NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English (Snapshots) Chapter 5 – The Tale of Melon City by Vikram Seth (NCERT 2026–27)

Complete solutions for Class 11 English Snapshots Chapter 5 – “The Tale of Melon City” by Vikram Seth: an original summary, theme and message, word meanings and every textbook exercise question answered fully in exam-ready prose. We keep the questions exactly as printed in the NCERT Snapshots book, and our answers are written originally by ClearStudy with only short lines quoted for explanation.

Class: 11 Subject: English Book: Snapshots Type: Narrative Poem Poet: Vikram Seth Session: 2026–27
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About the poet

Vikram Seth (born 1952 in Kolkata) is one of India’s most celebrated contemporary writers in English. He is a poet, novelist and travel writer, educated at Doon School, Oxford, Stanford and Nanjing University. He is best known for his verse novel The Golden Gate (1986) and the epic novel A Suitable Boy (1993). “The Tale of Melon City” is taken from his 1981 collection Mappings and is also included in his Collected Poems. Seth’s writing is admired for its wit, technical mastery of rhyme and metre, and gentle, ironic humour. In this poem he adapts an old folk tale (after Idries Shah) into rhyming couplets to make a sharp political comment with a light touch.

Summary

The poem describes a kingdom ruled by a King who is repeatedly called “just and placid.” The King orders a triumphal arch to be built across the main road so that it may inspire onlookers. When he rides under it, the arch is too low and knocks his crown off. Annoyed at this disgrace, he orders the chief builder to be hanged. The chief builder pleads that the fault lies with the workmen, so the King orders the workmen hanged instead.

The workmen blame the masons for making bricks of the wrong size; the masons blame the architect; and the architect reminds the King that he himself had altered the original plans. Almost trapped by his own logic, the “just and placid” King decides to consult the wisest man in the country. The wise man, so old that he can neither walk nor see, declares that the arch is the real culprit and must be hanged. As the arch is led to the scaffold, a councillor objects that it would be shameful to hang something that had touched the royal head.

The restless crowd now wants a hanging at any cost, so the King declares that someone must be hanged immediately. A noose is set up high, and each man is measured against it. Ironically, the only person tall enough to fit the noose is the King himself, who is therefore hanged by royal decree. The relieved ministers then proclaim that the next person to pass the city gate will choose the new ruler. An idiot passes by, and to every question his stock reply is “a melon.” The ministers obediently crown a melon as King. Years later, the people calmly accept their melon ruler, for so long as he leaves them in peace and liberty, they do not care who or what governs them.

Theme & message

The poem is a witty political satire on weak, indecisive rulers and on a passive public. The repeated phrase “just and placid” is heavily ironic: the King is neither truly just nor calm, but foolish, easily swayed and bloodthirsty under the guise of fairness. Through escalating absurdity – a chain of blame ending in the hanging of an inanimate arch and finally the King himself – Seth mocks a justice system run on whim rather than reason. The crowning of a melon and the people’s contentment under it expose a society so obsessed with personal “peace and liberty” that it accepts any ruler, however absurd. The closing line about laissez faire warns that political indifference allows nonsense to pass for governance.

Word meanings

Word / PhraseMeaning
placidcalm, peaceful, not easily disturbed
proclaimedannounced officially
triumphallyin a grand, victorious manner
spanstretch across
thoroughfaremain road or public highway
edifyinstruct or improve (morally/intellectually)
spectatorsonlookers, people watching
disgraceshame, loss of honour
gallowswooden frame used for hanging
ordainorder or decree officially
amendmentschanges or alterations (to a plan)
saw redbecame suddenly very angry
counseladvice
quaveringtrembling, shaking (voice)
culpritthe guilty one, wrongdoer
scaffoldraised platform for execution
councillora member of the royal council; adviser
musedthought / said thoughtfully
nooseloop of rope used for hanging
heraldsroyal messengers who make announcements
reverentlywith deep respect
laissez fairepolicy of leaving things alone; non-interference by authority

Textbook exercise solutions

The following questions are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT Snapshots textbook. Answers are original and exam-ready.

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

ANSWERA kingdom was ruled by a King described again and again as “just and placid.” He ordered a triumphal arch to be built over the main road to inspire passers-by. When he rode beneath it, the arch was built too low and knocked his crown off. Calling it a disgrace, he ordered the chief builder to be hanged.The chief builder blamed the workmen, so the King ordered the workmen hanged instead. The workmen blamed the masons for wrong-sized bricks; the masons blamed the architect; and the architect reminded the King that he himself had changed the plans. Confused, the King summoned the wisest man in the country, who declared that the arch itself was the culprit and must be hanged.When the arch was led to the scaffold, a councillor protested that it was shameful to hang what had touched the royal head. The impatient crowd demanded a hanging, so the King ordered that someone be hanged at once. A high noose was set up and everyone was measured against it – but the only man tall enough to fit was the King himself, who was duly hanged by royal decree.The ministers then declared that the next person to pass the city gate would choose the new ruler. An idiot came by, and his standard answer “a melon” led the ministers to crown a melon as King. Years later the people remain perfectly content under their melon ruler, since he leaves them in peace and liberty.

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

ANSWEROn the surface, a state with a “just and placid” King sounds ideal – one expects fairness, calm and stable governance. However, the poet uses the phrase with biting irony, so the real impression is the opposite. The King who is supposedly “just” orders people hanged on the slightest pretext, and the one supposedly “placid” loses his temper and “sees red” the moment things go wrong.Such a state is actually ruled by whim, not by law or reason. Its “justice” is a mindless chain of blame that ends in hanging an inanimate arch. The repeated label tells us that the King is weak, foolish, easily swayed by advisers and the mob, and incapable of genuine judgement. The impression we form is of a kingdom where appearances of virtue hide incompetence, and where so-called calm is really indifference and lack of firm, sensible leadership.

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

ANSWERPeace and liberty cannot be maintained simply by leaving everything alone, as the careless “laissez faire” ending of the poem suggests. Genuine peace and liberty require a fair and consistent rule of law that applies equally to everyone, including the rulers. Leaders must be wise, accountable and willing to take responsibility for their own decisions instead of shifting blame onto others.Equally important is an alert and responsible citizenry. In the poem, the people accept a melon as their King because they are concerned only with their own comfort. True liberty survives only when citizens think critically, question wrong decisions and participate actively in governance rather than staying passive. Thus peace and liberty are best preserved through a combination of just laws, capable and honest leadership, and an informed, engaged public that refuses to tolerate absurd or unjust rule.

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

ANSWERThe poem is rich in humour and irony:(i) The constant description of the King as “just and placid” is deeply ironic, since he is actually rash, cruel and easily provoked.(ii) The endless chain of blame – builder to workmen to masons to architect and finally back to the King’s own amendments – is comic in its absurdity.(iii) The “wisest man,” so old that he can neither walk nor see, solemnly orders an arch to be hanged – the height of ridiculous “wisdom.”(iv) The councillor stops the hanging only because the arch had “touched” the royal head – mock respect carried to an absurd extreme.(v) The greatest irony is that the only man tall enough to fit the noose is the King himself, so he is hanged by his own royal decree.(vi) An idiot chooses the next ruler, a melon is crowned King, and the citizens contentedly accept it – a final stroke of political satire.

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.

ANSWERThis is an activity for class discussion, so answers will vary with the learner’s mother tongue. The key idea is that many languages have a strong tradition of telling stories and morals in verse, just as Vikram Seth does here in rhyming couplets.Hindi: the Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas, the dohas (couplets) of Kabir and Rahim, and folk ballads such as ‘Alha-Udal’ narrate tales and lessons in verse. Sanskrit: the Panchatantra and Hitopadesha verses. Bengali: the narrative poems of Rabindranath Tagore and the witty rhymes of Sukumar Ray (e.g. ‘Abol Tabol’). Tamil: the couplets of the Tirukkural. Folk tales and limericks in regional languages similarly use rhyme and rhythm to make a tale memorable and charming. (Choose two or three examples from your own language and share them in class.)

Extra questions

Short answer (30–40 words)

1. Why did the King order the arch to be built?

ANSWERThe King ordered a triumphal arch to be built across the major thoroughfare so that it would “edify spectators” – that is, impress and inspire the people who passed beneath it as a grand symbol of his rule.

2. Why was the chief builder ordered to be hanged?

ANSWERWhen the King rode through the arch, it was built too low and knocked his crown off. Taking this as a personal disgrace, the angry King immediately ordered the chief of builders to be hanged for the fault.

3. What advice did the wisest man give?

ANSWERThe ancient wise man, who could neither walk nor see, declared in a quavering voice that the real culprit was the arch itself, since it had banged the crown off the King’s head, and therefore the arch must be hanged.

4. How was the King himself finally hanged?

ANSWERThe crowd demanded a hanging, so a noose was set up high. When every man was measured against it, the only person tall enough to fit was the King. He was therefore hanged by his own royal decree.

5. How did a melon come to be crowned King?

ANSWERThe ministers proclaimed that the next person to pass the city gate would choose the ruler. An idiot passed by, and his standard answer to every question was “a melon,” so the ministers obediently crowned a melon as the new King.

Long answer (100–120 words)

6. The phrase ‘just and placid’ runs through the poem. How does it bring out the poet’s satire?

ANSWERThe phrase “just and placid” is the central tool of Vikram Seth’s satire because it is used ironically throughout. Each time it appears, the King immediately acts in a way that contradicts it. The supposedly “just” ruler hands out death sentences on impulse, first to the builder, then the workmen, masons and architect; the supposedly “placid” King frowns, “sees red” and nearly loses his head with rage. By repeating the label even as the King grows more absurd and bloodthirsty, Seth exposes the gap between a ruler’s public image and his real character. The phrase mocks rulers who appear fair and calm while actually being foolish, indecisive and dangerously swayed by advisers and the mob.

7. What does the poem suggest about the common people and their attitude towards their rulers?

ANSWERThe poem presents the common people as passive, self-centred and politically indifferent. Early on, the workmen build the arch simply “since he was the King,” obeying without thought. Later, the restless crowd cares nothing for guilt or justice and merely wants a hanging – “someone, and that immediately.” Finally, the people calmly accept a melon as their ruler, saying that so long as he leaves them in “Peace and Liberty,” they do not care who or what governs them. Through this, Seth criticises a public that surrenders its judgement for the sake of personal comfort. The poem warns that such indifference, dressed up as “laissez faire,” lets absurd and unjust rule continue unchecked.

8. How does Vikram Seth use the verse form and rhyme to enhance the satire of the poem?

ANSWERVikram Seth narrates this dark, absurd tale in light, neatly rhyming couplets, and this contrast is the heart of the poem’s comic effect. The jaunty, sing-song rhythm makes a grim story of repeated hangings sound almost playful, so the reader smiles even as the horror mounts. The smooth rhymes carry the rapidly escalating chain of blame at a brisk pace, making each absurd step seem perfectly “logical” and inevitable. Seth also enjoys the rhyme itself – pairing “hanged” with “banged,” for instance – which adds a tongue-in-cheek tone. By dressing a sharp political message in such charming, old-fashioned verse, the poet lets his satire slip past the reader gently, making the criticism of foolish rulers and an indifferent public all the more memorable and effective.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. From which collection is ‘The Tale of Melon City’ taken?

(a) The Golden Gate   (b) Mappings   (c) A Suitable Boy   (d) All You Who Sleep Tonight

2. The poem is written “after” which storyteller?

(a) Idries Shah   (b) Aesop   (c) Vishnu Sharma   (d) Hans Andersen

3. Why did the King order the chief builder to be hanged?

(a) The arch fell down   (b) The arch was too low and knocked off his crown   (c) The builder cheated him   (d) The arch was ugly

4. The repeated description of the King as “just and placid” is an example of:

(a) simile   (b) irony   (c) hyperbole   (d) alliteration

5. Whom did the King consult when the chain of blame confused him?

(a) the queen   (b) the architect   (c) the wisest man in the country   (d) a priest

6. According to the wise man, who was the real culprit?

(a) the architect   (b) the masons   (c) the arch   (d) the workmen

7. Why was the arch not hanged in the end?

(a) it was too heavy   (b) a councillor said it had touched the royal head   (c) the crowd objected   (d) it had vanished

8. Who was finally hanged?

(a) the architect   (b) the wise man   (c) the King himself   (d) a workman

9. How was the next ruler to be chosen?

(a) by election   (b) by the ministers   (c) the next person to pass the city gate would choose   (d) by inheritance

10. The closing reference to “laissez faire” chiefly highlights the people’s:

(a) hard work   (b) political indifference   (c) bravery   (d) loyalty to the King

Answer key: 1-(b), 2-(a), 3-(b), 4-(b), 5-(c), 6-(c), 7-(b), 8-(c), 9-(c), 10-(b).

Assertion–Reason – choose: (a) A and R true, R explains A; (b) A and R true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.

1. Assertion (A): The poet calls the King “just and placid” throughout the poem.

Reason (R): The phrase is used ironically to mock the King’s rash and foolish conduct.

2. Assertion (A): The workmen built the arch exactly as ordered.

Reason (R): They obeyed simply because he was the King, without questioning him.

3. Assertion (A): The wise man gave a sound, logical judgement.

Reason (R): He ordered the inanimate arch to be hanged for knocking off the crown.

4. Assertion (A): The King was hanged by royal decree.

Reason (R): He was the only man tall enough to fit the high noose.

5. Assertion (A): The citizens were upset that a melon became their King.

Reason (R): They were content as long as they were left in peace and liberty.

Answer key: 1-(a), 2-(a), 3-(c) – A is false, the judgement was absurd, while R is true; 4-(a), 5-(d) – A is false, the citizens accepted the melon happily, while R is true.

Exam tips

Score better on this poem

1. Remember the key word “irony.” Almost every answer about the King or the people should mention that the poem is a satire and that “just and placid” is ironic.

2. Keep the chain of blame in order: builder → workmen → masons → architect → King’s own amendments → the wise man → the arch → the King. Examiners look for the correct sequence.

3. Quote sparingly. Use only short phrases like “just and placid” or “peace and liberty” to support your point; do not copy whole stanzas.

4. Link the ending to the theme: the crowned melon and “laissez faire” show political indifference – always connect the plot to Seth’s message about weak rulers and a passive public.

FAQs

Who wrote ‘The Tale of Melon City’ and where is it from?

It was written by Vikram Seth and is taken from his 1981 collection ‘Mappings’, later included in his ‘Collected Poems’. It is based on a folk tale, written “after Idries Shah.”

Why is the King repeatedly called ‘just and placid’?

The phrase is used ironically. Far from being fair or calm, the King is rash, foolish and quick to order hangings, so the repeated label satirises rulers who only appear virtuous.

How does the King die in the poem?

The crowd demands a hanging, so a high noose is set up and everyone is measured against it. The King turns out to be the only person tall enough to fit, so he is hanged by his own royal decree.

What is the main theme or message of the poem?

It is a political satire on weak, whimsical rulers and on a passive, self-centred public that will accept any ruler – even a melon – as long as it is left in peace and liberty.

Questions are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT Snapshots textbook; the summary and all answers are written originally by ClearStudy, with only short lines quoted for explanation.

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