Beneath the lotus-starred surface of the pond lurks Baklan, a creature banished from heaven for his drunken lewdness during a celestial banquet and condemned to serve a term as the demon watchman of the pond.  Seeing only the loveliness of the place and knowing nothing of its dangers, the monkeys choose to spend the night there.  After a frugal meal of fruit and the practice of martial exercises under the direction of the zealous Hanuman, the monkeys dispose themselves about the bank and drop into a profound slumber.