Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
MELON CITY
Short Q & A
The architect reminded the King that he (the King) had made some
changes in the plans when they were showed to him and the King
seemed to have forgotten it. The King got very angry and almost
What sort of king ruled over the state? What did he proclaim?
The king who ruled over the state was just and placid. He
Who was held responsible for the disgrace? How did he/ they
the King’s crown fell under the low arch. He reacted angrily and
the court. He could neither walk nor see. He was very old and
hence was selected. The counsel he offered was that since the arch
had banged the King’s crown off, so the arch should be hanged.
Why did the king need some counsel and from whom? Do you
think the man was really the wisest one? Give a reason for your
answer.
The King needed a counsel from the wisest man in the country. He
needed a counsel when the architect blamed the King himself for
made him very angry. The wise man was not really the wisest one
As soon as the arch was led to the gallows for hanging, the
arch that touched his head. The comment reveals that he was a
clever man and very cunningly persuaded the King to change his
The king gave into public demand because the crowd by now, had
a foolish king and gullible too. His motive was to move on quickly
The thoughtless order given by the King was that the tallest man
who would fit into the noose would be hanged. The result was
that the King himself was hanged by Royal Decree as he was the
Why did the ministers feel relieved? Do you think their elation
was justified?
The ministers felt relieved because if they had not found someone,
the unruly town might have turned against the crown. The elation
was more ironical because now the town was actually without a
The new ruler of the state was selected when an idiot, who was the
first man to pass the City Gate, was given the privilege to choose
was his standard answer to all questions. So, the melon was
there. If, years later they were asked to explain how the melon
became their King, they would reply that it didn’t matter to them
who was the King as long as he left them in peace and liberty.
the melon king. The principles meant that the state had the policy
of allowing private business to develop without government
control.
the King?
The king rode down the thoroughfare after the arch was
completed but just as he was under the arch; his crown hit it and
fell down. The arch was perhaps built too low or the king was too
tall.
He said that it was a disgrace and that the chief of builders should
The words were spoken by the workmen when the king ordered
them to be hanged.
The workmen put the blame on the masons for making the bricks
The masons got into trouble because the workmen put the blame
blamed.
The king said, ‘this is a disgrace’
The fact that the King’s crown fell off as the arch was low, made
the king remark that it was a disgrace and that the arch was faulty
and defective.
gallows?
Eventually it was the King who was hanged because the chief of
blaming each other, which made the public restless. Therefore, the
The voice of the old wise man, who was lame and blind, was
The wise man blamed the arch to be the culprit because it had
should be hanged.
The arch was spared because the councillor asked the king how
head. Eventually the king was hanged because the public got
The name of the poem is ‘The Tale of the Melon City’ and the poet
is Vikram Seth.
The king who ruled over the state was just and placid. He was fair
The aim of getting the arch built on the major thoroughfare was to
spiritually. As the king rode the arch, it hit his crown and his
crown fell.