where there were few inhabitants. As the soldiers followed him
even there, he had to go still farther into the interior of the country,
till he came to the jungle. There he lived by eating fruits.

One day, toward evening, he was sitting on the ground, when suddenly he
saw a lion before him. Poor Androcles gave himself up for lost, as he
had no weapon with him with which even to try to fight the lion. He knew
it was useless to try to run away, as the lion could catch him with a
couple of bounds. So he thought that his only chance was to sit quite
still, for then the lion _might_ go away.

But the lion looked at him, and then came toward him. The animal did not
rush toward him or leap. Instead, the lion just walked toward Androcles.

That was strange, Androcles thought. The lion came nearer and
nearer--and then Androcles noticed that the lion walked in a peculiar
manner. That puzzled Androcles. But he sat quite still, hoping that the
lion would yet go away.

But instead the lion came right up to him. _Now_ he would be eaten up,
poor Androcles thought.

Then a wonderful thing happened. Instead of eating him, the lion held
out a paw toward him. Then Androcles understood.

He looked at the lion's paw closely. He saw that the paw was swollen.
Yes, that is why the lion had been _limping_.

Androcles took the paw in his hands and examined it. On the under side
he found a large thorn embedded deep in the flesh. It must have been
there for several days, and must have caused the lion intense pain.

Androcles pulled out the thorn carefully; then he squeezed down the
swelling. That relieved the lion's pain.

Immediately the lion showed his gratitude. He wagged his tail, fawned on
Androcles, and gambolled around him playfully like a dog. He could not
do more to show his feelings.

After a time the lion went away to the jungle.

A year passed. Androcles still lived in hiding. Then at last he was
captured by the soldiers, and brought before the judge.

It used to be the law in those days to condemn runaway slaves to death.
Also, it used to be the custom to put to death Christians and condemned
slaves by casting them to lions.

So one afternoon all the Romans in that place were gathered to make a
holiday. It was a kind of circus they had come to see, only, instead of
having the usual clever tricks which you now see in a circus, the Romans
had fights between men and men, between men and animals--and finally, as
a grand fi