8. The Tale of Melon
City (Vikram Seth)
Very Short Type Q-Ans.
1. Who is the writer of
‘The Tale of Melon City’?
Ans. Vikram Seth
2. What type of a king
ruled the city?
Ans. A foolish king
3. What did the king
order?
Ans. To make an arch
4. What did the workmen
build?
Ans. An arch
5. What made the king
angry?
Ans. His crown struck against the arch
6. According to the
chief builder whose fault was it?
Ans. The workmen
7. Who did the workmen
blame for the faulty arch?
Ans. The masons
8. According to the
masons whose fault was it?
Ans. The Architect
9. Who did the
architect blame for the faulty arch?
Ans. The King
10. Who did the king
summon for the opinion?
Ans. The wisest man of the country
11. What was the wisest
man’s verdict?
Ans. The arch should be hanged
12. Who was hanged
finally?
Ans. The king
13. What was the custom
of the city?
Ans. To pass the city gate choose the ruler
14. Who passed by the
city gate?
Ans. An Idiot
15. Who was crowned the
king of the country?
Ans. Melon
Short Type Q-Ans.
1. What did the king order to be built? What happened when it was built?
Ans. The king ordered that an arch should be constructed to span a major thoroughfare. But the arch was low. When the king rode under the arch his crown struck against it and fell down. He became angry. He was a foolish king.
2. What did the chief builder say when the king ordered him to be hanged?
Ans. When the king rode under the arch his crown struck against it and fell down. He became angry. He ordered that the chief builder should be hanged. But the chief builder said it was not his fault, it was the fault of the workmen.
3. How did the architect plead his case before the king?
Ans. The king ordered that the architect should be hanged. When the architect was called, he told that the king had made amendments in the plan. So it was the king's fault.
4. What opinion did the wise man give?
Ans. When there was no solution of the problem. The king called the wisest man of the country to solve the problem. The wise man said the it was the fault of arch which fell down the king's crown. So it is real culprit and it must be hanged.
5. How was a melon crowned as the king of the country?
Ans. It was the custom that the next to pass the city gate would choose the ruler of the state. Just then an idiot was passing the gate. When he was asked to name the next king. He replied that a melon should be the king. It was his common answer to all the question. Thus a melon crowned as the king of the country.
1. Narrate ‘The Tale of Melon City’ in your own words.
Ans. Once a foolish king ruled in a city. One day he ordered to build an arch. The workmen build the arch. But the arch was low. When the king rode under the arch his crown struck against it and fell down. He became angry. He ordered that the chief builder should be hanged. But the chief builder said it was not his fault, it was the fault of the workmen. The workmen said it was masons fault. And the masons said it was the fault of the architect. The king ordered that the architect should be hanged. When the architect was called, he told that the king had made amendments in the plan. So it was the king's fault. When there was no solution of the problem. The king called the wisest man of the country to solve the problem. The wise man said the it was the fault of arch which fell down the king's crown. So it is real culprit and it must be hanged. In the last the king hanged because none was so tall to reach up the noose. When an idiot was passing city gate, he asked to name the next king because it was their custom. He replied that a melon should be the king.