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The Lady or the Tiger?

Have you ever read the short story, The Lady or the Tiger? The language is rather archaic, but the premise of the story will haunt you for weeks. A man and princess are madly in love, but her father doesn't want them together. He treats the man as a criminal for loving his daughter and punishes him by placing him in an arena and forcing him to choose one of two doors.

Behind one door is a fierce tiger that will immediately eat him. A beautiful woman waits behind the other door, ready to marry him. The princess, of course, finds out what is behind each door, and she signals to her lover which door to choose. That's when the story ends, and you, as the reader, must decide whether she allowed her lover to live the rest of their lives with someone else or die.

I've always maintained that she watched him die that day. I find it hard to believe that someone who has experienced such passionate torrents of love could ever continue life knowing that the former beloved is still breathing and sharing a life with another person.

I was very aware yesterday of the conflicting emotions surrounding the dissolution of a relationship. I don't care who you are or how ready you were to part ways, there's a part of you that doesn't want to think that life continues for the other person...without you. That's the weirdest part of the process for me. And the most comforting.

Life goes on.

I survived yesterday with a smile stretched across my face and this nagging, hacking cough. I made it through some difficult negotiations, made some new friends, decided to take control of something in my life, and ended the day with the most delightful three hours I've ever spent in the company of another person.

I'm so glad no one chose the tiger for me.

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Comments

Christy said…
Oh my. Oh my goodness. What a horribly wonderful story.
9:03 AM
frabjouspoet said…
Did you read it? I love sharing that with students.
8:41 PM
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