31 Androcles and the Lion

31. ANDROCLES AND

THE LION

By Rob John

Once there was a slave called

Androcles who belonged to a very

cruel master. Androcles worked all

day long in his master’s fields and

was never paid a single penny. He

was always tired and hungry and

one night Androcles decided to

escape.

He waited until his master was fast

asleep then he crept out of the

house...and silently made his way

into the forest...and started

running.

Androcles knew that if he was

caught he’d be punished so he ran

all night and in the morning he

lay down to rest. He’d just fallen

asleep when he was woken by a

terrible roaring sound.

Androcles jumped to his feet and

standing right in front of him was

a huge Lion. He was about to run

away when he noticed the lion was

holding out his paw...and...he

wasn’t really roaring...he was

crying because a huge thorn was

sticking out of his paw.

‘Ouch! No wonder you’re crying,’

said Androcles to the lion. ‘I’d like

to help you but if I come any closer

you’ll probably eat me.’

But the lion had such a sad look in

its eye that before Androcles had

time to think he’d stepped forward

and pulled out the thorn.

The lion opened his mouth and let

out a terrible cry...

...and for a moment Androcles

thought he was going to be eaten

but instead of biting Androcles the

lion gently licked his face.

Androcles fetched some water from

a stream and washed the Lion’s

bleeding paw.

‘You’ll be alright now,’ said Andro

cles.

The lion licked Androcles one last

time as if to say ‘thank you’ then

limped off into the forest. Then

Androcles heard a voice

‘That’s him. Quickly...tie him up.’

1Androcles knew that voice. It was

his master. Six men grabbed An

drocles and tied him up with ropes.

‘Thought you would escape did

you?’ said the master. ‘Nobody

escapes from me.’

Now Androcles was in really big

trouble. The men took Androcles to

the city and threw him in prison.

Next day a prison guard brought

Androcles some food.

‘Do you hear that roaring Andro

cles? We haven’t fed that lion since

we caught him. But he’s going to

have plenty to eat tomorrow when

we put you in his cage.’

Next morning Androcles was taken

to a huge arena like a football sta

dium. The Emperor and thousands

of his people had come to see a

man being eaten by a lion.

In the centre of the arena was a

cage and in the cage was a huge,

very hungry lion.

The crowd clapped and cheered as

the guards pushed Androcles into

the cage and slammed the door

shut.

Everyone went very still as the

lion leapt towards Androcles. But

then something odd happened. The

lion stopped and stood very still.

He knew this man. He’d seen him

somewhere before. Then he re

membered the thorn that had stuck

in his paw.

‘Are you going to eat me then old

friend?’ said Androcles.

But the lion just purred and licked

the slaves face

At first the crowd were angry. This

wasn’t supposed to happen. They

hadn’t paid good money to see a

lion lick a man’s face.

But the Emperor stood up and said,

‘This is the most amazing thing

I’ve ever seen.’ $nd he started to

clap...

...and the people thought, ‘If the

Emperor’s clapping then maybe I

should clap too.’

Soon clapping and cheering rang

round the arena. Androcles was

taken to the palace and when the

Emperor heard the story of the lion

and the thorn he announced that

both Androcles and the lion should

be given their freedom.

2‘Androcles, you helped the lion so

the lion helped you’ said the Emperor.

‘See how one good deed leads to

another. You’re a free man now.’

Androcles and the lion walked out

of the city together; both free.

3