Monkey: A Folk Novel of China

After briefly wrapping up the story of Crow-cock, this section describes the pilgrims’ interactions with the kingdom of Cart Slow. As they continue west from Crow-cock, Tripitaka and his disciples hear strange noises, prompting Monkey to investigate. Monkey learns that the sound is coming from Buddhists enslaved into doing manual labor by the false Taoists who have taken over the kingdom—though at the time Monkey does not know the Taoists leaders are impostors. Two Taoists tell Monkey, who is disguised as a Taoist, that 20 years prior, during a famine, “three Immortals suddenly came from the sky and saved us” (213). The Tiger Strength Immortal, Ram Strength Immortal, and Deer Strength Immortal ordered the Buddhists be enslaved for their inability to save the kingdom with their praying.

Monkey visits the Buddhists and learns more of their backstory, including that many of the original Buddhists died or killed themselves and that the “five hundred whom you see here are those who failed to die” (217). The Buddhist slaves add that spirits have appeared to them alerting them that the Great Sage would save them. Monkey kills the two Taoists he met and reveals his true form to the enslaved Buddhists.