Short & Long Answer Question - The Tale of Melon City

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1: What sort of king ruled over the state? What did he proclaim?
Answer:  The king was fair and gentle and appeared concerned with the welfare of his people. He proclaimed that an arch should be constructed across the main thoroughfare so that the public might be improved by viewing it.

Question 2: Why did the king ride down the thoroughfare and what was the result?
Answer:  The king rode down the thoroughfare to edify the spectators and show them the new arch. Because the arch was built too low, it struck his head and his crown fell off, which he considered a disgrace.

Question 3: Who was held responsible for the disgrace? How did he /they react to it? What do you learn about the king?
Answer:  The chief of builders was initially held responsible and ordered to be hanged. He blamed the workmen; the workmen blamed the bricks; the masons blamed the architect; and the architect blamed the king's amendments. This chain of shifting blame shows that the king is fickle-minded and easily swayed by arguments rather than sticking to firm, fair judgement.

Question 4: What argument did the architect advance in self-defence? How did the king take it?
Answer:  The architect said that he had made amendments to his original plans at the king's request, implying that the king shared responsibility for the faulty arch. On hearing this, the king became very angry and lost his calm judgment.

Question 5: 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.
Answer:  The king was confused by the architect's defence and wanted advice from the man reputed to be the wisest in the country. The man chosen was very old, blind and immobile, so he was not truly the wisest. Wisdom was assumed to come with age, but his absurd counsel showed that age alone does not guarantee sound judgement.

Question 6: Comment upon the criteria of selection of the wisest man and the quality of counsel he offered.
Answer: The selection criterion was that wisdom came with grey hair. The old man chosen could neither walk nor see and had little practical sense. His advice - that the arch should be hanged - was absurd, showing that the criterion was foolish and that ceremonial respect for age had replaced genuine judgment.

Question 7: What does the comment of the councillor about the arch reveal about himself and the king?
Answer:  The councillor's comment shows that he was trying to flatter the king rather than speak the truth. He wanted to please the king instead of giving fair advice. This also shows that the king was easily influenced by praise and did not take firm or fair decisions on his own.

Question 8: Why did the king succumb to public demand?
Answer:  The king saw that the crowd had become restless and feared the consequences of denying them the spectacle they expected. To avoid public unrest and possible revolt, he gave in to their demand and ordered that someone be hanged immediately.

Question 9: What was the result of the King's thoughtless order?
Answer:  The noose was set up and men were measured; only one person was tall enough to fit it - the king himself. As a result of his own hasty command, the king was hanged and died by his own order.

Question 10: Why did the Ministers feel relieved? Do you think their elation was justified?
Answer:  The ministers felt relieved because the crowd's demand for a hanging had been satisfied, which they feared would otherwise lead to unrest. Their relief is not truly justified, because it came at the cost of the king's life and showed their willingness to placate the mob rather than protect the monarch or uphold justice.

Question 11: What opinion do you form of the King's Ministers on the basis of their actions after the King's death?
Answer:  The ministers appear chiefly concerned with practicality and maintaining public order. They are quick to follow custom and to ensure continuity of power. Their behaviour shows political pragmatism and opportunism rather than loyalty or moral courage.

Question 12: What 'custom' of the citizens is referred to in the tale? How did the Ministers decide to observe it?
Answer:  The custom was that the next person to pass the city gate the following day would choose the new ruler. The ministers decided to follow this custom formally and announced that whoever arrived first would appoint the king.

Question 13: How was the new ruler of the state selected?
Answer:  The ministers declared that the next person to pass the City Gate would choose the ruler. An idiot happened to pass by and, when asked, replied as was his habit, "a melon." The ministers accepted this answer and declared that a melon would be their new ruler.

Question 14: What does the selection process of the new ruler of the state reveal about the ministers and the people?
OR 
How did the people and ministers react to the selection of 'a melon' as the new ruler?
Answer:  The process reveals the ministers' readiness to preserve order by any convenient means and the people's indifference to real leadership. Both groups prefer peace, trade and freedom to good governance. Their acceptance of a melon as king demonstrates how tradition and self-interest can lead to absurd outcomes.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1: How did the accused try to shift the blame to others? How far did they succeed?
Answer:  The chain of blame-shifting is central to the poem. The chief of builders blamed the workmen; the workmen blamed the bricks; the masons blamed the architect; and the architect, in turn, pointed out that the king had authorised amendments. Each accused offered a plausible defence and thus deflected immediate punishment. In practice, each succeeded to the extent that the king delayed decisive action and moved the responsibility to the next party. Ultimately, this process exposed the weakness of a system that depends on the ruler's caprice rather than on clear procedures and fair trials.

Question 2:What impression do you gather about the king from 'The Tale of Melon City'?
Answer:  The king appears kindly and well-meaning but also short-sighted, capricious and easily influenced. He cares for public welfare-he builds an arch to edify people-but he lacks firmness and foresight. He is swayed by flattery, panics before the crowd, and makes hasty decisions that lead to tragic irony: his own order causes his death. Overall, he is a well-intentioned but weak ruler.

Question 3:  What do you think makes 'The Tale of Melon City' interesting and edifying?
Answer:  The poem is engaging because it combines humour, satire and irony to criticise foolish customs and weak leadership. The clever defences of the accused, the absurd counsel of the so-called wisest man, the crowd's appetite for spectacle, and the ministers' opportunism are all presented with wit. The poem is edifying because it warns against blind tradition, unthinking obedience and the dangers of leaders who lack sound judgement. It encourages readers to value reason and responsible governance.

Question 4: "The poem mocks the process of fair trial and proper judgement." How far do you agree with the statement?
Answer:  I fully agree. The poem satirises a justice system that depends entirely on the ruler's whim. The repeated shifting of blame, the lack of clear procedure, and the king's changing verdicts all show how far the process has moved from fairness. The fact that an inanimate object is recommended for hanging and that public applause determines punishment demonstrates the collapse of rational judgement into spectacle and custom.

Question 5: Comment on the ending of the poem 'The Tale of Melon City'. What bearing does the ending have on the title of the poem?
OR
Comment on the title of the poem 'The Tale of Melon City'.
Answer:  The ending is sharply ironic and directly explains the title. After the king's death, ministers follow custom and allow the next passerby to choose the ruler. An idiot names "a melon," and the ministers accept it, placing a melon on the throne. The capital thus becomes Melon City. The ending highlights the people's indifference to true leadership and the ministers' willingness to maintain order by any means, thereby making the title a pointed satire on misplaced authority and blind adherence to custom.

Question 6: Narrate 'The Tale of Melon City' in your own words.
Answer: Once there lived a just and placid king who ruled a small state. He ordered an arch to be built across the main thoroughfare so that people might learn good manners by seeing it.. When the king rode beneath the arch, it struck his head and his crown fell off. He considered this a great disgrace and blamed those responsible for the arch. First the chief of builders was held responsible and sentenced to be hanged; he blamed the workmen. The workmen then blamed the bricks for being the wrong size, and the blame moved on to the masons. The masons, in turn, blamed the architect. The architect defended himself by saying that the king had insisted on certain amendments to the original plan, which meant the king shared the responsibility.
Confused and angered by these shifting arguments, the king sought the advice of the man reputed to be the wisest in the land. The old man chosen could neither walk nor see and gave the absurd advice that the arch itself should be hanged. A councillor argued that an inanimate object could not be hanged, but the crowd wanted someone punished for their amusement. To satisfy them, a noose was prepared and men were measured for it. Only the king was tall enough to fit the rope, so he was hanged by his own order. The following day the ministers announced that custom would decide the next ruler: whoever first passed the city gate would name the new king. An idiot happened by and, as was his habit, answered every question with "a melon." The ministers accepted this and set a melon on the throne. The capital thereafter came to be called Melon City.

Question 7: What impression would you form of a state where the king was just and placid*?
Answer:  A state ruled by a king described as just and placid gives the impression of a backward and complacent society. The ruler appears kindly but indecisive, treating his word as final while lacking firmness. Ministers and councillors flatter him and act to preserve their own positions rather than public good. Ordinary people seem largely uneducated and self-centred; they value amusement, peace and trade above justice or good leadership. As a result, customs and traditions are followed without question, and public opinion easily sways decisions. Such a state needs stronger institutions, public education and responsible leadership to safeguard liberty and good governance.

Question 8: How according to you, can peace and liberty be maintained in a state?
Answer: Peace and liberty are best maintained through good governance. This requires competent and dedicated rulers, impartial law-enforcing agencies, and an informed citizenry that respects both rights and duties. Social divisions based on region, religion or caste should be discouraged because they create internal strife. Free expression must be allowed, but within the framework of law and order. When institutions function fairly and people understand their responsibilities, both peace and liberty are preserved.

Question 9: Suggest a few instances in the poem which highlight humour and irony?
Answer:  The poem contains many moments of humour and irony. For example, it is ironic that the king commissioned an arch to edify his subjects yet the arch humiliated him by knocking off his crown. The repeated shifting of blame - from chief of builders to workmen, to masons, to architect - is darkly comic. The architect's defence, which points out that the king himself ordered changes, is especially witty. The selection of the wisest man because of his age is ironic: the old man is blind and immobile, yet his absurd advice that the arch be hanged is taken seriously. The crowd's demand for a hanging and the fact that only the king fits the noose produce tragic irony: the king dies by his own decree. Finally, the ministers accepting an idiot's offhand answer, "a melon," and placing a melon on the throne is a sharp satirical comment on public apathy and opportunism.