The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-05
THE LADY OR THE TIGERs
Mr.. Stockton Tells How Various Peo-
pie Solved the Problem.

Frank Stockton, after having been be-
sought Tor years TO tell the anxious public
whether it was the lady or the tiger that
emerged from the cage in his famous story,
says IL the November Ladies' Home Jour-
nal that he really doesn't know. He never
aid KNOW cIs r Not r being either woman or
possible for him to guess which door the
princess would indicate to her lover. But
the mystery rom interested readers of his
story, and he gives some of them.
Robert Browning, in letter to friend,
stated what he thought as follows:
Dear -: According to your desire 1
read the story in question last evening, and
nave no hesitation in supposing that such
direct her lover to the tigers door; mind /
person"
A most ingenious version of the story
was one in which the hot and jealous blood
OF the princess prompts her TO indicate
tne tigers door. That door is opened and
roar and spring, but with a slow and easy
tread. Gazing around the assembled null
titude, he approaches the young man, who
stands alone in the arena, rubs himself
confidingly. against his legs. purring the
while and then, yawning 10 an extent
which exhibits to all the spectators the pos
sibilities of the might have been. he walks
TO a spot where the wall throws a shade
upon the ground of the arena, and, stretch
pleasant. nap. The reason for this
the the animal was easily ID dlsedSer over q;
having been half starved for
several days. in order to make him more
ferocious, he had become aware of the
presence of young and tender lady in the
compartment adjoining his own, and,
breaking down the two, he had dragged
her into his cell and devoured the damsel,
and then, his appetite having been fully
satisfied, he walked into the arena without
feeling any desire whatever for further re-
freShment.
One cynical man decided that the lover
hl 1nAr Of ~.
contained the lady, and, accordingly, mar
rled her. After few months of welded
existence, however, he discovered that he
mad chosen both the lady and the tiger.
An answer dealing with more intricate
ana deeper workings of the mind con-
tanned a solution somewhat in this wise
The princess wished TO send her lover to
the tiger. but knowing that he was well
acquainted with her temperament and also
thought 1t wise to indicate the lady's door,
hoping that his knowledge of her character
would make him take the other. Her lover
was so we'll acquainted with her disposition
that he had not the least doubt that she
wished him to open the tigers door, but he
was also aware that she knew how we'll
might expect that if she pointed out the
door she wanted him TO take his caution
would prompt him TO take the other, were
1t not for the fact that knowing how
well he knew her, she was afraid he
might reason out the mattes to the
to take the door she indicated because he
thought she would expect him to take the
other. But, on the other hand, she
derstood his method of reasoning, she
might follow him thus far, and so, making
another doubling of her purpose, she might
offer him to the tiger by pointing to the
door of the -. Here the person working
out this intricacy stopped and desired as
sstance
A rather interesting fact in connection
with the problem is that when the ques-
ton, 1.-THE Lady the Tiger?" was put to
a club of women in London, nine out of
thirteen thought that the Princess would
have indicated the lady, while out of a class
Of twenty-four at Vassar, eighteen voted
for the tiger. Which is an instructive les
son as regards the morbidness of the youth
full mind.