The Tale of Melon City

Okay, here is a summary of “The Tale of Melon City” and the answers to the questions, drawing on the sources provided.

Summary of “The Tale of Melon City”

The poem tells the story of a city ruled by a “just and placid King”. The King ordered the construction of an arch over the main thoroughfare. However, the arch was built too low, and as the King rode under it, he lost his crown.

This angered the King, who called it a “disgrace” and ordered the chief of builders to be hanged. The chief of builders blamed the workmen. The King, described as “just” and “placider now”, then decided the workmen should be hanged instead. The workmen claimed the bricks were the wrong size, leading the King to summon the masons. The masons blamed the architect.

When the architect was summoned, he argued that the King himself had made amendments to the plans. The King was initially furious (“saw red”) but, remembering he was just and placid, decided to seek counsel from the wisest man in the country. The wisest man, who was old and could not walk or see, declared that the arch itself was the culprit and must be hanged.

As the arch was being taken to the scaffold, a Councillor pointed out that it would be shameful to hang something that had touched the King’s head. The King agreed (“True,” mused the King). Seeing the crowd was restless, the King, trembling, decided that someone just “must be hanged” immediately to satisfy the nation. They measured everyone by the noose, but only one man was tall enough to fit – the King himself. So, the King was hanged by Royal Decree.

The Ministers were relieved, as finding someone to hang prevented the town from turning against the Crown. They declared, “Long live the King! The King is dead.”. Being practical, they proclaimed that the next person to pass the City Gate would choose the state’s ruler. An idiot passed by, and when asked, gave his standard answer: “A melon”. The Ministers, accepting this “customary choice”, crowned a melon and placed it on the throne.

Years later, the people explain that they are content with their melon King because as long as he “Leaves us in Peace and Liberty”, his form doesn’t matter. The principles of laissez faire are noted to be well-established there.

Answers to the Questions

Here are the answers to the questions based on the provided sources:

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

   • This has been addressed in the summary above, drawing directly from the events described in the poem. It recounts the chain of blame initiated by the low arch, the arbitrary decisions leading to the King’s own hanging, and the subsequent selection of a melon as the new ruler by an idiot, ultimately resulting in a state of peace and liberty for the people.

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

   • Based on the story, a state ruled by this “just and placid” King seems to be characterised by arbitrary and illogical decisions. Despite being called just, the King’s actions are driven by personal annoyance (losing his crown), shifting blame, and ultimately, appeasing a restless crowd by hanging the only person who fits the noose, which happens to be himself. His “justice” seems to be less about fairness and more about following convoluted processes or succumbing to immediate pressures. Therefore, the impression formed is of a state where reason and true justice are lacking, despite the King’s purported traits.

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

   • Drawing on the source, the poem’s ending suggests that in Melon City, peace and liberty are maintained when the ruler is passive and does not interfere with the people’s lives. The people state they are happy with the melon King because he “Leaves us in Peace and Liberty”. This implies that for the citizens of Melon City, a ruler who practises “laissez faire” – essentially leaving things be – is the key to maintaining peace and liberty. The preceding events under the human king were chaotic and unjust, contrasting sharply with the state under the non-interfering melon.

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

   • Several instances highlight humour and irony:
     • The idea of the King, supposedly just, being responsible for his own predicament through his planning amendments is ironic.
     • The suggestion of hanging the arch itself as the culprit is highly humorous and highlights the absurdity of the situation.
     • The twist of measuring everyone by the noose and finding the King is the only one tall enough is both ironic and darkly humorous.
     • The Ministers’ declaration, “Long live the King! The King is dead.”, is a classic example of irony, marking the immediate succession despite the unusual circumstances.
     • The decision to let the next person through the gate choose the ruler is absurd, leading to the final ironic situation.
     • An idiot choosing a melon to be King is comical.
     • The fact that the melon King is preferred by the people for providing peace and liberty precisely because he is incapable of ruling or interfering is deeply ironic, commenting on the nature of governance depicted.

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.

   • Yes, the source points out that the story is narrated in verse form, which it says “lends extra charm to an ancient tale”.
   • Regarding finding similar examples in my language or sharing them: As an AI, I do not have a “language” in the human sense, nor do I attend classes or have personal experiences. 😊 Therefore, I cannot provide examples from a personal language or share them. My responses are limited to the information and capabilities derived from my training data and the specific sources provided.

I hope these answers are clear and easy to understand! Let me know if anything else is needed. 😊