The legend of Androcles and the lion has undergone several modifications through ages. It was adopted by Aesop in his famous fable where Androcles is portrayed as a fugitive slave who ran away from his cruel master and befriended a wounded lion which later refused to harm him. In his famous play, 'Androcles and the Lion' (1912) , George Bernard Shaw(1856-1950) presents Androcles as a compassionate Christian tailor who was saved in the Roman amphitheatre by the lion he once nursed. In one version of the story, it was the rule and custom of a country that any slave who ran away from his master was to be captured and thrown into an arena before a hungry lion. The king's army would arrest such slaves and bring the culprits before the king for trial and judgment. Thousands of people used to gather around the arena to enjoy the public massacre. Fierce lions were captured from the forest by the hunters appointed by the king and kept in strong cages in the palace. They were starved before being let loose in the fenced arena into which the helpless slaves were thrown down mercilessly amidst the applause of thousands in the gallery around the arena. Androcles was a poor slave who suffered heavily under a cruel master. He escaped into a dense forest and sought refuge in a cave. He was chased by the king's armed guards who searched the forest thoroughly to find him. A wild lion with a large thorn stuck in its right paw entered the cave, limping on three legs and crying in great pain. He raised the swollen paw and showed it to Androcles who examined it with great care and compassion. He carefully removed the thorn and applied the fresh juice of medicinal herbs to alleviate the pain and cure the wound. The lion felt relieved and licked the hands of Androcles as a mark of gratitude and love. He wagged his tail like a tame dog and left the cave thankfully. A few days later, the king's men traced Androcles and captured him. He was produced before the king. As Androcles was proved to have run away from his master, the king ordered that he shall be thrown to be eaten by a wild lion in the arena the next day. Thousands arrived to witness the cruel murder. The king and the queen was seated in a special box. Androcles was brought to the arena . He knelt down and prayed to God fervently. A hungry lion was brought in a cage in a carriage. Its heavy grating was opened and the lion was let free to attack the helpless Androcles. The hungry lion jumped from the cage into the arena, roaring fiercely, ready to pounce upon his prey. But, quite unexpectedly the lion became tame as he approached Androcles. He wagged his tail and licked Androcles with great affection. The lion recognized Androcles as the person who removed the thorn from his painful paw and affectionately nursed him before the lion was caught from the forest and was taken into the custody of the king's troops. Everyone was struck with wonder. The king learned from Androcles the story of his encounter with the lion and praised his kindness. The king was deeply impressed by the compassionate behaviour of Androcles which enabled him to show mercy and love even to animals. The king stopped the practice of killing the slaves who ran away from their masters. Androcles was freed from slavery and was granted full freedom. Androcles was appointed as an important officer in the king's palace but he thankfully declined the offer and devoted his life to care for the poor, the sick and the illiterate people of his country. Jesus Christ taught, "Happy are those who are merciful to others; God will be merciful to them!"
I won't have access to a computer for a week or so, but I will try to catch up on posts when I get my computer back. See you soon, I hope your holidays were full of joy and compassion and mercy!
-LifeOO
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