"The Tale of Melon City" is a humorous and satirical poem by the renowned Indian poet Vikram Seth, included in the Snapshots textbook for Class 11. The poem is a mock-epic that narrates the absurd story of a king and the people of Melon City, whose foolishness and blind obedience to rules lead to a ridiculous chain of events. The poem is a sharp satire on absolute power, blind obedience, and the follies of governance.
The poem begins with the king of Melon City riding through the city on his horse, when he accidentally bumps his head against a low-hanging archway. Enraged, he orders that the architect be brought before him and hanged for his negligence. The architect, however, defends himself, saying that he had followed the specifications given to him, and that the fault lies with the workmen. The workmen, in turn, blame the king's foolish council, and the blame keeps shifting from one person to another.
The poem is a brilliant satire on the arbitrariness of power. The king, instead of investigating the matter sensibly, orders a series of absurd punishments that lead to an absurd conclusion. The poem's humour lies in the way everyone blindly accepts the king's orders without questioning them, and in the completely irrational resolution of the crisis. It is a timeless tale that mocks the foolishness of absolute rulers and the dangers of unquestioning obedience.
Vikram Seth (born 1952) is one of India's most celebrated contemporary writers. He is a poet, novelist, travel writer and librettist, known for his versatility and wit. His major works include the verse novel "The Golden Gate," the epic novel "A Suitable Boy," and the travel narrative "From Heaven Lake." His poetry collections include "Mappings," "The Humble Administrator's Garden" and "All You Who Sleep Tonight." "The Tale of Melon City" is from his collection "Beastly Tales from Here and There," which contains witty, satirical verse fables from around the world. Seth's poetry is marked by its clarity, humour and narrative skill.
The poem opens in the kingdom of Melon City. The king, riding his horse through the city, hits his head on a low archway. He is furious and orders that the architect be brought before him and hanged for the faulty construction. The king believes that the architect alone is responsible for his accident.
When the architect is brought before the king, he defends himself, saying that he built the archway according to the specifications of the royal workmen. The king then orders the workmen to be hanged. The workmen, however, point out that the archway's height was set by the king's own foolish council, and so the council should be punished. The council members, in turn, blame the king himself, arguing that it was the king's own decision to set the height.
The king, trapped by the logic of blame-shifting, decides to blame the archway itself and orders it to be hanged. The courtiers and the king's wise men search the law books to see if an archway can be hanged, and they find that a "criminal" archway can indeed be hanged. The archway is then sentenced to death.
However, when the executioner tries to hang the archway, he cannot find a noose long enough to reach around it. A rope is found that is long enough, but the archway is so wide that the rope cannot go around it. The problem is finally solved when a man named Muni Ram Babu suggests that they should find a person to hang instead of the archway.
The king, feeling that the whole affair is becoming tedious, orders that the next person to pass through the archway should be hanged. The next person to pass through is the king's own jester, followed by the king himself, who goes to inspect the archway. The king orders that the jester be hanged, but the jester protests that he is not a suitable victim. The king then decides that he himself should be hanged to solve the problem.
The citizens, however, have a different idea. They suggest that if the king is hanged, the rope may not be long enough for the new king. In the confusion, the people decide that the king should not be hanged, and instead they crown him the "King of Melon City" all over again. The poem ends with the absurd conclusion that the king, who was to be hanged, is instead crowned king once more, and everyone is satisfied.
The absurd and foolish ruler of Melon City. He is vain, quick-tempered and incapable of sensible judgment. He orders a series of ridiculous punishments and ultimately proves to be as foolish as his subjects. He represents the folly of absolute power.
The builder of the low archway. He defends himself by shifting the blame to the workmen, following the pattern of blame-shifting in the story.
They blame the king's council for specifying the height of the archway, continuing the chain of blame.
They blame the king himself and search the law books for a way to hang an archway.
He is unable to hang the archway and looks for a substitute victim.
The man who suggests finding a person to hang instead of the archway.
The first person to pass through the archway and be considered for hanging.
The poem explores several themes. The most prominent is the satire on absolute power and the arbitrariness of rulers. The king's absurd decisions and his inability to take responsibility mock the foolishness of despotic authority. A second theme is the danger of blind obedience. Everyone in the poem blindly follows the king's absurd orders, never questioning the madness of the situation.
A third theme is the shifting of responsibility and the absurdity of blame. The blame moves from the architect to the workmen to the council to the king, showing how people avoid responsibility. A fourth theme is the irrationality of law and justice when applied without sense. The king's wise men find a "legal" way to hang an archway, showing how senseless rules can be used to justify absurd actions. The theme of the folly of both rulers and the ruled also runs through the poem, as the citizens are as foolish as their king.
Stanza 1-2: 1. Mock-Epic Style: The poem is written in the style of a heroic tale, but its subject is absurd and trivial, creating comedy. 2. Rhyme and Rhythm: The poem uses a consistent rhyme scheme and metre, giving it a ballad-like, storytelling quality.
Stanza 3-6: 3. Repetition: The chain of blame is emphasised through repeated accusations, highlighting the absurdity. 4. Irony: It is ironic that the king, who is responsible for the accident, ends up blaming everyone else. 5. Satire: The poem satirises the king, the council, the law and the citizens.
Stanza 7-10: 6. Hyperbole: The absurd attempts to hang the archway are exaggerated to the point of comedy. 7. Wordplay / Pun: The poem plays with words, especially in the legal argument about hanging a "criminal" archway. 8. Absurdity: The entire situation — hanging an archway, then hanging the next passer-by — is deliberately absurd.
Final Stanza: 9. Poetic Justice (Reversed): The king, who was to be hanged, is crowned king again — an ironic and absurd resolution.
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Poet | Vikram Seth |
| Form | Narrative poem / mock-epic ballad |
| Source | 'Beastly Tales from Here and There' |
| Setting | The fictional kingdom of Melon City |
| Trigger Event | King bumps his head on a low archway |
| Style | Humorous, satirical, absurd |
| Event | What happens |
|---|---|
| The Accident | King hits his head on a low archway |
| First Blame | The architect is ordered to be hanged |
| Blame Shifts | Workmen, then council, then the king are blamed |
| Absurd Solution | The archway itself is sentenced to death |
| The Substitute | The next person to pass through is to be hanged |
| The Resolution | The king is crowned again instead of being hanged |
"The Tale of Melon City" is a delightfully absurd and satirical poem that mocks the follies of absolute power and the dangers of blind obedience. Vikram Seth weaves a chain of blame-shifting, ridiculous legal arguments and impossible punishments into a mock-epic that is both hilarious and thought-provoking. The poem's resolution — the king being crowned again instead of hanged — is a perfect illustration of the absurdity of the situation.
Beneath the humour, the poem carries a serious message. It warns us against rulers who act without wisdom, citizens who obey without questioning, and legal systems that can be twisted to justify any absurdity. The tale of Melon City is timeless because it holds a mirror to human folly in governance and society. It reminds us that sense and reason must guide power, or power will lead only to chaos.