THE LION. 49 



through the bars, he saw the lion and the keeper lying side 

 by side, and immediately uttered a loud cry. The lion 

 started up and stared at the carpenter with an eye of fury, and 

 then, placing his paw on the breast of his keeper, lay down 

 to sleep again. The carpenter, terrified at what he saw, ran 

 off to secure help, whereupon some of the attendants suc- 

 ceeded in arousing the keeper who, far from being disconcerted 

 by the circumstances, took the paw of the lion and shook 

 it gently in token of regard and the animal quietly returned 

 with him to his former residence. M. Felix, the keeper of 

 the animals at Paris, had charge of a lion which refused 

 food, and became sullen and mopish during the temporary 

 absence of M. Felix through illness, but who regained his 

 spirits and showed every demonstration of joy upon the 

 reappearance of M. Felix at his post of duty. 

 The story of With SO many authentic instances which can 

 Androoles. ^g cited of the amenability of the lion to kindly 

 influences, the story of Androcles and the lion does not seem so 

 improbable as it has been sometimes thought. The following 

 is the story : — In the days of ancient Rome, a Roman governor 

 treated one of his slaves or subjects, called Androcles, so 

 cruelly that he ran away. To escape pursuit he fled to a 

 desert and crept into a cave. What was his horror to find 

 that this cave was a lion's den, and to see a large lion 

 approach him ! He expected instantly to be destroyed ; but 

 the lion, approaching Androcles, held up his paw or foot 

 with a rmpplicating air. Androcles examined the lion's paw, 

 and found a thorn in it which he drew out, and the lion, 

 apparently relieved, fawned upon his benefactor as a dog 

 does upon his master. After some time Androcles ventured 

 back to the place where he lived before. He was discovered, 

 taken up as a runaway slave, and condemned to be the prey 

 of a wild beast. He was accordingly thrown into a place 

 where a large lion, recently caught, was let in upon him. 

 The lion came bounding toward Androcles, and the spec- 



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