# Did Stockton's "The Lady or the Tiger" Have One, Correct Solution? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 8, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-stocktons-the-lady-or-the-tiger-have-one-correct-solution/167405 "2003-04-08T21:39:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-stocktons-the-lady-or-the-tiger-have-one-correct-solution/167405/1 "2003-04-08T21:39:15Z")
I’m looking for a clear-cut, factual yes or no answer here, not a debate. - When I first read Frank Stockton’s story, “The Lady or the Tiger,” back in high school, I’d assumed that since Stockton never told us explicitly what choice the princess made, there WASN’T any right or wrong answer. I thought that Stockton’s sole point was to create an interesting dilemma and leave the reader to think about its ramifications. And so I thought for years. But a few weeks back, I came across a collection of short stories that included “The Lady or the Tiger,” and in the foreword, the editor stated rather cryptically that (I’m paraphrasing… I wasn’t able to take the book with me) “Stockton didn’t do as good a job disguising the solution as he thought, and the princess’ decision was clearly discernible in the text.” My reaction: huh? IF the solution is clearly discernible in the text, I confess, I missed it entirely. So… I ask only this: was I completely wrong in supposing that Stockton gave us a puzzle without a solution? WAS there some clear clue in the text that spelled out what the princess had decided, an obvious clue that I simply missed? Or was the editor who wrote the foreword simply a smug clown who’s deluded himself into thinking he’s found a solution that Stockton didn’t really provide? Again, I’m not interested in hearing conflicting OPINONS as to what the princess did. If you have evidence for either position, though, I welcome it. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-stocktons-the-lady-or-the-tiger-have-one-correct-solution/167405/2 "2003-04-08T22:24:12Z")
I agree with your original premise - it is an interesting dilemma. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-stocktons-the-lady-or-the-tiger-have-one-correct-solution/167405/3 "2003-04-08T22:55:14Z")
I believe that Stockton was repeatedly asked for the rest of his life how the story actually ended. Even though large sums of money were offered to him, he would always reply(something like), “There is an ending in my mind, but I’m sworn not to reveal it.” I think it was mostly a gag. > [@](#): > > Again, I’m not interested in hearing conflicting OPINONS as to what the princess did. If you have evidence for either position, though, I welcome it. So you want our opinions or not? All good opinions are based on evidence(for either position). You want the evidence but not the opinions? ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-stocktons-the-lady-or-the-tiger-have-one-correct-solution/167405/4 "2003-04-08T23:37:00Z")
If it helps any, I’ve seen the story in several different books, and it always ends the same way: the man heads for the door, and Stockton then spends about a page or so talking to the reader about the situation, ending with something along the lines of “What do YOU think it was: the lady or the tiger?” ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2003, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-stocktons-the-lady-or-the-tiger-have-one-correct-solution/167405/5 "2003-04-09T00:14:43Z")
Believe it or not, Stockton wrote a sequel three years later, titled, mellifluously, “The Discourager of Hesitancy.” I’ve never read it, but those who have say that it continues rather than solves the puzzle. ---
**Author:** ![Anubis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Anubis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anubis)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-stocktons-the-lady-or-the-tiger-have-one-correct-solution/167405/6 "2003-04-09T01:02:34Z")
[hijack] I don’t mean to be self-promoting, but a fairly long time ago I wrote a parody of this called **The Lady, or the T-I-Double Guh-Er?**. If you want to read it, you can do so [here](http://anubis.teemingmillions.com/custom4.html). [/hijack] As to the OP, Stockton _does_ spend a bit more time explaining why she would have him open the tiger door, so maybe the editor noticed this and assumed that was the answer. But there are equal arguments for both endings. Personally, I feel that the tiger came out because of two things : > [@](#): > > Had it not been for the **moiety of barbarism** in > her nature it is probable that lady would not have been there (bolding mine) and > [@](#): > > And not only did she know in which room stood the lady ready to > emerge, all blushing and radiant, should her door be opened, but > she knew who the lady was. It was one of the fairest and > loveliest of the damsels of the court who had been selected as > the reward of the accused youth, should he be proved innocent of > the crime of aspiring to one so far above him; and the princess > hated her. Often had she seen, or imagined that she had seen, this > fair creature throwing glances of admiration upon the person of > her lover, and sometimes she thought these glances were > perceived, and even returned. Now and then she had seen them > talking together; it was but for a moment or two, but much can be > said in a brief space; it may have been on most unimportant > topics, but how could she know that? The girl was lovely, but she > had dared to raise her eyes to the loved one of the princess; and, > with all the intensity of the savage blood transmitted to her > through long lines of wholly barbaric ancestors, she hated the > woman who blushed and trembled behind that silent door. But a factual answer is not something you are going to get. Only Stockton knows, and he is in no postition to tell us. All we can deliver is speculation and opinions. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-stocktons-the-lady-or-the-tiger-have-one-correct-solution/167405/7 "2003-04-09T01:13:11Z")
In high school we had to write an essay on which door we thought the man opened. I was one of the very few who figured he opened the door on the lady. My reasoning was this. If he opened to the tiger he was lost to the princess for good. If he opened to the lady he was lost to the princess only temporarily. The princess hated the lady for daring to look upon her beloved. So what better revenge could she get than to make the marriage a temporary one? There’s always poison, a knife, or a conveniently arranged accident. Then she could have the guy back. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-stocktons-the-lady-or-the-tiger-have-one-correct-solution/167405/8 "2003-04-09T01:38:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Exapno Mapcase \* > \*\*Believe it or not, Stockton wrote a sequel three years later, titled, mellifluously, “The Discourager of Hesitancy.” I’ve never read it, but those who have say that it continues rather than solves the puzzle. \*\* Well, technically I haven’t read it either, but I have both stories on a spoken-word LP (read by Toyah Willcox, with musical background by her hubby Robert Fripp), and it’s basically the same riddle in different words, if you know what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2003, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-stocktons-the-lady-or-the-tiger-have-one-correct-solution/167405/9 "2003-04-09T04:04:52Z")
It was the tiger because the princess lied. There was a tiger behind both doors. An execution that has the illusion of hope is even more delicious for a sadist who would come up with such a spectacle in the first place. The girl was bound and gagged, caged and forced to watch the whole proceeding while concealed. Then she was tortured to death while the princess watched. ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-stocktons-the-lady-or-the-tiger-have-one-correct-solution/167405/10 "2003-04-09T21:11:17Z")
astorian - the answer to you question is, no. The end of the story is the end of the story. Consider it a thought experiment. Before you ask, no, there is no particular “word” that was spoke by, but not between the thwarted lovers in Wharton’s “House of Mirth.” TOT - Are you in Queens? ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-stocktons-the-lady-or-the-tiger-have-one-correct-solution/167405/11 "2003-04-10T02:33:14Z")
The tiger is behind the door that growls. Why is this so hard to figure out? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-stocktons-the-lady-or-the-tiger-have-one-correct-solution/167405/12 "2003-04-10T05:26:01Z")
I remember a _Wizard of Id_ cartoon about this many years ago. One panel shows a man in an arena standing in front of two doors. The king tells him that behind one door is a ravenous tiger and behind the other is a beautiful lady. Then the king says, “which door do you choose?” And the guy says, “the one with the beautiful lady.” ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2003, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-stocktons-the-lady-or-the-tiger-have-one-correct-solution/167405/13 "2003-04-10T06:40:38Z")
He opened the door with the tiger, pulled out a hidden Magnum 44, riddled the tiger with a bullet to the head, yelling “Your skin is fur for my boo, Bee-yotch!!” Duuuh.