Lost and alone in the woods, Androcles, a runaway Roman slave, meets a ferocious lion with a thorn in its paw. He takes pity on the poor feline and plucks the thorn out, thus making friends with the beast. When Androcles is captured, the Emperor sentences Androcles to die in the Colosseum by being thrown to the lions. His fate is changed when he is reunited with his friend from the forest. This telling of the ancient story emphasizes the Christian faith that sustains Androcles and what it literally means to have “the courage of your convictions” in the face of mortal danger.
Also in this volume are six stories of Aesop’s that teach Christian values, including “The Shepherd Boy Who Cried Wolf,” The Mouse and the Lion,” and “The Wind and the Sun.” Rev. Springer uses Bible verses as guides to the lessons imparted by the classic fables and provides simple questions after each to stimulate thinking about the moral message contained in the simple tales.
