Androcles and the lion
It
happened in the old days at Rome that a slave named Androcles escaped from
his master and fled into the forest, and he wandered there for a long time
until he was weary and well nigh spent with hunger and despair. Just then
he heard a lion near him moaning and groaning and at times roaring terribly.
Tired as he was Androcles rose up and rushed away, as he thought, from the
lion; but as he made his way through the bushes he stumbled over the root
of a tree and fell down lamed, and when he tried to get up there he saw the
lion coming towards him, limping on three feet and holding his forepaw in
front of him. Poor Androcles was in despair; he had not strength to rise and
run away, and there was the lion coming upon him. But when the great beast
came up to him instead of attacking him it kept on moaning and groaning and
looking at Androcles, who saw that the lion was holding out his right paw,
which was covered with blood and much swollen. Looking more closely at it
Androcles saw a great big thorn pressed into the paw, which was the cause
of all the lion's trouble. Plucking up courage he seized hold of the thorn
and drew it out of the lion's paw, who roared with pain when the thorn came
out, but soon after found such relief from it that he fawned upon Androcles
and showed, in every way that he knew, to whom he owed the relief. Instead
of eating him up he brought him a young deer that he had slain, and Androcles
managed to make a meal from it. For some time the lion continued to bring
the game he had killed to Androcles, who became quite fond of the huge beast.
But
one day a number of soldiers came marching through the forest and found
Androcles, and as he could not explain what he was doing they took him prisoner
and brought him back to the town from which he had fled. Here his master
soon found him and brought him before the authorities, and he was condemned
to death because he had fled from his master. Now it used to be the custom
to throw murderers and other criminals to the lions in a huge circus, so
that while the criminals were punished the public could enjoy the spectacle
of a combat between them and the wild beasts. So Androcles was condemned
to be thrown to the lions, and on the appointed day he was led forth into
the Arena and left there alone with only a spear to protect him from the
lion. The Emperor was in the royal box that day and gave the signal for
the lion to come out and attack Androcles. But when it came out of its cage
and got near Androcles, what do you think it did? Instead of jumping upon
him it fawned upon him and stroked him with its paw and made no attempt
to do him any harm. It was of course the lion which Androcles had met in
the forest. The Emperor, surprised at seeing such a strange behavior in
so cruel a beast, summoned Androcles to him and asked him how it happened
that this particular lion had lost all its cruelty of disposition. So Androcles
told the Emperor all that had happened to him and how the lion was showing
its gratitude for his having relieved it of the thorn. Thereupon the Emperor
pardoned Androcles and ordered his master to set him free, while the lion
was taken back into the forest and let loose to enjoy liberty once more.
