e away. We came back and brought the master round. Then I went all the way to the Water Curtain Cave to fetch Monkey. To my amazement he turned cold and refused to recognize me. He was reading the master’s passport aloud over and over again. When I asked him why, he said that as he couldn’t escort the Tang Priest any further he was going to fetch the scriptures from the Western Heaven and take them back East himself. Then they’d treat him as a great master and he’d be famous for ever. When I asked who’d give him scriptures if the Tang Priest wasn’t with him he said he’d chosen a holy monk and asked him to come out. There was a white horse, a Tang Priest, a Pig and a Friar Sand. Tm Friar Sand,’ I said, ‘and the one and only Friar Sand too’. I hit him one with my staff, and he turned out to be a monkey spirit. When Monkey came after me with his hordes I decided to come here to tell you, Bodhisattva, and ask for your help. I never realized he’d get here before me by somersault cloud, or that he’d fool you with his fine words.”

“You must not make such slanders, Wujing,” the Bodhisattva said. “Wukong has been here for four days. I never let him go back, and he didn’t send for another Tang Priest to go to fetch the scriptures.”

“But what about that Monkey in the Water Curtain Cave? I’m telling you the truth,” replied Friar Sand.

“Calm down,” said the Bodhisattva. “I’ll send Wukong back to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit with you to take a good look round. If he’s real he’ll be hard to wipe out, but if he’s a fake you’ll be able to eliminate him easily. You’ll find out which he is when you get there.” At this Brother Monkey and Friar Sand took their leave of the Bodhisattva. They were making their journey

To the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit

The rights and wrongs to reveal;

To the cave with a curtain of water

To tell the false from the real.

If you donᡉt know how they told them apart you had better listen to the explanation in the next installment