The Lady or the Tiger (525 hits)
Category: NoneRating: -0.5 on 7 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by mike <mikeeegeee.at.hotmail.com> (View user info) at 2003-12-12 17:04:27 EST
I read a story by Frank R. Stockton the other day called "The Lady or the Tiger." It went a little something like this (general description):
A long time ago in a country in the Middle East, a tyrant ruled a kingdom. He had a daughter and was very strict on her with many rules. She did what any teen-aged girl would do and broke those rules. One of those rules happened to be that she could not date anyone. So what did she do? She found the hottest guy in the kingdom and they had a secret relationship. Eventually, the evil dad found out about said boyfriend and he was pissed. Now, back in that kingdom they had a primitive way of finding guilt or innocence. The king set the accused in a coliseum-esque arena where the accused would pick one of two doors. The doors were big wooden doors. Behind one was a tiger, and the other a girl (in no particular order.) In theory if the accused picked the door with the lady then he was not guilty and then he had to marry the girl behind the door right on the spot. If the former of the doors was picked, then the tiger would take care of business. Anyways, on with the story: So the evil tyrant dad put the boyfriend in the arena for being his daughter's boyfriend. The daughter of the tyrant had done some detective work before the trial though. She found out that her rival (a girl who she had seen her boyfriend flirting with) was the lady behind the door. She also found out behind which door the tiger would be and which door the lady would be. The story ends as the boyfriend is in the arena and he looks up at the tyrants daughter for direction. She waves her hand to the right, and the boyfriend goes to open the door on the right. The story ends with the question "So what was behind the right door? The lady? Or the Tiger?" And that's it.
There are reasons for or against each choice. If he went to the tiger, she wouldn't want to see her love get mauled and killed by a tiger... or would she? Would she rather that nobody have him than her? If she gave him to the lady, he would survive, but she would never have a chance with him again. Personally I think that she gave him to the lady because ya know, they still could get divorced. But then again, the entertainment value of watching him get mauled by a tiger is also very nice.... What do you think was behind the door? I don't think there's a right answer... unless someone could prove it.
User Reviews
Submitted by William_Q_Percy (user info) at 2003-12-12 17:58:41 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
In some middle eastern countries, it is perfectly legal and sometimes expected to have numerous wives.
Submitted by Phinch (user info) at 2003-12-12 17:55:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
i would pick option C.
I would start breakdancing for the crowd and not open the doors.
Submitted by Yes (user info) at 2003-12-12 17:36:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
lord of the flies fucking rocked, I got an A on my paper about the Psychological Impact of such a scenario on today's youth... well, that was in 3rd grade, so it would be the youth of the 80's... got published too... no not really... I got an A- 'cause I made so many spelling and grammar mistakes.
Submitted by mikeeegeee (user info) at 2003-12-12 17:24:45 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
I spose you could tryyy to prove it. And yeah so if you read it in ninth grade just skip the rough retelling. Btw, we read lord of the flies in ninth grade. it sucked.
Submitted by SpikeGoddess (user info) at 2003-12-12 17:18:47 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
blah blah blah
An absolutely artless retelling.
How do you "prove" the result of a fictitious story?
SpikeGoddess
Submitted by Yes (user info) at 2003-12-12 17:16:10 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
i remember reading tht story too... in 9th grade, get tha fuck outta hereeee.
Submitted by Embryophagous (user info) at 2003-12-12 17:14:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I bet she directed him to pick the door with the woman behind it.
And then the woman sprang out and mauled him.