The Androcles and Lion Story

This is an Aesop fable that depicts how grateful even the fiercest of animals can be. Androcles was enslaved by a king. He was caught and thrown in front of a lion. The lion did not kill him. Why did the lion not kill him? Why was he saved by the lion? Find out by reading this interesting story.

A Slave Named Androcles and the Lion

There was a man named Androcles. He was a soldier and was captured by the enemies. He was enslaved and held in the castle. One night, he found a loophole in the security and escaped.

Androcles, the slave

He went deep into the jungle. He found a cave and decided to take a rest for the night. When I entered the cave, it was dark. He lit a fire and was shocked to see a lion sitting inside.

The lion had already got his scent but did not attack. After watching closely, he found that the lion was writhing in pain. He looked deeply and saw that the lion was holding his right paw ahead.

He understood the lion had been badly injured by a porcupine quill. The lion’s eyes were asking for help. He went close to the lion and realised how tired he was.

He gently pulled the quill out. The lion was bleeding. He tore his cloth and bandaged the lion’s paw. The lion felt grateful and licked his hands.

He left the cave and took shelter in a tree.

Androcles Got Caught

The next day, he woke up from the barks of dogs. He was traced by the royal dogs and the soldiers surrounded the tree.

He had to surrender. The soldier took him back to the king. The king ordered the soldiers to throw him at the hungry lion.

There was a pit in the arena. A hungry lion was waiting inside. Androcles was thrown into the pit. The lion was annoyed and hungry. He came closer to Androcles. Everyone was watching from above. It was entertainment for the people of the kingdom to watch lions feed on humans.

To everyone’s surprise, the lion sniffed and recognised Androcles. It was the man who saved him from a bad injury.

He licked Androcles’ hands and sat beside him. The lion even roared to the people watching from above.

The lion recognised Androcles

The king was stunned to see this. He has never witnessed such a bizarre thing before. He summoned the slave and listen to the entire story.

The king was moved by the kindness of the man and the gratefulness of the lion. He freed both of them.

Moral of the Story

The Androcles And The Lion Story Moral is to be kind to others and be grateful to those who have helped you in crucial times. These two traits make a person a better human being.

Tips for Parents

Read the Androcles and the Lion Story PDF to the children. Make them understand what kindness and gratitude are. They will realise how important it is to be a kind and grateful human being. Explain the moral of this story and encourage them to read more.