On hearing this the Tang Priest concealed his delight and said, “But Pig might not be willing to go.”
“There you are,” said Monkey, “I said you showed favoritism. How do you know he won't want to go? It's just like the way you refused to respond for a whole hour when I kept trying to wake you. My three inches of tongue could make Pig come with me even if he were a Pig-and-a-half.”
“Very well,” said Sanzang, “call him if you like.”
Monkey then took his leave of the master, went straight to Pig's bed, and called his name. The idiot was lying with his head hanging down, snoring heavily after his exhausting journey. Mere calling was not going to wake him. Monkey grabbed him by his ears and his bristles, pulled him up, and shouted “Pig!” again. The idiot was still fast asleep.
When Monkey called him again Pig said, “Go to sleep, and stop fooling around. We've got to be on our way again tomorrow.”
“I'm not fooling,” said Monkey. “There's a piece of business for us two to do.”
“What sort of business?” Pig asked.
“Didn't you hear the prince telling us?” said Monkey.
“I didn't even see him,” said Pig, “let alone hear him say anything.”
“The prince told me that the fiend has a treasure that makes him a match for ten thousand men in a fight,” said Monkey. “When we go into town we'll have to fight him, and if he has that treasure he'll beat us. That would be terrible. I reckon that if the other side is stronger than you the best thing to do is to strike first. Wouldn't be best if the two of us went and stole his treasure?”
“You're trying to trick me into thieving, brother,” said Pig. “I'll come in on this bit of business, and I'll be very useful to you too, but first I want to get something clear with you. When we've stolen the treasure and captured the demon I won't stand for any mean, small-minded sharing out of the treasure. I want the lot.”
“Why?” Monkey asked. “I haven't got your gift of the gab. I can't wheedle food out of people. I'm clumsy and rough-spoken, and I can't recite sutras. When I'm really on my uppers I can always swap it for food.”
“All I'm interested in is fame,” said Monkey. “I don't care about treasures. You can have it if you like.” The idiot was so happy to be promised the treasure that he rolled himself out of bed, dressed, and set out with Monkey. It was a case of
Clear wine makes the cheeks go red;
Gold turns everybody's head.
The two of them opened the door very quietly, left Sanzang and took an auspicious cloud straight to the city.
They were soon there, and as they brought their cloud down to land they heard the drum on the tower being beaten twice. “It's the second watch, brother,” said Monkey.
“Just right,” said Pig, “just right. Everybody's fast asleep.” The two of them avoided the main gate and went round to the back gate of the palace, where clappers and bells were being sounded. “Brother,” said Monkey, “it sounds as though there's an alarm at both front and back gates. How are we going to get in?”
“Who ever heard of burglars going in through the gates?” said Pig. “Let's go over the wall so that nobody sees us.” Monkey accepted his suggestion, and with a bound he was on top of the inner wall. Pig jumped up too, then the pair of them crept inside and tried to find their way to the palace gardens.
As they walked along they saw a gate-tower in front of them with triple eaves and white ornaments. On it were two huge words, gleaming bright: ROYAL GARDENS. Going up to it for a closer look Brother Monkey saw that layer after layer of sealing paper had been pasted over the gates, and the locks on them had rusted hard. He then told Pig to get moving. The idiot raised his iron rake and brought it down with all his might on the gates, smashing them to splinters. Monkey was just going to step inside when he was seized with an irresistible urge to leap about and shout, to the horror of Pig who went up to him, grabbed him and said, “You'll be the death of me, brother. Who ever heard of burglars yelling like that? You'll wake them up and get us arrested and handed over to for trial. Then it'll be either a death sentence or being sent home as convicts.”
“Brother,” said Monkey, “do you know why I'm so upset? Just look!
Carved and painted balustrades all in a mess,
Precious pavilions leaning awry.
The sedge and nutweed on the bank are buried.
The peonies and raspberries have been ruined.
Gone is the fragrance of rose and jasmine;
Tree peony and wild lily flower in vain.
Hibiscus and rose of Sharon are overgrown,
And all the precious flowers choked.
The hillocks built from strange-shaped rocks have collapsed;
The fish are dead in the dried-up ponds.
Dry as tinder the pine and bamboo;
Mugwort and wormwood carpet the paths.
Broken the branches of peach and osmanthus,
Twisted the trunks of pomegranate and kerria.
Moss grows on the zigzag way to the bridge:
A desolate garden scene.”
“What are you getting so upset about?” Pig asked. “Let's get on with our bit of business.” Despite his distress Monkey remembered how in his dream the Tang Priest had been told that the well was under a plantain. As he went further he did indeed see a plantain that was most luxuriant, unlike all the other flowers and trees. Indeed:
It was a divine shoot
Born with an empty nature.
Papery strips came from every branch,
And all the leaves wrapped up fragrance.
A thousand fine stands of emerald green,
A touch of red at the heart.
It grieved in the cold of autumn rain;
It withered with fear of the autumn winds.
It was grown through the efforts of the gardener,
Raised through the Creator's work.
Wonderful its value as writing paper,
Marvellous its use for dripping water.
Would that phoenix feathers could have compared;
A phoenix tail was no match for its leaves.
When the ample dew dripped gently
The tree was lightly wreathed in mist.
Its green shade covered the window,
Its jade shadow fell on the frame.
The wild goose could not perch in its fronds,
Nor the charger be tethered to its trunk.
On a frosty day it looked withered;
It was dim in the moonlight.
It could only refresh one in summer's heat
And offer some shelter from the blazing sun.
It lacked the beauty of peach or plum,
Standing lonely to the East of the whitewashed wall.
“Set to, Pig,” said Monkey. “The treasure's buried under the plantain.” The idiot raised his rake in both hands and sent the tree crashing down. Then he rooted in with his snout to a depth of three or four feet, revealing a stone cover.
“We're in luck, brother,” exclaimed the idiot with delight. “There really is a treasure here under this stone cover. I wonder whether it's inside a jar or a box.”
“Lift the cover and we'll see,” said Monkey. With another root of his snout the idiot prized it open. There was a glow of multicolored light, and a bright, white vapor.