“I never realized,” said Pig.

“Living on human flesh in the mountains since childhood as you have,” said Monkey, “can you recognize two kinds of tree?”

“I don't know,” Pig said. “Which two trees?”

“The willow and the sandalwood,” Monkey replied. “The willow has a very soft nature, so that craftsmen can carve it into holy images or make statues of the Tathagata out of it. It's gilded, painted, set with jewels, decorated with flowers, and many worshippers burn incense to it. It receives unbounded blessings. But the sandalwood is so hard that it's used as the pressing-beam in the oil-press with iron hoops round its head, and it's hit with iron hammers too. The only reason it suffers like this is because it's to hard.”

“You should have told me all this before,” said Pig, “then I wouldn't have been beaten.”

“Now go back and find out the truth,” said Brother Monkey.

“But if I go there again they'll recognize me,” Pig replied.

“Then turn into something else,” said Monkey.

“But even if I do turn into something else, brother, how am I to question them?” asked Pig.

“When you look different go up to them and bow to them,” Monkey replied. “See how old they are. If they're about the same age as us call them 'Miss,' and if they're a lot older call them 'Lady.'”

“What a terrible climb-down: why should we be treating them as our relations when they're strangers from this far away?” said Pig.

“That's not treating them as relations,” replied Monkey. “Its just a way of getting the truth out of them. If they're the ones who've got our master we'll be able to act; and if it isn't them we won't lose any time before going to fight elsewhere.”

“You're right,” said Pig. “I'm going back.”

The splendid idiot tucked his rake in his belt, went down into the hollow, shook himself and turned into a far, dark-skinned monk. He swaggered as he went up to the monsters, chanted a loud “na-a-aw” of respect and said, “Respectful greetings, ladies.”

“This monk's much better,” the two monsters said with delight. “He expresses his respects and knows how to address us properly.” Then they asked him, “Where are you from, venerable elder?”

“From somewhere,” Pig replied.

“And where are you going?” they asked.

“Somewhere,” Pig replied.

“What's your name?” they asked.

“What it is,” Pig replied again.

“Better he may be,” the monsters said with a laugh, “but he won't tell us about himself. He just echoes our questions.”

“Ladies,” Pig asked, “why are you fetching water?”

“You wouldn't know, monk,” the demons replied with smiles. “Our lady brought a Tang Priest back to the cave last night and she wants to look after him well. As the water in our cave is none too clean she's sent us two to fetch some of this good water produced by the mating of the Yin and the Yang. She's laid on a vegetarian banquet as well for the Tang Priest; she's going to marry him this evening.”

As soon as he heard this the idiot rushed straight back up the mountain shouting. “Friar Sand, bring the luggage here at once. We're dividing it up.”

“Why, brother?” Friar Sand asked.

“When we've divided it up you can go back to man-eating in the Flowing Sands River,” Pig replied, “I'll return to Gao Village to see my wife, Big Brother can play the sage on the Mountain of Flowers and Fruit, and the white dragon can be a dragon in the ocean again. The master's getting married in this evil spirits cave. Let's all go and settle down.”

“You're talking nonsense again, you idiot,” replied Brother Monkey.

“I bloody well am not,” Pig retorted. “Those two evil spirits who were carrying water said a moment ago that a vegetarian wedding feast is being laid on for the master.”

“How can you say things like that when the evil spirits are holding the master prisoner in the cave and he's longing for us to go in and rescue him?” said Monkey.

“How can we rescue him?” Pig asked.

“You two bring the horse and the luggage, while we go with the two she-monsters as our guides,” Monkey replied. “When we reach the entrance we can act together.”

The idiot could only go with Monkey as he followed the two monsters for five or six miles deep into the mountains before suddenly disappearing. “So the master was captured by a devil in broad daylight,” exclaimed Pig with surprise.

“You've got good eyesight,” said Monkey. “How can you possibly tell what they really were?”

“Those two monsters were carrying the water along when suddenly they disappeared. They must be daytime devils.”

“I think they went into a cave,” said Monkey. “Wait while I go to have a look.”

The splendid Great Sage opened his fiery eyes with their golden pupils and scanned the whole mountain. He saw no movement, but did spot a ceremonial archway most intricately made with many flowers and colours, triple eaves and fourfold decorations in front of the cliff. Going closer with Pig and Friar Sand he saw four large words written on it:

PITFALL MOUNTAIN: BOTTOMLESS CAVE

“Brothers,” said Monkey, “here's the evil spirits' archway, but I still don't know where the entrance is.”

“Can't be far,” said Friar Sand, “can't be far. Let's have a good look for it.” When they turned round to look they saw a great rock over three miles around at the foot of the mountain beneath the archway. In the middle of it was a hole the size of a water-vat, which had become very slippery by repeated climbing.

“Brother,” said Pig, “that's where the evil spirits go in and out of their cave.”

“That's very strange,” said Monkey. “To be frank with the two of you, I've captured quite a few evil spirits since I started escorting the Tang Priest, but I've never seen a cave palace like this one before. Pig, you go down first and find out how deep it is. Then I'll be able to go in and rescue the master.”

“It'll be hard,” said Pig with a shake of his head, “very hard. I'm very clumsy. If I tripped and fell in it might take me two or three years to reach the bottom.”

“How deep is it then?” Monkey asked.

“Look,” Pig replied, and as the Great Sage leant over the edge of the hole to take a careful look he saw to his astonishment that it was very deep indeed and must have measured over a hundred miles around.

“It's very, very deep, brother,” he turned round to say.

“Go back then,” Pig replied. “The master's beyond saving.”

“What a thing to say!” Monkey retorted. “'Have no thoughts of being lazy; put idleness out of your mind.' Put the luggage down, and tether the horse to one of the legs of the archway. You and Friar Sand must block the entrance with your rake and staff while I go inside to explore. If the master really is inside I'll drive the evil spirits out with my iron cudgel, and when they reach the entrance you mustn't let them out. We'll only be able to kill the evil spirits and rescue the master if we work together.” The other two accepted their orders.

Monkey sprang into the hole, and under his feet tea thousand coloured clouds appeared, while a thousand layers of auspicious mist shielded him. He was soon at the bottom, which was a very long way down. Inside all was bright; there was the same sunshine, winds, flowers, fruit and trees as in the world above.

“What a splendid place,” Monkey thought. “It reminds me of the Water Curtain Cave that Heaven gave me in the place where I was born. This is another cave paradise.” As he looked around he saw a gate-tower with double eaves around which grew many clumps of pine and bamboo. Inside were many buildings.

“This must be where the evil spirit lives,” he thought. “I'll go in and find out what's up. No, wait. If I go in like this she'll recognize me. I'd better transform myself.” With a shake and a hand-spell he turned himself into a fly and flew lightly up to land on the gate-tower and listen in. From here he saw the monster sitting at her ease in a thatched pavilion. She was dressed far more beautifully than she had been when they rescued her in the pine forest or when she had tried to catch Monkey in the monastery: