The Tale of Melon City by Vikram Seth

The Tale of Melon City

Vikram Seth

In the city of which I sing
There was a just and placid King.

The King proclaimed an arch should be
Constructed, that triumphally

Would span the major thoroughfare
To edify spectators there.

The workmen went and built the thing.
They did so since he was the King.

The King rode down the thoroughfare
To edify spectators there.

Under the arch he lost his crown.
The arch was built too low. A frown

Appeared upon his placid face.
The King said, ‘This is a disgrace.

The chief of builders will be hanged.’
The rope and gallows were arranged.

The chief of builders was led out.
He passed the King. He gave a shout,

‘O King, it was the workmen’s fault’
‘Oh!’ said the King, and called a halt

To the proceedings. 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.’

‘Summon the masons!’ said the King.
The masons stood there quivering.

‘It was the architect...’, they said,
The architect was summoned.

‘Well, architect,’ said His Majesty.
‘I do ordain that you shall be

Hanged.’ Said the architect, ‘O King,
You have forgotten one small thing.

You made certain amendments to
The plans when I showed them to you.’

The King heard this. The King saw red.
In fact he nearly lost his head;

But being a just and placid King
He said, ‘This is a tricky thing.

I need some counsel. Bring to me
The wisest man in this country.’

The wisest man was found and brought,
Nay, carried, to the Royal Court.

He could not walk and could not see,
So old (and therefore wise) was he —

But in a quavering voice he said,
‘The culprit must be punished.

Truly, the arch it was that banged
The crown off, and it must be hanged’.

To the scaffold the arch was led
When suddenly a Councillor said —

‘How can we hang so shamefully
What touched your head, Your Majesty?’

‘True,’ mused the King. By now the crowd,
Restless, was muttering aloud.

The King perceived their mood and trembled
And said to all who were assembled —

‘Let us postpone consideration
Of finer points like guilt. The nation

Wants a hanging. Hanged must be
Someone, and that immediately.’

The noose was set up somewhat high.
Each man was measured by and by.

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

‘Thank Goodness we found someone,’ said
The Ministers, ‘for if instead

We had not, the unruly town
Might well have turned against the Crown.’

‘Long live the King!’ the Ministers said.
‘Long live the King! The King is dead.’

They pondered the dilemma; then,
Being practical-minded men,

Sent out the heralds to proclaim
(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.’

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 set it down.

This happened years and 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 of customary choice.
If His Majesty rejoice

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?’

The principles of laissez faire
Seem to be well-established there.

Word meanings

1.       placid                             not easily excited or irritated

2.       proclaimed           declared

3.       arch                      a curved structure

4.       Constructed                   built

5.       triumphally          celebrating a victory

6.       span                     stretch

7.       edify                     improve people’s minds or character

8.       thoroughfare        road

9.       rode down            travelled on a horse

10.     frown                             scowl/ to look  angrily

11.     disgrace                shame

12.     gallows                 the structure on which criminals are killed by hanging

13.     halt                       to stop

14.     proceedings          actions  taken in court to settle a dispute

15.     Summon               to order somebody to appear (in court)

16.     masons                 persons who build (buildings etc.)

17.     quivering              shaking

18.     architect               a person whose job is designing building

19.     ordain                            order

20.     amendments                   changes

21.     The King saw red the king was angry

22.     lost his head                   lost his calm and became angry

23.     tricky thing           difficult to do or deal with

24.     counsel                 advice especially  given by old people

25.     quavering             trembling

26.     culprit                  a person who has done  something wrong against law

27.     scaffold                a platform used for executing criminals by hanging  them

                                       from a rope

                                     

28.     Councillor            a member of council

29.     mused                   thought carefully

30.     muttering aloud    grumbling loudly

31.     perceived              noticed or became aware of

32.     Royal Decree        an official order given by a king                                   

33.     unruly                  difficult to control or manage

34.     pondered              considered

35.     dilemma               predicament

36.     heralds                 harbingers  

37.     reverently             respectfully

38.     customary choice choice established by custom  rather than law

39.     laissez faire           the policy of leaving things to take their own course,

                                      without interfering.

1.     Narrate ‘The Tale of Melon City’ in your own words.

Ans. Once upon a time there was a king. He was a just, naïve and a gullible king. One day he announced that a majestic (royal) arch should be built spanning

over the main thoroughfare  (main road) to edify ( improve morally)  the people. Soon the arch was built. The king rode down the street. As he was crossing under the arch, which was too low, his crown was knocked down.

It was disgraceful, so he ordered the chief of the builders to be hanged. The builder pleaded his innocence and added that it was the fault of the workmen. They blamed the masons. When the masons were summoned they accused the architect who in turn told that the king should be blamed because the king had made certain changes in the plans. The king got angry and he sought the counsel of a wise man. He advised that the arch must be hanged because it had knocked off the king’s crown. However, immediately a councilor said that it would be disgraceful to hang the arch which had touched the solemn head of the king. In the meantime the crowd became restless; they wanted a hanging and the king ordered that somebody must be hanged.

A noose was prepared and each man was measured one by one. But alas! The man, who fitted the noose, was the king himself and he was hanged. Soon it was proclaimed that the next person to cross the city gate would decide who would be the next king. It so happened that a fool crossed the city gate.  The guards asked him, who would be their next king; the fool prompted ‘a melon’.  The ministers crowned a melon as their king. Now, when the people of the Melon City are asked about the choice of melon being their king they just reply that it was a customary choice.

2. What impression would you form of a state where the King was ‘just and placid’?

Ans. A kingdom where the king was ‘just and placid’ was destined to be doomed.  The story of the Melon City edifies us that a technical flaw in the arch cost the life of the ruler and the people chose a melon to be their king just to enjoy extreme liberty. The naïve king readily accepted the explanation of everybody regarding the flaw in the construction of the arch. He should have had his acumen to see through everything. A kingdom with such a ruler can never prosper and the people ultimately suffer.

3. How, according to you, can peace and liberty be maintained in a state?

Ans. According to me, a state can maintain her peace and liberty by means of good governance. There should be a democratic flavor blended with rights and duty. Reasoning ,rationalism , care for the poor and the weak, honesty etc.  should be the features of such state. Above all the ruler of such state should be just and impartial.

4. Suggest a few instances in the poem which highlight humour and irony.

Ans. The whole poem is humorous. Some of the instances are:

The loss of the crown by the king under the arch is humorous.  It is very funny that the king readily accepts the explanation of each offender and in turn he himself falls prey to the situation and gets executed. The image of an old wise man, who can’t even walk or see, is ludicrous and his counsel to the king is more humorous.  The death of the king is no less funny because he wanted to punish   the guilty person but he himself is trapped to be hanged. The policy of crowd appeasement rather makes the situation humorous. Last but not the least, the coronation of the melon is the height of humour.

The poem has many instances of irony. The arch was built to edify the people but these so called edified people caused the death of their king who wanted to enlighten them. The king is said to be just and placid but he himself had frown on his face and saw red, means he became angry. The selection of the wise man based on his age for advice is ironical. He could neither see or walk nor pass a wise judgement. It is equally ironical that the king said somebody must be hanged and eventually he himself was hanged.

5. ‘The Tale of Melon City’ has been narrated in a

verse form. This is a unique style which lends extra

charm to an ancient tale. Find similar examples in

your language. Share them in the class.

 POETIC DEVICES

    

1)  Alliteration

            workmen went

            so since (Sibilance )

            the thoroughfare

            tricky thing

            wise ) was

            But being

2) Assonance

 an arch

3) Repetition –

             long live the king !

            The chief of builders

            …a just and placid king

            O King