Summary of The Tale of Melon City
The Tale of Melon City is a poem by Indian writer Vikram Seth. It is a satire on politics and governance in any nation. The poem talks about a king who is ‘just and placid’, but as the poem progresses, his character does not seem to comply with these qualities. His ineffective capabilities as a ruler are revealed when he is unable to decide whom to punish. Whoever was picked as the subject of punishment by the king kept blaming another to save his own neck until the penalty landed on the king himself. The situation is ironic and fails to justify the words used for the king’s description at the beginning of the poem. To criticise the political administration further, the poet talks about the council of ministers who decide to replace their ruler with a melon. The principles of laissez-faire are closely followed in the kingdom – evident through the public, which is least bothered about a melon being their king. Students can go through the summary of The Tale of Melon City given below to understand the poem in detail. They can also visit CBSE Notes and CBSE Summary for more information and learning material on the CBSE Class 11 English syllabus.
CBSE Class 11 English The Tale of Melon City Summary
There was a king who was considered just and composed. He had announced the construction of an arch that would run above the main road in his city. It was meant to uplift the spirits of people. The king wanted to impress his people. So, the workmen started to build the arch without questions – since it was the king’s order. The city seemed to live by principles based on long-held traditions of obedience and hierarchy.
When the construction was over, the king rode to the thoroughfare to inspect the arch and interact with the spectators. The archway was not built high and toppled off the king’s crown. The ‘just and placid’ king called it a disgrace and ordered the chief of the builders to be hanged. As the builder was brought to the gallows to be hanged, he shouted to the king that it was not his fault and the workers were to blame. The king paused the proceedings and ordered all the workers to be hanged. In turn, the workers protested and blamed the incorrect size of the bricks. The king called for the masons to be brought in. The masons passed it on to the architect. The king then summoned the architect.
Now, the architect made a bold revelation. He reminded the king that the latter had made amendments to the plan. The king was alarmed to learn about this and did not know what to do. So, he decided he needed some counsel and ordered the wisest man to be brought to the court. The wise man was brought to the court on the king’s orders. He was a very old man who could hardly walk or see. The old man decided that the true culprit was the arch that removed the crown from the king’s head. The arch was now being taken to the scaffold when a councillor protested that it was not wise to hang something that had touched the king’s head. The king admitted that this was true. But, by now, the crowd had grown restless.
The king understood the public was impatient. And to appease them, he announced a hanging. The hanging could be of anyone. It just had to be an execution. A noose was prepared, but it was quite high. As a result, each man was measured to identify someone whose height matched that of the noose. However, only one man fit the particular height, and he was the king. Thus, the king was hanged by royal decree.
The ministers felt relieved at their ability to find a suitable match for the noose. They were worried about the consequences if they could not hang someone. The public would have turned against the Crown. They hailed the king’s death and proclaimed in the name of the dead king that whoever passed through the city gate next would be chosen as the ruler of their state. And the coronation would be observed ceremoniously, as was the custom.
The next person to pass by the city gate was a man. He was an idiot who only liked melons. His standard answer to any question was ‘melon’, and he did the same when asked to decide on a king for the state. The melon was crowned and carried to the throne with respect.
This event happened long ago. Whenever people of the state are questioned about their present ruler being a melon, they explain that they chose their king according to the state’s customs. Interestingly, they did not mind their king being a melon as long as the people were given freedom of choice and were left in peace. The principles of laissez-faire are well established here.
Conclusion of The Tale of Melon City
The Tale of Melon City Summary shows us how a lack of good political leadership can pose threats to the members of the administration and government. A leader has to be clear-headed and wise while making decisions. Not having a good grip on one’s state affairs can quickly weaken a leader in the eyes of the general public and create reasons for revolt and agitation in their fellow citizens. Also, sticking to archaic rules and traditions might not always help the development and progress of a state. The king’s decision to punish just about anyone for the arch being low, that too because of the king’s own fault, demonstrates his vain and rigidly orthodox nature. The poet also shows us the dynamics involved in a government based on laissez-faire where the ruling authority does not interfere much in the ways of people’s businesses, economic conditions and working lives. The king ordered the arch to impress his fellow citizens, but he was triggered by the low height of the arch. He planned to punish the builder, but due to his poor insight and weak leadership skills, he could not make a decision. Things took an ugly turn when the king himself was hanged to satisfy the angered public gathered there. Ultimately, a melon was crowned as a king. Here we can again see blind loyalty toward customs and traditions. The melon represents the lack of a functional ruler who can take decisive actions. The citizens are happy as long as they are peacefully left to their state of affairs.
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