The Lion a Noble Animal
_Androcles and the Lion_
Many, many years ago, the Romans ruled a large part of the world; for
they were a great nation. Their territories included the north of
Africa. A rich Roman, who lived there, had many slaves. One of his
slaves was called Androcles (An' dr[=o] cl[=e]z). The Roman treated
Androcles very cruelly. So Androcles ran away from him.
But the Roman sent out many soldiers to capture Androcles. So after
hiding in many places, Androcles was at last compelled to flee into wild
regions, where there were few inhabitants. As the soldiers followed him
even there, he had to go still farther into the interior of the country,
till he came to the jungle. There he lived by eating fruits.
One day, toward evening, he was sitting on the ground, when suddenly he
saw a lion before him. Poor Androcles gave himself up for lost, as he
had no weapon with him with which even to try to fight the lion. He knew
it was useless to try to run away, as the lion could catch him with a
couple of bounds. So he thought that his only chance was to sit quite
still, for then the lion _might_ go away.
But the lion looked at him, and then came toward him. The animal did not
rush toward him or leap. Instead, the lion just walked toward Androcles.
That was strange, Androcles thought. The lion came nearer and
nearer--and then Androcles noticed that the lion walked in a peculiar
manner. That puzzled Androcles. But he sat quite still, hoping that the
lion would yet go away.
But instead the lion came right up to him. _Now_ he would be eaten up,
poor Androcles thought.
Then a wonderful thing happened. Instead of eating him, the lion held
out a paw toward him. Then Androcles understood.
He looked at the lion's paw closely. He saw that the paw was swollen.
Yes, that is why the lion had been _limping_.
Androcles took the paw in his hands and examined it. On the under side
he found a large thorn embedded deep in the flesh. It must have been
there for several days, and must have caused the lion intense pain.
Androcles pulled out the thorn carefully; then he squeezed down the
swelling. That relieved the lion's pain.
Immediately the lion showed his gratitude. He wagged his tail, fawned on
Androcles, and gambolled around him playfully like a dog. He could not
do more to show his feelings.
After a time the lion went away to the jungle.
A year passed. Androcles still lived in hiding. Then at last he was
captured by the soldiers, and brought before the judge.
It used to be the law in those days to condemn runaway slaves to death.
Also, it used to be the custom to put to death Christians and condemned
slaves by casting them to lions.
So one afternoon all the Romans in that place were gathered to make a
holiday. It was a kind of circus they had come to see, only, instead of
having the usual clever tricks which you now see in a circus, the Romans
had fights between men and men, between men and animals--and finally, as
a grand finish, the Christians and the condemned slaves were thrown to
wild lions. Many of the lions had recently been captured from the
jungle; so they were quite wild. And as they had been kept without food
for two or three days on purpose, they were very ferocious and quite
eager to eat the Christians and the condemned slaves.
When it came Androcles' turn to be eaten, he was thrown into the
enclosure, which was called an arena. Then a wild lion, which had been
recently caught from the jungle, was let loose into the arena from a
cage.
Ten thousand Romans looked on to see Androcles die. And Androcles looked
up to the Romans, and found no mercy in them. He looked at the famished
and furious lion--and knew that he must die.
For the lion crouched ten yards before him, lashing his tail in fury.
The lion gave a bound, and came within five yards of Androcles. There
the lion crouched again for a moment--then made a rush at Androcles.
Everyone thought that _now_ the lion would kill Androcles.
But a still more wonderful thing happened. Instead of killing Androcles,
the lion gambolled around him, and fawned on him--as if he were glad to
meet again an old friend.
Then Androcles understood. He had forgotten all about the lion he had
met in the jungle the year before, whose pain he had relieved. But the
lion had not forgotten _him_.
Who says that animals have no memory? This lion had a memory! He carried
in his memory the gratitude of his heart for the pain that Androcles had
relieved. Although Androcles was now dressed differently--in fact, most
of his clothes had been stripped from him--the moment the lion had drawn
near enough to him, he had recognized Androcles as his old friend and
benefactor of the jungle.
Famished as he was, and furious at being kept without food, the lion
would gladly suffer the pangs of hunger rather than injure a hair of his
friend's head. Instead, the lion fawned on him, then lay down before him
like a lamb.
Then something melted in the cruel Romans' hearts; perhaps they realized
that there was some Great Power beyond them, who had inspired a raging
beast of the jungle to be as gentle as a lamb.
The Romans asked Androcles to explain this marvel. He told the story of
his adventure with that lion in the jungle--just as I have told it to
you.
[Illustration: Androcles and the Lion]
Then Androcles was pardoned, and given his freedom, in memory of this
great wonder.
My dear children, this story has a special meaning for us. We are told
that if we cast our bread upon the waters, it shall be returned to us.
That means that if we do an act of kindness, we shall have our reward.
Androcles did an act of kindness to the lion in the jungle. In return
Androcles was given back his life in the arena.
_The Lady and the Lioness_
I shall close this chapter by telling you another true story. It
happened quite recently, in America. In a zoo there was a lioness. She
had two little cubs. She was very fond of them, and she used to lick
them with her tongue many times every day to keep them clean. They used
to trot around her and scramble over her, then lie down beside her, one
on each side, to have another cleaning with her tongue.
One day the lioness and her two cubs were lying like that quite close to
the bars of the cage. One of the visitors there happened to be a man who
had an umbrella. Very foolishly he poked one of the cubs with the
umbrella. He did not mean to hurt the cub; I suppose he only wanted to
_feel_ it. But still it was very foolish to poke the cub with the
umbrella.
In an instant the lioness jumped up with an angry roar, and thrust out
her paw between the bars. Luckily for the man, she could not quite reach
his arm; otherwise she would have dragged him to the bars of the cage
and killed him instantly. Instead, she could only reach the umbrella. So
she seized the umbrella, and wreaked her vengeance on it. She smashed it
to a thousand bits. The man, of course, ran away.
Then gradually the lioness quieted down. She lay down as before in front
of the bars, with the cubs beside her, one on each side. Now and again
she gave them an affectionate lick with her tongue, first one, then the
other. That helped to sooth her feelings somewhat. Still, as you may
well understand, she was bitter at heart at the foolishness of some
people.
Now it so happened that a lady had observed the whole incident. She had
been standing all the time in front of the cage, a few yards away. And
this lady had two little girls with her, one four years old, and the
other six years old.
You may be sure that the lioness saw the lady and the two little
children. After a time the lady came a little nearer to the cage, the
two little girls standing beside her, one on each side. The lady tried
to catch the lioness's eye. Presently their eyes met. While the lioness
was still looking at her, the lady patted her two little girls on the
cheek.
Then the lady came a step nearer the cage. As the lioness licked her
cubs, the lady patted her own little children; and she smoothed their
cheeks and hair.
_The lioness saw that._
The lady was just waiting for that. She came still nearer to the cage.
Each time the lioness licked her cubs, the lady stroked the cheeks of
her own children affectionately.
Then the lady began to speak. She spoke in a very soft voice, very
gently and very slowly. She spoke softly as if she meant only the
lioness to hear her. This is what she said:
"I at least understand you. I too am a mother, like you. See, these are
_my_ two children! I love them as you love yours."
Then the lady took up the children, one on each arm. She kissed the
children, first one, and then the other--and the kiss seemed almost
like the act of the lioness in licking the faces of her own cubs. By
that the lady meant the lioness to understand that the children were
just the same to her as the cubs were to the lioness.
Then the lady spoke again, as softly and tenderly as before:
"My children also love your children. Wouldn't it be nice if they could
play together!"
Then the lady held the smaller girl in front of her. Very timidly the
little girl held out her hand--while her mother looked into the
lioness's eyes.
Well, my dear children, I cannot tell how it happened. Perhaps some
message of love and sympathy and understanding passed between the two
mothers--the mother of the two little girls, and the mother of the two
little cubs. At any rate, this is what actually happened:
Very timidly and very slowly the lady stepped to the cage. The little
girl put her hand between the bars, and petted the cub nearest to her.
The lady moved a little, and the girl petted the other cub. The lioness
looked on all the time.
Then something still more wonderful happened. As the little girl was
petting the cub, the lioness also began to lick the cub; then the
lioness's tongue passed over the cub's body and came to the child's
hand--and _the lioness began to lick the child's hand as if the child
were her own_.
Remember that this was a wild lioness, and untamed. Nobody had ever
dared before even to come within her reach.
Then the lady turned a little, and brought the other girl to the bars of
the cage--and she too petted the cubs. Lastly, the lady put the girls
down, and passed her own hand through the bars. She too petted the cubs,
then finally she stroked the lioness herself.
And that was like a kind of handshake as a good-bye. They parted
friends--like two mothers who had met by chance on the roadside, and
each had admired the children of the other.