt into the river and went straight to the doors of the water palace, which were wide open and not guarded by a single soldier. Inside the pavilion they saw the Tang Priest and Pig tied up stark naked. Friar Sand quickly untied the master while the river god released Pig. Next they each carried one up to the surface of the water and then to the bank.

Seeing the evil spirit roped and in chains there Pig raised his rake to strike him and said abusively, “Evil beast, take this from me.”

Monkey held him back, saying, “Spare his life, brother, out of consideration for Ao Shun and his son.”

Mo’ang then bowed and said, “Great Sage, I must not stay here any longer. As I have rescued your master I shall now take this wretch to see my father. You have spared him the death penalty, but my father will not let him off other kinds of punishment. When he has been sentenced he will be sent back to apologize to you again.”

“Very well then,” said Monkey, “take him away. Give my respects to your father and tell him that I’ll be back to thank him in person another time.” The prince then plunged into the water with his prisoner and took his ocean troops straight back to be Western Sea.

The God of the Black River then thanked Brother Monkey for the recovery of his water palace. “Disciple,” said the Tang Priest, “we’re still on the Eastern bank. How are we going to get across this river?”

“Don’t worry about that, my lord,” said the river god. “Please mount your horse and I will lead you across the river.” The master then rode his horse while Pig led it, Friar Sand carried the luggage, and Monkey supported Sanzang. The river god did water-stopping magic to hold the waters back. In an instant a broad road opened up where the waters had withdrawn; master and disciples crossed to the West bank, climbed it, thanked the river god, and continued on their way. Indeed:

To visit the West the priest they did save;

When the river was crossed there was never a wave.

If you don’t know how they visited the Buddha and obtained the scriptures, listen to the explanation in the next installment.