The Tale of Melon City Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots

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The Tale of Melon City Extra Questions and Answers Class 11 English Snapshots

The Tale of Melon City Horse Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Many people are mentioned in the poem. Who do you find the most humorous other than the king?
Answer:
The wisest man who ordered the arch to be hanged. The wisest is the most stupid or humorous.

Question 2.
What did the workmen say in their defence when the king ordered them to be hanged?
Answer:
When the king ordered them to be hanged, the workmen blamed the masons.

Question 3.
Why did the king order that the chief of builders be hanged?
Answer:
The king ordered the chief of builders to be hanged because the arch was low. The king’s crown got knocked off as he passed under the arch.

Question 4.
Who did the chief of builders blame?
Answer:
The chief of builders blamed the workmen (labourers).

Question 5.
Show how the blame for the arch was transferred from person to person.
Answer:
The chief of builders blamed the workmen. The workmen blamed the masons. The masons blamed the architect. The architect said the king himself had made alterations.

Question 6.
Who was the wisest man? What did he say?
Answer:
The oldest man of the city was considered to be the wisest. He said that the arch should be hanged.

Question 7.
Why did the King succumb to the public demand? What was the criterion for choosing a man to be hanged? Who was found fit?
Answer:
A man had to be hanged because the public expected it. The people were restless and angry. Any man who fitted the gallows would be hanged. The king was hanged because he fitted the noose.

Question 8.
Why did the king order that someone must be hanged immediately?
Answer:
The king ordered that someone must be hanged immediately because the nation wanted a hanging. Finer points like guilt need not to be considered before someone must be hanged.

Question 9.
How was the new king chosen?
Answer:
The new king was chosen at the word of the next man who entered the city gate. He happened to be an idiot.

Question 10.
Why did the idiot say “A melon”? What was its consequence?
Answer:
An idiot was asked who should be the king. ‘A melon’ was the idiot’s standard answer to all questions one asked. As a consequence a melon was crowned the king of the city.

Question 11.
Why were the people happy with their Melon King?
Answer:
The people were happy because the king did not really rule. He allowed the people to do what they wanted to do. Therefore they enjoyed peace and liberty and were happy.

Question 12.
Give two instances each of humour and irony from the poem ‘The Tale of Melon City’.
Answer:
Humour

  • The king built an arch to improve the morals of the people.
  • The method of selecting the king.

Irony

  • The king himself had to be hanged.
  • In order to maintain harmony in the state the king ought to be without intelligence or will, like a melon.

Question 13.
What did the common people feel about a melon king?
Answer:
The commoners were satisfied with the melon king. They were rather happy because the king did not interfere with their lives.

Question 14.
Vikram Seth has made brilliant use of irony in The Tale of Melon City. Give three examples of it.
Answer:
The three examples of irony are:

  • The old man is the wisest. Age does not necessarily make a person wise.
  • A king who does not govern (The Melon King) is the best.
  • The King himself was hanged by his own orders.

Question 15.
Justify the title of the poem ‘The Tale of Melon City.
Answer:
‘Melon City’ was ruled by a melon. Melon was an ungoverning king. Events leading up to this have been described. Melon City is governed by a non-governing figure. People of the city are happy. The title is satirical but appropriate.

Question 16.
Did you enjoy reading the poem? Write about any two points which contributed to your enjoyment.
Answer:
Yes, certainly the poem is enjoyable. The passing of the blame and the selection of a new king are important points of interest. It makes the story more interesting. Providing a folk flavour to the narration.

Question 17.
Comment upon the verse form used for narration in the poem ‘The Tale of Melon City’.
Answer:
The couplet form has been used for narration in the poem. The couplet is a set of two rhyming lines.

Question 18.
What is the principle of‘Laissez Faire’? How is it established in the poem ‘The Tale of Melon City’?
Answer:
It is the principle regarding governance. Government should not interfere in the lives of the ordinary people. Government should let people live their own life.

Question 19.
Why did the king order the construction of an arch? Does it tell you something about the tone of the poem?
Answer:
The tone of the poem is satirical. The king ordered the construction of an arch for ‘edification’’ or improvement of mind and morals of people.

The Tale of Melon City Horse Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Narrate ‘The Tale of Melon City’ in your own words, highlighting its message.
Answer:
The Melon City
A king ordered an arch to be constructed to ‘edify’ the people. The arch was low and the king lost his crown when he passed under it. The king ordered the execution of the chief of the builders, but the latter blamed of the workers. The workers laid the blame on the bricks because they were of the wrong size. So the masons were called. They blamed the architect, but the architect said that the king himself had made some alterations.

At this the king sought the counsel of the wisest and oldest man in the country, who advised that the arch should be hanged. The arch was not hanged because it had touched His Majesty’s head. The king said that they will hang whoever fitted the gallows. By chance, the king himself fitted best and was hanged. The king’s ministers decided that the next man who passed the City Gate would be their king.

As it happened, an idiot was the next man to pass the City Gate. He said a ‘melon’ should be the king. So the ministers crowned a melon and the people were happy. As a political satire it brings out the absurdity of people as well as the king in a humorous way. The poet Vikram Seth has successfully portrayed the typical blame game played out by the powerful people, and the poor and idiotic governance by the king and his ministers.

Question 2.
Discuss ‘The Tale of Melon City’ as a humorous as well as an ironical poem with the help of examples from the poem.
Answer:
‘The Tale of Melon City’ is truly a very humorous as well as an ironical poem. It is humorous that the arch was constructed to ‘edify’ people. The oldest man of the city was considered to be the wisest, which is both ironical and humorous. It was ordered that whosoever fitted the gallous shall die, which again humorous. Then, it is highly funny and unbelievable that the king himself was hanged because the blame fell on him.

The selection of the new king, a melon, is extremely humorous. It is highly ironical how one can order death sentence for a minor offence. The King himself was so indecisive. Then, the process of selection of the new king adds both to the humour and irony. Finally, it is seen that people were living happily under a king who did not govern. The whole poem revolves around fun and laughter.

Question 3.
How did the city come to be named Melon City? Describe the events that led to its naming.
Answer:
The king of a city ordered an arch to be made which, on completion, was found to be too low. When the king rode under this arch, he lost his crown due to its low height.

The king ordered the chief builder to be hanged but the latter pointed out that it was someone else’s fault. This blame game went on till it was found that the king himself had to be hanged by his own order. The city was without a king after the king’s execution.

The ministers decided that the next man to pass the city gate would be their king. As it happened the next man to pass was an idiot. He said that a melon should be king. He said so because he was very fond of melons. The ministers put a melon on the throne. Thereafter the city was known as Melon City.

Question 4.
‘The Tale of Melon City’ consists of a series of humorous incidents. Describe the events that led to the hanging of the king by his own order.
Answer:
A king ordered an arch to be constructed to ‘edify’ the people. The arch was low and the king lost his crown when he passed under it. The king ordered the execution of the chief of the builders, but the latter said it the was the fault of the workers. The workers laid the blame on the bricks because they were of the wrong size.

So the masons were called. They blamed the architect, but the architect said that the king himself had made some alterations. At this the king sought the counsel of the wisest man in the country. The oldest man alive was brought and he advised that the arch should be hanged. The arch was not hanged because it had touched His Majesty’s head. The king said that because the nation wanted a hanging they will hang whoever fitted the gallows. By chance, the king himself fitted best and was hanged.

Question 5.
Which part of the poem do you find most humorous? Narrate the incident and say what part it plays in the story.
Answer:
In my opinion, the most humorous part is the selection of a new king. The last of the incidents where the ministers decide that whoever will be able to pass the city gates would be hailed as their king. As luck would have it, the man who passed the gate was an idiot who was extremely fond of melons.

For every question asked, his answer would be ‘melon’. On asking, who should be the king, he said that a ‘melon’ should be the king. So it was! The ministers promptly put the melon on the throne and accepted it as their king. The ‘Melon’ becomes crucial to the story as the city comes to be known as the ‘Melon City.’

Question 6.
‘The Tale of Melon City’ tells the story of a king who either does not govern or misgoverns. It is a satire on a ruler who has no concern for justice or welfare of the people in his kingdom, blame gets shifted from one to the other.
Do you think the poem echoes the misgovernance prevailing in modern India? Write an essay in 100 words giving your suggestions of what steps the people and the government need to take to put the country on the track of progress and growth.
Answer:
Does the ‘Melon City’ reflect the state of the Indian nation? Is there no concern for justice or welfare of people? Are these people happy with the king/government that does not govern?

The answer to the first two questions is “Yes”, to the last, a big “NO”. Decades of free India have rarely seen bright spots of good governance. The evils of misgovernance are all there. Corruptio’n, inflation, crime, sinking economy, exploitation of natural resources are the various faces of misgovernance and non-governance.

But not any more. People have had enough. Everyone wants a change. Every new face when it appears brings hope, which is invariably belied. In a democracy, people get a chance to change their rulers or law makers every five years.

People with a record of clean service are now entering politics, as candidates from political families have proved to be failures. The honest public servant gets the support of the common people. The judiciary stands for the right and the correct. Most powerful of all is the media. It spreads awareness among people.
Indians do not wish to be governed by a ‘Melon King’ any more.