The Lady or The Tiger

The Lady or The Tiger / by Frank R. Stockton. – West Paterson New Jersey, Lotus Bud Press, 2011. - 30x35 mm., oblong, np; ill.


Paper over board, title and illustration on front. Coloured illustrations. Set in Papyrus, 3.5 point. Numbered and signed copy 1/6

First published in The Century, 1882. 
 

From The Captain's Toll-Gate, 1903

Francis  Richard Stockton (1834-1903) American writer and humorist. He has the reputation as one of the greatest humorists and children’s authors of his time.
Stockton’s first major success arrived with the 1879 publication of Rudder Grange, a collection of stories based on a married couple and their servant. His most famous work, however, was the fable, “The Lady, or the Tiger?” which was published in 1882 by Century magazine. A man was sentenced to an unusual punishment for having a romance with a king's beloved daughter. Taken to the public arena, he is faced with two doors, behind one of which is a hungry tiger that will devour him. Behind the other is a beautiful lady, whom he will have to marry, if he finds her. While the crowd waits anxiously for his decision, he sees the princess among the spectators, who points him to the door on the right. The lover starts to open the door and ... the story ends abruptly there. Did the princess save her love by pointing to the door leading to the lady-in-waiting, or did she prefer to see her lover die rather than see him marry someone else? That discussion hook has made the story a staple in English classes in American schools, especially since Stockton was careful never to hint at what he thought the ending would be.
(After H. Collins Haydn in The Thesaurus of Book Digests).

Children's Library

Carved wooden cabinet with four legs and hinged glazed wooden door. Containing  nine (of ten) volumes children’s library, 45x35 mm; [c. 1880]
Brown paper wrappers with title on front and spine.
Written by Ada (pseudonym of H.G.G. van Steensel van der Aa.). The Four seasons originally written by Klara Reichner and translated by Ada.

Titles are:
- Practische huishoudelijke raadgever. - 61 p.  (Practical housekeeping counselor)
- De vier jaargetijden; voordracht voor 5 meisjes van Klara Reichner, vertaald door Ada. - 62   p. (The Four seasons; sketch for five girls)
- Albumversjes en gedachten voor poëzie-album. – 62 p. (Poetry and thoughts for the poetry album)
- De goede toon. – 46 p. (About etiquette)
- Kookboek. – 64 p. (Cookery book)
- Onze bloementuin. – 60 p. (Our flowergarden)
- Onze kamertuin. – 76 p. (Our house flowers)
- Kasboekje. – n.p. (Cash-book)
- Uitgeleende boeken. – n.p. (Lending books)

Missing:  De kleine zwijnenhouder. (The small  swine shepherd).