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The Lady, or the Tiger?
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Listen to Clifton Fadiman discussing the publication of Frank Stockton's short story “The Lady, or the Tiger?”
Travel to Frank Stockton's contemporary world in a production of the short story “The Lady, or the Tiger?”
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The Lady, or the Tiger?

story by Stockton
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Listen to Clifton Fadiman discussing the publication of Frank Stockton's short story “The Lady, or the Tiger?”
Listen to Clifton Fadiman discussing the publication of Frank Stockton's short story “The Lady, or the Tiger?” Learn about Frank Stockton's short story “The Lady, or the Tiger?” by listening to editor and anthologist Clifton Fadiman describing the excitement surrounding its publication in 1882. This 1969 video is a production of Encyclopædia Britannica Educational Corporation.

"The Lady, or the Tiger?" is a short story by American writer Frank Stockton, first published in 1884. The story is known for its ambiguous ending, which leaves the reader to decide the fate of the protagonist.1

In the story, a princess falls in love with a man of lower rank. Her father, the king, discovers their affair and forces the young man to choose between two doors. Behind one door is a ferocious tiger, and behind the other is a beautiful lady. The princess knows which door hides which fate. The story ends as the young man opens one of the doors, leaving his ultimate fate unresolved.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
  1. Frank Stockton
  2. Stockton

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