Page:A history of Chinese literature - Giles.djvu/295

 fully and said, 'What ! a devil-monkey like you to seize the throne of God, who from his earliest years has been years' duration ! Think what ages of apprenticeship he had to serve before he could reach this state of perfect wisdom. You are only a brute beast ; what mean these boastful words ? Be off, and utter no more such, lest evil befall, and your very existence be imperilled.'

"'Although he is older than I am,' cried the monkey, 'that is no reason why he should always have the post. Tell him to get out and give up his place to me, or I will know the reason why.'

" ' What abilities have you,' asked Buddha, ' that you should claim the divine palace ? '

"'Plenty,' replied the monkey. 'I can change myself into seventy-two shapes ; I am immortal ; and I can turn a somersault to a distance of 18,000 //' (=6000 miles). Am I not fit to occupy the throne of heaven ?'

" ' Well/ aswered Buddha, ' I will make a wager with you. If you can jump out of my hand, I will request God to depart to the West and leave heaven to you ; but if you fail, you will go down again to earth and be a devil for another few aeons to come.'

"The monkey readily agreed to this, pointing out that he could easily jump 18,000 It, and that Buddha's hand was not even a foot long. So after making Buddha pro- mise to carry out the agreement, he grasped his sceptre and diminished in size until he could stand in the hand, which was stretched out for him like a lotus-leaf. 'I'm off ! ' he cried, and in a moment he was gone. But Buddha's enlightened gaze was ever upon him, though he turned with the speed of a whirligig.

" In a brief space the monkey had reached a place

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