Reading skills - THE LADY OR THE TIGER

      In the old days, a barbaric king lived in a far-off country. He had great power, and he liked to laugh. Also, he liked to play barbaric jokes with the law. When the man broke a law, the king did not always send him to prison. Sometimes he ordered the man to come to the king's arena and then invited all the people to come and watch.

     After the people were in their seats, the king would sit down on his high throne, and the prisoner would step into the cente were two doors exactly alike. Behind one door was a hungry tiger. Behind the other door was a beautiful lady. The prisoner could open either door. The choice was his. But he had to open a door. lf the tiger came out, it ate the man. Then people were sad because the man was guilty. If the beautiful lady came out, a priest married the two immediately. Then the people were glad because the man was innocent. Either way, the king was pleased with himself.

     A day came when the king was not pleased. He discovered that his beautiful daughter, the princess, had been in love with the wrong man for many months. The young man was handsome and brave, but he was not the son of a king. His position in life was low. The king was very angry. But he did not send the young man to prison.

      He ordered him to come to the arena.

     Now the princess loved the young man with all her heart. With the help of gold, she discovered the secret of the two doors. Then she faced a dreadful question. Which did she want for her lover — the lady or the tiger? The lady was beautiful and she had smiled at the lover more than once. The princess hated her. And yet the tiger! The blood! The princess was barbaric like her father. Was the lady to have the lover when the princess could not? After many days and nights, she made up her mind.

     On the dreadful day, all the people gathered in the arena. The king sat down on his high throne. His daughter, white and silent, sat beside him. The young man walked to the centre of the arena and looked up at the princess. His eyes asked "Which door?" She lifted her hand and made a slight, quick movement to the right. No one but her lover saw it. He turned and walked with a firm and rapid step across the empty space. He went to the door on the right and opened it.

(After R.Stockton)

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