itunes

Our iTunes Page

Androcles and the Lion

71 Comments
Leave a comment

Download Androcles and the Lion

LionA slave runs away from his master and hides in the woods - then finds himself face to face with a limping lion….

The tale of Androcles and the Lion is said to have been written by Aesop - the great Greek storyteller who always summed up his stories from the animal kingdom with a moral. In the case of Androcles, the lesson is that “Gratitude is the sign of a noble soul!”

Read by Natasha. Duration 6 minutes 5 seconds

It happened in ancient times that a slave named Androcles escaped from his master and fled into the forest, and he wandered there for a long time until he was weary and well nigh spent with hunger and despair.

Just then he heard a lion near him moaning and groaning and at times roaring terribly. Tired as he was Androcles rose up and rushed away from the lion; but as he made his way through the bushes he stumbled over the root of a tree and fell down twisting his ankle, and when he tried to get up there he saw the lion coming towards him, limping on three feet and holding his forepaw in front of him.

Poor Androcles was in despair; he had not strength to rise and run away, and there was the lion coming upon him. But when the great beast came up to him instead of attacking him it kept on moaning and groaning and looking at Androcles, who saw that the lion was holding out his right paw, which was covered with blood and much swollen. Looking more closely at it Androcles saw a great big thorn pressed into the paw, which was the cause of all the lion’s trouble. Plucking up courage he seized hold of the thorn and drew it out of the lion’s paw, who roared with pain when the thorn came out, but soon after found such relief from it that he rubbed up against Androcles and showed, in every way that he knew, that he was truly thankful for being relived from such pain.

Instead of eating him up he brought him a young deer that he had slain, and Androcles managed to make a meal from it. For some time the lion continued to bring the game he had killed to Androcles, who became quite fond of the huge beast.

But one day a number of soldiers came marching through the forest and found Androcles, and as he could not explain what he was doing they took him prisoner and brought him back to the town from which he had fled. Here his master soon found him and brought him before the authorities, and he was condemned to death because he had fled from his master.

Now it used to be the custom to throw murderers and other criminals to the lions in a huge circus, so that while the criminals were punished the public could enjoy the spectacle of a combat between them and the wild beasts.

So Androcles was condemned to be thrown to the lions, and on the appointed day he was led forth into the Arena and left there alone with only a spear to protect him from the lion. The Emperor of Rome was in the royal box that day and gave the signal for the lion to come out and attack Androcles. But when it came out of its cage and got near Androcles, what do you think it did? Instead of jumping upon him it rubbed up against him and stroked him with its paw and made no attempt to do him any harm.

It was of course the lion which Androcles had met in the forest. The Emperor, surprised at seeing such a strange behavior in so cruel a beast, summoned Androcles to him and asked him how it happened that this particular lion had lost all its cruelty of character. So Androcles told the Emperor all that had happened to him and how the lion was showing its gratitude for his having relieved it of the thorn. Thereupon the Emperor pardoned Androcles and ordered his master to set him free, while the lion was taken back into the forest and let loose to enjoy freedom once more.

70 Comments

  1. Aline 555
    Posted April 29, 2007 at 9:08 pm | Permalink

    OHH!!!! i HAVE NOT YET HEARD THIS STORY THOUGH BUT… i HAVE READ THE STORY I PLAN OF DAWNLOADING IT SOON! :) I HAVE HEARD OF THE COLASIUM BUT NEVER EVER NEW IT WAS A CIRCUS! :) Good job bertie of chewsing this story! Oh yah and I like the inprovements you have done on the site! :) :) :)

  2. chen nice ya cool
    Posted April 30, 2007 at 7:15 am | Permalink

    wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
    ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
    wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

  3. pritty
    Posted April 30, 2007 at 8:16 am | Permalink

    I haven’t her this story but it was very fun story.
    Nex time tell me a good story then bye bye

  4. sheryl
    Posted April 30, 2007 at 8:36 am | Permalink

    HELLO BERTIE ,
    THIS IS A NICE STORY,BUT IF U CAN PUT SOME MORE OF ASEOP STORIES INTO STORYNORY PLEASE………… BECAUSE ASEOP TALES ARE 1 OF MY FAVE………

    SHERYL

  5. Posted April 30, 2007 at 8:52 am | Permalink

    Hello Sheryl - Good idea - we will do some more Aesop stories - they are rather brief but very popular.

  6. Sheryl
    Posted May 1, 2007 at 9:09 am | Permalink

    Hope to see more of the Aseop stories then……..
    Byebye

    sheryl

  7. sukhmeet
    Posted May 1, 2007 at 7:09 pm | Permalink

    this story is so funny
    THANX

  8. Sheryl
    Posted May 2, 2007 at 7:07 am | Permalink

    HI BERTIE ,
    CAN U GIVE ME SOME INFO ON WHEN THE ASEOP STORIES ARE COMING OUT ON STORYNORY????

  9. Sheryl
    Posted May 5, 2007 at 10:47 pm | Permalink

    Blablabla! I am Sueryl I ask quetions! :) :) And I act like i know Bertie!! blablabla!!

  10. Ozan
    Posted May 6, 2007 at 9:22 pm | Permalink

    Great story, thanks :D

  11. Sheryl
    Posted May 8, 2007 at 8:02 am | Permalink

    Hi Bertie,

    Sheryl Says:
    May 5th, 2007 at 10:47 pm
    Blablabla! I am Sueryl I ask quetions! :) And I act like i know Bertie!! blablabla!!

    This is truly not me who wrote it!!

    Something is really wrong every time that I leave a comment othrrs will use my name and speak bad!!!!

    Please find out who is the culprit.

  12. Posted May 10, 2007 at 7:19 am | Permalink

    Hi Sheryl,

    I’m afraid I know very little about the people who leave comments - so I can say who is impersonating you! But please don’t get too upset.

    Thanks for all your nice comments.

    Bertie

  13. sheryl
    Posted May 10, 2007 at 8:17 am | Permalink

    ok,
    those people are a little stupid not to say i want to say them.it is so odvice that they want to use my name and can copy it wrongly.

    sheryl:D:D:D:D

  14. donya
    Posted May 12, 2007 at 8:24 am | Permalink

    I read the story,I have a question. I learning the languae engilish. you can present the story that easy for me,Because this story is dificullt for me
    thank you so much

  15. Lella
    Posted May 14, 2007 at 8:35 pm | Permalink

    Please, I beg of you, more Aesop Fables.

  16. katelynn
    Posted May 15, 2007 at 12:43 am | Permalink

    yyyyyyyyyyyyyyooooooooooooooooo

  17. katelynn
    Posted May 15, 2007 at 12:43 am | Permalink

    i know you

  18. Bertie
    Posted May 17, 2007 at 5:58 pm | Permalink

    Hi Bertie guess what? My name is Bertie too!! And i think your friend Sheryl is awsome!!! Tell me, what is aseop stories are??? I mean what difference do they make compere to the other ones???

  19. sheryl
    Posted May 18, 2007 at 6:52 am | Permalink

    sheryl says
    Bertie the frog
    has a name no one has so i do not belive that bertie has a copycat!
    and pls daon’t use mmy na,me 4 no resond!!!!to all those who like to make fun of peeople when writing comments!!!

  20. brandan
    Posted May 23, 2007 at 12:24 pm | Permalink

    dude, this is like the mouse and the lion, i love it:D

  21. brandan
    Posted May 23, 2007 at 12:25 pm | Permalink

    ahhhhhhhhh! i gots a weird face!

  22. ana
    Posted May 23, 2007 at 9:00 pm | Permalink

    this is a nice & a big stoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  23. Ana
    Posted May 23, 2007 at 9:02 pm | Permalink

    it smells in there.

  24. anonamouse
    Posted June 7, 2007 at 10:48 am | Permalink

    this story is alright but i dont think that would really happen and i tink it very long and i rather the tortoise and the hare. I LIKE PIE!

  25. Mathew
    Posted June 7, 2007 at 10:54 am | Permalink

    hey gang this story is good.it would be cool if a lion really rubbed up against u like a pet

  26. amelia
    Posted June 8, 2007 at 9:33 am | Permalink

    the story was so short…
    ;)

  27. Emma
    Posted June 12, 2007 at 4:57 am | Permalink

    Hai

  28. IBVA
    Posted June 12, 2007 at 6:39 pm | Permalink

    YOUR TOYS ARE GERATE

  29. GeekyMom
    Posted July 14, 2007 at 7:00 pm | Permalink

    I really enjoyed this story and the message it conveys.

  30. moustafa
    Posted August 11, 2007 at 9:46 am | Permalink

    thank you very much for this good story

  31. Vrinda
    Posted August 11, 2007 at 12:24 pm | Permalink

    Wow! what a great and a funny story….Ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!

  32. 5148188
    Posted August 25, 2007 at 1:54 am | Permalink

    gybuiok,lp.8252828

  33. 5148188
    Posted August 25, 2007 at 1:54 am | Permalink

    ㅣㅋㅋㅋㅋ 파파파파ㅏ

  34. Posted August 25, 2007 at 1:55 am | Permalink

    ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

  35. poo hed
    Posted October 7, 2007 at 6:10 pm | Permalink

    i profer the other one

  36. cody
    Posted October 26, 2007 at 9:19 pm | Permalink

    sfhnsoaugogoihgoihohgo0dhsg

  37. Mrs. Doctor's class
    Posted November 1, 2007 at 2:05 pm | Permalink

    We learned that What goes around comes around.
    One good turn deserves another

  38. Mrs. Doctor's class
    Posted November 1, 2007 at 2:06 pm | Permalink

    Good story between boy and lion One good turn deserves another What goes around comes around

  39. kellsy
    Posted November 1, 2007 at 8:35 pm | Permalink

    I relly loved the asop fable.
    May you please put some more asop fables on storynory.com.

  40. Posted November 2, 2007 at 3:42 pm | Permalink

    Hi Kellsy,

    Really pleased that you liked Androcles.

    We will be doing more Aesop, probably before end of the year, but in the meantime have you heard these four Aesop stories?

    http://storynory.com/2007/09/02/four-aesop-fables/

  41. Jian
    Posted November 3, 2007 at 12:19 am | Permalink

    I liked the part where the lion becomes a hero and the part whan the men was brave.

  42. jnv warangal
    Posted November 21, 2007 at 9:07 am | Permalink

    Thanks, Storynory. We enjoyed this story very much. All our class students had a good time listening to this story. Bye.

  43. Joshua Akiboye
    Posted January 20, 2008 at 6:51 pm | Permalink

    HI,

    this story is boring stop it.

  44. Sweet thang
    Posted January 27, 2008 at 8:03 pm | Permalink

    Hi all my peps what u all doing anyway i know none of u know me laters

  45. I don't know, It's I say, not I
    Posted February 6, 2008 at 5:18 pm | Permalink

    that this story needs a bit more detail and needs to be longer, like why did Androcles run away, was he being mistreated by his master? If he was how, or how did he get captured or how did he feel in the cave with the lion, like come, I know you people can do better than this.

  46. gaara
    Posted February 6, 2008 at 10:26 pm | Permalink

    are you crasy

  47. green089
    Posted February 11, 2008 at 8:59 pm | Permalink

    com e* tu pell je mepelle green098 sewa bonjour comse com sa

  48. Razzbabe
    Posted February 20, 2008 at 8:40 am | Permalink

    Lol Verry Nothing Fun /:

  49. Ruby Weapon
    Posted February 26, 2008 at 8:49 am | Permalink

    I think you must give more full stops in yer story..
    Also, decrease the “and” word. Actually this make me hard to remember one to another word…

    Thank you…

  50. Anonymous
    Posted February 28, 2008 at 8:01 pm | Permalink

    this one is boring!

  51. güllll
    Posted March 1, 2008 at 5:26 pm | Permalink

    hic bişiy anlamadım

  52. güll
    Posted March 1, 2008 at 5:28 pm | Permalink

    cok guzel sacmallamıssınız

  53. bob
    Posted March 5, 2008 at 11:33 pm | Permalink

    coollllllllllllllllllllllllllllll1111111l::::::::!!!”!”!!”"!!”!#!@#!@#@@#@#!@$#%$#%$%$%$$%^$&&^%$@%^&**&^%%*%(%$#E

  54. bob
    Posted March 5, 2008 at 11:34 pm | Permalink

    coollllllllllllllllllllllllllllll1111111l::::::::!!!”!”!!
    “”!!”!#!@#!@#@@#@#!@$#%$#%$%$%$$
    E OMFG I WANNA READ THIS STORY MORE!!!!!!!!

  55. babie`
    Posted March 6, 2008 at 10:52 pm | Permalink

    This is a nice story for babies

  56. sir john lAs
    Posted March 19, 2008 at 9:40 pm | Permalink

    next pleace

  57. tanner
    Posted March 20, 2008 at 3:42 pm | Permalink

    i think it was a very good story and i like how the lion and slave get a good relashon ship and it is good the slave doesent get eaten.

  58. brookily
    Posted March 20, 2008 at 3:44 pm | Permalink

    I liked the story because Natasha read the ending was really cool.

  59. kincaid
    Posted March 20, 2008 at 3:47 pm | Permalink

    I like the story but it was long.

  60. 9
    Posted March 20, 2008 at 3:47 pm | Permalink

    hi!!!!!!!!!

  61. mohammed
    Posted March 27, 2008 at 6:57 am | Permalink

    great story
    this is my school assingment

  62. teacher
    Posted March 27, 2008 at 6:57 am | Permalink

    great story
    this is my school assingment

  63. cutest
    Posted March 29, 2008 at 12:01 am | Permalink

    lolli.i never read it but its cool!

  64. Anonymous
    Posted March 30, 2008 at 6:54 pm | Permalink

    I liked the story.well, i guess i finished my homework.Cause this suppose to be social studies homework.

  65. Julia
    Posted April 13, 2008 at 10:22 am | Permalink

    I like this story very much.

  66. bobby
    Posted April 24, 2008 at 9:27 pm | Permalink

    hi

  67. =P
    Posted May 9, 2008 at 10:58 am | Permalink

    WOW ITS GR3AT

  68. JAD3YY
    Posted May 9, 2008 at 11:01 am | Permalink

    I didn’t read it bt hayyy its gurd (y)
    hahax

  69. Sarah
    Posted June 4, 2008 at 8:29 pm | Permalink

    I didn’t bother to read that story cause I’ve already read it, but its a good story and I would recomend it to any loser. Thank-you

    Byeeee!!! xoxox

  70. annabelle
    Posted June 24, 2008 at 6:36 pm | Permalink

    Aesop’s fables always teach lessons and I like that, but I think they ought to have more details.

One Trackback

  1. By Androcles and the Lion « TheKittyCats World on June 13, 2008 at 2:34 pm

    [...] June 13, 2008 Aesop’s Fable [...]

Post a Comment

Did you like this story? You can leave a comment which will appear here. Please write in English.