A Story to Share: The Lion and the Slave

This story is from Aesop's fables.  I hope you enjoy it.





There was a once a slave who was beaten by his master











That night the slave ran away into the darkness.














He ran and ran, heading for the desert hoping no one would come looking for him there.

As the sun rose, the desert became hot and the slave looked for some place to shelter.  In the cliffs he found a cave.

Just as he closed his eyes to rest, he heard a sound.  His heart nearly stopped as a huge lion entered the cave.  To late, the slave realized this was not a cave, but a lion's den.

Expecting the lion would leap on him and make him a meal, he was so surprised when instead the lion jumped on him and licked his face, pawing at him.

The lion looked up at him with sad eyes and lifted his paw to the slave.

The slave took the huge paw into his hand and saw a large sharp thorn had gotten stuck deep in the lion's paw which had become sore and swollen.

Carefully the slave took the torn from the lion's paw.  The great beast let out a sigh and again licked the slave's face.

They became friends and shared the cave.

After a while the slave began to feel lonely for people.

He decided to return to town and said good bye to the lion.

As he entered the town, he was recognized and arrested.

His master was angry and decided to make an example of the slave so all other slaves would know that running away was a very serious crime.

The slave was bound in chains and taken to the arena.  A large heavy door came open and a great lion stepped out of the shadows.  The slave trembled as he awaited the pain of the terrible claws.

Instead, the lion bounded to him like a friendly dog and rolled over.  The slave realized it was his friend from the cave and the lion had remembered him too.

The crowd was amazed and called for the slave to be spared.  The Governor of the town was so impressed with the loyalty and gratitude of the lion, he gave the slave and the lion their freedom.