Was a crouching tiger or a coiled dragon on high ground,

Colorful with its phoenix towers and unicorn halls.

The waters of the royal moat encircled it like a belt;

In his mountainside paradise were many a monument.

The morning sun lit up banners by the high-way;

The spring wind carried the sound of pipes and drums across the bridges.

The wise king was dressed in robes and crown,

The crops were abundant and the splendor manifest.

That day they reached the streets of the Eastern market, where the traders all put up at inns. As Sanzang and his disciples were walking in the city they came to a government hostel and went inside. The hostel manager went to report to the hostel superintendent that there were four strange-looking monks outside who had arrived with a white horse. On being told about the horse the superintendent realized that they must be on an official mission, so he went out to welcome them.

“I have been sent by the Tang court in the East to the Great Thunder Monastery on Vulture Peak to see the Buddha and seek the scriptures,” Sanzang replied with a bow. “I have a passport to present at court for inspection. I would be grateful if I could spend the night in Your Excellency's distinguished hostel. I will be on my way when my business has been done.”

“This hostel has been established to entertain envoys and travelers,” the superintendent replied, returning his bow, “so it is only right that we should entertain you. Please come in, please come in.”

A delighted Sanzang invited his disciples to come in to meet the superintendent, who was quietly appalled by their hideous faces. He did not know whether they were men or demons, so he trembled as he saw to tea and a vegetarian meal for them. Noticing his fright, Sanzang said, “Don't be afraid, Your Excellency. My three disciples look hideous, but they are good at heart. As the saying goes, the faces are ugly but the men are kind. There's nothing to be afraid of about them.”

The hostel superintendent's worries were eased when he heard this. “Where is your Tang court, Teacher of the Nation?”

“In the land of China in the continent of Jambu,” Sanzang replied.

“When did you leave home?” was the next question.

“In the thirteenth year of Zhenguan, fourteen years ago,” Sanzang replied. “I had to cross thousands of rivers and mountains-it was very hard-to arrive here.”

“You are a holy monk,” the hostel superintendent said.

“How old is your exalted dynasty?” Sanzang asked.

“This is the great land of India,” the superintendent replied, “and the dynasty has endured for over five hundred years since our High Ancestor. Our reigning sovereign, who is a lover of landscapes and flowers, is known as the Happy Emperor. His reign-period is called Jingyan and is now in its twenty-eighth year.”

“I would like to have an audience with His Majesty today to have the passport inspected and returned,” said Sanzang. “When does he hold court?”

“Splendid,” the superintendent said, “absolutely splendid. Today is the twentieth birthday of Her Royal Highness, the king's daughter. A decorated tower has been built at the crossroads, where the princess is going to throw down an embroidered ball to let heaven decide who her husband it to be. Today is a very lively one, and I believe that His Majesty will not yet have finished his morning audience. This would be a good time to go if you wish to have your passport inspected and returned.” Sanzang was just about to set happily off when the meal was brought in, so he ate it with the superintendent, Monkey and the other two.

By now it was past midday, and Sanzang said, “I had better be going.”

“I'll escort you, Master,” said Brother Monkey. “Me too,” said Pig.

“No, don't, brother,” put in Friar Sand. “Your face is nothing much to look at, so there's no point in your going to look impressive outside the palace gates. Best let our big brother go,”

“Wujing is right,” Sanzang commented. “The idiot is coarse and stupid. Wukong is more clever and subtle.” The idiot thrust his snout out and said, “Apart from you, Master, there's not much to choose between our three faces.”

Sanzang then put on his cassock. Monkey took the passport case had accompanied him. In the streets everyone-gentleman, peasant; artisan, trader, scholar, pen-pusher, dim-wit, or common man-was exclaiming, “Let's go and see the embroidered ball being thrown.”

Sanzang stood beside the road and said to Monkey, “People, clothes, buildings, language and speech here are all the same as in our Great Tang. I remember that my late mother married after throwing an embroidered ball to make the match she was destined for, and they have that custom here too.”

“What about us going to take a look too?” asked Monkey.

“No, no,” Sanzang replied. “We are not wearing the right clothes for the occasion. We might arouse suspicion.”

“Master,” said Monkey, “you've forgotten what the ancient monk in the Spread Gold Monastery told us. We could find out whether she is genuine or not while we're taking a good look at the decorated tower. With all this bustle and activity the king is bound to be going to hear the princess's good news. He won't bother with court business. Let's go.” On hearing this Sanzang did indeed go with Monkey. All kinds of people were there to watch the throwing of the embroidered ball. Oh dear! Little did they know that by going they were like a fisherman casting his hook and line and catching himself trouble.

The story now explains that two years earlier the king of India had taken his queen, consorts and daughter into the royal garden to enjoy a moonlit night because he so loved landscapes and flowers. This had provoked an evil spirit, who had carried the princess off and turned herself into the girl's double. When she learned that the Tang Priest was coming at this time, day, month and year the evil spirit had used the wealth of the kingdom to build the decorated tower in the hope of winning him as her mate and absorbing his true masculine primal essence to make herself a superior immortal of the Great Monad.

At the third mark of the noonday hour, when Sanzang and Monkey had joined in the crowd and were approaching the tower, the princess lit some incense and prayed to heaven and earth. She was surrounded by five or six dozen exquisitely made-up beauties who were attending her and holding her embroidered ball for her. The tower had many windows on all sides. As the princess looked around she saw the Tang Priest approaching, so she took the embroidered ball and threw it with her own hands at the Tang Priest's head. It knocked his Vairocana mitre askew, giving him such a start that he immediately reached with both hands to steady the ball, which rolled down his sleeve.

At once there were great shouts from everyone on the tower of, “She's hit a monk! She's hit a monk!”

Oh dear! All the travelling merchants at the crossroads pushed and shouted as they rushed to grab the embroidered ball, to be met by Monkey with a shout and bared teeth as he bent forward then grew to the majestic height of thirty feet. The hideous face he made gave them all such a fright that they collapsed and crawled about, not daring to come closer. A moment later they had all scattered and Monkey resumed his true form.

The maids, palace beauties and senior and junior eunuchs who had been in the tower all camp up to the Tang Priest, kowtowed to him and said, “Your Highness, we beg you to come to the palace to be congratulated.” Sanzang was quick to return their greetings and help them all back to their feet.

He then turned back to grumble at Monkey, “Ape! You've been trying to make a fool of me again.”

“It was your head the embroidered ball landed on,” Monkey replied with a laugh, “and your sleeve it rolled into. Nothing to do with me, so what are you moaning at me for?”