Monkey Makes Three Attempts to Borrow the Plantain Fan

The Tang Priest and his three disciples¹， Monkey （Wukong）， Pig and Friar Sand， were heading towards the Western Heaven. Gradually they began to feel hotter and hotter in the warm air. It was very strange， because it was autumn. Later they learnt that the Fiery² Mountains were just ahead of them. The mountains had a circumference³ of 800 li， on which not a blade of grass could grow. A young man selling cakes told them that it was not possible to cross the mountains without a special plantain fan which could only be borrowed from Princess Iron Fan. After having made arrangements for his master， Monkey left for the Plantain Cave to see Princess Iron Fan. The princess was the wife of the Bull Demon⁴ King and the Red Boy's mother. Some time ago， Red Boy had tried to eat the Tang Priest and Monkey had subdued⁵ him. Hence Princess Iron Fan hated Monkey and refused to lend the fan to him. Instead she blew Monkey right out of sight with a single wave of her plantain fan. Bodhisattva Lingji heard about this and gave Monkey a Wind-Fixing Pill. Monkey came to borrow the magic fan for the second time. With the Wind-Fixing Pill in his mouth， Monkey could not be moved no matter how hard the princess waved the fan. The princess hurried back to the cave and had the doors closed tightly. However， Monkey turned himself into an insect and got into the princess‘ belly⁶ when she was drinking tea. The princess could not stand the pain， so that she agreed to lend the fan to Monkey， but she actually gave him a false one. The third time Monkey came for the fan he decided⁷ to turn himself into the Bull Demon King. He got the fan. Upon hearing of this trickery， the Bull Demon King came hurriedly chasing after Monkey. They engaged in a fierce struggle. Soon Pig and Friar Sand came to Monkey's help and forced the Bull Demon King to show his true colors. With the plantain fan， Monkey put out the fire. The master and his three disciples continued their journey to the West to fetch scriptures⁸.

　　唐僧师徒四人，一路风尘仆仆朝西行去。走着走着，渐渐觉得热气袭人，难以忍受。此进正值秋天，大家感到很奇怪。一打听才知道前方有座火焰山，方圆八百里寸草不生。又从卖糕少年嘴里听说，要想过山，只有向铁扇公主借芭蕉扇扇灭火后才能通过。司空把师父安排好，前往芭蕉洞找铁扇公主。铁扇公主是牛魔王的妻子，红孩儿之母。因上次红孩儿想吃唐僧肉与司空结下了冤仇，铁扇公主哪里肯借。悟空初次借扇，被铁扇公主用芭蕉扇扇得无踪无影。灵吉菩萨得知实情，给他一粒“定风丹”再去借扇。悟空二次来借扇，公主又用扇扇他，悟空口含定风丹，一动不动。公主急忙回洞，闭门不出。悟空变作一只小虫，乘公主喝茶之际进入铁扇公主腹中。公主腹疼难忍，答应借扇，但给的是一把假扇。第三次，悟空变成牛魔王模样，骗得真扇。牛魔王到家得知真相后急忙追赶，悟空与牛魔王大战。八戒、沙僧上前助战，最后把牛魔王打得现出原形。悟空用芭蕉扇扇灭山火，师徒四人继续西行取经。