Lesson 14 The Lady or The Tiger

Introduction
“The Lady, or the Tiger?” is a short story by Frank R. Stockton. The story
first introduces a “semi-barbaric” king, who has implemented a unique
form of justice within his kingdom: if the king believes that someone has
committed a crime, they are placed in an arena and forced to choose
blindly between two identical doors. Behind one door is a beautiful lady
who will promptly become the accused’s wife; behind the other door is a
tiger.

Plot Summary

In a distant land there lives a “semi-barbaric” king who is ruled equally by

his hereditary barbarism and his civilized ideals. He also possesses a
fanciful nature, and his authority allows him to transform any given whim
into reality. The king delights in nothing more than putting an end to
anything that he deems disruptive or unpleasant. As a result, he has
combined his fanciful nature and his ideals into a public arena, a concept
that he borrowed from more “refined” countries.

The king’s arena is unique, however, in that it is not designed purely for
exhibitions of valor or brutality. Instead, it is an instrument of “poetic
justice” by which accused criminals are tried without the biased input of a
judge or jury. When someone has committed a crime worthy of the king’s
attention, the king issues a public notice regarding the date and time of
the accused’s trial. The people are invited to assemble at the arena as
spectators to the judgement.

The trial begins when the accused enters the arena. However, rather
than presenting evidence or appealing to the public for mercy and
understanding, the alleged criminal must instead make a choice. He is
presented with two identical doors to choose between; behind one door
is a vicious tiger, ready to maul the accused as punishment for his
apparent guilt; behind the other door is a woman, to whom the prisoner
is instantaneously married as a reward for his apparent innocence. In
the eyes of the king, this method of administering justice is completely
fair because it removes human bias from the equation. Rather than
having their fate decided by a judge, criminals are instead given the
ability to decide their own fate, as blind as that choice may be.

The arena is a popular fixture among the king’s subjects, who are never
sure whether they will be witnessing a gruesome death or a dubiously
desirable wedding. Furthermore, the method’s apparent fairness
satisfies the public’s sense of justice, as the accused is ultimately
responsible for his own fate.

The king has a daughter, whom he loves dearly. His daughter falls in
love with a handsome young courtier, and she loves the courtier with all
the passion that her barbaric ancestry demands. When the king
discovers the affair, he takes decisive action and puts the courtier in
prison

The public arena was stocked with the most savage tiger and the most
beautiful woman suitable to the young man as determined “by
competent judges.” Everyone knew the young man had indeed loved the
princess, and not even he or the princess denied the fact, but the
king would not allow this to interfere with the workings of his justice
system. Either way the king would be happy, because the young man
“would be disposed of,” and he himself would “take an aesthetic
pleasure” in watching the trial unfold.

The competent judges of the lady for the arena are ironically
superfluous: the young man has already judged the princess to be the
woman for him. The king’s justice system is especially absurd in that it is
totally unconcerned with evidence—even when that evidence supports
his case! Aesthetic pleasure is a pleasure taken in the perception of
beauty—the king witnesses trials as one would contemplate a work of
art.

The day of the trial arrived. A huge audience gathered to watch. The
young man was released into the public arena, to the admiration and
anxiety of the audience—they thought him a grand youth, and thought it
terrible for him to be in the arena. The young man, as was customary,
bowed to the king, but was looking all the while at the princess.

So interested, in fact, was the princess, had used gold and willpower to
learn which door in the public arena held which fate. Not only did the
princess know which door held which fate, but she also knew who the
lady was whom the young man might marry, “one of the fairest and
loveliest of the damsels of the court.” And the princess hated this lady,
having seen her, or having imagined that she had seen her, admiring the
young man and talking with him.

From the floor of the public arena, the young man looked into the
princess’s eyes and knew at once—for so it is with lovers whose souls
are one—that the princess knew which door held which fate. The young
man had expected as much; his only hope was that the princess would
succeed in discovering this information, and he knew in his soul that she
would succeed, and she had. With a glance he asked the princess which
door to open, and in a flash, unseen by anyone save the young man, the
princess raised her right hand “and made a slight quick movement
toward the right.” The young man rapidly walked to the door on the right
and opened it.
Because he loves her, the young man trusts the princess absolutely; but
does he know her well enough to really trust her? For that matter, do we
know the young man well enough to say which fate he would prefer, lady
or tiger, or which would be better for him? Perhaps gallantly doing as the
princess bids him is his heart’s sole desire, and not survival. However,
both the princess’s and the young man’s hearts remain shrouded in
mystery; we do not know enough about them to pass judgment or have
a real idea of what they will do.

But did the tiger came out, or the lady? The more we reflect on this
question, the narrator says, the harder it is to answer. “It involves a study
of the human heart which leads us through devious mazes of passion.”
The question is not whether we would have the young man be punished
or rewarded, but what we think the princess would decide to do. How
often during her long “days and nights of anguished deliberation” had
she seen with horror the tiger kill her lover—but how much oftener yet
had she seen her lover marry another woman, which kindled furious
jealousy in the princess’s heart!
The princess is torn between despair at her lover’s death and jealousy at
his possible marriage to another woman; the narrator invites us to
interpret how she decides her lover’s fate in the light of this dilemma. But
the princess’s heart truly is a maze, and we know so little about the
princess that any definitive interpretation of her decision would probably
reflect more on us than on the princess herself.

The narrator announces, “it is up to the reader to presume whether the

princess sent her lover to death or marriage, either one agonizing for
her. So we are left with the question: “Which came out of the opened
door—the lady, or the tiger?”

Selected meanings:-
Amphitheatre :- An open air venue for entertainment.
Decree:- an official order that has the force of law.
Imperious:- arrogant and domineering.
Fervid:- intensely enthusiastic.
Reveries:- Pleasantly lost in one’s thoughts.

Understanding the text

Ex. B Answer the following questions.

1) Explain the contradictions in the character of the kings, as
explained in introductory paragraph of the story.
Ans:- In the very olden time there lived a semi-barbaric king,
whose ideas, though somewhat polished and sharpened by the
progressiveness of distant Latin neighbours, were still large, florid,
and untrammelled, as became the half of him which was barbaric.
He was greatly given to self- communing and, and when he and
himself agreed upon anything, the thing was done.

2) Under what conditions was his nature genial but not bland?
Ans:- When every member of his domestic and political systems
moved smoothly in its appointed course, his nature was bland and
genial; but, whenever there was a little hitch, and some of his orbs
got out of their orbits, he was blander and more genial still for
nothing pleased him so much as to make the cooked straight and
crush down uneven places.

3) What was the purpose of the king’s arena?

Ans:- The purpose of the king’s arena was to decide the fate of the
guilty. When a subject was accused of a crime, public notice was
 given that on an appointed day, the fate of accused person would
be decided in the king’s arena.

4) What was reaction of general audience as the princess’ lover

walked into the arena?
Ans:- The royal maiden was well satisfied with her lover, for he
was handsome and brave to a degree unsurpassed in the
kingdom, and she loved him with an ardour that had enough of
barbarism in it to make it exceedingly warm and strong.
5) What was the reaction of the general audience as the princess’
lover walked into the arena?
Ans:- They greeted him with a low hum of admiration and anxiety.
6) Why were his eyes transfixed on the princess from the time he
entered the arena?
Ans:- His eyes were transfixed on the princess from the time he
entered the arena because she possessed the secret of two doors,
she knew in which of the two rooms, stood the cage of the tiger
and in which waited the lady.

Ex. C Answer the following questions with reference to the context.

1) ….. public notice was given that on an appointed day the fate of
the accused person would be decided in the king’s arena.
a) How is the king’s arena described by the narrator in the
previous paragraph? How was it an agent of poetic justice?
Ans:- This vast amphitheatre, with its encircling galleries, its
mysterious vaults, and its unseen passages, was an agent of
poetic justice, in which crime was punished or virtue rewarded,
by the decrees of an impartial and incorruptible chance.
b) When did the king normally give the signal?
 Ans:- When all the people had assembled in the galleries, and
the king, surrounded by his court, sat high up on his throne of
royal state on the side of the arena, he gave a signal.
c) Explained the protocol followed by the accused in the king’s
arena once the signal was given.
Ans:- When the king gave the signal, a door beneath him
opened, and the accused subject stepped out into the
amphitheatre.
2) This semi barbaric kind had a daughter as blooming as his most
florid fancies.
a) What does the narrator mean when she says ‘ as his most florid
fancies’?
Ans:-This semi barbaric king had a daughter as blooming as his
most florid fancies. The expression meant that she was very
beautiful.
b) How was the relationship between the king and the princess?
Ans:- She was the apple of his eye, and was loved by him
above all humanity.
c) Explain the expression ‘This love affair……
Ans:- This love affair moved on happily for many months, until
one day the king happened to discover its existence.
3) The appointed day arrived…..
a) What physical traits of youth resulted in him bring greeted with a
low hum of admiration and anxiety?
Ans:-The youth was greeted with a low hum of admiration and
anxiety because he was a good looking brave man and people
found it unfortunate that his life was in jeopardy.
b) What secret did the princess possess ?
Ans:- The princess knew the secret of the two doors.
c) How did she obtain this secret?
 Ans:-Possessed of more power, influence, and force of
character than any one who had ever before been interested in
such a case, she had done what no other person had done- she
had possessed herself the secret of two doors. She knew in
which of the two rooms, stood the cage of the tiger with its open
front, and in which waited the lady.

Ex. D Think and answer

1) In your candid opinion, what do you think came out of the door –
the lady or the tiger? Give reasons to support your answer.
Ans:- In my opinion the tiger came out of the door because the
princess could not allow her love to marry some other girl because
her love had enough of barbarism in it.

Plying with words.

Ex. B From the opposites by prefixing in-, im-, ir-, or il- to the following
words.
1) Possible- impossible
2) regular-irregular
3) Responsible- irresponsible
4) legal- illegal
5) Mortal- immortal
6) Legible- Illegible
7) Partial- impartial
8) Direct- indirect
9) Adequate- inadequate
10) Flexible- inflexible
11) Personal- impersonal
12) Mobile- immobile
13) Constant- inconstant
14) Mature- immature
 15) Definite- indefinite

Ex. C Add suffixes such as –ful, -y, -ish, -ous to the following words.
1) Pain- painful
2) Space- spacious
3) Sleep- sleepy
4) Fame- famous
5) Meaning- meaningful
6) Boy- boyish
7) Law- lawful
8) Youth- youthful
9) Dirt- dirty
10) Poison- poisonous

Ex. D
Correct the incorrect collocations of the words in the following
sentences.
1) She was released from the hospital today.
Ans:- She was discharged from the hospital
2) I need a hot blanket in winter.
Ans:- I need a warm blanket in winter.
3) We went for a picnic on a lovely day.
Ans:- We went for a picnic on a bright day.
4) Where did you have a holiday?
Ans:- Where did you spend a holiday?
5) Did they steal in a bank?
Ans:- Did they rob a bank?
6) They were caught for shop stealing.
Ans:- They were caught for shop lifting.
7) We settle our beds each morning.
Ans:- We make our beds each morning.
 8) Her failure was majestic disappointment for her family.
Ans:- Her failure was a big disappointment for her family.

Learning the language

Ex. A Identify and underline the adjectives in the following sentences.
1) More than 300 workers will go out of the work once the mill closes.
2) I have to create a new design because my employer wants
something no one has ever seen before.
3) Raveesh is anxious for his sister’s welfare after her relocation to
new town.
4) When Nimisha took guitar lessons, she had to practise an hour
each day.
5) A potent medicine is required to cure you of your stomach
ailments.
6) The slimy snake slipped away in darkness.

Ex. B Fill in the blanks with appropriate adverbs from the box.
1) I usually go to bed at 10 o’clock.
2) I have never been to the United Kingdom.
3) I have been to Australia just once.
4) I often take a bath before I go to bed.
5) My grandparents live in Kerala. I visit them occasionally.
6) My friends are mostly coffee lovers.
7) I was very impressed with her performance.
8) I usually go for a walk in the park.
9) I watch English films rarely.
10) They sometimes go out.

Work book Lesson 14

 Playing with words
Ex. A Complete these sentences with appropriate contractions.
1) It’s/ They’ve a wonderful collection of tea cups collected from their
travels around the globe.
2) The doctor said he’d call to find out how his patient was feeling.
3) Through she’s only six years old, the little girl is an accomplished
violinist.
4) It’s cruel to keep animals in captivity.
5) We’ve had a wonderful time exploring the city of Hyderabad.
6) It’d better to be a good reason why you come home late every day.
7) You’re going to find it difficult if you do not learn the local
language.
8) We have a cat that’s why there are no mice in our garden.

Ex. B Add a prefix or suffix to complete the words in the sentences given
below.
1) The children were very unhappy because they couldn’t play cricket
in the rain.
2) My mother had to reread the question to understand it.
3) The fisherman was fearless as he rushed into the burning home to
save the old lady.
4) He was the youngest boy in the class.
5) Today, the ground is completely covered with snow.
6) Kim had to untie her shoes before she could enter the house.

Learning the language

Ex. A Complete these sentences with the types of adjectives

mentioned in the bracket.
1) The brave knight wanted to slay the dreadful dragon with a
single blow of his mighty sword. ( adjective of quality )
 2) We met at his house last week. So this time, let’s meet at my
home. (Possessive adjective)
3) This dog is very intelligent. It waits at that traffic light before
crossing the road. ( demonstrative adjective)
4) We hoped that there would be enough food to feed all the
guests who had turned up at our party. Adjective of quantity)
5) Sahiba was trying to trick everyone, but she eventually got a
slice of her own cake.
6) The boy was happy because he won the first prize in drawing
competition in which there were hundred participants.
7) All people in Ali’s family fast during the Ramadan.
8) Whose umbrella got lost in the school bus today?
9) Every state in India has its own chief minister.
10) I should get my earplugs. That imitating sound will not stop
now.

Ex. C Choose the appropriate adverbs from the box to complete the
sentences.
1) How did the Egyptians build the pyramids without any heavy
machines?
2) I can never forget the day when I got my first salary.
3) The brave mongrel helped the police to nab pickpockets so
fearlessly and frequently that they decided to make him a police
dog.
4) I occasionally eat spicy junk food, though it is seldom wholesome.
5) Storm with gusty winds is forecast for the city tomorrow, therefore
the political rally has been cancelled.
6) The naughty boy was extremely quiet in the class, so facilitator
looked at him suspiciously. He was never quiet.
7) It is so cold there in the winter that one rarely sees people walking
around on the streets.
8) Why is the price of onions high this year?
9) This is the drawer where grandmother keeps her walking stick.
10) The mangoes in this box are almost ripe.