THE LION. 
17 
greatest rage ; at one moment growling over his meat, 
and at the next flying at, and trying to bite those who 
distinbed him at his meal. One of the soldiers, going 
forward towards the cave, called “Nero, poor Nero,dont 
yon know your master.” The Lion, before so fierce, in¬ 
stantly knew bis voice, and turning his eyes upon him, 
left his meat and went towards him, showing every token 
of joy and submission. The soldier patted his head, 
which the Lion in return, rubbed against his hand, 
showing as many marks of affection as the dog does, 
after being long separated from his master. The com¬ 
pany were astonished at so sudden a change, in the ac¬ 
tions of the fierce animal, and asked the soldier who he 
was, and why the Lion was so glad to see him. The 
soldier told them that when Nero was brought out from 
Gibraltar, three years before, he was on board the ship, 
and had the care of him on the passage. They had not 
met, he said, from that time to the present, and he was 
quite happy to find that the poor beast could show so 
much gratitude for his former attentions. 
ANECI)OT.E III. 
There are many stories, which show the generosity 
and gratitude of the Lion. The following one, has been 
often told, and is contained in many books, but is not 
therefore, the less interesting to those who have not be¬ 
fore read it. 
When Rome was mistress of the world, she had a 
colony in Africa, over which a governor was appointed. 
This governor had many servants, or slaves under his 
command, and being a cruel man he sometimes treated 
them so ill, that they run away from him. Among 
these slaves, there was one named Androcles, who was 
so cruelly treated, that rather than live with his master, 
he escaped into the desert, where being exhausted with 
hunger and fatigue, he took shelter in a cave, among 
the rocks, to rest himself. He had not been there long, 
before an enormous Lion came in where he was. An¬ 
drocles seeing that he could not escape, gave himself up 
for lost, and expected the beast would instantly tear him 
in pieces. 
The Lion went up to him, but instead of growling, or 
offering to do him any injury, held up his paw, which 
was wounded and bloody, and seemed to want the man’s 
help. Androcles knowing that he was in the animal’s 
power, and thinking that nothing he could do, would 
add to his danger, did not try to get out of his way, but 
took hold of his foot, and looked at it. He there found 
a large thorn, sticking in his flesh, and which the animal 
seemed to wish him to pull out. The man did not 
know but in taking it out, he should so hurt the beast, 
that he would destroy him on the spot, but with a tremb- 
|> ling hand, he ventured to pull out the thorn, when to 
his great joy, he found that the grateful beast, instead of 
) hurting, caressed him in the kindest manner. At night, 
{ the man and Lion lay down, and slept together in the 
\ greatest harmony, and the next night the beast went 
\ out, in search of prey, and having caught some, brought 
' it to the den, and laid it down at the man’s feet. The 
\ man cooked his meat by building a fire of such small 
\ wood as he could find, and in this way Androcles lived 
! with the Lion for three years; the Lion every day 
bringing him such game as he could catch. 
At the end of this time, the man knowing that his 
cruel master was no longer governor in Africa, and think¬ 
ing that himself was forgotten, left the Lion’s den, when 
the animal was absent, and went back to the Roman 
colony, where he had before lived. 
But being unfortunately known as a runaway slave, 
he was taken up, and sent to Rome, to his old master, 
who had before gone there. In Rome, at that time, the 
master had the power of putting his slave to death for the 
crime of running away, and the master of Androcles, 
was so unfeeling, as to order that he should be thrown 
to a Lion, as a punishment for the crime of escaping from 
his own cruelty. The people assembled in great crowds 
to see such an awful death as they expected this poor 
slave would meet with, just as they assemble in this 
country, when they expect some miserable man is to be 
hanged. Androcles, being placed in a situation where 
he could not escape, and where the people could see 
him, an enormous Lion was let loose upon him as his 
executioner. The man in the agony of his situation, 
did not know the Lion, and had no doubt but his last 
moment of life had come. But the grateful beast, 
instead of opening his terrible jaws to devour the poor 
slave, fell down at his feet, and fawned upon him, and 
caressed him, as a dog would do, who had found his long 
lost master. Androcles then saw to his great joy, that 
this was the Lion, with which he had so long lived in 
Africa, and who, like himself, had been caught and car- 
( ried to Rome, to be exhibited at the public shows. 
1 ’ The Roman emperor, hearing of this singular friend¬ 
ship, between the Lion and Androcles, ordered not only 
that the slave should be set free, but also that the Lion 
should be given to him as a present. The Lion would 
never leave his kind master, nor would Androcles ever 
forsake his friend the Lion, to whom he had twice owed 
his life. The slave now becoming a freeman, led his 
\ Lion about the streets of Rome without fear, and the 
s people being curious to see such an instance of friend- 
} ship, gave him so much money for the sight, that he soon 
( became rich, by showing his Lion. 
Here we see that a poor dumb beast was capable of 
< showing gratitude, or of returning good for good, fora 
