English by Mehak Arora : 9971195197

TOPPERS POINT ACUMEN ACADEMY

THE TALE OF MELON CITY

Introduction
The Tale of Melon City is a story in verse. The tale is humorous even though it is unrealistic and
unbelievable. It ridicules the king, his ministers, the wise men and the common people. All of them behave
foolishly. Not one of them applies his brain. The tone of the poem is satirical. The poem follows the story
of its “just and placid king” who tries to be a model for an extremely literal form of justice and largely
succeeds, in a most unusual way. The ideas that serve as the driving force of the piece, however, are much
more significant, and as an analysis into topics such as governance, laissez-faire, and justice, The Tale of
Melon City works very nicely as a piece that can be both amusing, and somewhat thought-provoking in its
own unique way. This story highlights the foolishness of a so-called calm and just ruler. The king carried
his notion of justice too far. He not only lost his own life but also gave the chance to another fool, a melon,
to occupy the throne.

Summary
Once there was a justice-loving and cool-headed king. He decided to get an arch built over the main
highway. His motive was to benefit and improve the onlookers, both mentally and morally. The workers
built the gate. They dared not disobey the king. The king rode down the highway to show himself to the
people. It so happened that his crown hit against the low-built arch, and was lost. The king was very angry.
He took it as an insult. He decided to hang the chief of builders. All arrangements were made for the
execution. The chief of builders was taken past the king. He told the king that he was innocent. He put the
blame on the workmen. The king put off the hanging for a while. Being just and serious, he forgave the
builder and ordered the hanging of all the workmen. The workers passed on the blame to the brickmakers
who had made the bricks of the wrong size. The king then sent for the masons who stood to tremble with
fear. They blamed the architect for the low arch. And now it was the turn of the architect to suffer hanging.
The architect too had a point in his defence. He reminded the king of the change he himself had made to
the plans. The king heard this and turned pale. He was in a dilemma. So, he declared that the case was
complicated and he needed some consultations. He sent for the wisest man in the country. A very old and
experienced man was presented before the king. He suggested that the king should punish the culprit
and, in this case, the arch itself was that guilty thing. The arch was taken towards the gallows. But
suddenly, a courtier or minister spoke in favour of the march saying that they could not hang the arch
because it had touched the sacred head of the king. The king agreed with his minister. But by now, the
crowd was in a rebellious mood. They wanted some action, a hanging. So, to please the public, the king
said that somebody should be hanged whether he was guilty or not. So, a noose was set up. But it was
somewhat high. Many people were measured but only the king was found tall enough to fit the noose.
And he was, therefore, hanged.

Message
In "The Tale of Melon City" , Vikram Seth lampoons the eccentric and idiotic governance that is thrust on
people sometimes. In a democratic country like India, any body can become a leader. The bureaucracy
and the professionals keep passing the blame. No one is ready to own up their folly. Seth also satirizes the
lackadaisical attitude to choose their leaders. The poem shows that law is not only blind but it can also
spell disaster if not properly implemented. Although the kind of ruler they have directly affects the quality
of their lives.
 English by Mehak Arora : 9971195197
Short answer questions
1. What proclamation did the king make?
The justice loving and cool-headed king got an arch gate built stretching right across the main
thoroughfare. He hoped to enlighten and uplift the onlookers both mentally and morally.

2. What annoyed the king as he rode down that thoroughfare?

As the king rode down the highway to show himself to the people his crown struck against the
low-built arch. It was knocked off and lost. This enraged the king.

3. ‘This is a disgrace’, said the king. How did he react?

The low-built arch hit against the king’s crown which fell to the ground and was lost. The king took
it as an insult and terms the fall of his crown as a disgrace. He ordered the chief of builders to be
executed.

4. The king, in this poem, is just and placid. Why does he then lose his temper? Does he carry his
notion of justice too far?
The king was known to be calm and cool-headed because he was fanatic about dispensing justice.
He lost his temper soon. He somehow wanted to decide the case of the arch by hanging any
suitable person. But he was an utter fool. He carried his notion of justice too far. In doing so he
had invited his own hanging. The description of the king as just and placid is rather ironical.

5. How did the chief of builders, the workmen and the masons save their lives?
The chief of builders passed on the blame to the workmen. The workers in order to save their lives
blamed the brick makers and the masons. They pleaded with the king that it wan not their fault as
the bricks were made of the wrong size. The masons in turn put the blame on the architect for the
low arch.

6. How did the architect turn the tables on the king himself?
The architect was presented before the king to face conviction. But he tried to save his skin by
reminding the king of the changes made by the king himself in the building plan. On hearing the
architect’s reply the king was enraged and he lost his balance of mind.He said he would consult
the wisest man in the state on the issue.

7. Who on the old wise man’s advice was led to the gallows? Why had the proceeding to be halted?
The ministers 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 advised 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.

8. How did the king save his own skin when the architect turned the accusing finger at him?
The architect blamed the king himself for making faulty changes in the original building plan. The
king found himself cornered. So he declared that he would seek the advice of the wisest man in
the state on that tricky issue.

9. How did circumstances lead to the execution of the king himself?

The architect blamed the king himself for making faulty changes in the original building plan. The
king found himself cornered. So he declared that he would seek the advice of the wisest man in
the state on that tricky issue.
 English by Mehak Arora : 9971195197
10. What opinion do you form about the king from the story?
This story highlights the foolishness of a so-called calm and just ruler. The king carried his notion
of justice too far. He not only lost his own life but also gave the chance to another fool, a melon,
to occupy the throne.

11. Comment on the calibre of the king, his ministers, the people and the customs of the state.
All the characters in the story are block-headed. The king was crazy and brainless. The ministers
followed the old custom blindly and set a melon on the throne. The custom to choose the ruler
was just silly. The people, at large, were no good. They demanded a hanging even if it was their
own king. They did not mind who the king was, as long as they could live peacefully.

12. Why have the king’s ministers been described as practical-minded men? What is ironical about the
description?
The King's men were practical in the sense that they immediately got down to selecting a new King
after the previous King was silt be hanged by a royal decree. Unfortunately, they were not wise
and farsighted enough to see their foolishness in hanging their own King for no fault of his.

13. How was the new king of the state finally selected and crowned?
An idiot had happened to pass by the gate next. As per the announcement he was invited to decide
who the next King would be. Foolish as he was he said that the next King should be a Melon. Infact
it was his standard response to all the questions because he liked melons.

14. Why do the common people accept the melon-king without any protest?
The common people valued their peaceful living and freedom more than the quality of the king. It
mattered little for them whether the king was wise or foolish, so long as he did not harass the
people.

15. How did the Ministers show reverence to a 'melon' after it had been declared the next King of the
state?
After the idiot declared that the next King should be a melon, the King's men crowned the Melon
as their next King and carried it in a royal procession to the throne and reverently placed it on the
throne. The King Melon ruled the Kingdom for many years.

16. Why did the King want to postpone consideration of finer points like guilt?
The case of the arch was taking too long to be decided. Meanwhile the King's subjects grew restless
and demanded justice. The King decided to postpone the finer points like who was really guilty in
the arch case and ordered someone to be hanged to quell public outrage.

17. What does the author actually want to say in making an idiot choose a King?
By making an idiot choose the King, Vikram Seth only wishes to highlight how the thoughtless and
foolish people go about choosing irresponsible governments and then adopt a lackadaisical
attitude to the powers that be as long as they are allowed to live.

Long answer questions

1. How does a melon become the ruler of the state? Why are the people happy with him?
The king who never applied his own brain went by what others said. When the people demanded
somebody to be hanged, the king had to pay a heavy price for his foolishness. He himself was taken
to the gallows. According to the state custom, the new ruler was to be chosen by the first person
who passed by the city gates. That day an idiot happened to pass by the gates who said “Melon”
to any question which people asked him. And the ministers followed the custom mindlessly. They
 English by Mehak Arora : 9971195197
brought a melon and crowned it as their new ruler. The people raised no objection. They only
wanted to live in peace and liberty. They accepted the melon king who followed the policy of non-
interference in whatever the people did.