Free Monkey by Wu Ch'eng-en Page A

office of the Great Sage to the right of the Peach Garden. It had two departments, one called Peace and Quiet and the other Calm Spirit. In each were Immortal Officers who attended Monkey wherever he went. A star spirit was detailed to escort Monkey to his new quarters, and he was allowed a ration of two jars of Imperial wine and ten sprays of gold-leaf flowers. Hewas begged not to allow himself to get in any way excited or start again on his pranks.
    As soon as he arrived, he opened both jars and invited everyone in his office to a feast. The star spirit went back to his own quarters, and Monkey, left to his own devices, lived in such perfect freedom and delight as in earth or heaven have never had their like.
    And if you do not know what happened in the end, you must listen to what is told in the next chapter.

CHAPTER V
     
    M ONKEY knew nothing about official matters, and it was fortunate that all he had to do was to mark his name on a list. For the rest, he and his subordinates ate their three meals, slept soundly at night, had no worries, but only perfect freedom and independence. When there was nothing else going on, he went round and made friends with the other denizens of heaven. He was careful to address the members of the Trinity as ‘Venerable’, and the four Emperors as ‘Majesty’; but all the rest, Planets, Lunar Mansions, spirits of the Hours and Days, he treated as equals. Today he wandered east, tomorrow rambled west; his goings and comings were unhampered as the passage of the clouds. One day at Court an Immortal stepped forward and made the following petition: ‘I submit that the Sage, Equal of Heaven has no duties to perform. He spends all his time going round and making friends. All the stars of heaven, high and low, are now his cronies. Trouble will come of it, unless some way is found of employing his time.’ The Jade Emperor accordingly sent for Monkey, who arrived in high glee, asking ‘What promotion or reward has your Majesty sent for me to announce ?’
    ‘I hear,’ said the Emperor, ‘that you have nothing in particular to do, and I am going to give you a job. You are to look after the Peach Garden; I wish you to devote the greatest attention to this work.’
    Monkey was in wild delight, and unable to wait for a moment he rushed off to take over his new duties in the Peach Garden. Here he found a Local Spirit, who cried out to him,’ Great Sage, where are you going ?’
    ‘To take charge of the Peach Garden,’ he said. ‘I’ve been appointed by his Majesty.’
    The spirit bowed low, and called to Hoe-earth, Draw-water, Peach-tender, and Leaf-sweeper, the strong men who worked the garden, to come forward and kow-tow to Monkey.
    ‘How many trees are there?’ Monkey asked of the localspirit. ‘Three thousand six hundred,’ he said. ‘On the outer side, one thousand two hundred, with inconspicuous flowers and small fruit. They ripen once in three thousand years. Whoever eats them becomes a fairy, all-wise; his limbs are strong and his body light. In the middle of the garden are one thousand two hundred trees, with double blossom and sweet fruit. They ripen once in six thousand years. Whoever eats them can levitate at will, and never grows old. At the back of the garden are one thousand two hundred trees. The fruit has purple markings and the stones are pale yellow. They ripen once in nine thousand years. Whoever eats them outlasts heaven and earth, and is the compeer of sun and moon.’ Monkey was delighted, and began at once inspecting the trees and listing the arbours and pagodas. Henceforward he amused himself only once a month, on the day of the full moon, but otherwise saw no friends and went nowhere. One day he saw that high up on some of the trees many of the peaches were ripe, and he made up his mind to eat them before anyone else got a chance. Unfortunately he was closely watched by his followers, and to shake them off he said, ‘I am feeling tired and am going to take a