The other three characters -- Journey to the West

The sandman, the second adjutant to the Tang Monk, was a monter who used to live near a sandy river bank -- another deity banished to the lower level of hell -- so to speak .. and the third character -- The Pig, or the pig with eight guarded laws --- From our children's pictorials, all of these characters are with human bodies, but all of them are dressed as humans, where the Monkey is the Monkey and the sandman was just a man with tons of hair -- or what is amazing is that the hair almost worked out us "full of sand" , at least, that is how I have been visualizing the Sandman, and the Pig with 8 guarded laws, has a pig face, but a human body as well. He symbolized gluttony, complacency, laziness and to a large degree, cowardice and yes "chicken" would have been a better word. Where the Sandman, and the fourth "banished deity" was the horse, the horse, a white horse who carried often the Monk and his many books and luggage. Both the horse and the Sandman represented more of the human "apathy" - another human frailty and all of them in the entire journey, upon facing any challenges by the road side demons and monsters, frequently had shown signs of retreat, or giving up ---- Because in this entire journey to the West -- in the underworld of the demons and monsters -- the prize of the "flesh" of this monk, would have been given them all - their immortality . Thus, the journey of this group has all the many challenges. Where often, these road side demons and villains, would have themselves camouflaged into the many forms of trickey -- Often they come to the monk as elder women, or young women appealing to be weak and helpless -- while in this exchange of "falsehood" or entrapment, as often shown in the novel, this pious and yet weak monk had fallen time and again by the deceptive ways of these "false" women ---- where the "sharp" eye, or the trained eyes of the Monkey, had them often spot on -- and in how the writer had characterize the sharp sense of the Monkey, and his quickness to strike any of the "demons" thriving to have a piece of the morsel , the flesh of this Holy monk--- his quickness to draw, or as to have them beaten or crushed by his famous "magic wand" -- a wand that can be called by the spell to become as small as a hair pin , to be hidden under his earlobe, underneath his skin-- or once this magic wand is drawn out into the open -- by the magic spell, the wand can go into the height that can reach heaven and to be as thick and heavy as any sizable mountain -- One stroke of this wand would have crushed these demons into pulps - Yes, the book and story was very descriptive and with all the vivid gore-- the same sites that would have also been stroke the pious monk and offending his Buddhist vow -- of to spare all living creatures. This contrast of the quick temper, quick alert and fast movement of the Monkey, the former "The Invincible Lord of heaven" , his struggle of his past fame and glory and now with the humility that was set forth upon him, not ever so willingly -- because in the segment, or upon the monks arrival into the Five Finger Mountain, prior to the Monkey 's release by the Monk, whom had heard the "calling" by this mighty and poweful, King of the monkeys, who had pleaded and begged for his release --At that particular moment and time, the appearance of the goddest of Mercy, or Guanyin , who had come to set up the conditions and the procedure of the Monkey's release, whereas she had moved one of her gold rings, which had turned into a "crown" of sorts, or a metal head piece to be permanently set onto the head of the Monkey. where the goddess of mercy had passed onto the Monk, with a special magic spell ------ Upon the repeat of the spell - this ring/crown will be tightening and be squeezing into the skull of the Monkey. Subsequently, in the many times of dispute between the Monkey and the Monk, or upon the Monkey quick fix, fast kill of the roadside demons, because the Monkey has his training , where his eyes can spot and see between real human to demons, as well he can also smell out the rogue ones --- His quick execution had often mistaken by the Monk, the direct offense for any Buddhist monk, who have made their vow to be pious and "killing" of anyting living is a major offense. Thus, this on going conflicts between the master and the Monkey disciple had there many episodes of exchange, and repeatedly, the Monkey had left and gone, or banished by the pious monk, nevertheless a weak monk, even the mission and the deeds of the Monkey was to guaded and to protect the Monks life and to secure his journey to the West --- in the story of this legend, this is where they all will meet the Great Buddha, and where all of the disciples will be able to attained their god and deity status by their deeds and protection with their guardianship of the Tang Monk. The mission and their "sacrifices" will give back their old status and more. The author's written story of this pilgrimage was colorful not only in the caricature of the characters, but every episode or chapter has a series of poems, beautifully articulating and expressing their next round of activities or the anticipated events -- such as the encounters they might have. The twists and turns of the entire novel, the give and takes and exchanges between the Tang Monk and the Monkey were the key ingredients of the novel. Thus, the Journey or the Pilgrimage to Tibet, or Journey to the West had become better known -- as the story of the Monkey King. It is a story, a novel that have been said and told a million times by all Chinese elders to their young -- and in old Canton, there is always the calling of any young boy --when they act disobedient and naughty-- they were told as I have been told -- " Ma Lau Jing", Ma-lau is monkey -- Jing-- means the spirit, or non human. or worse, a naughty, disobedient ghostling. One can put maybe the image of a naughty Casper --likeable by disturbing and annoying at the same time. All naughty kids were called by that name -- Ma Lau Jing :)