Androcles was a slave who had managed to escape from his cruel master. Moving quietly through the forest, he suddenly came upon a lion. Fear seized him, and he began to run from the ferocious beast. After only a few steps though, he noticed that the lion was not following. So he stopped and went back to see what was happening. The lion was lying on the ground with a swollen and bloodied paw, and Androcles could see a large thorn in it. The suffering of so noble a beast touched his heart. He overcame his fear, approached the lion, and gently pulled out the thorn. He then went on to bind the wound with a strip of fabric torn from his own clothes. In this way, Androcles and the lion became friends.
Unfortunately, Androcles was later captured by the emperor's soldiers. As an escaped slave, he was sentenced to fight a hungry lion in front of the emperor and a large crowd. This usually meant death.
On the day of the fight, Androcles was placed in the arena. He prepared himself to meet his fate. A lion was released from a cage. Growling fiercely, it leaped towards its victim. Then suddenly it stopped. It approached Androcles slowly, licked his hand, and received a hug in return. The two friends had met once again.
The crowd called for Androcles to be freed. The emperor summoned him yo his presence. When he heard the story of this unusual friendship, he gave Androcles his freedom and released the lion to roam the forests.
