Heart racing, legs aching, he reached the forest; Androclus knew no other safe place. He could survive there - find roots and berries, avoid wild animals. He had few choices - He would be executed as a runaway slave if caught.

He wondered how it would be, living in terror of discovery. Every pine cone that fell softly to the mossy carpet beneath his feet was enough to make him jump, jerking his head around so wide eyes could search for soldiers.

He needed shelter. Rain was in the air, and it would soon be dark. Through the trees, he saw an opening in the rocks. Thinking it might be big enough to sleep in just for one night, Androclus veered toward it.

Suddenly he stopped. Lying to the right of the opening was a lion. Instinct kicked in and Androclus ran, praying that the creature had already eaten.

Hearing no sound of pursuit, he slowed, and then stopped. Looking back, he saw that the lion had not chased. In fact, its only movement had been to roll its head to look at the man - rather sorrowfully, Androclus thought.

Slowly, he retraced his steps. The lion was in pain. Androclus spoke softly, stroking mane and back, gently searching for the injury. Finally, he found it - a nasty gash on the lion's hind leg that had been bleeding for some time and showed no sign of stopping. The man tore cloth from the hem of his tunic and cleaned the wound. The lion shuddered and groaned. Finally, it slept.

Just then the clouds let go of their rain. Androclus crawled into the cave and fell asleep immediately. It had been a long run from the city. Minutes later, he awoke as the lion crawled into the cave next to him, dragging its leg and collapsed with a wheezing sigh.

The cave was large and the man and beast lived together for several weeks. Androclus found a fresh spring not too far away. The two hunted and gathered the food each needed.

One day, while scooping water from the stream, Androclus felt something sharp press into his neck.

"Don't move," a quarrelsome voice ordered. "There's quite a reward for the life of a runaway slave, you know. Now, stand up slowly."

Forced back to the city, Androclus thought of his friend the lion, knowing they would never meet again. He was taken to stand before the Emperor in court, and was there sentenced to death. Soldiers took him to a stone cell in the halls under the arena until the time of execution.

Finally, they led him into the arena. The crowd spat its hatred. But they began a thunderous cheer when a lion was loosed - a lion that had not been fed for several days, a lion poked and prodded into fierce anger by the soldiers. It roared when it saw the man, and bounded headlong toward its prey.

Androclus knew he didn't stand a chance. Still, his muscles tensed for the fight, readied for pain. How different things had turned out when he befriended a lion in pain instead of poking and prodding one. He closed his eyes, waiting for the weight of the animal, steeling against the first slashing blow.

Instead of searing pain, he felt the tongue of the lion wash his face as it knocked him to the ground. Androclus opened his eyes - face to face with his friend from the forest. Instead of pouncing to kill, even after days of hunger and torment, the lion, once so gently cared for, fawned over the man like a friendly dog.

The crowd was instantly silent, the Emperor stunned. He called Androclus to him, and Androclus told his story.

"Both Androclus and his lion are hereby freed," the Emperor announced. "Such amazing kindness and gratitude between fierce enemies should be greatly rewarded."