The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-10-07

killed. d TaDDlL, anu went Ddck 10 IHc
place where he was when the groans
of the beast first attracted his atten-
ton. Bringing the remains of the
rabbit, he divided them with the lion
which ate his portion with apparent
pleasure. In two days time the
poultices worked so well that the lion
was able to limp about on three feet.
Then Androckles began to fear for
himself, but the beast showed such a
desire to be with him. that he gave
over the fear, and lay beside the lion
every night, and dressed the wounded
foot every morning. The beast was
also valuable for his keen scent, and
extraordinarily sharp hearing, and
thus warned the slave of approaching
danger, but the number of people at
last hemmed them in.
The lion which had fed from the
theatre was shared and returned to its
old den, where it was kept to tear and
devour those guilty of crime and ad-
judged to be thrown to the wild
beasts. The slave was also captured
and returned to his owner, who sent
him to the amphitheatre to be thrown
to the wild beasts.
Accordingly he was held for some
days, then brought into the Arena
as was the custom. In few minutes
roar was heard which made the very
walls of the Coliseum tremble, and
the next instant huge lion was let
into the spacious circuit set apart for
battles with wild beasts.
For second or two the mighty king
of the forest stood silent and gazed
around at the crowds along the gal
1eries. Then he shook his great name,
and snorted sort of grunt, as his
eye caught sight of the naked man
standing at the other side of the en-
closure. Androckles in the mean time
wishing to give his tyrants as little
pleasure as possible, threw away his
club and started to walk towards the
beast, expecting to be torn to pieces
in less than minute.
The lion started too, making birring
sounds as he moved along. When
within about nine feet of the man, he
paused as if preparing to make his
spring, looked hard at his victim and
then instead of springing he gave a
loud snort and rushed upon the man
The eyes of the spectators closed for
a moment, not wishing to see the
death blow of the mighty animal
They opened them again, and in
amazement saw the lion and the man
with their legs and arms about one
another, and the big beast licking the
hand and neck of the man. Then in
his boisterous joy throwing himself at
Androckles feet, and rolling from side
to side, the lion held out the healed
foot with the rag about it still.
Such scene was never witnessed
before or since in Roman theatre
The people gathered round the man
and the beast, but low growl from
the lion made them fly faster to theil
galleries than they went down
Then the slave was called upon tt
tell why the lion refused to devoul
him.
He related his sad story. How he
fed from the tyranny of his crue
master, how he wandered through
marshes, and how he found the lior
grooming with pain lying under tree
and how he drew out the thorn, an6
how the lion became his friend, anG
how they lived together in the marsh
/. When his simple tale was finished
there was a general shout that shool
the great building even up from the
galleries.
Release the man and give the lio1
to him. the people cried.
| Thenceforth the man and his lio1
were seen walking the streets O
Rome, while they were greeted will
shouts of applause and cries, "This i.
the man that cured the lion, and thi!
is the lion that saved the mans life
As~.so e.