Chapter: 8
The tale of Melon City
1 . Narrate ' The Tale of Melon City ' in your own words .
' āĻŦāĻā§°ী āĻāĻšā§°ā§° āĻাāĻšিāύী ' āύিāĻā§° āĻাāώাāϤ āĻāĻāĻ ৷
Answer: The Tale of Melon City’ runs like folk tale. The city is called Melon City because its ruler is a melon. There is a curious tale around it. Once a fair and gentle king ruled over a state. He got an arch built across the thoroughfare. As he passed under the low arch it struck his head and he lost his crown. He thought it a disgrace and ordered the chief of builders to be hanged. The chief lay the blame on the workmen. The workmen were surprised. They said that the bricks were made of wrong size. So the masons were thought guilty. The masons shifted the blame on the architect. The architect put the blame at the king’s door as he had amended his original plan.
The king sought a wise man’s counsel. He held the arch guilty and ordered it to be hanged. A councillor objected to it as it had touched the king’s head. The people became restless. They wanted to see someone hanging. Only the king’s head could fit. the noose. So he was hanged. It was now announced that the next man who passed the City Gate would choose the king. An idiot came. He suggested ‘A melon’. So melon was crowned the king. He was taken to the throne. He was called melon king.
āĻĻ্āϝ āĻেāϞ āĻ ā§ą āĻŽেāϞāύ āĻিāĻি’ āϞোāĻāĻāĻĨাā§° āĻĻā§°েāĻ āĻāϞি āĻĨাāĻে। āĻāĻšā§°āĻāύ⧰ āĻļাāϏāĻ āĻŦāĻā§°ী āĻšোā§ąাā§° āĻŦাāĻŦেāĻ āĻāĻ āĻāĻšā§°āĻāύāĻ āĻŦāĻā§°ী āĻāĻšā§° āĻŦুāϞি āĻোā§ąা āĻšāϝ়। āĻāϝ়াā§° āĻাā§°িāĻāĻĢাāϞে āĻāĻা āĻৌāϤুāĻšāϞী āĻাāĻšিāύী। āĻāϏāĻŽāϝ়āϤ āĻāĻāύ āύ্āϝাāϝ়āĻĒā§°াāϝ়āĻŖ āĻā§°ু āĻোāĻŽāϞ ā§°āĻাāĻ āĻāĻāύ ā§°াāĻ্āϝ⧰ āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻļাāϏāύ āĻā§°িāĻিāϞ। āϤেāĻঁ āĻĨ্ā§°ুāĻĢেāϝ়াā§°ā§° āϏিāĻĒাā§°ে āĻāĻা āϤোā§°āĻŖ āύিā§°্āĻŽাāĻŖ āĻā§°িāϞে। āύিāĻŽ্āύ āϤোā§°āĻŖā§° āϤāϞāϤ āĻĒাā§° āĻšৈ āϝোā§ąাā§° āϞāĻে āϞāĻে āĻ āϤেāĻঁā§° āĻŽূā§°āϤ āĻুāύ্āĻĻা āĻŽাā§°িāϞে āĻā§°ু āϤেāĻঁ āύিāĻā§° āĻŽুāĻুāĻāĻো āĻšেā§°ুā§ąাāĻ āĻĒেāϞাāϞে। āϤেāĻঁ āĻāϝ়াāĻ āĻ āĻĒāĻŽাāύāĻāύāĻ āĻŦুāϞি āĻাāĻŦি āĻŦিāϞ্āĻĄাā§°ā§° āĻŽুā§°āĻŦ্āĻŦীāĻāύāĻ āĻĢাঁāĻী āĻĻিāĻŦāϞৈ āύিā§°্āĻĻেāĻļ āĻĻিāϞে। āĻŽুā§°āĻŦ্āĻŦীāϝ়ে āĻĻোāώ āĻļ্ā§°āĻŽিāĻāϏāĻāϞ⧰ āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻাāĻĒি āĻĻিāϞে। āĻļ্ā§°āĻŽিāĻāϏāĻāϞ āĻāĻā§°িāϤ āĻšৈ āĻĒā§°িāϞ। āϤেāĻঁāϞোāĻে āĻ’āϞে āϝে āĻāĻাāĻŦোā§° āĻুāϞ āĻāĻাā§°ā§°। āĻāϤিāĻে ā§°াāĻāĻŽিāϏ্āϤ্ā§°ীāϏāĻāϞāĻ āĻĻোāώী āĻŦুāϞি āĻāĻŦা āĻšৈāĻিāϞ। ā§°াāĻāĻŽিāϏ্āϤ্ā§°ীāϏāĻāϞে āĻĻোāώ āϏ্āĻĨāĻĒāϤিāĻŦিāĻĻāĻāύ⧰ āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āϏ্āĻĨাāύাāύ্āϤ⧰িāϤ āĻā§°িāϞে। āϏ্āĻĨāĻĒāϤিāĻŦিāĻĻāĻāύে āύিāĻā§° āĻŽূāϞ āĻĒā§°িāĻāϞ্āĻĒāύা āϏংāĻļোāϧāύ āĻā§°াā§° āĻŦাāĻŦে āĻĻোāώāĻো ā§°āĻাā§° āĻĻুā§ąাā§°āĻŽুāĻāϤ ā§°াāĻিāϞে।
ā§°āĻাāĻ āĻāĻāύ āĻ্āĻাāύী āĻŽাāύুāĻšā§° āĻĒā§°াāĻŽā§°্āĻļ āĻŦিāĻাā§°িāϞে। āϤেāĻঁ āϤোā§°āĻŖāĻোāĻ āĻĻোāώী āϏাāĻŦ্āϝāϏ্āϤ āĻā§°ি āĻĢাঁāĻী āĻĻিāĻŦāϞৈ āύিā§°্āĻĻেāĻļ āĻĻিāϞে। ā§°āĻাā§° āĻŽূā§°āϤ āĻুāĻ āϝোā§ąাā§° āĻŦাāĻŦে āĻāĻāύ āĻাāĻāύ্āϏিāϞাā§°ে āĻāĻĒāϤ্āϤি āĻā§°িāϞে। āĻŽাāύুāĻšāĻŦোā§° āĻ āϏ্āĻĨিā§° āĻšৈ āĻĒā§°িāϞ। āĻাā§°োāĻŦাāĻ āĻāϞāĻŽি āĻĨāĻা āĻĻেāĻিāĻŦāϞৈ āĻŽāύ āĻ’āϞ। āĻেā§ąāϞ ā§°āĻাā§° āĻŽূā§°āĻোāĻšে āϏোāĻŽাāĻŦ āĻĒাā§°িāĻিāϞ। āĻĢাāύ্āĻĻāĻো। āϏেāϝ়ে āϤেāĻঁāĻ āĻĢাঁāĻী āĻĻিāϝ়া āĻš’āϞ। āĻāϤিāϝ়া āĻোāώāĻŖা āĻā§°া āĻš’āϞ āϝে āĻিāĻি āĻেāĻ āĻĒাā§° āĻšৈ āĻĒā§°ā§ąā§°্āϤী āĻŽাāύুāĻšāĻāύে ā§°āĻাāĻ āĻŦাāĻি āϞ’āĻŦ। āĻāĻāύ āĻāĻĄিāϝ়āĻ āĻāĻšিāϞ। āϤেāĻঁ ‘āĻ āĻŦāĻā§°ী’ā§° āĻĒā§°াāĻŽā§°্āĻļ āĻĻিāϞে। āĻāϤিāĻে āĻŦāĻā§°ীāĻ ā§°āĻাā§° āĻŽুāĻুāĻ āĻĒিāύ্āϧোā§ąা āĻš’āϞ। āϤেāĻঁāĻ āϏিংāĻšাāϏāύāϞৈ āϞৈ āϝোā§ąা āĻš’āϞ। āϤেāĻঁāĻ āĻŦāĻā§°ী ā§°āĻা āĻŦুāϞি āĻোā§ąা āĻšৈāĻিāϞ।
2. What impression would you form of a state where the King was ' just and placid ' ?
ā§°āĻা ' āύ্āϝাāϝ়āĻĒā§°াāϝ়āĻŖ āĻā§°ু āĻļাāύ্āϤ ' āĻšোā§ąা āĻ ā§ąāϏ্āĻĨাā§° āĻŦিāώāϝ়ে āĻāĻĒুāύি āĻি āϧাā§°āĻŖা āĻāĻĸ়ি āϤুāϞিāĻŦ ?
Answer: The poem satirises how a ‘just’ and ‘placid’ king ruled his state. The king has been described a ‘just’ and ‘placid king. He lived in a fool’s paradise. He could not take an independent decision, Perhaps he was too good to be of any use to his state and the people. He was whimsical and fickle-minded.
One can imagine the state of such a kingdom. The king was so ‘just’ that he could do no justice. He changed his decisions. He is swayed by the moods of the people. He can be easily convinced.
In such a state anyone can meet the unexpected end. Be it the king himself. He judges the mood of the people. The king is hanged to death by his own decree. The Ministers and the people only thank God. At least someone came forward to be hanged. It made no difference to them if their king was a man or a melon.
āĻāĻĒোāύাā§° āĻŽāϤে āĻāĻāύ ā§°াāĻ্āϝāϤ āĻļাāύ্āϤি āĻā§°ু āϏ্āĻŦাāϧীāύāϤা āĻেāύেāĻৈ āĻŦāĻাāĻ ā§°াāĻিāĻŦ āĻĒাā§°ি ?
Answer: A model answer has been provided for students' reference.It is strongly recommended that students prepare the answer on their own.Peace and liberty can be maintained in a state if there exists Laissez faire, i.e., the principle of non interference by the king in theactivities of the citizens. However, the king or the government must maintain law and order in the absence of which anarchy mayreign in the state. There should be a happy balance between state interference and citizens rights. Only then one can expect peaceand liberty to be maintained in a state.
āĻাāϤ্ā§°-āĻাāϤ্ā§°ীā§° āĻāϞ্āϞেāĻā§° āĻŦাāĻŦে āĻāĻা āĻā§°্āĻšি āĻāϤ্āϤ⧰ āĻĒ্ā§°āĻĻাāύ āĻā§°া āĻšৈāĻে āύাāĻā§°িāĻāϏāĻāϞ⧰ āĻাā§°্āϝ্āϝāĻāϞাāĻĒāϏāĻŽূāĻš। āĻিāύ্āϤু ā§°āĻা āĻŦা āĻā§°āĻাā§°ে āĻāĻāύ-āĻļৃংāĻāϞা āĻŦāĻাāĻ ā§°াāĻিāĻŦ āϞাāĻিāĻŦ āϝাā§° āĻ āύুāĻĒāϏ্āĻĨিāϤিāϤ ā§°াāĻ্āϝāĻāύāϤ āĻ ā§°াāĻāĻāϤাāĻ ā§°াāĻāϤ্āĻŦ āĻā§°িāĻŦ āĻĒাā§°ে। ā§°াāώ্āĻ্ā§°ā§° āĻšāϏ্āϤāĻ্āώেāĻĒ āĻā§°ু āύাāĻā§°িāĻā§° āĻ āϧিāĻাā§°ā§° āĻŽাāĻāϤ āϏুāĻā§° āĻাā§°āϏাāĻŽ্āϝ āĻĨাāĻিāĻŦ āϞাāĻে। āϤেāϤিāϝ়াāĻšে āĻāĻāύ ā§°াāĻ্āϝāϤ āĻļাāύ্āϤি āĻā§°ু āϏ্āĻŦাāϧীāύāϤা āĻŦāĻাāĻ ā§°āĻাā§° āĻāĻļা āĻā§°িāĻŦ āĻĒাā§°ি।
4. Suggest a few instances in the poem which highlight humour and irony .
āĻāĻŦিāϤাāĻোāϤ āĻšাāϏ্āϝ⧰āϏ āĻā§°ু āĻŦিāĻĻ্ā§°ুāĻĒāĻ āĻāĻ্āĻ্āĻŦāϞ āĻā§°ি āϤোāϞা āĻেāĻāĻাāĻŽাāύ āĻĻৃāώ্āĻাāύ্āϤ⧰ āĻĒā§°াāĻŽā§°্āĻļ āĻĻিāϝ়āĻ
Answer: Vikram Seth’s poem The Tale of Melon City’ is full of humour and irony. The very opening of the poem is ironical. There was a just and placid king. The just king was too good to be of any use to himself or the people. His sense of justice brought his own death. Everything sounds ironical. Another humourous thing is that the ‘placid’ king gets agitated on a small issue.
It is quite humourous how easily the king lets himself befooled by others. From the chief of builders to the architect everyone blame and responsibility on others.
The most humourous and ridiculous instances comes when the arch is brought to the scaffold to be hanged. Fantastic! only an idiot king could have agreed to such a thing.
The tragic irony in the poem is the death of the king himself. It is demand of the people that some one will be hanged. The king is hanged to death by his own decree. The crowning of a melon may express absurd. But it carries a message. The people are completely disillusioned. That it matters little to them if they are ruled by human or a melon. Only their interests should be saved and not interfered with.
āĻŦিāĻ্ā§°āĻŽ āĻেāĻ ā§° āĻāĻŦিāϤা āĻĻ্āϝ āĻেāϞ āĻ ā§ą āĻŽেāϞāύ āĻিāĻি’ āĻšাāϏ্āϝ⧰āϏ āĻā§°ু āĻŦিāĻĻ্ā§°ুāĻĒেā§°ে āĻā§°া। āĻāĻŦিāϤাāĻোā§° āĻā§°āĻŽ্āĻāĻŖিāϤে āĻŦিāĻĻ্ā§°ুāĻĒā§° āĻāĻĨা। āĻāĻāύ āύ্āϝাāϝ়āĻĒā§°াāϝ়āĻŖ āĻā§°ু āĻļাāύ্āϤ ā§°āĻা āĻāĻিāϞ। āύ্āϝাāϝ়āĻĒā§°াāϝ়āĻŖ ā§°āĻাāĻāύ āĻŦā§° āĻাāϞ āĻāĻিāϞ āϝাā§° āĻŦাāĻŦে āϤেāĻঁā§° āĻŦা āĻāύāϏাāϧাā§°āĻŖā§° āĻোāύো āĻাāĻŽ āύাāĻিāϞ। āϤেāĻঁā§° āύ্āϝাāϝ়āĻŦোāϧে āϤেāĻঁā§° āύিāĻā§° āĻŽৃāϤ্āϝু āĻāĻĸ়িāϝ়াāĻ āĻāύিāĻিāϞ। āϏāĻāϞোāĻŦোā§° āĻŦিāĻĻ্ā§°ুāĻĒā§° āĻĻā§°ে āĻļুāύা āϝাāϝ়। āĻāύ āĻāĻা āĻšাāϏ্āϝ⧰āϏ⧰ āĻāĻĨা āĻš’āϞ ‘āĻļাāύ্āϤিāĻĒূā§°্āĻŖ’ ā§°āĻাāĻāύ āϏ⧰ু āĻŦিāώāϝ় āĻāĻাāϤ āĻāύ্āĻĻোāϞāύ āĻā§°ে।
ā§°āĻাāĻ āύিāĻāĻে āĻিāĻŽাāύ āϏāĻšāĻে āĻāύ⧰ āĻĻ্āĻŦাā§°া āĻŦোāĻা āĻĒাāϤিāĻŦāϞৈ āĻĻিāϝ়ে āϏেāϝ়া āϝāĻĨেāώ্āĻ āĻšাāϏ্āϝ⧰āϏāĻŽāϝ়ী। āĻŦিāϞ্āĻĄাā§°ā§° āĻŽুā§°āĻŦ্āĻŦীā§° āĻĒā§°া āĻā§°āĻŽ্āĻ āĻā§°ি āϏ্āĻĨāĻĒāϤিāĻŦিāĻĻāϞৈāĻে āϏāĻāϞোā§ąে āĻāύ⧰ āĻāĻĒā§°āϤ āĻĻোāώ āĻā§°ু āĻĻাāϝ়িāϤ্āĻŦ āϞāϝ়।
āĻāĻাāĻāϤāĻৈ āĻšাāϏ্āϝ⧰āϏāĻŽāϝ়ী āĻā§°ু āĻšাāϏ্āϝāĻā§° āĻĻৃāώ্āĻাāύ্āϤāĻŦোā§° āϤেāϤিāϝ়াāĻ āĻāĻšে āϝেāϤিāϝ়া āϤোā§°āĻŖāĻāύ āĻāϞোāĻŽাāĻ āĻĨ’āĻŦāϞৈ āĻŽā§°াāĻĒাāĻā§° āĻāĻā§°āϞৈ āĻ āύা āĻšāϝ়। āĻāĻŽāϤ্āĻাā§°! āĻেā§ąāϞ āĻāĻāύ āĻŽূā§°্āĻ ā§°āĻাāĻāĻšে āĻāύে āĻāĻĨাāϤ āϏāύ্āĻŽāϤি āĻĻিāĻŦ āĻĒাā§°িāϞেāĻšেঁāϤেāύ।
āĻāĻŦিāϤাāĻোā§° āĻā§°ুāĻŖ āĻŦিāĻĻ্ā§°ুāĻĒāĻো āĻš’āϞ ā§°āĻাā§° āϏ্āĻŦāϝ়ং āĻŽৃāϤ্āϝু। āĻোāύোāĻŦা āĻāĻāύāĻ āĻĢাঁāĻী āĻĻিāϝ়া āĻš’āĻŦ āĻŦুāϞি ā§°াāĻāĻā§° āĻĻাāĻŦী। āύিāĻā§° āĻāĻĻেāĻļেā§°ে ā§°āĻাāĻ āĻĢাঁāĻী āĻĻিāϝ়া āĻšāϝ়। āĻŦāĻā§°ী āĻāĻাā§° āĻŽুāĻুāĻ āĻĒিāύ্āϧাāĻোā§ąে āĻšāϝ়āϤো āĻ ā§°্āĻĨāĻšীāύāϤা āĻĒ্ā§°āĻাāĻļ āĻā§°িāĻŦ āĻĒাā§°ে। āĻিāύ্āϤু āĻ āĻāĻা āĻŦাā§°্āϤা āĻāĻĸ়িāϝ়াāĻ āϞৈ āĻĢুā§°ে। ā§°াāĻāĻ āϏāĻŽ্āĻĒূā§°্āĻŖ āĻŽোāĻšāĻংāĻ āĻšৈāĻে। āϝে āϤেāĻঁāϞোāĻā§° āĻŦাāĻŦে āϝāĻĻি āĻŽাāύুāĻš āĻŦা āĻŦāĻā§°ী āĻļাāϏāύ āĻā§°ে āϤেāύ্āϤে āĻāϝ়াā§° āĻোāύো āĻুā§°ুāϤ্āĻŦ āύাāĻ। āĻেā§ąāϞ āϤেāĻঁāϞোāĻā§° āϏ্āĻŦাā§°্āĻĨ ā§°āĻ্āώা āĻā§°িāĻŦ āϞাāĻে āĻā§°ু āĻšāϏ্āϤāĻ্āώেāĻĒ āύāĻā§°িāĻŦ āϞাāĻে।
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