The Tale of Melon City
Class XI · Snapshots · Vikram Seth · Summary, Word Meanings, NCERT Solutions and Exam Practice
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1 Summary of “The Tale of Melon City”
“The Tale of Melon City” is a narrative poem by Vikram Seth. The supplied NCERT chapter says that it is taken from Mappings, published in 1981, and included in Collected Poems. The poem is introduced as a tale “After Idries Shah” and asks whether a king’s idea of justice can be carried too far.
The poem opens by describing a king as “just and placid.” He orders an arch to be built across the main thoroughfare so that it will impress and edify spectators. When he rides beneath it, the arch is too low and knocks his crown off. The king calls this a disgrace and orders the chief of builders to be hanged.
The chief of builders blames the workmen. The workmen say the bricks were the wrong size, so the king summons the masons. The masons blame the architect. When the architect is brought before the king, he reminds the king that the king himself amended the plans. The king becomes furious but decides to seek advice from the wisest man in the country.
The wisest man is so old that he cannot walk or see. He declares that the arch is guilty because it knocked off the king’s crown and must be hanged. As the arch is being taken to the scaffold, a councillor objects that it would be shameful to hang something that touched the king’s head. The crowd grows restless. The king decides that someone must be hanged immediately because the nation wants a hanging.
A noose is set up and people are measured. Only the king is tall enough to fit it, so he is hanged by royal decree. The ministers are relieved that someone has been executed, fearing that the town might otherwise turn against the Crown.
The ministers then follow the city’s custom: the next person to pass through the city gate will choose the new ruler. The passer-by is an idiot whose standard answer to every question is “A melon,” because he likes melons. The ministers take his answer literally, crown a melon and place it on the throne. The people accept the arrangement as long as they are left in peace and liberty. The poem concludes that the principles of laissez-faire seem well established in the city.
Teacher’s Insight
The humour is not simply that a melon becomes king. The poem satirises a government that follows procedure without reason, passes blame from one person to another, and values an execution more than genuine justice. The king’s description as “just and placid” is ironic because his conduct is impulsive and arbitrary.
2 Themes, humour and irony
The king treats the loss of his crown as a crime deserving execution. Responsibility is passed from builders to workmen, masons and the architect, while the king’s own amendments to the plans are almost ignored. The poem mocks a system more concerned with finding someone to punish than with fair judgement.
The king is called “just and placid,” yet he loses his temper and makes irrational decisions. Eventually, the noose arranged to carry out his decree fits only him. The contrast between the king’s description and his behaviour creates irony.
The ministers let the next passer-by choose the ruler. An idiot answers “A melon,” and they crown a melon with solemn ceremony. The scene exposes the absurdity of following a custom without considering its purpose or consequences.
The citizens accept the melon as ruler because they say that their ruler’s identity matters less than being left in peace and liberty. This can be read both as a preference for personal freedom and as criticism of political indifference.
3 Important word meanings
- Placid: calm and peaceful.
- Proclaimed: announced publicly.
- Triumphally: in a triumphant or impressive manner.
- Thoroughfare: a main road or public street.
- Edify: to instruct or improve someone intellectually or morally.
- Disgrace: loss of honour; something considered shameful.
- Gallows: a structure used for execution by hanging.
- Masons: workers who build with brick or stone.
- Quavering: trembling or shaking, especially in the voice.
- Scaffold: a platform used for execution.
- Decree: an official order.
- Herald: an official messenger who makes public announcements.
- Customary: based on an established custom.
- Laissez-faire: a hands-off approach that allows considerable freedom with little interference.
4 NCERT Reading with Insight: Questions and Answers
Suggested answer lengths: VSA 20–30 words, SA 40–50 words, and LA 120–150 words. These are study guidelines, not a claim that every question has an officially prescribed length. Follow the instructions in your examination paper.
Answer: A king described as just and placid orders an arch to be built across the main road. When he rides beneath it, the arch is too low and knocks off his crown. Angry at this, he orders the chief of builders to be hanged. The chief blames the workmen, who blame the size of the bricks. The masons blame the architect, who reminds the king that he changed the plans himself. The king seeks advice from the wisest man, who declares the arch guilty. A councillor objects, and the crowd grows restless. The king then insists that someone must be hanged immediately. When a noose is set up, the king is the only person tall enough to fit it, so he is hanged. The ministers follow the custom that the next person passing through the city gate will choose the ruler. An idiot chooses a melon, and the ministers crown it. The people accept the melon as king as long as they enjoy peace and liberty.
Answer: The description “just and placid” initially suggests a fair and calm ruler, but the events reveal the opposite. The king loses his temper when his crown falls off and orders one person after another to be hanged. He accepts absurd arguments about who or what is guilty and finally demands an execution mainly to satisfy the restless crowd. His decisions are not based on proportionate justice or careful reasoning. The ministers are similarly concerned with protecting the Crown and avoiding public unrest. The state therefore appears to be governed by arbitrary authority, empty procedure and fear. The irony lies in the gap between the king’s description and his conduct. A just state would investigate fairly, assign responsibility on evidence and impose a reasonable penalty rather than sacrifice people to satisfy a ruler or crowd.
SA equivalent (40–50 words): The state is badly governed despite the king being called “just and placid.” He makes irrational decisions, repeatedly orders executions and eventually dies under his own decree. The poem satirises arbitrary power, blind procedure and a system that values punishment over reason and genuine justice.
Answer: Peace and liberty can be maintained when laws are fair, public institutions are accountable and individual rights are respected. Leaders should consider evidence, listen to different points of view and accept responsibility for their decisions. Punishment should be proportionate to the offence, and nobody should be punished merely to satisfy an angry ruler or crowd. Citizens should be free to express disagreement peacefully while respecting the rights of others. Independent courts, transparent administration and responsible public participation help prevent the misuse of power. The poem shows the danger of officials who blindly follow custom and seek someone to punish instead of thinking carefully. Its citizens say they are content as long as they are left in peace and liberty. However, lasting freedom requires more than indifference: it depends on just institutions, informed citizens and leaders who can be held accountable.
SA equivalent (40–50 words): Peace and liberty require fair laws, accountable leaders, independent justice and respect for individual rights. Decisions should be based on evidence, not anger or custom. Citizens should participate responsibly and express disagreement peacefully. The poem warns that blind obedience and arbitrary punishment weaken a state.
Answer: The poem uses humour and irony throughout. The king is introduced as “just and placid,” yet he becomes angry when the arch knocks off his crown and repeatedly orders people to be hanged. The chief of builders blames the workmen, the workmen blame the bricks, the masons blame the architect, and the architect reminds the king that he changed the plans himself. The wisest man declares the arch guilty and says it should be hanged. When the crowd grows restless, the king demands an immediate execution, but the noose fits only him. The ministers are relieved that someone has been hanged even though it is their own king. Finally, an idiot chooses a melon as ruler, and the ministers crown it with solemn ceremony. These incidents make the poem comic while exposing irrational justice, bureaucratic blame-shifting and blind obedience to custom.
SA equivalent (40–50 words): Irony appears when the “just and placid” king behaves irrationally, the arch is declared guilty, and the king is hanged under his own decree. Humour comes from officials blaming one another and the ministers crowning a melon because an idiot chooses it.
Answer: This is an activity-based question, so the example depends on the student’s language. Students may name a narrative poem or ballad that tells a story in verse. For instance, Hindi has narrative verse traditions such as Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, while Urdu has narrative poems such as the masnavi. Choose an example from your own language, briefly state the story it tells, and explain how rhythm, rhyme or poetic language makes the narrative memorable. These are examples to guide discussion, not one compulsory answer.
Exam Tip
For questions on satire, humour or irony, identify a particular incident and explain what it reveals about justice, power, public opinion or custom. Do not simply say that the poem is funny.
5 Past-question sources and exam practice
Accuracy note: The questions below are attributed to published school question-bank/practice-test material, not presented as independently verified official CBSE board PYQs. A year is included only where the source explicitly states one. Do not label a question an official CBSE PYQ without checking the original CBSE paper.
Answer: The phrase suggests that the king is fair and calm, but his actions expose the irony. He loses his temper over the fallen crown and makes unreasonable decisions, including demanding executions. The contrast satirises rulers who claim to be just but act without sound judgement.
Source: Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir, Class XI question bank, 2022–23. This is a school question bank, not a verified CBSE board paper.
Answer: He declared the arch guilty because it had knocked the king’s crown off and said that it should be hanged. The verdict is deliberately absurd and mocks a justice system that seeks punishment without rational thought.
Source: Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir, Class XI question bank, 2022–23.
Answer: The ministers followed the custom that the next person to pass through the city gate would choose the ruler. The passer-by was an idiot who liked melons and answered “A melon.” The ministers accepted his answer, crowned a melon and placed it on the throne.
Source: Delhi Directorate of Education, Class XI English Practice Test 36. The year is not established by the available document listing.
Answer: Yes. Vikram Seth satirises a system that values appearances, obedience and punishment more than justice. The king’s reaction to losing his crown is disproportionate, and the officials pass blame from the builders to the workmen, masons and architect. When the architect reminds the king that he changed the plans, the king seeks advice instead of accepting responsibility. The wisest man’s verdict that the arch should be hanged makes the proceedings ridiculous. The king then insists on an execution to satisfy the restless crowd, but the noose fits only him. After his death, the ministers follow a mechanical custom and crown a melon chosen by an idiot. These events expose irrational administration and the emptiness of rituals followed without thought. The humour encourages readers to question authority that acts without reason and institutions that continue absurd practices simply because they are customary.
Source: Delhi Directorate of Education, Class XI English Practice Test 36 includes a long-answer question on whether the poem mocks governance. Year not stated in the available listing.
Answer: The citizens accept the melon because they are content as long as the ruler leaves them in peace and liberty. They do not insist on a wise or capable king. Their response supports the poem’s satire on political indifference and the way custom can replace meaningful choice.
6 Interactive Quiz
Check Your Understanding
Select one option for each question. The check mark indicates your selection, not whether it is correct.
7 Quick revision guide
Remember these points
- Poet: Vikram Seth.
- Textbook: Class XI Snapshots, Chapter 5 in the supplied reprint.
- Arch incident: The low arch knocks off the king’s crown.
- Blame sequence: Chief of builders → workmen → masons → architect → king’s amendments.
- Wisest man’s verdict: The arch should be hanged.
- Climax: The king alone fits the noose and is hanged.
- New ruler: A melon is crowned after an idiot chooses it.
- Themes: Satire, irony, arbitrary justice, blame-shifting, custom, peace and liberty.
- Laissez-faire: A hands-off attitude with little interference.
8 Frequently Asked Questions
Answer: Vikram Seth wrote the poem. The supplied NCERT chapter notes that it comes from Mappings, published in 1981.
Answer: The king was the only person tall enough to fit the noose when the people were measured, so he was hanged under his own royal decree.
Answer: According to custom, the next passer-by chose the ruler. An idiot who liked melons answered “A melon,” and the ministers crowned one.
Answer: The poem satirises arbitrary justice, mindless custom and officials who value punishment over reason. It also questions citizens’ willingness to accept a ruler as long as their own freedom remains undisturbed.
Answer: It refers to a hands-off attitude that allows considerable freedom with little interference. The poem uses it to describe the citizens’ acceptance of the melon king as long as they retain peace and liberty.
Identify the incident, explain its significance and connect it to the question. For questions on irony, justice or governance, use precise examples from the poem rather than giving only a plot summary.
