THE LADY OR THE TIGER? ~ By Frank Stockton

So we read another story today entitled "The Lady, or the Tiger?". It's a very wordy story and it's pretty obvious that the author's vocabulary is really good. Anyways, don't know the story? Here's the low-down...

In olden days, there lived a "semi-barbaric king" who was just so full of himself. He liked things done his way, and if they weren't... use your imagination. Anyway, the king had a special way of judging someone who committed a crime in his kingdom. That person would have a trial before the citizens of the land and before the king and his officials in an amphitheater. When the accused was there, his life is not in the king's, the people's, or the officials' hands, but in his hands. Why? Well, in the amphitheater there were two doors. Behind one door is a ferocious tiger waiting to devour the accused, guilty or not. Behind the other is a fair and beautiful maiden. If the accused chose the door of the maiden, they will immediately marry on the spot, regardless of the accused feelings or if he has twelve kids and a loving wife. So either way, the king pretty much affects the accused guy's life.
But something special came up: the king found out his daughter was in love with a boy, a servant. The king quickly put this man into prison and set up a date for his trial. The officials searched for the most beautiful maiden and the most ferocious tiger in the land. Finally, the man's day of trial came.
But before all this, the princess herself was busy. She had found out the secret of the doors and at the day of the trial she knew what lay behind the doors. In the days before the trial, she also pondered what door she would give her beloved, for she was sure he would ask. She couldn't bear see him get eaten by a tiger, nor could she bear her loved one get married with another girl. Plus, the princess loathed this girl because she had spotted her beloved and this girl talking and exchanging looks. So she was filled with pity which had toppings of fresh hot jealousy on it.
So on the day of the trial, the man quickly met the eyes of the princess and said one word: "Which?"
The princess knew that he would ask, and in a flash she pointed to the right.
And so the guy opened the door and....
THE END.
No seriously, the end...
Yes, I am not joking, that is THE END.

Cool story huh? You read it you want to know what's gonna happen, then suddenly the author leaves you there to ponder what came out, a girl or a tiger? It's as if you went mountain climbing with a good friend and he left you hanging a thousand feet above the ground.
Anyways, this is about what I think came out. It's a pretty hard decision.
The princess is described also like her father, semi-barbaric. She may be a brat, which means she wants everything for herself. Okay, I'm not implying that she chose the door of the tiger. First of, she's jealous. She loathes the girl behind one door and she just can't stand seeing her man married with a girl she hates right in front of her eyes. On the other hand, she also can't stand seeing her man get eaten by a ferocious tiger, get ripped to shreds, and she finally hears the tiger go *BURP*.
So in my opinion, I think that the princess chose... *DRUMROLL*
*TA-DA!* The Tiger's door.
Why? Well, a thought crossed her mind and she said that "What if he dies and he just waits for me in the afterlife?" As I said, this princess might be a brat, but she knows there is no escaping the clutches of her semi-barbaric father. So how does he get the guy for herself? Kill him, and as she said, they'll be together in the afterlife.
Now, you might say that she could've let the guy marry the girl but the guy will leave the girl for the princess. But I'm pretty sure the king would've found this out and probably killed the guy.

Anyways, that's just my opinion.
But guess what?

I JUST FOUND THE REAL FINISH OF THE STORY!!!!
Yes, I AM NOT LYING. The author wrote a sequel which reveals the ending.
Don't worry, Ms. Lauren, I wrote this without reading the end yet.
I'll post the sequel after I'm done reading it!