Blame passes down

Vikram Seth's poem 'The Tale of Melon City' is a comic story in verse. It is about a King who was 'just and placid': fair, and calm.

The King orders a grand arch to be built across the main street, to impress his people. But the arch is built too low. When the King rides under it, it knocks off his crown. The King is furious: this is a disgrace. He orders that the chief builder be hanged.

Then the blame starts to pass down the line:

• The builder blames the workmen.
• The workmen blame the bricks, saying they were the wrong size.
• The bricks are made by the masons, so the masons are called; they blame the architect.
• The architect points out that it was the King himself who changed the plans.

At this, the King nearly loses his temper. Everyone has passed the blame, until it reaches the King.

The poem is written in rhyming couplets (pairs of rhyming lines), which make the absurd story move quickly and comically, like a nursery rhyme.