Snapshots Supplementary Reader Chapter 8 The Tale Of Melon City

The poem ‘The Tale of Melon City’ is the story of a moody and whimsical king. He ordered an arch to be constructed. The arch was built too low. When the king was under it, his crown was banged off. The king became angry. He ordered that the chief of builders would be hanged for that disgrace. The chief of builders pleaded that it was workmen’s fault. The just king ordered the workmen to be hanged. But the workmen blamed the wrong size of the bricks for this mishap. Masons pleaded innocence and shifted the blame on the architect. The architect saved himself as he had already advised many amendments in the plan.

The king needed some counsel to solve this tricky issue. The wisest man in the kingdom counselled that the arch itself was guilty. As it banged the crown off it must itself be hanged. The arch was brought to the scaffold. But a counsellor urged the king not to do so. A thing that touched the royal head couldn’t be hanged.

The people were watching the whole drama. They grew restless. They wanted someone to be hanged immediately. The king judged the mood of the public. He declared that someone would be hanged immediately. The noose was set up. Everyone was measured by and by. Only one man was so tall whose neck fitted in the noose. He was the king himself. His majesty was hanged by a Royal Decree.

The Ministers proclaimed that ‘the next to pass the City Gate’ would choose the new king. An idiot passed first by the City Gate. He declared that a melon would be the next king of the state. The melon was crowned as the next king with due respect and ceremony. It made no difference to the people. It didn’t matter if their king was a man or a melon.

The poem satirises how a ‘Just’ and ‘placid’ king ruled his state. The king has been described a ‘just and placid’ king. He lived in a fool’s paradise. He was too placid. Nothing could move him to take an independent decision. Perhaps he was too good to be of any use to his state and the people. He was whimsical and fickle-minded.

One can imagine the state of such a kingdom. The king was so ‘just’ that he could do no justice. He goes on shifting his decisions. He is swayed by the moods of the people. He can be easily convinced. He lacks determination and sound judgement.

In such a state anyone can meet the most unexpected end. Be it the king himself. The just king has to appear just and fair. He judges the mood of the people. They want someone to be hanged immediately. Be it the head of the king himself. The king is hanged to death by his own decree. The Ministers and the people only thank God. At least someone came forward to be hanged. It made no difference to them if their king was a man or a melon.

A state needs peace and liberty to grow more properly. The man who rules the state must understand the problems and needs of the people. But, ironically, most of the states are being ruled by ‘melon’ kings. Neither have they any status or authority nor discretion and judgement. They live on their whims. The real issues never attract any attention or care.

Only a judicious and powerful ruler can bring peace and liberty. But, ironically, the state here possesses a king who has no personality and thinking of his own. He is swayed away by the moods of the masses. The king invites his own death to meet the ends of justice. A foolish and idiotic king is nothing more than a melon. People don’t care. They want to live in peace and liberty. Be it an idiotic human being or a water melon on the throne, it doesn’t matter. The only important thing is that he must not interfere in their lives.

Vikram Seth’s poem ‘The Tale of Melon City’ is full of humour and irony. The very opening of the poem is ironical. ‘There was a just and placid king’. The just king was too good to be of any use to himself or the people. His unique sense of justice brought his own death. Everything sounds ironical. Another humorous thing is that the ‘placid’ king gets agitated on a small issue. He makes an issue of a non-issue—the bumping off his crown by the arch.

It is quite humorous how easily the king lets himself befooled by others. From the chief of builders to the architect everyone escapes by shifting the blame and responsibility on others.

The most humorous and ridiculous instance comes when the arch is brought to the scaffold to be hanged. Fantastic ! Only an idiot king could have agreed to such a thing.

The tragic irony in the poem is the death of the king himself. Someone has to be hanged. It is the demand of the people. He is hanged to death by his own decree. The crowning of a melon may sound absurd and ridiculous. But it carries a message. The people are completely disillusioned. That it matters little to them if they are ruled by a human being or a melon. Only their interests should be saved and not interfered with.

Try it yourself with the help of your English teacher.

The King of Melon City has been defined as ‘just’. We know what kind of justice he used to administer. He was ready to hang anyone who could be blamed for the mishap. He was whimsical and easily influenced. His exaggerated sense of justice caused even his own death. He is called ‘placid’ but loses his temper over a small incident. Actually, the king was too good to be of any use.

The king proclaimed an arch to be constructed. The arch would be a symbol of his triumph—a sort of victory-monument. He wanted the arch to be extended across the major thoroughfare of the city. It was made so grand as to ‘edify’ spectators there. The king himself rode majestically to urge others to follow him.

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The king rode triumphantly under the arch. The arch was built too low. As the king rode under it, the arch banged his crown off. The incident upset the placid king. Signs of anger appeared on his face. He considered it quite a disgraceful act.

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The incident completely upset the ‘placid’ and the ‘peaceful’ king. Signs of anger were clearly visible on his face. He uttered, 'This is a disgrace'. Not only that, he was in no mood to relent. He ordered that the chief of builders be hanged to death for this lapse.

The chief of builders was summoned. The king held him responsible for the mishap. The rope and gallows were arranged. He was to be hanged. But the chief pleaded that he was innocent. It was the fault of the workmen. Actually, they built the arch.

The workmen were summoned to be hanged. Actually, they built the arch with their hands. But they pleaded that the bricks were made of the wrong size. The masons were responsible for this lapse.

The masons saved their lives by convincing the king that they were innocent. They blamed the architect who planned the arch. The architect was summoned to be hanged. The poor architect reminded the king that he had suggested certain amendments in the plan. Hence, he was innocent.

Someone was to be hanged. The question was who should be brought to the scaffold. From the chief of builders to the architect everyone could convince the king of his innocence.
The king was confused. He needed some counsel to solve the tricky issue. He was to ascertain who was responsible for the faulty construction of the arch.

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The wisest man of the kingdom was called to counsel and guide the king to solve the tricky issue. The old wiseman replied in a trembling way that “the culprit must be punished”. Truly it was the arch that banged the crown off. Hence, it must be hanged.

The wisest man of the kingdom gave the most stupid and ridiculous counsel. He held that the arch was the real culprit. It banged the crown off. Hence, it must be hanged. However, the ridiculous drama was averted. A counsellor argued that what touched the head of the king couldn’t be hanged. The king was convinced and changed his mind.

The crowd was watching the whole drama for long. They expected something exciting to happen. But nothing happened. The hanging was averted on one reason or the other. They felt bored and needed the real action. They grew restless and demanded that someone should be hanged immediately.

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Common people are not always swayed away by reasoning. They are impulsive. The people were watching the whole drama for long. Much was done about nothing. No one was hanged. They needed some real action. They grew restless and demanded that someone should be hanged immediately. It didn’t matter who should go to the gallows. It shows the fickle-mindedness of the people.

The king judged the mood of the people. They had waited for long but no one was hanged. They felt cheated and bored. They clamoured for real action. So the king declared that the nation wanted ‘a hanging’. Someone must be hanged immediately.

Someone was to be hanged immediately. The noose was set up ‘somewhat high’. Each man was measured by and by. The man whose neck fitted in the noose perfectly deserved the hanging. But the high position of the noose saved many lives.

The noose was set up somewhat high. Each man was measured by and by. Unfortunately, no came up to the noose. There was only one man who was so tall that his neck could fit in the noose perfectly. And he was the king himself. Therefore, His Majesty himself was hanged by the Royal Decree’.

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The ‘just’ king overstretched the limits of justice. His exaggerated and ridiculous notion of justice cost him his own life. Someone was to be hanged immediately. There was only one man whose neck fitted the noose perfectly. And he was the king himself. So, the whimsical king fell into his own trap.

The Ministers heaved a sigh of relief. At last, someone was found to be hanged. No matter that the man was their king. Had the king not offered himself for hanging immediately, the people would have revolted against him. So the king saved himself from that dishonour and disgrace. They shouted 'Long live the King” !

The heralds were sent to proclaim that the new king would be chosen. Anyone who first passed the City Gate would choose the next king. An idiot passed through the gate. The guards stopped him. They pressed him to choose the next king.

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By chance an idiot happened to pass by the City Gate. He was stopped by the guards. He was pressed to decide and choose the next king. The idiot answered ‘a melon’. His choice was unanimously accepted. A melon was brought and crowned with respect and ceremony as the next king of the state.

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The people showed little interest in this matter. It made them no difference if their king was a man or a melon. Even their previous king was whimsical and idiotic. A melon in his place couldn’t be a bad substitute. They were ready to accept oven i melon as their king so long as they were allowed to enjoy peace and liberty.

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The very title is humorous. A melon is crowned as a king. How absurd and ridiculous ! The king is ‘just’ and ‘placid’. Quite ironical! His sense of justice can send anyone to the gallows. He falls in his own trap. The most humorous as well as ridiculous act was the idea of bringing the arch to the scaffold. A melon could only be the right substitute for such a whimsical and idiotic king.

The title of ‘The Tale of Melon City’ is quite logical. The city is ruled by a whimsical and idiotic king. He is ironically called ‘just’ and ‘placid’. Actually, he is neither. His substitute is a melon. It doesn’t make any difference to the people. Being ruled by a melon king or the idiotic king amounts to the same thing.

Vikram Seth’s “The Tale of Melon City” describes a unique king. He is whimsical. Sometimes he looks funny. And most of the times he is ridiculous. The poet calls the king ‘just’ and ‘placid’. He is neither of the two. His sense of justice is not based on logic and reason. He can order any person to be hanged on the slightest pretext. The king is expert in making an issue of a non-issue. After all sky has not fallen if his crown is banged off by the arch. The king makes a mountain out of a mole hill. He is called placid but he loses his temper over a small thing. He carries the things too far. He becomes the victim of his own stupidity.

Yes, the king carries his notion of justice a bit too far. This leads him to summon so many persons—all to be hanged. He lacks sound judgement. He is easily influenced and convinced. The exaggerated notion of justice invites his own death. Out of all the persons who were measured by and by, only he himself fits in the noose. Ultimately, he is hanged to death by his own decree.

‘The Tale of Melon City’ is a narrative poem. It is an ancient tale told in verse. Vikram Seth uses all poetic devices to create special effects. The whole poem runs in rhyming couplets. The last word of each line rhymes with the second. The poet adopts a narrative style of story-telling. But it is the use of humour and irony that creates a special effect in the poem.

The poem introduces us to a ‘just’ and ‘placid’ king. Both the adjectives are ironical. The irony is that the king is neither of the two. He is neither ‘just’ nor ‘placid’. His exaggerated sense of justice is the reflection of his personality. He is whimsical. The arch is too low and bangs his crown off when he rides under it. The king takes it as a ‘disgrace’. Then starts the summoning of the people to be hanged. But he is easily influenced and convinced and lets every one go scot-free. He falls in his own trap. His exaggerated sense of justice leads him to his own death.

Again it is quite humorous that an idiot chooses the next king. He names a melon. The crowning of a melon with respect and ceremony sounds quite humorous. But it is ironical as well. The irony is that the people care little if they are ruled by a man or a melon. Even when the king was alive he was no better than a melon. A melon was the right substitute for such a whimsical and idiotic king.

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The king in Vikram Seth’s ‘The Tale of Melon City’ is a unique personality. He is not guided by logic and reason. Whimsical nature can drive him from one extremity to the other. We are introduced that he is ‘just’ and ‘placid’. The use of such adjectives is ironical. Actually, he is neither of the two. He can’t do justice. He has his limitations. He lacks sound judgement. Nor does he have a firm mind. He vacillates. He can be easily influenced and convinced. He is spineless and fickle-minded. He orders an arch to be constructed as a monument of his glory and victory. However, a disgraceful incident of his crown being banged off by the low arch is too much for him to bear. He orders everyone to be Hanged whom he thinks to be responsible for the faulty arch.

The king leaves no impression on his subjects. He is totally meaningless for them. His being alive or dead makes little difference to them. The ministers heave a sigh of relief when he is hanged by his own decree. The king is weak and bends under the pressure of the people. He falls in his own trap and suffers for entertaining such an exaggerated notion of justice. The people don’t care if they are ruled by a man king or a melon king. They don’t have any choice. One is a perfect substitute for the other.

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