The Tale of Melon City / Class 11 / Supplementary / KVS PGT English
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Lesson 8 - The Tale of Melon City
Study Notes:
- The Tale of Melon City - written by Vikram Seth.
- June 20, 1952 - Calcutta, India.
- Graduated from Corpus Christi College
- Master's degree in Economics.
- His first volume of poetry - "Mappings" (1981)
- Other important poetic works
- From Heaven's Lake (1983)
- Humorous travelogue
- Hitchhiking from Nanking to New Delhi via Tibet.
- The Golden Gate (1986)
- Based on Charles Johnston's translation of Alexander Pushkin's Eugene Onegin
- Foreshadowing work: The Humble Administrator's Garden.
- All You Who Sleep Tonight (1990)
- Beastly Tales from Here and There (1992)
- 10 stories in tetrameter couplets
- The Poems ( 1981 - 1994)
- Summer Requiem (2015)
- Important Prose works:
- A Suitable Boy (1993)
- An Equal Music (1999)
Poem notes:
The Tale of Melon City
- Taken from Mappings - 1981.
- Included in the Collected Poems by Vikram Seth.
- Written after Idries Shah's short story The Tale of Melon City.
- Afghan author, thinker and teacher of Sufi tradition.
- Pen name: Arkon Daravul
- Poem Summary:
- The poem humorously critiques the absurdities in governance and the often irrational nature of bureaucratic decisions. It also highlights the passive acceptance of authority by the populace, who are content as long as they are not interfered with, even if their ruler is a melon.
- 104 lines.
- The poem starts with a king who decides to build an arch to commemorate his reign and symbolise the prosperity of his city.
- When the arch is completed, the king rides under it. Unfortunately, it is built too low and knocks off the king’s crown. Enraged, the king sees this as a sign of disrespect and orders the chief of builders to be hanged.
- The chief of builders pleads for his life by blaming the workmen.
- The workmen, in turn, blame the masons who shifted the blame towards the architect.
- However, the architect cleverly reminds the king that he has amended the plans himself. Realising this, the king is caught in a dilemma and decides to consult the wisest man in the city.
- The wisest man, an old and experienced individual, suggests that the culprit should be punished.
- So, the arch was led to the scaffold for hanging. Suddenly, a councillor points out that it could not be hanged as it had touched the king's revered crown.
- The crowd became restless. The king wanted to hang someone immediately to calm the crowd.
- After examining everything, it was decided that someone tall enough to touch the noose when standing on tiptoe should be hanged. Ironically, the only person fitting this description is the king himself.
- The ministers, obeying the law, prepare to hang the king. The king was hanged.
- As their custom, the next person to pass their city gate will choose their future king.
- It happened to be a mad person. When asked him to choose the next king, he had said 'Melon'. That was his standard answer to all the questions.
- The melon is placed on the throne, symbolizing the absurdity of the situation. The people of the city are content because the melon does not interfere in their lives. They continue to live in peace, satisfied with the state of "freedom" under the melon’s rule.
Detailed Summary: After Idries Shah
- The poet clarifies by saying that this poem is written after Idries Shah's short story 'The Tale of Melon City'
In the city of which I sing There was a just and placid King.- The poet starts the poem by saying that the city he sings about had a just and calm king.
The King proclaimed an arch should be Constructed, that triumphally Would span the major thoroughfare To edify spectators there.- That king wanted to build an arch to showcase the prosperity of his nation. That arch will remind all its viewers about the prosperity of the nation.
- As it was a command by the king, the workmen started building the arch.
- The arch was successfully completed at last.
Under the arch, he lost his crown. The arch was built too low. A frown Appeared upon his placid face.- On the commemoration day, the king rode through the arch.
- But the arch was built too low that it had hit his head and his crown fell down.
- The king got furious and ordered to hang the chief of builders.
‘O King, it was the workmen’s fault’- But the chief of Builder blamed workmen for the mistake.
- The workmen pointed out the mason. Mason pointed out the architect.
- The architect in turn pointed out the king himself as the king had made some changes in the plans earlier.
Bring to me The wisest man in this country.’ The wisest man was found and brought, Nay, carried, to the Royal Court.- On hearing this the king became so angry and resorted to a counsel.
- An old man was chosen to give counselling to the king as they had believed 'being old is being wise'.
- Out of fear, the old man said that the arch should be hanged.
- Preparation started for hanging the arch but one Councillor pointed out that the arch had touched the head of the king. So, it could not be hanged.
- The king pondered over this point.
- But the crowd became so restless. They wanted a hanging to be done immediately.
- To sort out the problem, the King decided to hang someone who fit the noose exactly.
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.- The king hanged himself and the crowd felt relieved as someone was hanged at last.
- But the next problem arose. Their nation needed a new king.
- As per the custom, it was decided to ask the next person to cross the city gate to choose the king.
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.) ‘- It happened to be an idiot. He chose Melon to be their new king. Thus melon became their king.
- The people were happy as the Melon did not interfere in their life.
- The poem humorously critiques the absurdities in governance and the often irrational nature of bureaucratic decisions. It also highlights the passive acceptance of authority by the populace, who are content as long as they are not interfered with, even if their ruler is a melon.
- 104 lines.
- The poem starts with a king who decides to build an arch to commemorate his reign and symbolise the prosperity of his city.
- When the arch is completed, the king rides under it. Unfortunately, it is built too low and knocks off the king’s crown. Enraged, the king sees this as a sign of disrespect and orders the chief of builders to be hanged.
- The chief of builders pleads for his life by blaming the workmen.
- The workmen, in turn, blame the masons who shifted the blame towards the architect.
- However, the architect cleverly reminds the king that he has amended the plans himself. Realising this, the king is caught in a dilemma and decides to consult the wisest man in the city.
- The wisest man, an old and experienced individual, suggests that the culprit should be punished.
- So, the arch was led to the scaffold for hanging. Suddenly, a councillor points out that it could not be hanged as it had touched the king's revered crown.
- The crowd became restless. The king wanted to hang someone immediately to calm the crowd.
- After examining everything, it was decided that someone tall enough to touch the noose when standing on tiptoe should be hanged. Ironically, the only person fitting this description is the king himself.
- The ministers, obeying the law, prepare to hang the king. The king was hanged.
- As their custom, the next person to pass their city gate will choose their future king.
- It happened to be a mad person. When asked him to choose the next king, he had said 'Melon'. That was his standard answer to all the questions.
- The melon is placed on the throne, symbolizing the absurdity of the situation. The people of the city are content because the melon does not interfere in their lives. They continue to live in peace, satisfied with the state of "freedom" under the melon’s rule.
- The poet clarifies by saying that this poem is written after Idries Shah's short story 'The Tale of Melon City'
In the city of which I sing
There was a just and placid King.
- The poet starts the poem by saying that the city he sings about had a just and calm king.
The King proclaimed an arch should be
Constructed, that triumphally
Would span the major thoroughfare
To edify spectators there.
- That king wanted to build an arch to showcase the prosperity of his nation. That arch will remind all its viewers about the prosperity of the nation.
- As it was a command by the king, the workmen started building the arch.
- The arch was successfully completed at last.
Under the arch, he lost his crown.
The arch was built too low. A frown
Appeared upon his placid face.
- On the commemoration day, the king rode through the arch.
- But the arch was built too low that it had hit his head and his crown fell down.
- The king got furious and ordered to hang the chief of builders.
‘O King, it was the workmen’s fault’
- But the chief of Builder blamed workmen for the mistake.
- The workmen pointed out the mason. Mason pointed out the architect.
- The architect in turn pointed out the king himself as the king had made some changes in the plans earlier.
Bring to me
The wisest man in this country.’
The wisest man was found and brought,
Nay, carried, to the Royal Court.
- On hearing this the king became so angry and resorted to a counsel.
- An old man was chosen to give counselling to the king as they had believed 'being old is being wise'.
- Out of fear, the old man said that the arch should be hanged.
- Preparation started for hanging the arch but one Councillor pointed out that the arch had touched the head of the king. So, it could not be hanged.
- The king pondered over this point.
- But the crowd became so restless. They wanted a hanging to be done immediately.
- To sort out the problem, the King decided to hang someone who fit the noose exactly.
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.
- The king hanged himself and the crowd felt relieved as someone was hanged at last.
- But the next problem arose. Their nation needed a new king.
- As per the custom, it was decided to ask the next person to cross the city gate to choose the king.
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.
T
his was his standard answer to
All questions. (He liked melons.) ‘
- It happened to be an idiot. He chose Melon to be their new king. Thus melon became their king.
- The people were happy as the Melon did not interfere in their life.
Question 1 of 10
What happened when the king rode down the throughfare?
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