這行者與沙僧拜辭了菩薩，縱起兩道祥光，離了南海。原來行者觔斗雲快，沙和尚仙雲覺遲，行者就要先行。沙僧扯住道：「大哥不必這等藏頭露尾，先去安根。待小弟與你一同走。」大聖本是良心，沙僧卻有疑意。真個二人同駕雲而去。不多時，果見花果山。按下雲頭，二人洞外細看，果見一個行者，高坐石臺之上，與群猴飲酒作樂。模樣與大聖無異：也是黃髮金箍，金睛火眼；身穿也是綿布直裰，腰繫虎皮裙；手中也拿一條兒金箍鐵棒；足下也踏一雙麂皮靴；也是這等毛臉雷公嘴，朔腮別土星，查耳額顱闊，獠牙向外生。
这行者与沙僧拜辞了菩萨，纵起两道祥光，离了南海。原来行者觔斗云快，沙和尚仙云觉迟，行者就要先行。沙僧扯住道：「大哥不必这等藏头露尾，先去安根。待小弟与你一同走。」大圣本是良心，沙僧却有疑意。真个二人同驾云而去。不多时，果见花果山。按下云头，二人洞外细看，果见一个行者，高坐石台之上，与群猴饮酒作乐。模样与大圣无异：也是黄发金箍，金睛火眼；身穿也是绵布直裰，腰系虎皮裙；手中也拿一条儿金箍铁棒；足下也踏一双麂皮靴；也是这等毛脸雷公嘴，朔腮别土星，查耳额颅阔，獠牙向外生。
Pilgrim and Sha Monk took their leave of the Bodhisattva and rose on two beams of auspicious light, departing from the South Sea. Now, Pilgrim’s somersault cloud was swift, while Sha Monk’s immortal cloud was rather slow, so Pilgrim wanted to go ahead. Sha Monk caught hold of him. “Elder Brother, there’s no need for all this sneaking about, going ahead to rig things up. Wait for your younger brother, and we’ll travel together.” The Great Sage meant no harm, but Sha Monk was suspicious. So the two did indeed ride their clouds together. Before long Flower-Fruit Mountain came into view. They lowered their clouds and looked closely from outside the cave. Sure enough, there was a Pilgrim seated high on a stone terrace, drinking and making merry with the monkeys. He looked no different from the Great Sage: the same yellow hair and golden band, the same golden pupils and fiery eyes. He too wore a cotton monk’s robe with a tiger-skin kilt tied round his waist, held a gold-banded iron cudgel in his hand and wore a pair of muntjac-hide boots on his feet. He had the very same hairy face and Thunder God’s mouth, hollow cheeks and jutting Saturn nose, ragged ears and broad forehead, with tusks growing outward.
這大聖怒發，一撒手，撇了沙和尚，掣鐵棒上前罵道：「你是何等妖邪，敢變我的相貌，敢占我的兒孫，擅居吾仙洞，擅作這威福？」那行者見了，公然不答，也使鐵棒來迎。二行者在一處，果是不分真假，好打呀：
兩條棒，二猴精，這場相敵實非輕。都要護持唐御弟，各施功績立英名。真猴實受沙門教，假怪虛稱佛子情。蓋為神通多變化，無真無假兩相平。一個是混元一氣齊天聖，一個是久煉千靈縮地精。這個是如意金箍棒，那個是隨心鐵桿兵。隔架遮攔無勝敗，撐持抵敵沒輸贏。先前交手在洞外，少頃爭持起半空。他兩個各踏雲光，跳鬥上九霄雲內。
这大圣怒发，一撒手，撇了沙和尚，掣铁棒上前骂道：「你是何等妖邪，敢变我的相貌，敢占我的儿孙，擅居吾仙洞，擅作这威福？」那行者见了，公然不答，也使铁棒来迎。二行者在一处，果是不分真假，好打呀：
两条棒，二猴精，这场相敌实非轻。都要护持唐御弟，各施功绩立英名。真猴实受沙门教，假怪虚称佛子情。盖为神通多变化，无真无假两相平。一个是混元一气齐天圣，一个是久炼千灵缩地精。这个是如意金箍棒，那个是随心铁杆兵。隔架遮拦无胜败，撑持抵敌没输赢。先前交手在洞外，少顷争持起半空。他两个各踏云光，跳斗上九霄云内。
The Great Sage flew into a rage. With a wrench he broke free of Sha Monk, drew his iron cudgel and rushed forward, cursing, “What sort of evil demon are you, daring to take my shape, take possession of my children and grandchildren, occupy my immortal cave and lord it over them like this?” At the sight of him, the other Pilgrim brazenly gave no answer but brought his own iron cudgel forward to meet him. The two Pilgrims clashed, and truly there was no telling the real from the false. What a battle!
Two cudgels, two monkey spirits: no light contest was this.Both would guard the Tang Emperor’s brother;each displayed his prowess to win a glorious name.The true monkey had indeed received the Buddhist teaching;the false monster only pretended a Buddhist son’s devotion.With so many transformations in their powers,neither true nor false gained the upper hand.One was the Sage Equal to Heaven, born of the single primordial breath;one a spirit long refined through a thousand mysteries, skilled in shrinking the ground.This one wielded the As-You-Will Gold-Banded Cudgel;that one an iron weapon that obeyed his will.Parrying, blocking, warding off: neither won nor lost.Bracing, holding, meeting blows: neither gained nor gave ground.At first they fought outside the cave;soon their struggle carried them into the air.Each treading cloud light, the twoleapt and fought up into the clouds of the highest heavens.
沙僧在傍，不敢下手。見他們戰此一場，誠然難認真假。欲待拔刀相助，又恐傷了真的。忍耐良久，且縱身跳下山崖，使降妖寶杖，打近水簾洞外，驚散群妖，掀翻石凳，把飲酒食肉的器皿盡情打碎。尋他的青氈包袱，四下裡全然不見。原來他水簾洞本是一股瀑布飛泉，遮掛洞門，遠看似一條白布簾兒，近看乃是一股水脈，故曰水簾洞。沙僧不知進步來歷，故此難尋。即便縱雲，趕到九霄雲裡，掄著寶杖，又不好下手。大聖道：「沙僧，你既助不得力，且回覆師父，說我等這般這般，等老孫與此妖打上南海落伽山菩薩前辨個真假。」道罷，那行者也如此說。沙僧見兩個相貌、聲音，更無一毫差別，皂白難分，只得依言，撥轉雲頭，回覆唐僧不題。
沙僧在傍，不敢下手。见他们战此一场，诚然难认真假。欲待拔刀相助，又恐伤了真的。忍耐良久，且纵身跳下山崖，使降妖宝杖，打近水帘洞外，惊散群妖，掀翻石凳，把饮酒食肉的器皿尽情打碎。寻他的青毡包袱，四下里全然不见。原来他水帘洞本是一股瀑布飞泉，遮挂洞门，远看似一条白布帘儿，近看乃是一股水脉，故曰水帘洞。沙僧不知进步来历，故此难寻。即便纵云，赶到九霄云里，抡着宝杖，又不好下手。大圣道：「沙僧，你既助不得力，且回复师父，说我等这般这般，等老孙与此妖打上南海落伽山菩萨前辨个真假。」道罢，那行者也如此说。沙僧见两个相貌、声音，更无一毫差别，皂白难分，只得依言，拨转云头，回复唐僧不题。
Sha Monk stood nearby, not daring to strike. Watching the battle, he truly could not tell the real one from the false. He wanted to draw a blade and help, but feared injuring the real one. After bearing it for a long while, he leapt down the cliff, swung his demon-quelling staff and fought his way to the outside of the Water-Curtain Cave. He scattered the demons, overturned the stone stools and smashed every vessel they had used for drinking wine and eating meat. He searched for his blue felt bundles, but there was no sign of them anywhere. Now, the Water-Curtain Cave had a plunging waterfall hanging across its entrance. From a distance it looked like a curtain of white cloth; close up, it was a stream of water, hence the name Water-Curtain Cave. Sha Monk did not know the way in and so could not find what he sought. He rose on his cloud and caught up with them among the highest clouds. He brandished his precious staff, but still could not strike. The Great Sage said, “Sha Monk, since you can’t help, go back and report to Master. Tell him thus and thus, and let Old Sun fight this demon all the way to Mount Potalaka in the South Sea, to distinguish the true from the false before the Bodhisattva.” When he had finished, the other Pilgrim said exactly the same thing. Seeing that the two had precisely the same looks and voice, without the least difference, Sha Monk could not tell black from white. He had no choice but to do as they said, turn his cloud about and go back to report to the Tang Monk, but let us leave him there.