In olden times, a barbaric king often used the façade of being genial to lull his enemies into a false sense of security. If there was a criminal case that caught his fancy, he would bring the accused into an amphitheater which had two closed doors side by side, one of which he was to open. Behind one door would be a tiger which would maul him to death. Behind the other would be a lady suitable for marriage. Regardless of the accused's past or current situation, a funeral or wedding would then take place depending on which door he opened. The King loved his daughter, who was as cold hearted as him. She was in a clandestine romance with a young man. The King, upon learning this news, sentenced the man to the fate of the amphitheater. The Princess found out behind which door was the tiger and which was the fair damsel. In gesturing to her lover about which door to choose, would she be condemning him to death or into the arms of another woman?
The king learns that his daughter has a lover, a handsome and brave youth who is of lower status than the princess. The king does not shirk from his duty to hold a tribunal, and the princess' lover is thrown into prison to await his trial in the arena. The princess, meanwhile, through intrigue and influence, discovers which door conceals the lady and which door conceals the tiger. Once in the arena, the accused looks to the princess for help, and she discreetly signals for him to choose the door on the right, which he does. However, it is unclear whether she has sent him to his death or to a marriage with a woman she resents as a rival.
The author then departs from the narration, summarizing for the reader various facts about the princess' state of mind and her attitude towards the woman the king chose for the arena's door, and challenges the reader to decide which door the princess indicated for her lover. The story ends with the famous quotation: "And so I leave it with all of you: Which came out of the opened door – the lady, or the tiger?