CCSS

R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.6, R.7, W.2, SL.1, SL.2, L.4, L.6

The Choice

Only the princess can save her one true love from a hungry tiger. The question is . . . does she want to

Based onThe Lady, or the Tiger?” by Frank Stockton

Image of icy person walking out of door and tiger walking out of fiery door

Art by Randy Pollak

Slideshow

CHARACTERS

*Starred characters have larger speaking parts.

  • *Narrators 1, 2, 3 (N1, N2, N3
  • *Princess Margaret
  • King John
  • Thomas, a young servant 
  • Master of Ceremonies (MC)
  • Accused Man
  • Crowd (to be read by a group
  • Lady Anne 
  • Lady Helen
  • Guard

PROLOGUE

N1: Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a powerful king.

N2: A king who loved his authority almost as much as he loved his own daughter

N3: A king who used a cruel system of justice.

N1: A king who was feared by all of his subjects.

N2: And nothing made him happier than sitting on his velvet throne in his royal arena

N3: —watching justice be served!

SCENE 1

N1: The royal arena is packed. Every seat is filled.

N2: The king and his court sit high up on velvet chairs

N3: The princess leans over to the king

Princess Margaret: Father, who is the accused today?

King John: A poor man who stole from the royal garden

Princess: What did he steal

King: Carrots! Can you imagine?

N1: A handsome servant walks up with a silver tray.

Thomas: Cider, Your Majesty?

N2: The king takes a glass

N3: The servant smiles at the princess and winks

N1: Behind them, Lady Anne and Lady Helen giggle quietly

Princess: That will be all, Thomas

N2: The princess tries to hide a smile. She turns back to her father

Princess: So this man was caught pulling carrots from the ground

King: Not exactly. He was found nearby carrying carrots

Princess: Father, is it fair to think that he

N3: A trumpet sounds

King: Quiet now. The criminal is coming

N1: A man dressed in rags walks into the arena

N2: He bows to the king, then turns to face two wooden doors

N3: The Master of Ceremonies addresses the man

MC: You stand accused of royal theft. You must now choose one of these two doors. Behind one is a hungry tiger. Behind the other is a young lady you may marry

Accused Man: But I didn’t— 

MC: The choice is yours

N1: The accused looks at the doors

MC: What will it be, ladies and gentlemen? Will he be torn to pieces because he is guilty

Crowd: Noooooo!

MC: Or will we have a joyous wedding because he is innocent

Crowd: Hooray!

N2: The man walks slowly to a door and opens it. A tiger springs upon him

N3: The king smiles.

King: Chance is an impartial judge, don’t you think?

Princess: Yes, Father

SCENE 2

N1: In her bedroom, the princess sits in front of a mirror

N2: Lady Anne is brushing the princess’s hair

Lady Anne: How bold Thomas was today

Lady Helen: Winking at you with your father right there

Princess: He is quite bold, isn’t he? It’s one of the reasons I love him

N3: The ladies gasp

Lady Anne: You love him

Princess: Of course. We are perfect for each other

Lady Helen: But he is a lowly servant!

Princess: Why should that matter

Lady Anne: I think we know how the king would answer that question.

Princess (harshly): The king must never find out

Image of King & Queen overlooking a person having to fight in a stadium

Art by Randy Pollak

Trial By Ordeal
Centuries ago, a person’s guilt or innocence was sometimes decided in a “trial by ordeal.” The person had to do something dangerous, like plunge an arm into a pot of boiling water. If unharmed, they were said to be innocent. How is the king’s arena a trial by ordeal?

SCENE 3

N1: Thomas and the princess stroll through the royal garden

N2: Thomas stops to smell a rosebush

N3: The princess removes a shiny pin from her cloak. It is shaped like a bee

Princess: This was my mother’s pin. She was a lot like a bee. She could stingor she could be sweet as honey

Thomas: Like you!

Princess: Here. I want you to have it

N1: Thomas takes the pin

N2: Suddenly, Lady Anne and Lady Helen rush over

Lady Anne: The king is coming!

Princess: Thomas, hide

N3: She pushes him into the rosebush

Thomas: Ow! Ow

N1: The king rounds the corner

King (shouting): Who is here with you

Princess: Just my ladies, Father

N2: The king spots something shiny in the rosebushes

N3: He reaches in and drags Thomas out

N1: The king looks to his daughter

King: Explain yourself.

Princess: Father, I love Thomas. And he loves me

King: Of course he does. You’re a princess. He has everything to gain. You have everything to lose.

Princess: We are getting married. There is nothing you can do!

King (chuckling): Heh heh heh.

N2: The king snaps his fingers. A guard steps forward

King: Take Thomas to the dungeon. Search the kingdom for the most vicious tiger and the fairest maiden. His trial will take place in three days

Princess: Father, no!

SCENE 4

N3: The princess makes her way through a dark passage under the arena

N1: The light from her torch bounces off the cold stone walls.

N2: At last, she finds the two rooms holding the lady and the tiger.

Guard: Who goes there?

Princess: It is I.

N3: The guard bows deeply

Princess: Take me to the door the tiger is behind.

Guard: I am under strict orders not to let anyone near the tiger

Princess: Then tell me about the maiden. Might I speak with her?

Guard: I’m afraid not. If I help you, I’ll be thrown into the arena too.

Princess (sharply): Do you think I care what happens to you? Let me see her!

Guard: No one must know which door Isabella is behind

N1: The princess’s eyes flash with anger

Princess: Isabella

N2: The princess grabs the guard by the shoulders.

Princess: Show me which door Isabella is behind or I will make sure you live in the dungeon for the rest of your life

Guard (frightened): Very well, Princess. Follow me.

Image of queen being upset at a knight

Art by Randy Pollak

An Anti-fairy Tale
This story has many of the elements of a fairy tale. There’s a cruel king, a princess, good, evil. But this story is sometimes called an anti-fairy tale too. Why might that be?

SCENE 5

N3: Back in her room, the princess cries softly.

Princess: I can’t believe it’s Isabella

Lady Anne: Beautiful Isabella

Lady Helen: Kind Isabella

Lady Anne: Wise Isabella.

Princess: Enough! I must figure out what to do. Thomas knows that I would never rest until I found out the secret of those two doors. He will look to me for an answer

Lady Anne: Surely you will guide him to the lady

Princess: Don’t you see? Either way, I lose him forever

N1: The ladies frown

Princess: I can’t stop imagining Thomas opening a door. I see his face as he sees the tiger.

Lady Helen: How awful

Princess: But just as often, I imagine his delight when he opens the door and sees Isabella

N2: The princess’s face grows dark.

Princess: And then Thomas and Isabella walk away together, the crowd cheering.

Lady Anne: Perhaps you should stay home tomorrow

Princess: Never. Thomas will look to me. I must give an answer

Lady Helen: Which will it be?

N3: The princess sits on her bed and puts her face in her hands.

SCENE 6

Sepia tone headshot

Universal History Archive/Getty Images (Frank Stockton)

So What Happened?
Frank Stockton (above) wrote this story in 1882. Readers were so upset about the ending that they sent him hundreds of letters! They wanted to know what happened to Thomas. Read Stockton’s response below!

N1: On the day of the trial, the arena is overflowing with people

N2: The princess sits beside the king

N3: The trumpet sounds. Thomas enters the arena with his head held high

Crowd: Gasp

N1: From the center of the arena, Thomas looks up at the princess. Their eyes lock.

N2: Her face is pale. She raises her hand and makes a small, quick motion to the right

N3: Thomas turns and walks toward the doors.  

N1: Every heart stops beating. Every breath is held

N2: Then Thomas goes to the door on the right and opens it

 

ACTIVITY:

Inference

You’ve just readThe Choice.” Now it’s time to try this activity.

What to do: Imagine that you are Princess Margaret a few days after the end of this play. You’re writing in your journal. Make inferences to complete each sentence below. For clues, go back and look at the play.

Tip: An inference is something that is not stated but can be figured out from clues in the text.

Not long ago, my father and I discussed a man who was being punished for stealing carrots. My father was surprised that  

Hint: Look in Scene 1 for clues.

Personally, I was more surprised that 

Hint: Look in Scene 1 for clues.

My father didn’t want me to marry Thomas because   

Hint: Look in Scene 3 for clues.

Thomas trusted me and was sure I would point to the door that 

Hint: Look in Scene 5 for clues.

So What Happened?

Sepia tone headshot

Frank Stockton (shown here) wrote this story in 1882. Readers were so upset about the ending that they sent him hundreds of letters! They wanted to know what happened to Thomas. 

Stockton never did say for sure. But he did give this response much later—in 1902. It was printed in a newspaper called the Chicago Tribune:

“I cannot answer the question, for I have no earthly idea myself. I really never have been able to decide if the Lady or the Tiger came out of that door. Yet I must defend myself. People for years have upbraided me for leaving it a mystery . . . However, when I started to write the story, I really intended to finish it. But it would never let itself be finished. I could not decide. And to this day I have, I assure you, no more idea than anyone else.”

videos (1)
Video

Read-Aloud Fiction, Readers Theater Play

Skills in Action: What Is an Inference?

Learn how to make an inference with this fun animated video.

Text-to-Speech