The Princess and the Lion

The Princess and the Lion(Nazir Jahangir) (Note: This story is inspired by the original short story, The Lady or the Tiger?, written in 1882 by Frank R. Stockton.)



As legend goes, a Roman princess fell in love with a young man. This feeling intensified with every passing day. Secret meetings became a usual affair and cozy tête-à-tête a routine. Both loved each other vehemently.

It so happened, the pretty daughter of the Prime Minister also became infatuated with the same young man. She succeeded in establishing a relationship with him as well.

One day this couple was caught in a compromising position. The young man was arrested.

According to Roman law of that time, any man proved having illicit relations with any woman would get a peculiar punishment. So in accordance with that penalty, two spacious cages were placed in a vast ground. Those cages were closed at all sides. A hungry lion was kept in one cage, while the woman, accused of having illegitimate relations with the young man, left in another. This all was done in extreme secrecy. Only the king and his confident servant knew where what and who was kept. On the scheduled day, people in huge numbers thronged the grounds to watch the event. The accused was pushed to the ground and ordered to approach one of the cages. If he would open the cage of the lion, the lion would tear him into pieces. And if he would open the cage of the woman, he would be married with the woman.

The ground was all set to carry out the operation. Huge crowds had assembled. The king and his courtiers had also taken their seats. The princess was present in the gallery. But she had, after having gone to great lengths and using all her means, come to know the secret of the cage’s occupants. She had gotten the information that the lion was in the right cage and the girl in the left.

The young man was pushed to the ground. Spectators had their hearts in their mouths. Everyone was anxious as to what would happen next. The young man, rigid with fear, drenched in sweat, could hardly breathe. He could not move even a step forward.

“Move forward!” the king roared. The man turned his head towards the princess with a hope that he may receive any signal from her as to where the “safe cage” might be. But the princess was silent.

The young man found his legs cumbersome to step forward. A security guard kicked him and forced him to move ahead.

He began to move forward lazily, looking haggard. There were life and death ahead, and he did not know in which lay his fate. He walked a few steps more, trembling with fear. He again moved his head backwards in a desperate way, expecting a signal from the princess, but all in vain. The princess was motionless.

People assembled around the grounds were dumb-struck. They were palpitating with fright.

The young man moved gently a few more steps forward. He again, in utter despair, turned his head backwards, and threw a glance at the princess. This time she hinted him toward the right side, smiled uncomfortably and lowered her gaze. The young man heaved a sigh of relief, moved forward, veered away to the right and ambled over to the cage.

As soon as he stepped in the cage, a cracking shriek emerged from the cage and bathed the people around the ground in sweat. Their hearts jumped around like a landed trout. Then they came to know about “the end”.

The lion had torn the young man into pieces.