THE SLAVE AND THE LION

Once there lived a slave in ancient Carthage. His master was very cruel to him. He was cruelly beaten for the slightest mistake itself. At last he ran away from his master and slept that night in a cave in the forest. A lion’s roar awakened him in the morning. The slave was horribly frightened. But to his great manner the lion held up with his paw and looked at him in a pathetic manner. He slave gathered courage and look into the paw. He paw was wounded and a big thorn was stuck in it. The slave took out the thorn very carefully. The lion felt relief in the pain in his paw and was very grateful to the slave.
They lived together in the forests as friends. But after some months the slave become homesick and wished to have the company of human beings. He went to the Carthage. There his master’s man recognized him and caught hold of him. He was condemned by the judge to be thrown to the lions kept in the roman amphitheater. Thousands of the people gathered in the amphitheater to the witness the fight between the slave and the lion’s. He stood in the middle for waiting for the lion to jump upon him and tear him into pieces. Then the half starved lion came out of the cage and angrily rushed towards him. But as a surprise to the spectators the lion stopped at him and licked his feet. The governor was pleased with him. They lived together for the rest of their life.