LT-B4L1 The Lady or the Tiger?

What was the king's sense of justice considered to be?

• Fair and kind

• Merciful and forgiving

• Unfair and cruel

• Strict and just

Answer explanation

(line 3) This king was considered to be unfair and cruel, primarily because of his “unique” sense of justice.

What did the king believe decided the suspect's fate?

• The princess

• The people

• The gods

• Evidence

Answer explanation

(line 7) Each time a man was accused of a crime, the king would never rely on evidence to prove the man’s guilt or innocence. Rather, he believed that the gods decided the suspect’s fate and insisted that the suspect be put on public trial.

Where were the accused brought for the trial?

• The marketplace

• The palace garden

• The amphitheater

• The royal chamber

Answer explanation

(line 9) The accused would be brought to the center of an amphitheater filled with people.

What lay behind one of the doors?

• A lion

• A tiger

• A wolf

• A bear

Answer explanation

(line 15) As identical as the doors looked, what lay behind them was very different. Behind one door was a fierce, man-eating tiger, and behind the other was a beautiful young woman.

What did the king believe would happen if someone was genuinely guilty?

• They would marry the princess

• They would be given a reward

• They would be eaten alive by a tiger

• They would be set free

Answer explanation

(line 19) The king believed that if someone was genuinely guilty, he would choose the door to the tiger and be eaten alive.

What did the king order when he became aware of the romance?

• He ordered the young man to be thrown in jail

• He ordered the young man to be executed

• He ordered a grand wedding

• He ordered the princess to be imprisoned

Answer explanation

(line 33) When the king became aware of their romance, he immediately ordered that the young man be thrown in jail to await trial.

What did the young lover hope the princess would give him?

• A punishment

• A warning

• A gift

• A clue

Answer explanation

(line 43) His eyes desperately begged her for a clue.

What did the princess feel conflicted about?

• Her love for the young man

• Her love for the people

• Her love for the gods

• Her love for the king

Answer explanation

(line 45) The princess felt tragically conflicted. She did not want her true love to be torn apart by a wild beast. However, she couldn’t stand the thought of him marrying someone else, either.

What did the princess do to instruct her lover which door to open?

• She made a subtle movement with her hand

• She shouted out the answer

• She wrote a letter

• She sent a messenger

Answer explanation

(line 50) To instruct her lover which door to open, the princess made a subtle movement with her hand, a sign she was sure none but he would see.