Many centuries ago, in a far off country, there lived a king who had some rather strange ideas. At least, these ideas seem strange to us today although, in the period of history in which this king lived, they were, perhaps, not so strange.
For one thing, this king had his own particular system of carrying out justice and deciding cases of law. When a person was accused of some crime, he was not taken before a judge or the usual court of law. Instead, he was taken to a large arena, such as was popular during the period of Greece and Rome. Here he was made to stand a special trial before the king himself.
These trials were always open to the public, and a great number of people naturally attended them. When all was ready and the king and the members of his court had taken their seats, a signal was given. A door near where the king sat was then opened. Through this door the prisoner who was to be tried walked out into the arena.
Directly opposite this first door, there were two other doors on the far side of the arena. These two doors were exactly alike and stood side by side. It was now the duty of the accused person to walk directly toward these two doors and to open one of them. He could open either door he pleased. He was subject to no force or obligation. It was completely a matter of chance. But if he opened the one door, out of it came a hungry tiger, the fiercest animal that could be found anywhere. This tiger immediately jumped upon him and tore him to pieces. In this manner the king considered the accused man to have been punished for his crime. If, however, the man was lucky enough to open the other door, then there came out a young lady, the most beautiful of her class that could be found anywhere in the country. This young woman was always chosen carefully to suit the character and position of the man in every way. She was the reward for being proved innocent, and he was immediately married to her publicly in the arena before all the people.
It did not matter whether the man already had a wife and family or that his affections might be directed toward some other woman. It was the king’s decision that the prisoner marry the lady who came from the opened door, and, of course, the king’s will was the law in all such matters. Now it so happened that this king had a young daughter who was very beautiful and whom he loved more than anything in the world. Also, within the court, there was a young man who was as handsome as the young woman was beautiful. The two young people fell in love. The young man, however, was not a prince. In fact, he was not even of high station within the court. Yet he was strong and of good character, and the king’s daughter loved him deeply. Their love affair went on for some months and both young people were very happy. Then the king happened to hear about it. he did not hesitate for a moment concerning his duty. The young man was put into prison, and a day was set for the usual trial in the king’s arena. Never before had such an important trial taken place and naturally there was great interest in the matter on all sides. The king gave orders to bring from the forests the fiercest tiger that could be found. He himself chose the fairest and most beautiful lady among all those in the court as the reward of the young woman if, by opening the right door, he proved himself to be innocent. The day finally arrived. The arena was full of people who had come from far and wide to see the result. The king and members of the court sat in their usual places. The king’s daughter sat alongside her father. From the day that her lover had been put into prison she had thought of nothing else except this final moment. But, having more power than anyone who had ever been interested in such a case, she had used this power to discover the secret of the doors, waited the fierce tiger and in which room waited the beautiful young lady. She also knew who the young lady was. She not only knew this young lady well, but also hated her. Often at court she had seen this same young woman look upon her lover with great affection. Now and then, she had seen the two of them talking together. It was only for a moment but sometimes much can be said in short periods of time. So she felt sure that the two were in love.
Now the king gave the usual sign, and the young man came out into the arena. As was the custom the young man bowed in the direction of the king. But his eyes were not on the king. Instead they were fixed on the king’s daughter. For, a few hours earlier, the young man had received a message from the king’s daughter in which she said she would signal to him telling him which door to open. Quickly, now, the princess raised her right hand and pointed to the right. Of course, no one but her lover saw her. Every eye was fixed on the man in the arena.
The young man turned, and walked across the open space. Every heart in the arena stopped beating; every breath was held. But without hesitation, the young man went to the door on the right and opened it.
And so I leave it with all of you. Which came out of the opened door — the lady or the tiger?
