Long long ago there lived a semi-barbaric king who instilled justice in his irresistible people with the "king's arena." Rightfully named, here, the accused were publicly forced to formulate a choice, blindly. The unfortunate man would select one of two doors. One possibly containing a tiger anxious and eager to devour the poor soul, or a brilliant maiden he is to marry immediately.
On one pivotal day the king became privy to information regarding his semi-barbaric daughter and her companionate love with a daring man. Abhorred with the thought someone had a relationship with his captivating daughter he immediately pushed the daring man into the hands of the king's arena, and his semi-barbaric daughter was left with the choice of secretly signaling her lover to either door. She wrestled with the thought of her lover meeting his demise in the clutches of a tiger, but even more so tangled with the image of her beloved wrapped in the arms of the fairest maiden in the land. If she can't have him why should another lady? But, that didn't stop her from cringing at the idea of the tiger's teeth tearing into his flesh.
So, on the fateful day the daring man was desperately glued to his love for the signal, and without even a pinch of hesitation she motioned to the right. And, without even a pinch of hesitation he approached the right door and opened it.
"The Lady or the Tiger" was written by Frank Stockton and it ends just as it does above, without an answer as to what came out of the door. The reader is faced with the task of deciding who was it, the lady or the tiger? The only way anyone could predict the outcome is by examining the true heart of the semi-barbaric daughter. And, even if one decides she would succumb to her jealous tendencies and choose the tiger we still have to wonder does this make her inherently evil? And, if she comes up on the altruistic side of the scale is she forever deemed good? No. The princess struggles. She struggles because she is both.
We are all the the semi-barbaric princess. Everyday we live and struggle on a battlefield of good vs. evil. We are all capable of evil we have those desires manifested inside everyone of us, but that doesn't mean we choose those desires. And, even more so just because we don't choose those desires it in no way pinholes us into either category. We will always and forever continue to be people who have a lot less to do with whether we are good or evil, and much more to do with whether we choose the correct side of ourselves to reign supreme. So, which side of herself did the princess choose?
The Lady or the Tiger?
"The Lady or the Tiger" by Frank Stockton: http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/LadyTige.shtml
On one pivotal day the king became privy to information regarding his semi-barbaric daughter and her companionate love with a daring man. Abhorred with the thought someone had a relationship with his captivating daughter he immediately pushed the daring man into the hands of the king's arena, and his semi-barbaric daughter was left with the choice of secretly signaling her lover to either door. She wrestled with the thought of her lover meeting his demise in the clutches of a tiger, but even more so tangled with the image of her beloved wrapped in the arms of the fairest maiden in the land. If she can't have him why should another lady? But, that didn't stop her from cringing at the idea of the tiger's teeth tearing into his flesh.
So, on the fateful day the daring man was desperately glued to his love for the signal, and without even a pinch of hesitation she motioned to the right. And, without even a pinch of hesitation he approached the right door and opened it.
"The Lady or the Tiger" was written by Frank Stockton and it ends just as it does above, without an answer as to what came out of the door. The reader is faced with the task of deciding who was it, the lady or the tiger? The only way anyone could predict the outcome is by examining the true heart of the semi-barbaric daughter. And, even if one decides she would succumb to her jealous tendencies and choose the tiger we still have to wonder does this make her inherently evil? And, if she comes up on the altruistic side of the scale is she forever deemed good? No. The princess struggles. She struggles because she is both.
We are all the the semi-barbaric princess. Everyday we live and struggle on a battlefield of good vs. evil. We are all capable of evil we have those desires manifested inside everyone of us, but that doesn't mean we choose those desires. And, even more so just because we don't choose those desires it in no way pinholes us into either category. We will always and forever continue to be people who have a lot less to do with whether we are good or evil, and much more to do with whether we choose the correct side of ourselves to reign supreme. So, which side of herself did the princess choose?
The Lady or the Tiger?
"The Lady or the Tiger" by Frank Stockton: http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/LadyTige.shtml
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