且不言唐長老困苦。卻說那三個魔頭齊心竭力，與大聖兄弟三人，在城東半山內努力爭持。這一場，正是那鐵刷帚刷銅鍋──家家挺硬。好殺：
六般體相六般兵，六樣形骸六樣情。六惡六根緣六慾，六門六道賭輸贏。三十六宮春自在，六六形色恨有名。這一個金箍棒，千般解數；那一個方天戟，百樣崢嶸。八戒釘鈀兇更猛，二怪長槍俊又能。小沙僧寶杖非凡，有心打死；老魔頭鋼刀快利，舉手無情。這三個是護衛真僧無敵將，那三個是亂法欺君潑野精。起初猶可，向後彌兇。六枚都使昇空法，雲端裡面各翻騰。一時間吐霧噴雲天地暗，哮哮吼吼只聞聲。他六個鬥夠多時，漸漸天晚。卻又是風霧漫漫，霎時間就黑暗了。原來八戒耳大，蓋著眼皮，越發昏濛；手腳慢，又遮架不住：拖著鈀，敗陣就走。被老魔舉刀砍去，幾乎傷命。幸躲過頭腦，被口刀削斷幾根鬃毛，趕上張開口咬著領頭，拿入城中，丟與小怪，綑在金鑾殿。老妖又駕雲，起在半空助力。沙和尚見事不諧，虛幌著寶杖，顧本身回頭便走。被二怪捽開鼻子，響一聲，連手捲住，拿到城裡，也叫小妖綑在殿下。卻又騰空去叫拿行者。
且不言唐长老困苦。却说那三个魔头齐心竭力，与大圣兄弟三人，在城东半山内努力争持。这一场，正是那铁刷帚刷铜锅──家家挺硬。好杀：
六般体相六般兵，六样形骸六样情。六恶六根缘六欲，六门六道赌输赢。三十六宫春自在，六六形色恨有名。这一个金箍棒，千般解数；那一个方天戟，百样峥嵘。八戒钉钯凶更猛，二怪长枪俊又能。小沙僧宝杖非凡，有心打死；老魔头钢刀快利，举手无情。这三个是护卫真僧无敌将，那三个是乱法欺君泼野精。起初犹可，向后弥凶。六枚都使升空法，云端里面各翻腾。一时间吐雾喷云天地暗，哮哮吼吼只闻声。他六个斗够多时，渐渐天晚。却又是风雾漫漫，霎时间就黑暗了。原来八戒耳大，盖着眼皮，越发昏蒙；手脚慢，又遮架不住：拖着钯，败阵就走。被老魔举刀砍去，几乎伤命。幸躲过头脑，被口刀削断几根鬃毛，赶上张开口咬着领头，拿入城中，丢与小怪，捆在金銮殿。老妖又驾云，起在半空助力。沙和尚见事不谐，虚幌着宝杖，顾本身回头便走。被二怪捽开鼻子，响一声，连手卷住，拿到城里，也叫小妖捆在殿下。却又腾空去叫拿行者。
Let us leave Elder Tang’s suffering for the moment. Meanwhile, the three demon chiefs put forth all their strength together against the Great Sage and his two brothers, fighting fiercely halfway up the mountain east of the city. This encounter was truly an iron brush scouring a copper pot—both sides hard and unyielding. What a battle:
Six kinds of bodies, six kinds of weapons;six kinds of forms, six kinds of feelings.Six evils and six sense faculties spring from six desires;six gates and six paths stake all on victory or defeat.Within the thirty-six palaces, spring is free;six times six forms and colours, each hatred bears a name.This one’s gold-banded cudgelworks a thousand tricks;That one’s double-bladed halberdshows a hundred fearsome skills.Bajie’s rake is fierce and fiercer still;the second monster’s long spear is deft and able.Young Sha Monk’s precious staff is extraordinary,bent on killing;The old demon’s steel sabre is keen and sharp,its every stroke without mercy.These three are matchless generals guarding the true monk;those three are wild, vicious spirits who wreck the Dharma and defy their lord.At first it was bearable;later it grew fiercer.All six use their arts to rise into the sky,each tumbling among the clouds.In an instant, spewed mist and clouds darken heaven and earth;nothing is heard but howls and roars.The six had fought for a long time;evening was drawing on.Then wind and mist spread everywhere,and in a moment all was dark.Bajie’s great ears hung over his eyelids, making his sight still dimmer;His hands and feet were slow;he could no longer block the blows.Dragging his rake,he fled in defeat.The old demon chopped at him with his sabreand nearly took his life.Luckily he dodged the blow to his head; the blade only sliced off a few bristles. The demon caught up, opened his jaws, seized him by the collar in his teeth and carried him into the city, where he tossed him to the lesser monsters to be bound in the Hall of Golden Chimes.The old demon mounted a cloud againand rose into the air to help.Sha Monk saw things were going badly; he feinted with his precious staff, turned and fled to save himself.With a swish, the second monster flung out his trunk and wrapped it round him, arms and all. He carried him into the city and likewise ordered the lesser demons to bind him below the hall.Then he rose into the air again, calling for Pilgrim’s capture.
行者見兩個兄弟遭擒，他自家獨力難撐，正是：
好手不敵雙拳，雙拳難敵四手。
他喊一聲，把棍子隔開三個妖魔的兵器，縱觔斗駕雲走了。三怪見行者駕觔斗時，即抖抖身，現了本像，搧開兩翅，趕上大聖。你道他怎能趕上？當時如行者鬧天宮，十萬天兵也拿他不住者，以他會駕觔斗雲，一去有十萬八千里路，所以諸神不能趕上。這妖精搧一翅就有九萬里，兩搧就趕過了。所以被他一把撾住，拿在手中，左右掙挫不得。欲思要走，莫能逃脫。即使變化法遁法，又往來難行：變大些兒，他就放鬆了撾住；變小些兒，他又揝緊了撾住。復拿了徑回城內，放了手，捽下塵埃，吩咐群妖，也照八戒、沙僧綑在一處。那老魔、二魔俱下來迎接，三個魔頭同上寶殿。噫！這一番倒不是綑住行者，分明是與他送行。
行者见两个兄弟遭擒，他自家独力难撑，正是：
好手不敌双拳，双拳难敌四手。
他喊一声，把棍子隔开三个妖魔的兵器，纵觔斗驾云走了。三怪见行者驾觔斗时，即抖抖身，现了本像，扇开两翅，赶上大圣。你道他怎能赶上？当时如行者闹天宫，十万天兵也拿他不住者，以他会驾觔斗云，一去有十万八千里路，所以诸神不能赶上。这妖精扇一翅就有九万里，两扇就赶过了。所以被他一把挝住，拿在手中，左右挣挫不得。欲思要走，莫能逃脱。即使变化法遁法，又往来难行：变大些儿，他就放松了挝住；变小些儿，他又揝紧了挝住。复拿了径回城内，放了手，捽下尘埃，吩咐群妖，也照八戒、沙僧捆在一处。那老魔、二魔俱下来迎接，三个魔头同上宝殿。噫！这一番倒不是捆住行者，分明是与他送行。
Seeing both his brothers captured, Pilgrim could hardly hold out alone. Truly:
A skilful fighter cannot beat two fists;two fists cannot beat four hands.
He gave a shout, thrust aside the three demons’ weapons with his cudgel and somersaulted away on his cloud. When the third monster saw Pilgrim mount his somersault cloud, he shook himself, revealed his true form, spread his two wings and caught up with the Great Sage. You may wonder, reader, how he could catch him. When Pilgrim made havoc in the Heavenly Palace, a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers could not capture him because his somersault cloud carried him a hundred and eight thousand li at a bound, beyond the gods’ power to pursue. But this demon flew ninety thousand li with one beat of his wings; with two beats he overtook him. He caught Pilgrim in his claw and held him fast, so that he could struggle neither left nor right. He wanted to flee, but there was no escape. Even his arts of transformation and evasion gave him no way out: when he grew larger, the demon loosened his grip to hold him; when he grew smaller, the demon tightened it. He carried him straight back into the city, opened his claw and flung him into the dust, ordering the demons to bind him there with Bajie and Sha Monk. The old demon and the second came down to welcome him, and all three demon chiefs went up into the great hall. Ah! This time they were not merely tying Pilgrim up: they were plainly seeing him off on his way.
此時有二更時候，眾怪一齊相見畢，把唐僧推下殿來。那長老於燈光前，忽見三個徒弟都綑在地下，老師父伏於行者身邊，哭道：「徒弟啊，常時逢難，你卻在外運用神通，到那裡取救降魔；今番你亦遭擒，我貧僧怎麼得命？」八戒、沙僧聽見師父這般苦楚，便也一齊放聲痛哭。行者微微笑道：「師父放心，兄弟莫哭，憑他怎的，決然無傷。等那老魔安靜了，我們走路。」八戒道：「哥啊，又來搗鬼了。麻繩綑住，鬆些兒還著水噴，想你這瘦人兒不覺，我這胖的遭瘟哩。不信，你看兩膊上，入肉已有二寸，如何脫身？」行者笑道：「莫說是麻繩綑的，就是碗粗的棕纜，只也當秋風過耳，何足罕哉？」
此时有二更时候，众怪一齐相见毕，把唐僧推下殿来。那长老于灯光前，忽见三个徒弟都捆在地下，老师父伏于行者身边，哭道：「徒弟啊，常时逢难，你却在外运用神通，到那里取救降魔；今番你亦遭擒，我贫僧怎么得命？」八戒、沙僧听见师父这般苦楚，便也一齐放声痛哭。行者微微笑道：「师父放心，兄弟莫哭，凭他怎的，决然无伤。等那老魔安静了，我们走路。」八戒道：「哥啊，又来捣鬼了。麻绳捆住，松些儿还着水喷，想你这瘦人儿不觉，我这胖的遭瘟哩。不信，你看两膊上，入肉已有二寸，如何脱身？」行者笑道：「莫说是麻绳捆的，就是碗粗的棕缆，只也当秋风过耳，何足罕哉？」
It was now about the second watch. When the monsters had all greeted one another, they pushed the Tang Monk down from the hall. In the lamplight the elder suddenly saw his three disciples bound on the ground. The old master sank down beside Pilgrim and wept. “Disciples! Whenever we met trouble before, you were outside working your magic, finding help somewhere to subdue the demons. Now you too have been captured. How can this poor monk survive?” Hearing their master in such distress, Bajie and Sha Monk burst into bitter tears as well. Pilgrim smiled a little. “Master, set your mind at rest. Brothers, don’t cry. Whatever they do, we’re certain to come to no harm. Once the old demon has settled down, we’ll be on our way.” Bajie said, “Brother, there you go playing tricks again! They’ve bound us with hemp rope, and whenever it loosens a little they spray it with water. You’re so skinny you may not feel it, but a fat fellow like me is in for misery. If you don’t believe me, look at my upper arms. It’s already sunk two inches into the flesh. How can we get free?” Pilgrim laughed. “Never mind hemp rope—even a palm-fibre cable as thick as a bowl would be no more to me than an autumn breeze past my ears. What’s so remarkable about that?”