The Man and the Lion: A Story on Gratefulness

Aesop’s fables are old classics that teach young readers good life lessons. These lessons have hidden moral values that a reader follows. In this story, a lion was saved by a man. In return, the lion saved the man. What happened to the lion? What did the man do to save him? How was the man saved by the lion? Find out by reading this interesting story.

Jacob Escaped Slavery

Once upon a time in Greece, there was a soldier named Jacob. He was caught by the enemies and enslaved in the emperor’s castle. He got a chance to escape one night. When all the guards were dozing, he jumped from a wall and landed on a huge tree and escaped. It took him hours to reach the deepest part of the forest and hid in a cave.

The Injured Lion

He went deeper inside the cave to get out of plain sight and encountered a lion. He was frightened to see a lion.  The lion also felt the presence of a man and growled.

Jacob heard the growls and roars of proud lions before. This one did not seem to be right. He went closer with all his courage and saw the lion licking its paw. One of his paws was injured by a big thorn and had lost a lot of blood. The lion was weak and unable to move. Jacob felt pity and compassion. He understood what injuries he had as a soldier.

He mustered courage and approached the lion. The lion understood this man was not going to harm him. He kept calm. Jacob lifted the heavy paw and carefully pulled out the thorn. The lion was relieved. Jacob went outside the cave. The sun was yet to rise.

Jacob Saved the Lion

He gathered some herbs and smashed them in his palm. He tore a piece of his cloth and applied the herb on the injured paw. When he was tying the piece of cloth, the lion licked his hands in gratitude.

The Next Unfortunate Day

Luck was not on his side that day. Jacob woke up in the cave. The lion was not by his side but a few men were pointing their spears. He was caught again and brought to the same castle. The Emperor convicted him of a crime and threw him in front of a lion.

Everyone in the gallery was waiting for blood and gore. To everyone’s surprise, the lion came and licked his hands. The emperor was stunned to see a lion being tamed by a mere slave.

The Lion Did Not Attack Jacob

The Story About Gratitude

He asked Jacob the story behind this bizarre incident. Jacob explained that he was the same lion captured by soldiers whom he treated. The lion recognised and showed him gratitude for saving his life. The lion, in return, saved Jacob’s life in the arena.

The emperor was moved. He freed Jacob and gave him the lion. They both left enjoying their newfound freedom.

Moral of the Story

This tale of stories about gratitude describes how good deeds always get rewarded. It also explains how the lion showed gratitude to someone who helped him. The moral is ‘one good turn deserves another.”

Tips for Parents

The children's stories about gratitude are ideal for teaching moral values. Children will learn what gratitude is and how they should be grateful when someone helps them. It also describes that good deeds bring good rewards. One way or the other, when someone does good, he also gets the same return.