The tale of

④ city :
The following poem is taken from Mappings which
was published in 1981 and is included in the
Collected Poems by Vikram Seth.

1dm
The city which the poet is talking about was ruled by
a ‘just and placid’ King. He is known to be fair and
calm in his proceedings. One day, he ordered for an
arch to be built on the main road of the town.

He felt that it would be a good sight to look at that

would motivate the onlookers. /observer
spectator
-

Since it was the King who ordered for it to be built,

the workmen followed his orders and constructed the
arch. To mark its inauguration and indulge the

1*1
onlookers, the King went to the thoroughfare.

There, the arch hit his head and his crown fell down.
It happened because the arch was formed too low.
His calm expressions were instantly changed,

ems
indicating extreme displeasure.

He considered it a moment of dishonour and ordered

for the chief of builders to be executed by hanging.
To fulfill King’s orders, ropes and gallows were put
in order. 1-
a wooden frame
used in
by
the past for killing people
hanging .

17
The chief of builders was found and brought to be
executed. He was being taken to the King. On seeing
the King, the chief of builders immediately shouted
and exclaimed that it was the workmen who were at
fault.
The King immediately called it off and declared that

t→③ÉÉEB
the workmen must be hanged.

This hit the workmen with surprise. They pointed

out that it was not their fault but the bricks were not
of the right size.

On hearing that it was the bricks that were of the

wrong signs, the King called for the masons. The
masons were trembling in front of the King. They
put the blame on the architect and thus, the architect
was called for.

oh !
The King tells the architect that he considers him the
one at fault and he must be executed. Instantly, the
architect mentions that it was the King who made
minute changes to the architect’s initial plan.
 et
Est
This indirectly indicated that it was the King who
was responsible for the wrongly built arch. The King
grew angry but since he was ‘just and placid’, he
thought it would be best to consult someone in such
a confusing situation. Thus, he ordered them to get
the wisest person alive.

They found the wisest man but he had to be carried

to the Royal court for he was so old that he could
neither walk nor see properly. With his age, came his
wisdom. He finally spoke in his extremely shaky
voice that the one at fault must be executed and it is
the arch that striked off the King’s crown. Thus, the
arch must be hanged.

¥%
After listening to the wise man’s opinion, the arch
was being taken for public execution when suddenly
one of the ministers of the Royal Court raised an
objection. According to him, it would be disgraceful
to hang something that touched the head of their
mighty King.

abkyakanu !
The King also found it appropriate. By this time, the
crowd became unsettled. They wanted execution of
the one at fault. The King, being ‘just and placid’,
recognised the temper of his people and declared
that they must postpone something as crucial as
determining the guilty.

wait
He further added, that if the nation wants a hanging,
the guilty, once decided, would be hanged without
further delay.

wait
To ascertain the one to be executed, they set up a
noose and the one to fit in it would be hanged. Each
man was called and measured one by one.
The noose was set up at quite a high point and the
only man tall enough to fit in the noose was the one
and only; the King. Finally, they had found someone
to be executed and their King was hanged by the
official force of law. "
=
• .

The Ministers of the Royal Court heaved a sigh of

relief as they found someone to be put to death for
the faulty arch. They feared that if they would have
not found someone, the disorderly crowd would
begin questioning the power and integrity of the
power vested in the Crown.

long live the

king
“Long live the King”, everyone said. It brings out
the irony because the King they were hailing for,
was no longer alive. They wanted their King to live
a long life but on the other hand, they were relieved
to have found someone to execute even if it was
their King.

At first, the ministers were indecisive as to how to

choose their new King. But reasonable as they were,
they sent out the official messengers to declare that
their next ruler will be chosen by the one who passes
the City Gate next. The one chosen by him will be
declared ‘King’ with due ceremony as was the

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custom.

The next to pass the City Gate was a man, nay, an

idiot. The guards stopped him and asked him to
name their next King. An idiot as he was, he
answered, ‘a melon’. Not to call it his mistake or
anyone else’s, this was his fixed reply to all the
questions as the man was fond of melons.

The ministers crowned a melon believing that it is

now going to rule over their city. They set the melon
on the throne and declared him ‘King’.
Now, the melon was declared the King many years
ago and now when anyone asks the people of the
city about how it all happened, they simply call it a
“customary choice”. It means that their regulations
pushed them towards making a melon their King.

But now, they are more than happy with their King
being a melon because the people live in peace and
enjoy freedom. They are flourishing with no
interference by their King.