Detail View: Deaf Studies, Culture, and History Archives: The Lady or the Tiger

Filename: 
ds_0031_panaraladyortiger_cap_01.mp4
Identifier: 
ds_0031_panaraladyortiger_cap_01.mp4
Title: 
The Lady or the Tiger
Creator: 
Panara, Robert
Subject: 
American Sign Language literature
Summary: 
"The Lady or The Tiger Story Performed by Dr. Robert F. Panara 1985 SUMMARY OF PERFORMANCE [summarized by Joan Naturale] This story, The Lady or The Tiger, by Frank Stockton is performed in sign language by Dr. Panara. The story is about a king who set up a system to determine whether a prisoner was guilty or not guilty of a crime. The public was invited to the arena where the king sat on a throne. In front of the throne were two doors. Behind one door was a ferocious tiger, and behind the other, a beautiful lady. The prisoner had to choose a door, and if he chose the tiger, he was mauled to death and determined to be guilty. If he chose the lady, the King would host a wedding feast, as the prisoner was determined to be innocent. The King had a beautiful daughter, a Princess, who fell in love with a handsome man from the lower class. They had a secret relationship for several months until the King found out about it and became angry. He arrested his daughter’s boyfriend and he appeared in the arena to choose a door. The Princess found out what was behind the doors and would give a clue to her boyfriend. The beautiful lady behind the door once showed an interest in the boyfriend. The Princess sat next to her father and moved her hand to the right to indicate the right door to choose for him. What was behind the door? Did the Princess choose the tiger, a quick but brutal and bloody death, or the lady, whom he would marry?"
Digital Publisher: 
Rochester Institute of Technology - RIT Libraries - RIT Archive Collections
Contributor: 
Stockton, Frank R., 1834-1902
Date of Original: 
1985
Date of Digitization: 
2018
Broad Type: 
moving image
Digital File Format: 
mp4
Physical Format: 
videotapes
Language: 
American Sign Language
Language: 
English
Original Item Location: 
RITDSA.0031
Library Collection: 
RIT/NTID Deaf Studies Archive
Library Collection: 
Robert Panara Deaf Video Collection
Digital Project: 
2018-2019 CLIR Grant-ASL Poetry and Literature
Catalog Record: 
https://archivesspace.rit.edu/repositories/2/resources/819
Place: 
New York - Rochester
Place: 
National Technical Institute for the Deaf
RIT Spaces and Places: 
Henrietta Campus
Transcript: 
MAN: "THE LADY OR THE TIGER." "THE LADY OR THE TIGER" BY FRANK STOCKTON. MANY, MANY YEARS AGO LIVED IN A STRANGE COUNTRY A KING WHO HAD DIFFERENT IDEAS THAN MOST KINGS. WHEREAS MOST KINGS USED A COLOSSEUM FOR THROWING PEOPLE SUCH AS CHRISTIANS TO THE LIONS OR HAVING THEM FIGHT EACH OTHER, SUCH AS GLADIATORS, THIS KING THOUGHT OF SOMETHING BETTER, SOMETHING MORE INTELLECTUALLY CHALLENGING TO THE PEOPLE IN THAT COUNTRY. THE KING DEVISED AN ARENA WITH ENCLOSED SEATING AND WHEREAS ANYTIME A PERSON WAS ARRESTED FOR MISCONDUCT OR ACCUSED OF A CRIME, THE KING WOULD HAVE THAT PERSON IN THE ARENA AND WOULD SUMMON THE PEOPLE TO ASSEMBLE. AND THE KING WOULD SIT HIGH UP ON THE THRONE. AND IN FRONT OF THE KING WERE TWO DOORS JUST OPPOSITE OF HIM, AND THEY WERE THE EXACT SAME TWO DOORS. BEHIND ONE DOOR WAS A TIGER, A FEROCIOUS BEAST, THE MEANEST IN ALL THE LAND. BEHIND THE SECOND DOOR WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAMSEL. THE PERSON WHO WAS ARRESTED WOULD BE PLACED IN JAIL AND THEN BROUGHT TO THE ARENA. AND THE KING WOULD ORDER THE PRISONER TO CHOOSE A DOOR. IF THE PRISONER CHOSE THE DOOR AND OUT CAME THE FEROCIOUS LION, THE PRISONER WOULD BE TORN TO PIECES IN AN INSTANT. AND THAT RESULT WOULD SHOW THAT THE PERSON WAS GUILTY AND DESERVED THAT APPROPRIATE PUNISHMENT. HOWEVER, IF THE PRISONER CHOSE THE OTHER DOOR AND OUT CAME THE BEAUTIFUL DAMSEL, THAT WOULD PROVE THAT HE WAS NOT GUILTY, THAT HE WAS HONEST, AND THE KING WOULD HAVE THAT MAN FREED AND WOULD ALLOW HIM TO MARRY THE DAMSEL IMMEDIATELY. THE KING WOULD EVEN HAVE A PREACHER READY WITH BIBLE IN HAND TO MARRY THE TWO. THE KING WOULD PROVIDE A CHORUS, ALL THE PEOPLE WOULD BE INVITED TO A FEAST, THE WEDDING BELLS RANG FORTH. THAT WAS AN INTERESTING SYSTEM OF DECIDING JUDGMENT AND WAS VERY POPULAR WITH THE PEOPLE BECAUSE... THE PRISONER WOULD HAVE HIS OWN LIFE IN HIS OWN HANDS AND WOULD PROVE EITHER HE WAS WRONG OR RIGHT, GUILTY OR INNOCENT. ONE DAY IT HAPPENED THAT THE KING HAD A DAUGHTER. SHE WAS CALLED THE PRINCESS. WE SIGN PRINCESS. SHE WAS QUITE BEAUTIFUL. ONE DAY, SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS HANDSOME AND BRAVE, BUT THAT YOUNG MAN WAS FROM A LOWER CLASS OF PEOPLE, NOT A MEMBER OF THE NOBILITY. THE TWO OF THEM CARRIED ON A SECRET AFFAIR FOR SEVERAL MONTHS UNTIL ONE DAY THE KING FOUND OUT, FOUND THE TWO OF THEM TOGETHER AND BECAME VERY ANGRY, DIDN'T LIKE ANY OF THE LOWER SUBJECTS TO BE WITH HIS DAUGHTER. THAT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE. SO THE KING HAD THE YOUNG MAN ARRESTED AND THROWN IN JAIL. THE DAY WAS COMING WHEN THIS YOUNG MAN WOULD BE BROUGHT TO THE ARENA AND WOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE A DOOR. THE KING SEARCHED LONG AND HARD FOR THE MOST SAVAGE TIGER IN THE WORLD AND PUT THE TIGER BEHIND ONE OF THE DOORS. THE KING ALSO SEARCHED ALL OVER TO FIND THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DAMSEL AND PUT HER BEHIND THE OTHER DOOR. IT HAPPENED THAT THE PRINCESS WHO LOVED THAT YOUNG MAN... SHE FOUND A WAY... AS ALL WOMEN DO, USING THEIR BEAUTY, INFLUENCE, AND MONEY... SHE FOUND OUT WHO OR WHAT WAS BEHIND EACH OF THE DOORS. SHE FOUND THAT OUT. SHE KNEW EXACTLY WHERE THE DAMSEL WAS AND WHERE THE TIGER WAS. THE DAY ARRIVED FOR THE YOUNG MAN TO BE BROUGHT TO THE ARENA, AND THE KING SAT HIGH ON HIS THRONE. NEXT TO HIM WAS HIS DAUGHTER. AND THE PEOPLE, THE THRONGS OF PEOPLE MADE THEIR WAY INTO THE COLOSSEUM, TAKING THEIR SEATS TO OBSERVE WHICH DOOR THE YOUNG MAN WOULD CHOOSE. NOW, THE PEOPLE HAD HEARD ABOUT THE SECRET LOVE AFFAIR AND ABOUT THE PRINCESS' YOUNG MAN, SO MANY OF THEM WANTED TO PAY WITNESS TO THIS EVENT. THE YOUNG MAN CAME OUT AND WALKED INTO THE CENTER OF THE ARENA. AND THE PEOPLE STARED, AND THEY SAID, "WHAT A NICE, HANDSOME, TALL YOUNG MAN." AND THE PEOPLE GOSSIPED. THEY WERE NOT SURPRISED THAT THE PRINCESS HAD FALLEN IN LOVE WITH HIM. AND SO THE YOUNG MAN STOOD IN THE CENTER OF THE ARENA AND BOWED TO THE KING. AND AT THE SAME TIME, HE LOOKED OVER AT THE KING'S DAUGHTER, HIS SWEETHEART. AND HE KNEW THAT SHE MUST HAVE FOUND OUT THE SECRET AS TO WHICH WAS BEHIND EACH OF THE TWO DOORS. AND THEY STARED AT EACH OTHER. THE PRINCESS WAS THINKING. SHE KNEW WHAT WAS BEHIND THE DOORS. SHE KNEW WHERE THE TIGER WAS AND WHERE THE DAMSEL WAS. AND SHE KNEW THAT THIS BEAUTIFUL DAMSEL HAD ONCE HAD AN INTEREST IN THAT YOUNG MAN. AND SO SHE SAT THERE WITH HER ARM ON THE PARAPET, STARING BELOW. AND THE YOUNG MAN CONTINUED TO LOOK TO SEE IF SHE WOULD GIVE HIM AN INDICATION AS TO WHICH DOOR HE SHOULD CHOOSE. AND SHE GESTURED WITH HER RIGHT HAND, POINTING TO A DOOR AND SMILING. AND THE YOUNG MAN KNEW AT THAT INSTANT THAT NONE OF THE PEOPLE IN THE STANDS SAW THIS EXCHANGE, WHAT THE PRINCESS HAD DONE. AND SO SHE GESTURED AND SMILED. AND THE YOUNG MAN NODDED AND WALKED TO THE RIGHT DOOR AND OPENED THE DOOR. NOW, THE QUESTION FOR YOU-- WHAT CAME OUT OF THAT DOOR? WAS IT THE TIGER OR WAS IT THE LADY? THE LADY OR THE TIGER? YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT THE PRINCESS WAS A YOUNG WOMAN, AND SHE LOVED THAT YOUNG MAN. AND IN HER DREAMS, SHE MUST HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS YOUNG MAN IN THE ARMS OF THAT BEAUTIFUL DAMSEL, WATCHING HIM KISS AND GIVE ATTENTION AND EVENTUALLY MARRY THE YOUNG DAMSEL. ALSO IN HER DREAMS, SHE MUST HAVE THOUGHT IF THE TIGER POPS OUT AND TEARS HER LOVER TO PIECES AND HEARS HIS SCREAMING AND THE FLESH BEING TORN AND THE BLOOD GUSHING FROM HIS WOUNDS AND THE TIGER'S JUST MAULING HIM, WHAT WOULD BE BETTER? IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THAT YOUNG MAN TO DIE IN THAT INSTANT, BUT ALL THE BLOOD, THE GORE, THE SCREAMING, HOW TERRIBLE WOULD THAT BE? NOW, LET ME ASK YOU... WHAT CAME OUT OF THAT DOOR, THE LADY OR THE TIGER?