English

The Tale of Melon

City
Chapter

L1

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05-10-2023
The Tale of Melon City

▪ About the Author

Vikram Seth is an Indian author and poet. He was born in Calcutta

(now Kolkata), India, on June 20, 1952. He is known for his
novels The Golden Gate (1986) and A Suitable Boy (1993).

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The Tale of Melon City
▪ About the Poem

The poem “The Tale of a Melon City” narrates how the city found it’s
new King, a melon. The story unfolds as their King orders to have an
arch built which turned out to be too low. It hit the King’s head
resulting in the falling off of his crown.

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The Tale of Melon City
▪ About the Poem

The King considers it a disgrace and orders for the chief of builders to be
hanged. It is then followed by a series of events where they blame each
other. Finally, a noose is built to determine the guilty and the only one to fit
the noose, is the just and placid King. The new King is then elected by the first
person to pass that arch.

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The Tale of Melon City
▪ About the Poem

The following poem is taken from Mappings which was

published in 1981 and is included in the Collected Poems by
Vikram Seth. The king, in this poem, is ‘just and placid.’ Does he
carry his notion of justice a bit too far?

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The Tale of Melon City

(After Idries Shah)

In the city of which I sing

There was a just (one who does and likes justice) and placid (calm) King.
The King proclaimed (ordered) an arch should be
Constructed, that triumphally ( a sign of victory)
Would span the major thoroughfare (main road)
To edify (improve) spectators (visitors) there.

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Explanation of the Poem: 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.

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The workmen (workers) went and built the thing.
They did so since he was the King.
The King rode down (walked through) the thoroughfare
To edify spectators there.
Under the arch he lost his crown.
The arch was built too low (its height was very less).
A frown (expression of anger) Appeared upon his placid face.
The King said, ‘This is a disgrace (insult).
The chief of builders will be hanged.’
The rope and gallows (structure) were arranged.
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Explanation of the Poem: 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 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, 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.
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The chief of builders was led out (brought).

He passed the King (came before the king). He gave a shout,
‘O King, it was the workmen’s fault’
‘Oh!’ said the King, and called a halt (stop)
To the proceedings (activities). Being just
(And placider now) he said, ‘I must
Have all the workmen hanged instead.’
The workmen looked surprised, and said,
‘O King, you do not realise
The bricks were made of the wrong size.’

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Explanation of the Poem: 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 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.

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‘Summon (to call) the masons!’ said the King.

The masons stood there quivering (shivering).
‘It was the architect…’, they said,
The architect was summoned.

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Explanation of the Poem: 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.

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‘Well, architect,’ said His Majesty
‘I do ordain (to order) that you shall be
Hanged.’ Said the architect, ‘O King,
You have forgotten one small thing.
You made certain amendments (changes) to
The plans (designs) when I showed them to you.
The King heard this. The King saw red (became very angry suddenly).
In fact he nearly lost his head (become upset and lose one’s calm);
But being a just and placid King
He said, ‘This is a tricky (complicated) thing.
I need some counsel (advisor). Bring to me
The wisest man in this country.’ 17
The Tale of Melon City

Explanation of the Poem: 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. 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.
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The wisest man was found and brought,

Nay (rather), carried, to the Royal Court.
He could not walk and could not see,
So old (and therefore wise) was he —
But in a quavering (shaking) voice he said,
‘The culprit (defaulter) must be punished.
Truly, the arch it was that banged (collided)
The crown off, and it must be hanged’.

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Explanation of the Poem: 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.

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To the scaffold (platform for hanging someone) the arch was led
When suddenly a Councillor (minister) said —
‘How can we hang so shamefully
What touched your head, Your Majesty?’
‘True,’ mused (thought carefully) the King. By now the crowd,
Restless (impatient), was muttering (to speak in a low voice) aloud.

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To the scaffold (platform for hanging someone) the arch was led
When suddenly a Councillor (minister) said —
‘How can we hang so shamefully
What touched your head, Your Majesty?’
‘True,’ mused (thought carefully) the King. By now the crowd,
Restless (impatient), was muttering (to speak in a low voice) aloud.
The King perceived (understood) their mood and trembled
And said to all who were assembled (gathered) —
‘Let us postpone consideration (thought)
Of finer points (minor aspects) like guilt. The nation
Wants a hanging. Hanged must be
Someone, and that immediately.’ 24
The Tale of Melon City
Explanation of the Poem: 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. 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. He further
added, that if the nation wants a hanging, the guilty, once decided, would be
hanged without further delay.
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The noose (the rope for hanging someone) was set up somewhat high.
Each man was measured by and by (within short period of time).
But only one man was so tall
He fitted. One man. That was all.
He was the King. His Majesty
Was therefore hanged by Royal Decree (order of the king).

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Explanation of the Poem: 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.

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‘Thank Goodness we found someone,’ said

The Ministers, ‘for if instead
We had not, the unruly (agitated) town
Might well have turned against the Crown (against the king).’
‘Long live the King!’ the Ministers said.
‘Long live the King! The King is dead.’

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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”, 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.

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They pondered (thought carefully) the dilemma (difficult strategy);

then,
Being practical-minded men,
Sent out (moved) the heralds (announcers) to proclaim (announce)
(In His [former] Majesty’s name):
‘The next to pass the City Gate
Will choose the ruler of our state,
As is our custom. This will
be Enforced with due ceremony.’

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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 custom.

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A man passed by the City Gate.

An idiot. The guards cried, ‘Wait!
Who is to be the King? Decide!’
‘A melon,’ the idiot replied.
This was his standard answer to
All questions. (He liked melons.) ‘You
Are now our King,’ the Ministers said,
Crowning a melon. Then they led
(Carried) the Melon to the throne
And reverently (with lot of respect) set it down.

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Explanation of the Poem: 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’.

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This happened years and years ago (many years ago).

When now you ask the people, ‘So —
Your King appears to be a melon.
How did this happen?’, they say, ‘Well, on
Account (because) of customary choice.
If His Majesty rejoice (be happy)
In being a melon, that’s OK
With us, for who are we to say
What he should be as long as he
Leaves us in Peace and Liberty (freedom)?’
The principles of laissez faire (not concerned)
Seem to be well-established there.
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Explanation of the Poem: 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.

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NCERT Question Answers
What impression would you form of a state where the King was ‘just and
placid’?

A. Being ‘just’ means to treat everyone equally and to be fair in one’s

dealings whereas being placid means portraying a calm and composed
behaviour or not losing one’s cool easily. A state of monarch ruled by a ‘just
and placid’ King must offer a safe space to its people. The people would
have complete confidence in their King and that evil will get what they
deserve. There would be equality and no one would be looked at with the
sense of inferiority. People of the state would be happy and no one would
go to bed empty-stomach. Therefore, a ‘just and placid’ King would ensure
quality of living for all.
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Previous Year Question Answers

Question 1.
What do the words ‘just and placid’ imply?
Answer
The phrase implied that the king was fair and mild. The king, ‘a great
believer injustice’ ensured justice was meted out to his subjects. He was
also mild mannered and rarely showed any displeasure and even if he
did frown, he quickly wiped the frown off his face.

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Previous Year Question Answers

Question 2.
Where did the king want the arch constructed? Why?
Answer
The king wanted an arch to be erected which extended over the
major main road. He felt, the road would edify the spectators it would
improve the morals and knowledge of the onlookers there.

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Previous Year Question Answers

Question 3.
What happened to the king as he rode down the road?
Answer
After the arch was built, the king rode through the street. He wanted to
edify the spectators there. But as he was crossing below the arch, his
crown fell off as the arch was built too low. This angered the king

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Previous Year Question Answers

Question 4.
What order did the king give when his crown was knocked off his head?
Answer
The king was angry because his crown was knocked off his head as he tried
to ride under the arch. He ordered the chief of the builders, responsible
for building the arch, to be hanged.

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Previous Year Question Answers

Question 5.
How did the chief of the builders escape hanging?
Answer
When the chief of the builders was led away to be hanged, he pleaded
innocence. He claimed that it was the fault of the workers that the arch
was built so low. He escaped hanging as the ‘just and placid’ king could
not bear to punish an innocent man.
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Previous Year Question Answers
Question 6.
Why were the workmen to be hanged? How did they escape hanging?
Answer
The king ordered the workmen to be put to death as they were painted
responsible, for building the low arch, by the chief of the builders. The
workmen protested that they were not the ones at fault and blamed the
masons who had made bricks of the wrong size. They, too, escaped death by
hanging.
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Previous Year Question Answers

Question 7.
Whom did the architect lay the blame on?
Answer
The masons blamed the architect for the poor design of the arch. The
architect, in turn, passed on the blame to the king who had made
certain changes in the architectural plans of the arch.

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Previous Year Question Answers
Question 8.
How did the king react to the architect’s accusation? Why did he react that
way?
Answer
When the king heard the architect’s accusation, he was so angry that he
almost lost his ability to reason. Since, he was righteous and tolerant, he
admitted that this was a difficult situation. The king solicited advice and called
for the wisest man in the country for counsel.
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Previous Year Question Answers

Question 9.
How was the wise man brought to court? What advice did he offer?
Answer
The wisest man was found and carried to the royal court, as he could neither
walk nor see. He was an old and experienced man. He said in a trembling,
feeble voice that the offender must be penalized. He condemned the arch,
guilty, for throwing the crown off the king’s head.

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Previous Year Question Answers

Question 10.
The arch was not punished in the end. Why?
Answer
The wise man declared that it was the arch that had thrown the crown off, and it must
be hanged. A councillor objected to the arch being hanged; he called it a disgrace to
hang something that had touched the honourable head of the king. The king agreed with
the councillor and the arch was spared.

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