Androclus and the LionAn escaped slave hides in the woods and encounters a limping lion... in a brave act of generosity, he administers to the lion's wound before being apprehended by the Romans. As punishment for fleeing, he is taken to the amphitheatre and attacked by a pack of lions!
As another cold drop of water dripped over Androclus' face, he trembled. He raised his gaze to the cave roof over his head. Another drop landed beside him on the rocky shelf.
Androclus put his arms around himself and drew his robe across his shoulders to keep warm.
It was pointless trying to sleep in this cave, he lamented. At the very least, the troops who were looking for him would not find him in here, and perhaps neither would the lions. Androclus certainly hoped so. The last thing he needed was a fearsome lion to enter the cave. The animal would most likely be hungry, at which point... Androclus didn't want to consider what might happen.
'At least I'm free now,' thought Androclus, attempting to cheer himself up.
One thing he was confident of - his evil master, Publius Sirius, would not be able to beat him today and then send him off to do a day's hard labour in his vineyards, bruised and aching. Androclus had despised his master since the day Publius acquired him in Rome's slave market.
It took four years for Androclus to escape from Publius' estate. Androclus was now hidden inside the cave, contemplating his escape from Italy. He planned to stay in the cave until it was dark. The soldiers ordered by Publius to apprehend him would not be looking for him at night. Then Androclus intended to exit the cave and travel to the coast. He wanted to get a boat and sail back to Greece from there.
Androclus glanced at the light beams streaming into the cave. The sun appeared to be low in the sky at this point. It could get dark shortly.
"I must investigate," Androclus mumbled. He peeked through the cave's opening. "Excellent," he murmured, looking up at the great blue sky. "The sun will set in about an hour."
Androclus noticed the lion as he turned to return to the cave. His skin pricked up with fear. He recoiled when a low, rumbling roar erupted from the lion's throat. It was just a few metres away from him. It was a massive beast with a flowing mane and a huge swishing tail. But there was something odd about it. The lion had to have noticed Androclus by now, right?
It appeared to be more preoccupied with its front paw, which it was holding off the ground and occasionally licking. It would occasionally let forth a plaintive wail, as if in pain.
Androclus realised why when he looked at the paw. It was quite swollen and dark in colour. Obviously, it was excruciatingly painful. Androclus felt terrible for the injured beast. He wanted to help, but the risk was too great.
Androclus was a gentle soul. He adored animals and couldn't bear the thought of even a ferocious lion in pain. His decision was made swiftly. Androclus approached the lion with caution. The lion was now sitting, whining, and licking its paw. It looked up when it heard Androclus approaching. Androclus noticed that instead of the lion's normal wild, savage glance, this one was looking at him pleadingly as if it needed help.
Androclus slowly reached out his hand and stroked the lion's mane. The lion, to his relief, let him do it.
"You've got a terrible paw there, poor old fellow," Androclus whispered.
"Let's take a look at it - don't worry, I won't hurt you!"
As Androclus touched the lion's paw, it howled. Androclus had a terrifying moment when he feared it was going to assault him. But when it saw Androclus, the howl turned into a whine. Androclus gingerly lifted the lion's front leg to examine the wounded paw.
One of the pads had a huge, sharp spike buried in it. It resembled a huge thorn or a shard of metal.
"It has to come out," Androclus stated. It was best to have it done promptly.
Androclus gripped the spike and yanked. The lion let forth a thunderous roar as he did so.
Androclus returned to the cave to get some water from one of the many puddles on the floor. Androclus ripped his cloak into two large sections, dipped them in ice-cold water, and headed back outdoors.
Androclus cleaned his sore paw and wrapped it in the long, moist strips of cloth for a few minutes. The lion always kept an eye on him. It would occasionally make a purring sound. After a period, the swelling in the paw started to subside and it did not appear as dark as before. Androclus was relieved to notice that the lion's eyes were less painful.
Finally, he created a pad out of one of the wet cloth strips, placed it over the wound, and wrapped the paw in another strip.
"It will keep it safe till it recovers," he explained to the lion. 'In an odd way,'
'The lion appears to comprehend,' Androclus thought. The lion was feeling much better. It stood up on three legs and started hobbling around. It hobbled forward a few feet, and before long, the lion was moving away from Androclus, who was standing nearby.
The lion then proceeded to walk faster till it vanished over a little ridge.
Androclus had no idea that three soldiers were watching him while he observed the lion. They had found Androclus outside the cave and sneaked up behind him as he cared for the lion. The soldiers were now hiding behind boulders higher up the slope, waiting for the lion to vanish.
"All right," one of the soldiers murmured to the others after the lion had vanished. "Let's go get him!"
Androclus heard the soldiers scrambling from behind the boulder, but it was too late by the time he started running. One of the soldiers snatched Androclus by the waist and flung him on the rough ground. The soldier bound his wrists together with rope as the other two kept him down.
Androclus was in tears. It was so unjust that his compassion for the lion should end in this way.
One of the soldiers pushed Androclus hard.
"Your lord, Publius Sirius, wants to see you," he explained. "He has a specific penalty for escaped slaves!"
"What is it? What is going to happen to me?" Knowing how vicious Publius Sirius was, Androclus exclaimed.
The soldiers burst out laughing. "You'll see!" they grumbled. "And when you do, you'll be sorry you ever considered fleeing."
Androclus sat on the floor of a deep underground cellar, his hands shackled to a ring sunk into the stone wall, three weeks later. Another man, chained in the same manner, sat nearby, and another next to him. They could all hear the throng conversing and laughing in their seats around the amphitheatre from above their heads. The intensity in their words indicated that the crowd was expecting a bloodthirsty sport. After all, it wasn't every day that escaped slaves and fearsome lions were thrown together in an arena. Emperor Tiberius himself was on his way to observe.
This was undoubtedly a special punishment, as Publius Sirius had intended. 'This time, there is no prospect of escape,' Androculus thought bitterly. A burst of cheering erupted from above, in the amphitheatre. "The Emperor has arrived," said the man next to Androclus. "It won't be too long!"
The bolts on the cellar door were drawn back a few moments later, and the door creaked open. A contingent of soldiers marched in and began untying Androclus and the other slaves. They were shoved towards the cellar's centre, and a massive grille at the far end was raised. Beyond it was the sand-covered arena, the impatiently awaiting audience, and the lions. Androclus fell forward after feeling a stinging push in his back. He emerged into the blinding sunlight that filled the arena with the other slaves. When the audience noticed them, they let out a loud cry of delight.
A scraping sound could be heard from across the arena, and a grille at the opposite end moved up. Instantly, ten or twelve lions sprang out and began rushing across the dunes to where the slaves waited, terrified.
The first lion to arrive jumped upwards, giving Androculus a fleeting view of its belly before it pounced on a slave and knocked him to the ground. Androclus and the other slaves began to flee. They dashed into the arena's centre or around its outside.
As they watched, the audience clapped and chanted. They mocked slaves who attempted to scale the walls to escape, only to see lions rush up and drag them back.
Androclus was startled to see a lion charging at him. He tried to move out of the way, but the enormous beast was on him before he could. The lion's claws tore into Androclus' arm, causing intense anguish. Androclus could feel the lion's sharp, curved fangs digging into his flesh at any minute.
But nothing of the sort happened. Instead, the lion began licking the scratches on Androclus' arm, much to his surprise. When the crowd realised what was going on, their joy changed to astonishment.
When the lion had licked Androclus' arm, it knelt beside him and placed its paw across his chest, as if to protect him.
Even Emperor Tiberius stood up, his mouth wide open in wonder. Nothing like this had ever happened at the amphitheatre.
Androclus raised his hands and shifted the lion's gaze to him. "I recognise you," Androclus said. "You haven't forgotten about me."
As Androclus lifted its paw to gaze at it, the lion purred. There was, indeed, a small, round hole in one of the pads. This was the lion that Androclus had cared for in the cave. It was now expressing its gratitude. The lion had not only not killed Androclus, but it was also growling angrily at the other lions.
The entire amphitheatre was suddenly in a frenzy. The Emperor directed the animal keepers to return the other lions to their dungeon. Unharmed slaves stood and sobbed with relief at their surprise escape from death.
Androclus stood up and brushed the sand off his tunic. The lion sat meekly beside him, adoringly looking up at him. Everyone in the audience was clapping. Even the Emperor joined in the cheering as Androclus strolled around the arena, the lion following him like a faithful dog.
Emperor Tiberius was so amused that he liberated Androclus.
"A man who can tame the wildest of beasts cannot be a slave," the Emperor told Androclus, who was overjoyed.
Androclus was overjoyed when the Emperor allowed him to keep the lion as his own. Following that, the two of them became well-known in Rome.
Wherever Androclus went, the lion went too. Even when Androclus did not put the lion on a leash, no one was terrified to encounter them in the street. After all, wasn't it Rome's most docile lion?
