Question Bank — The Tale of Melon City

NCERT Class 11 English · Chapter 21 · CBSE Board Pattern

Class 11 English Chapter 21 Question Bank CBSE Board Pattern

Section A — MCQs (10 questions, 1 mark each)

  1. What quality is repeatedly attributed to the King in the opening lines of the poem?
    a) Cruel and hasty
    b) Just and placid
    c) Wise and learned
    d) Weak and foolish

  2. Why was the chief of builders initially sentenced to be hanged?
    a) He built the arch too low
    b) He used wrong bricks
    c) He disobeyed the King’s orders
    d) He insulted the King

  3. Assertion (A): The wisest man declared that the arch should be hanged.
    Reason (R): The arch had touched the King’s head and was therefore guilty.
    a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
    b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
    c) A is true but R is false.
    d) A is false but R is true.

  4. Who ultimately suggested that “the nation wants a hanging” and someone must be hanged immediately?
    a) The wisest man
    b) The architect
    c) The King
    d) A Councillor

  5. The King was finally hanged because:
    a) He had lost his crown
    b) He was the tallest man in the city
    c) He had ordered too many hangings
    d) The ministers wanted a new ruler

  6. Assertion (A): The ministers chose a melon as the new ruler.
    Reason (R): An idiot passing the city gate answered “A melon” when asked who should be King.
    a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
    b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
    c) A is true but R is false.
    d) A is false but R is true.

  7. Which word in the poem means “trembling”?
    a) Placid
    b) Quavering
    c) Edify
    d) Thoroughfare

  8. The poem is a satire on:
    a) The glory of monarchy
    b) The absurdity of rigid justice and bureaucracy
    c) The wisdom of old age
    d) The importance of city planning

  9. What did the ministers do after the King’s death to avoid unrest?
    a) They declared a republic
    b) They sent heralds to proclaim that the next passer-by would choose the ruler
    c) They crowned the wisest man
    d) They hanged the idiot

  10. The tone of the poem can best be described as:
    a) Tragic
    b) Humorous and ironic
    c) Romantic
    d) Patriotic

Section B — Reference to Context (3 extracts, 4 marks each)

Extract 1

“In the city of which I sing
There was a just and placid King.”

  1. Who is the speaker/narrator of these lines?
  2. What does the phrase “just and placid” suggest about the King’s character?
  3. Identify the rhyme scheme used in these lines.
  4. Why does the poet repeat the description of the King as “just and placid”?

Extract 2

“‘O King, you do not realise
The bricks were made of the wrong size.’”

  1. Who is speaking these lines and to whom?
  2. What chain of blame does this statement begin?
  3. Name the figure of speech used when blame is repeatedly shifted in the poem.
  4. What does this incident reveal about the King’s idea of justice?

Extract 3

“‘Long live the King!’ the Ministers said.
‘Long live the King! The King is dead.’”

  1. What situation prompted the ministers to say these contradictory lines?
  2. Explain the irony in these lines.
  3. Identify the literary device used in the repetition of “Long live the King!”
  4. How does this moment highlight the theme of the poem?

Section C — Short Answer (5 questions, 3 marks each)

  1. Why did the King first order the chief of builders to be hanged? How did the King’s mood change soon after?
  2. How did the architect try to shift the blame? What does this show about the working of the state?
  3. Why was the wisest man brought to the court? What was his verdict?
  4. How did the ministers finally resolve the crisis after the King’s execution?
  5. What does the crowning of the melon reveal about the people’s attitude towards power and custom?

Section D — Long Answer (2 questions, 6 marks each)

  1. “The King was just and placid.” Do you agree with this description? Give reasons from the poem to support your answer.
  2. The poem “The Tale of Melon City” is a satire on the mechanical application of justice. Discuss with reference to the text.

Section E — Language and Writing (2 questions, 4 marks each)

  1. From the poem, pick out two words that mean “calm” and two words/phrases that suggest “trembling or fear”. Use each word in a sentence of your own.
  2. Imagine you are a minister in Melon City. Write a short diary entry (80–100 words) on the day the King was hanged and a melon was crowned, expressing your thoughts on the day’s events.
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Section A

  1. b
  2. a
  3. a
  4. c
  5. b
  6. a
  7. b
  8. b
  9. b
  10. b

Section B

Extract 1
1. The poet/narrator
2. The King appears calm, fair and even-tempered
3. aabb
4. To emphasise the contrast between his calm nature and his later absurd decisions

Extract 2
1. The workmen to the King
2. It shifts blame from builders to masons and then to the architect
3. Passing the buck / chain of blame (satire)
4. Justice becomes a ridiculous chain of shifting responsibility

Extract 3
1. Immediately after the King was hanged
2. They cheer for the King even though he is dead – ironic and absurd
3. Irony / repetition
4. Shows how custom and self-preservation matter more than the ruler himself

Section C (Key points for 40–50 words)
1. Arch too low → crown fell; King angry → ordered chief builder hanged, then changed mind.
2. Architect blamed King’s amendments; shows everyone evades responsibility.
3. To give wise counsel; verdict – hang the arch.
4. Proclaimed next passer-by would choose ruler; idiot said “melon”.
5. Reveals blind adherence to custom and absurdity of governance.

Section D (Key content points)
1. Agrees superficially but shows justice becomes farce; examples of shifting blame, hanging the tallest man, crowning a melon.
2. Satire through chain of blame, hanging the arch, choosing ruler by chance; highlights how rigid rules destroy sense.

Section E

  1. Calm: placid, even-tempered. Fear: quavering, trembled. (2 marks for words + 2 for sentences)
  2. Diary: format (date, “Dear Diary”), content points (shock at King’s death, relief at avoiding unrest, absurdity of melon ruler), language (4 marks split: format 1, content 2, expression 1).
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All questions are answerable from the NCERT chapter text. Reviewed by GFIS faculty.