The Lady or the Tiger? - Frank Stockton

in #fiction7 years ago


In ancient times, there lived a half-ruthless king who always contained many creative ideas. This is slightly by the progress of the civilization of its neighboring country, Rome. He is known to be friendly but always firm, Whatever ideas that appear on the inside will be done. He is proud of himself for having many bright ideas. If his political system runs smoothly, he will be happy, but if there are obstacles or something that does not go according to his plan, he will be more excited, because it will not be more fun than straightening the bent objects while smashing them into pieces.

One example of his middle-aged cruelty is the arena of battle. The antagonism and courage that are contested in the arena make people's minds more intelligent and civilized.

The arena is built where people can find people and people who can find them, and also one of the conflicts between them and those who are hungry, but for a better purpose, that is to expand and develop the mental community . An arena shaped like this is the place where the enforced, the crime is placed, or the money rewarded with the money in the fairest way.

If a person is accused of a considerable crime, then the royalty will disseminate the announcement of the day in which his destiny will be chosen in the king's arena. The structure of justice in accordance with the name of the place, the shape of the building which is the inspiration of neighboring countries. But still, his idea is always half-cruel that makes this arena unique and others. There is no quest for a king in this world who ever thought of making an arena like himself.

When people had gathered and sat on the balcony, the king, with a circle by the royal servants, would emerge from his throne which lies on one side of the arena, then give a sign for the door below to be opened. Then, sing a lot of words will come into the building. Pronounced for two twin doors. You can use to go to these doors. He was free to choose which door he wanted. He will not affect the slightest in any way this system is considered very fair. If he opens a door, then a wild and hungry tiger will come out and tear his body and that means he is found guilty. If you do not want to get something like that, the bells of condolence will be sounded, the mourners who have been raptured will cry sobbing, and the whole audience with their heads bowed and grieved as a sign of deep condolences for a person so young , or honorable should look like that.

But if a defendant opens the door and who comes out is a beautiful woman who has been chosen by the king before, then they will be married. This means that he is declared innocent. It does not matter if the defendant has a wife or family, or even if the marriage is against the rules in the religion of the accused. The king did not want such trivialities to hinder his justice enforcement system. Examples like this happen in the arena soon. The door beneath the king's throne was open, and a festive music and dance procession accompanied a priest who had opened the door behind him to wait for a beautiful woman. Their marriage was immediately executed. Then the priest who has been declared innocent goes home with his wife accompanied by children spreading flowers along their path.

This is how the king's half-cruelly upholds justice as fair as possible. The defendant is free to choose which door he likes. He does not know what will come out from behind the door he chooses; a savage tiger that will eat it or a beautiful woman who will marry her. Sometimes the tiger comes from the door on the left, but sometimes from the right door. This kind of decision-making is not only very fair, but also certain. If the defendant is found guilty, he will be punished immediately, and if he is found innocent then he will be married on the spot, whether he likes it or not. No defendant can escape the judgment of the king.

This judgment arena is very popular. When people gather to watch a trial, they can never guess whether they will witness a terrible massacre or a lively wedding party. This unpredictable surprise always entertains everyone. Moreover, no one will object to the justice of this system, because the defendant himself knows exactly whether he is guilty or not.

This cruel half-king has a beautiful princess. He has a half-cruel nature like his father. As in other fairy tales, the king loved his daughter very much. Her love story is the same as in fairy tales in general; he loves a young man from the middle class. However, the princess loves her lover very much, because she is a very handsome and courageous young man who can not be matched by anyone in the kingdom. She mixes a bit of cruelty in her romance, so their relationship becomes very warm and intimate. This forbidden love story continued for several months, until the king found out. With no hesitation, he thrust the young man into prison and set the juvenile's judgment date in the judgment arena. Of course this incident attracted everyone's attention, the king could not even wait for the judgment day of the youth, because he wanted to know what would happen next. After all this has never happened before, because no one dared to love the princess's daughter. Nowadays things like that are already commonplace, but in ancient times, the love story between an ordinary boy and a princess is a horrendous and not as romantic as anyone thinks.

The king ordered his servant to look for a most savage tiger in his kingdom, and at the same time, a servant was ordered to find a most beautiful young lady. Everyone had known that the young man had a relationship with the princess, and no one, including the young man and daughter, denied this accusation. Although some want to argue, the king will not take a headache and still will carry out the court, because he was already very interested in this case. He does not care how their relationship will turn out, because that would be the young man will be removed, either because of a tiger or a marriage with a beautiful woman. The king only wants to enjoy the course of the court that will determine whether the youth is guilty of having loved his daughter or not.

The long-awaited day came. Everyone, whether from far or near places, gathered in the arena. People who can not enter because the place is full, forced to just gather outside the building. The king and his servant are ready in place; right in front of two twin doors that would determine the fate of the youth.

Everything is ready. The cue is given. The door under the king's seat opened, and the princess's lover entered the arena. The good looks of the young man invite both amazed and anxious to the audience. More than half of the audience did not know that a handsome man had lived among them. No wonder the princess loved him! Too bad he is now standing in the arena.

The young man stepped into the arena, turned to face the king, then bowed respectfully to him. But he is not seeing the king. Her eyes fixed on the figure of the princess sitting next to her father. Had it not been for his half-cruel nature, the princess would not have been there. Moreover, the spirit of his soul will not let him absent to attend this interesting event. From the moment the king declared that his lover's fate would be determined in the arena, he no longer thought of anything other than matters relating to this trial. Because he has more power, influence, and trait than anyone interested in the case, he ends up doing something no one has ever done before; he knows the secret of the twin doors. He knows which door holds the hungry tiger and which one keeps a beautiful woman. This thick door has been erased by the skin so that the person approaching the door can not hear anything behind the door. But the gold and strong desire of a woman makes the princess know the secret.

She not only knows behind the door where the beautiful woman is waiting shyly, but she also knows who the woman is. He is the prettiest and sweetest virgin who is elected in return if the youth is found innocent by loving someone who has a position far above him. The princess really hates the woman. Often he sees, or thinks he sees, this beautiful creature glances at his lover with a look of affection, and sometimes he feels his gaze reciprocated by his lover. Sometimes he watches them chatting for a while, but surely a lot can be said in a short time. It may be their conversation about something that is not important, but how can the princess know about it? She was a beautiful girl, but how presumptuous she was for having been attracted by the princess's lover. The cruel blood that flowed from his cruelest ancestors, he hated the woman who was waiting shyly behind the door.

When the young man turns and looks at the princess who sits with a pale face than everyone around him, he sees the princess's eyes indicate that he knows which door is behind a tiger or a woman. He had thought the princess would know. He understands the princess's temperament, and he is convinced that the princess will not be able to sleep peacefully before he knows the secret that even the king does not know. The only hope that the youth get the assurance is that if the princess finds out the mystery, and once she sees the princess, she knows that she succeeds, because her heart is sure she will succeed.

A brief glance from the young man clearly indicates that he asked, "Which one?" The pronunciation can be read clearly by the princess as if the young man yelled at him. No more time to waste. The question has been put forward quickly and hidden, so the question must be answered quickly and concealed too.

The princess slightly raises her right hand, and makes a small and quick movement to the right. No one has seen this other than his lover, for everyone's eyes have been fixed on the young man standing in the arena.

He turned his back on the king and princess, and with a certain step he walked into the middle of the arena. Everyone's heart stopped beating, breath held, and eyes fixed on the young man. Without a moment's hesitation he stepped up to the right door and opened it.

Well, now the core of this story is; is the lion coming from the door is a lion or a woman?

The farther we think about it, the harder we will find the answer. We need to understand the human heart in the form of a vast and complex labyrinth. Think about the answer, a wise reader. But not as yourself, but as the princess who has hot blood and the character of half-cruel, while her heart burned by despair and jealousy. Obviously whatever happens the princess will lose the young man, but who is entitled to get it?

Imagine how often he fears for imagining and dreaming his lover opens the door behind a wild and hungry lion waiting with a sharp fang.

But imagine how much more often he imagined if his lover opened another door! Imagine how he gritted his teeth, and grabbed his own hair as he imagined his lover's happy expression for having opened the door behind a beautiful woman! Imagine how hurt she was when she imagined her lover running for her with her rosy cheeks and a triumphant glint in her eyes, as she watched her lover walk hand in hand with the woman and accompanied by a festive procession, as the shouting and bellboy happily greeted they, when he sees the priest coming to make them lawful husbands, and when he sees them walking together on the flowers sown by the children with happy faces and accompanied by congratulations that make the desperate cry of the princess sink inaudible!

Would not that young man be eaten by the tiger and wait for the princess somewhere in the wild?

But do not forget how the princess was frightened if imagine the tiger ripped her beloved body.

The princess has made her decision. The decision was made with a tormented soul day and night. She was sure that her lover would ask, she had determined the answer, and without hesitation she moved her hand to the right.

The question of what the princess's decision is, is not something trivial, and I am also not the person who can answer it. So now I leave this question to you; what will come out from behind the right-hand door-woman or tiger?

[finished]

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