TheLadyorthetiger導學案

'TheLady,ortheTiger?1

PreviewbeforeClassPart1

Manyyearsago,therelivedacruelandsavageking.Thiskinghada

wildandviolentimagination,andsincehewasking,hehadthepowerto

makehiswishesetrue.

Thekinglovedtodiscussthingswithhimself.Whenheandhimself

agreedonsomething,thekingmandedthatitbedone,anditwasdoneat

oncebecauseeveryoneinthekingdomwasafraidoftheking.

Whenthingwentsmoothly,thekingwaspleasantandcalm.But

whenaproblemarose,hiseyesgleamedandherubbedhishandstogether

withjoy,sincetherewasnothinghelovedmorethancorrectingwrong

thingsanddestroyingthosewhoneededtobepunished.

Thekinghadheardaboutthepublicarenaaplacewheremenand

wildanimalscoulddemonstratetheircourageandstrengthbyfighting

eachother.Theideaappealedtothisbarbaricking.Butheuseditina

differentwaytopunishtheguiltyandrewardtheinnocent.

Theking*sarena!Ah,howwellitdeservedthatname!Theideaofan

arenacamefromthebrainoftheKing.Hethoughtofitbecauseit

delightedhimandgavehimpleasure.

Hereishowitworked.Whenamanwasaccusedofaseriouscrime,

thekingpostedanotice.Itsaidthatonacertaindaytheman'sfatewould

bedecidedintheking*sarena.Everyonewasinvitedtoattendthetrial.

Onthedayofthetrial,alargecrowdwouldgatherintheking's

arena.Aftereveryonewasseated,thekingentered,followedbyhiscourt.

Thekingsatonhisroyalthroneononesideofthearena.Whentheking

gaveasignal,adoorwouldopenandtheaccusedmanwouldstepout

intothearena.Oppositehim,ontheothersideofthearena,weretwo

doors,exactlyalikeandsidebyside.

Thepersonontrialwouldwalktothesedoorsandopenoneofthem.

Hecouldopencitherdoorhepleased.Noonespoketohimorofferedany

advice.Thechoicewashisown.

Behindoneofthedoorswasahungrytiger,thefiercestandmost

cruelthatcouldbefound.Ifthemanopenedthatdoor,thetiger

immediatelyleapedoutandtorethemantopieces.Thatwasthe

punishmentforhisguilt!Thencriesofsorrowwereheard,andthevast

crowd,withheavyhearts,slowlymadeitswayhome.Everyonefeltsad

thatthemanhadmetsuchahorriblefate.

Butiftheaccusedpersonopenedtheotherdoor,aladysteppedout.

Shewasasperfectamatchforhimascouldbefoundintheland.The

kingnoddedhisheadand

singersanddancerscameforward.Musiciansplayedbeautiful

melodiesongoldenhorns,andthetwopeopleweremarriedatonce.Then

joyousbellsrangout,thepeopleshoutedandcheered,andeveryone

threwflowersinthepathoftheinnocentmanasheledhisbridetohis

home.

Itdidn'tmatterifthemanalreadyhadawifeandfamily,orifhewas

inlovewithanotherlady.Forasthekingoftensaid,"Nothingcanstop

mywonderfulplanfbrpunishingtheguiltyandrewardingtheinnocent.”

Thekingwasveryproudofhiswayofcarryingoutjustice.He

thoughtitwasperfectlyfair.Afterall,theaccusedmancouldopeneither

doorhepleased.Thechoicewashisandtheman'sfatewasinhisown

hands.And,ineverycase,justicewasswiftandfinal.

Theplanwaspopularwiththepeopletoo.Theyneverknewwhat

theyweregoingtosee.Woulditbeabloodymurder,orajoyfulwedding?

Therewaslotsofsuspense（懸念）.

ReadinClassPart2

Thiscruelkinghadabeautifuldaughter.Shewaswildandreckless

asher血herand,asyoumightexpect,helovedherverymuch.AsIhave

said,theprincesswasreckless.Shewassorecklessshefellinlovewith

oneoftheking*sservants.Althoughhandsomeandbrave,hewas,afterall,

onlyaservant.Still,helovedherverydearly.

Theirloveaffairwentonhappilyfbrmanymonths.Andthenone

daythekinghappenedtodiscoveritsexistence.Thekingdidnothesitate

fbramoment.Theyoungmanwasimmediatelythrownintojail,anda

datewassetfbrhistrailintheking'sarena.

Thiswas,ofcourse,anespeciallyimportantoccasion.Theking,and

allofthepeople,wereveryinterestedinhowthetrialwouldturnout.

Neverbeforehadsuchacaseoccurred.Neverbeforehadaslavedaredto

lovethedaughterofaking!

Thekingsentoutmentofindthefiercesttigerintheland.Atthe

sametimethekingdomwassearchedfbrayoungladysuitableinbeauty

andrank,sothattheyoungmancouldhaveafittingwifeincasefatedid

notthrowhimtothetiger.

Thegreatdayfinallyarrived.Peoplecamefromnearandfar,filling

upeveryseatinthehugearena.Thosewhocouldnotgetinhuddled

togetheragainsttheoutsidewallsandwaitedfbrnews.

Thekingenteredandtookhisplaceontheroyalthrone.Theywere

readytobegin.Thekinggaveasignal.Adooropenedandtheyoungman

walkedintothearena.

Whatasighthewastall,handsome,andproud!Nowonderthe

princesslovedhim.Whataterriblethingfbrhimtobethere!

Theyouthtookhistimeashewalkedacrossthearena.Thenhe

turnedandbowedtotheking,fbrthatwasthecustom.However,the

youngmanwasnotthinkingatallabouttheking.Hiseyeswerestaringat

theprincess,whosatnexttoherfather.

Fromthemomentthekinghadorderedherlovertoappearinthe

arena,shehadthought,dayandnight,ofnothingelsebutthisgreatevent.

Theprincesshadmorepowerandinfluencethananypersonwhohad

everbeeninterestedinacase.Andsoshedidwhatnooneelsebeforeher

hadeverdone.Shehadlearnedthesecretofthedoors.Sheknewbehind

whichdoorwaitedthetiger,andbehindwhichdoorstoodthelady.Gold

andherpowerasprincesshadbroughtherthesecret!

Butsheknewmorethanwhichdoorhidthelady.Shealsoknewwho

theladywas!Andsheknewtheladywasoneoftheloveliestandmost

beautifulladiesintheking'scourt.

Yes,theprincessknewwhoshewas.Andtheprincesshatedher!The

princesshadseenorthoughtthatshesawtheladylookingatherlover.

Andshethoughthehadevenglancedback.Once,shehadseenthem

talkingtogether.Itwasonlyfbraminute,itistrue.Butmuchcanbesaid

inaminute!Perhapstheywerespeakingaboutnothingatall.Buthow

couldtheprincessknowthat?Theyoungladywaslovelybutshehad

daredtolookattheprincess,lover!Sotheprincesshatedthewomanwho

silentlywaitedbehindthedoor.

Whentheyoungmanturnedandlookedattheprincess,hiseyesmet

hers.Hesearchedherpaleface.Then,astheireyesandsoulsmet,hesaw

thatsheknew.Sheknew!Sheknewbehindwhichdoorwaitedthetiger,

andbehindwhichdoorstoodthelady.Sheknew!Hehadexpectedherto

know.Heunderstoodher,andhewascertainthatshewouldnotrestuntil

shehaddiscoveredthesecret.

Theonlywaytheyouthcouldbesureofsuccesswasfbrtheprincess

todiscoverthesecretthedoors.Andashelookedather,hesawthatshe

haddiscoveredthesecret,asheknewshewould.

Ashestaredather,hiseyesburnedwiththequestion:WHICH?It

wasasplaintoherasifhewasshoutingittoherfromwherehestood.

Therewasnotasecondtolose.Thequestionwasaskedinaflash.Itmust

beansweredinaninstant!

Theprincessraisedherhandandmadeasudden,quickmovementto

theright.Noonebutherloversawher.Everyeyewasstaringontheman

inthearena.

Heturnedandwithafirmstepwalkedquicklyacrossthearena.

Everyheartstoppedbeating,everybreathwasheld,everyeyewasonthat

man.Withouttheslightesthesitation,hewenttothedoorontherightand

pulleditopen.

Nowthepointofthestoryisthis:Didthetigereoutofthatdoor,or

didthelady?

Part3

Themorewethinkaboutthisquestion,theharderitistoanswer.It

meanswemuststudythehumanheartsomethingthatisverydifficultto

do.Thinkaboutthis.Shewasawildandsavageprincesswhosesoulwas

burningwithjealousyandhate.Shehadlostherlover.Shouldanother

womanhavehim?Howoften,duringthedayandinherdreams,shehad

thoughtaboutthetigerleapingoutwithitscruel,sharpclaws.Thenshe

coveredherfacewithherhandsandwasfilledwithhorror.

Buthowmuchoftenersheimaginedhimattheotherdoor!She

picturedhislookofdelightashesawthelady.Hersoulburnedinpainas

shesawhimrushtothewomanshehated.Sheshouldheartheglad

shoutsofthecrowdandthebellsringingwildly.

Sheimaginedthejoyfulweddingrightbeforehereyes,whileshesat

therehelplessandinpain.Thensheclenchedherfistsandtoreherhair.It

wouldnotbebetterforhimtodieatonce!Andyet,thatawfultiger,those

cries,thatblood!

Shehadgivenheranswerinaninstant.Butithadbeenmadeafter

manydaysandnightsofmentalsufferings.Shehadknownshewouldbe

asked.Shehaddecidedwhatshewouldanswer.Andwithouttheslightest

hesitation,shehadmovedherhandtotheright.

NowthequestionIleavetoyouallisthis:Whichcameoutofthe

openeddoortheladyorthetiger?

Part1

Activity1(pairwork)

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