all his strength, and then
said: "It is too heavy, and ought to be somewhat shorter and thinner!"

No sooner had he said this than the iron rod grew less. He tried it
again, and then he noticed that it grew larger or smaller at command.
It could be made to shrink to the size of a pin. Sun Wu Kung was
overjoyed and beat about in the sea with the rod, which he had let
grow large again, till the waves spurted mountain-high and the
dragon-castle rocked on its foundations. The Dragon-King trembled with
fright, and all his tortoises, fishes and crabs drew in their heads.

Sun Wu Kung laughed, and said: "Many thanks for the handsome present!"
Then he continued: "Now I have a weapon, it is true, but as yet I have
no armor. Rather than hunt up two or three other households, I think
you will be willing to provide me with a suit of mail."

The Dragon-King told him that he had no armor to give him.

Then the ape said: "I will not leave until you have obtained one for
me." And once more he began to swing his rod.

"Do not harm me!" said the terrified Dragon-King, "I will ask my
brothers."

And he had them beat the iron drum and strike the golden gong, and in
a moment's time all the Dragon-King's brothers came from all the other
seas. The Dragon-King talked to them in private and said: "This is a
terrible fellow, and we must not rouse his anger! First he took the
rod with the golden clamps from me, and now he also insists on having
a suit of armor. The best thing to do would be to satisfy him at once,
and complain of him to the Lord of the Heavens later."

So the brothers brought a magic suit of golden mail, magic boots and a
magic helmet.

Then Sun Wu Kung thanked them and returned to his cave. Radiantly he
greeted his children, who had come to meet him, and showed them the
rod with the golden clamps. They all crowded up and wished to pick it
up from the ground, if only a single time; but it was just as though a
dragon-fly had attempted to overthrow a stone column, or an ant were
trying to carry a great mountain. It would not move a hair's breadth.
Then the apes opened their mouths and stuck out their tongues, and
said: "Father, how is it possible for you to carry that heavy thing?"
So he told them the secret of the rod and showed them its effects.
Then he set his empire in order, and appointed the four baboons
field-marshals; and the seven beast-spirits, the ox-spirit, the
dragon-spirit, the bird-spirit, the lion-spirit an