Androcles and the Lion
Aesop's Fables · 1 min read
A slave named Androcles, fleeing cruel treatment, hid in a forest cave and came upon a lion writhing in pain, a large thorn embedded deep in his paw. Though terrified, Androcles approached gently and carefully pulled the thorn free, and the grateful lion, rather than harming him, let him stay in the cave and even brought him food for several days.
Androcles was eventually captured and, as punishment for having fled, sentenced to face a hungry lion in the arena before a cheering crowd. When the lion was released, it ran toward him — then stopped short, recognizing its old friend, and instead of attacking, nuzzled him affectionately.
The astonished emperor, learning the whole story from Androcles himself, was so moved that he freed both the man and the lion, who were said to have walked through the city together afterward, their unlikely friendship remembered for years.
Moral of the story
A single act of kindness, even to a wild creature, can be repaid when you least expect it.