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Androcles and the Lion: Lions

His strength is so prodigious that a single stroke of his paw is sufficient to Now, his master, as was customary for break the back of a horse; and one sweep the pro-consul of Africa, was at that time with his tail will throw a strong man to collecting together a present of all the the ground. A Lion at the Cape of Good largest Lions that could be found in the Hope was once seen to take a heifer in country in order to send them to Rome, his mouth; and though that animal's legs that they might furnish a show for the dragged on the ground, yet he seemed to Roman people, and upon Androcles his carry her off with as much ease as a cat slave surrendering himself, he ordered does a rat; he likewise without difficulty him to be carried to Rome as soon as the leaped over a broad ditch with her. Two Lions were sent there, and that for his yeomen of the Cape of Good Hope being crime he should be exposed to fight one on a hunting-party with several Hottenof the Lions in the amphitheatre, for the pleasure of the people.

Thrown to the Wild Beast. tots, they perceived a Lion dragging a buffalo from the plain to a wood upon a neighboring hill. They, however, soon This was all carried into effect. An- forced him to quit his prey, in order to drocles, after having been all alone in the make a prize of it themselves; and found wilderness, with the probability of being that he had had the sagacity to take out torn to pieces by Lions, was now before a the buffalo's large and unwieldy entrails, multitude of people, in the arena, looking forward to the same dreadful death. in order to be able the more easily to escape with the fleshy part of the carcass.

And as soon as he saw, from the skirts of At length a huge Lion bounded out from the place where he had been kept hungry the wood, that the Hottentots had begun for the show. He was in great rage, and to carry off the flesh to the wagons, he in one or two great leaps he advanced frequently peeped out upon them, and towards Androcles, who was in the centre probably with no little mortification. of the arena, with a short sword in his How he takes his Prey. hand. But suddenly the Lion stopped, The Lion, unless provoked or extremely regarded him with a wistful look, and hungry, does not attack any animal openly; letting his tail droop, crept quietly towards but, when roused by famine, he is said him, and licked and caressed his feet. to fear no danger, and to be repelled by Androcles, after a short pause of great no resistance. The method in which he surprise, discovered that it was his old takes his prey is, almost always, to spring Numidian friend, and immediately re- or throw himself upon it, with one vast newed his acquaintance with him. bound, from the place of his conceal- Their friendship was very surprising to ment: yet, if he chances to miss his leap, the excited beholders, who, upon hearing he will not follow his prey any further; an account of the whole affair from An- but, as though he were ashamed, turning drocles, prayed the Emperor to pardon round towards the place where he lay in him. The Emperor did so, and gave into ambush, he slowly, and step by step, his possession the Lion, who, through measures the exact length between the