earer of the pilgrim's baggage, was not satisfied with this reply,
and tried to get his load transferred to the horse, but was silenced
when told that the latter's sole duty was to carry the Master.

However, the Monkey gave Pai Ma a blow with his rod, causing him to
start forward at a great pace, and in a few minutes from the brow of
a hill Hsuean Chuang espied in the distance a grove of cypress-trees,
beneath the shade of which was a large enclosure. This seemed a
suitable place to pass the night, so they made toward it, and as
they approached observed in the enclosure a spacious and luxurious
establishment. There being no indications that the place was then
inhabited, the Monkey made his way inside.

A Proposal of Marriage

He was met by a lady of charming appearance, who came out of an inner
room, and said: "Who is this that ventures to intrude upon a widow's
household?" The situation was embarrassing, but the lady proved to
be most affable, welcomed them all very heartily, told them how she
became a widow and had been left in possession of riches in abundance,
and that she had three daughters, Truth, Love, and Pity by name. She
then proceeded to make a proposal of marriage, not only on behalf
of herself, but of her three daughters as well. They were four men,
and here were four women; she had mountain lands for fruit-trees,
dry lands for grain, flooded fields for rice--more than five thousand
acres of each; horses, oxen, sheep, pigs innumerable; sixty or seventy
farmsteads; granaries choked with grain; storehouses full of silks
and satins; gold and silver enough to last several lifetimes however
extravagantly they lived. Why should the four travellers not finish
their journey there, and be happy ever afterward? The temptation was
great, especially as the three daughters were ladies of surpassing
beauty as well as adepts at needlework and embroidery, well read,
and able to sing sweetly.

But Hsuean Chuang sat as if listening to frogs after rain, unmoved
except by anger that she should attempt to divert him from his heavenly
purpose, and in the end the lady retired in a rage, slamming the door
behind her.

The covetous Pa-chieh, however, expressed himself in favour of
accepting the widow's terms. Finding it impossible to do so openly,
he stole round to the back and secured a private interview. His
personal appearance was against him, but the widow was not altogether
uncompliant. She not only entertained the t