The Lady Or The Tiger? (by Frank Stockton)

Greetings,

A few days ago, my English teacher, Mr Lundberg, gave us a short story to read-"The Lady Or The Tiger?" (by Frank Stockton). It was one of the best short story I have ever read. Therefore, I would like to share with you the story.

There once lived a "semi-barbaric" king during the olden times. The king has great authority over the people. His once various fancies, with his authority, at his will, always turned into facts. The thing was done whenever he agreed upon anything. he was bland and genial when his political and domestic systems went smoothly in its course; but he was blander and more genial still when the political and domestic systems got out their course as he loved to "make the crooked straight" and "crush down uneven spaces".

The arena of the king was used for poetic justice, where the guilty was punished, or the innocent was rewarded, by the decree of mere chance. If a subject had commited a crime which had enough importance to interest the king, public notices was announced that the fate of the subject will be decided in the king's arena.

On that day, the king, sitting on his throne, will give a signal for the door beneath him to open, and the subject would come out from the door. There would be two doors, side by side, opposite the subject. The subject had to choose one of the doors to open. If the door opened and a tiger emerged from the door, he would be found guilty and the tiger would kill him by tearing the subject to pieces as a punishment for the subject's guilt.Iron bells were clanged and hired mourners wailed for the subject, and the audience would go back to their home, mourning greatly that one so young and fair, or one so old and respected, should be punished.

But, if the door opened and a lady happened to come out from the door, the subject is naturally found innocent and the lady would be married to the subject. It did not matter if the subject was already married; the king would not allow such things to interfere with his "great" arrangements for rewards. A priest with a band of choristers following him would advance to where the subject and the lady stood. Maidens would also dance and blew golden horns. The brass bells would then rang, with the people shouting cheers, and the subject would lead his bride to his home.

This king had a beautiful daughter. The princess was the apple of the king's eye. And among the courtiers was a youth that was brave and handsome. The princess and the youth fell in love with each other. This love affair went on happily for some time until the king discovered about it. The king was casted into a prison, and he was appointed a date for his trail in the king's arena. Naturally, this trail interested the king greatly as this trail concerned the princess.

On the day of the trail, great masses of people gathered in the vast galleries of the arena. The king and his courts were in their respectful too, ready for the trail. Everything was ready. The king gave the signal for the door beneath him to open. The handsome and fair youth sauntered into the arena. He then turned to bow to the king, as this was the custom. The youth was staring at the princess. He really knew her character. It is an event that interested the princess terribly.

Her fervent soul would just not allow her to be absent for the event. With more power, influence, and force of character than any other person, the princess had possessed herself with the secret of what lies behind the two wooden and thick doors. It was difficult to find out such an well-concealed secret, which probably only the king and his courts knew. But with gold, and her determination to find out what lies behind those doors, the secret was brought to the princess.

Not only did she know this, she also know who is the lady who was standing in wait for the youth to open the door. She was the loveliest and fairest of the damsels of the court who had been selected for the youth, if he were to be found innocent. And the princess hated her.She dared to raise her eyes to the youth. The princess had seen them talking in brief spaces, and it might just be unimportant topics they were discussing about, but how should the princess know?

The youth met the princess' gaze, and, immediately, he knew that the princess had succeeded in finding out the secret. Then came the question that the youth wanted to ask. The youth threw a quick glance at the princess, without anyone aware of it. His question was clear, "Which?" The clearness of the question would not be any clearer even if the youth had screamed the question into the princess' ears.

The princess had spent days and nights just thinking about which door she would ask the youth to go. She would not want to let the lady have the youth, neither did she want to let the youth being killed by the tiger. But, on that instant, without the slightest hesitation, she gestured to the right door. The decision was being pondered by the princess for days and nights, but the decision was only indicated in an instant.

The youth went to the door and opened it.

The writer did not tell what came out of the door. What do you think came out of the door? I hope to receive your comments about it. I, personally, think that it is the tiger who came out. Wait patiently for my next post!