Androcles and the Lion

Androcles was a slave working for a Roman consul. The Roman consul was working in Africa.

However Androcles ran away from his master and hid in the forest.

There in the forest he travels for a few days and he was tired when he stumbled upon a cave. He was tired and lying on the hard forest ground, under the shade of a tree and he had almost drifted off to sleep.

Androcles woke up with a start when he heard a loud roar.

He was shocked out of his wits, when he saw that he had fallen asleep just outside the den of a lion and the roar that he had heard was the very lion living in the den. Androcles was terrified and he ran away from the place. He was praying that he escaped the lion and he was gasping for breath and that was when Androcles noticed something very strange.

The lion was not following him!

Androcles was thanking his stars though he just could not understand how the lion had not chased him.

Androcles caught his breath and he heard the roar of the lion again and this time too, the lion did not venture out of the den and the behaviour of the lion confused Androcles some more.

Realizing that the lion was not going to attack him, Androcles was studying the lion from afar. Summoning up his bravery, Androcles slowly went towards the lion. The lion did not move from there as it was looking at Androcles with its sharp eyes.

Androcles noticed the legs of the lion and saw that the lion was holding its front paw in a strange angle. With trembling hands, slowly, he bent down and held the paw of the lion. That was when, he noticed the sharp thorn in the paw of the lion.

Without a second thought, Androcles pulled out the thorn.

The lion roared slightly as the thorn came out and it was lying back in its den. Using the leaves of the forest and the medicinal herbs there, Androcles bound the injured paw of the lion.

After it was over, the lion studied Androcles and licked him happily.

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Androcles was able to stay safe in the jungles for three years. But he was a slave who had escaped his master. After three years he was kept in a prison in Rome.

Thereafter, for trying to escape, Androcles was sentenced to be killed by wild animals in the arena, where all the people could see the spectacle.

The Emperor himself came to see the event as Androcles was brought to the arena.

From the other side, a lion was let loose and it came roaring towards Androcles.

The entire arena was shocked as the lion did nothing and just stood before the terrified Androcles. A few seconds later, the lion licked Androcles and that was when Androcles recognized his friend.

The Emperor heard the entire story from Androcles about why the lion had become so friendly with him. Hearing the story, the Emperor was touched and he freed the man and even the lion was set free to its jungles in Africa.

- Greek Folk Stories.

(The original story was adapted from the story of the ‘Shepherd and the Lion’ from Aesop’s Fables.)