THE LION. 
247 
came after their comrades to examine pieces 
of skin or bones which they were dragging 
away.’ ” 
“That is another mistake of mine,” said 
Sidney. “I always thought the lion would 
eat nothing hut what he killed himself.” 
“Yes: I know that was one of the stories. 
If you should believe all that the old writers 
said of him, you would think him endowed 
with almost superhuman virtues. It was 
said that he would never attack a child or 
a young virgin, that he never ate any thing 
which was in the least putrid or defiled in 
any way, that he protected the inferior ani¬ 
mals from their tyrants,—and much more to 
the same purpose. It seems to he true that 
they are capable of great affection and gra¬ 
titude ; and the old story of Androcles and 
the lion though very marvellous is not alto¬ 
gether impossible.” 
“What was that?” asked Kichard. “I 
do not know that I ever heard it.” 
“ Androcles was a slave who in the time 
of the Koman empire ran away from his 
master and escaped to the forest, where he 
wandered about in great distress till he 
found a cave, in which he took refuge and 
