ELISSA SANCI EIlissa Sanci is an Associate Staff Writer at the product review site Wirecutter.com and a former editorial assistant at Woman’s Day
Palm Sunday and Holy Week bring to mind kindness, gratitude and forgiveness. When I was a little girl, my aunt read to me about remembering to be grateful and to forgive. From her treasured book of Aesop’s Fables, she read the story of “Androcles and the Lion.” Following the story, we talked about how it was good that Androcles had helped the lion. I mentioned that this was the reason the lion helped Androcles.
And then my aunt said, “What about the emperor?”
I didn’t know what she meant. She went on to explain her understanding of the emperor.
“The emperor recognized the power of kindness between friends. The emperor pardoned and freed the slave, as well as setting the lion free. God pardons us and sets us free. He also sets free our friends when we share the knowledge of His Love for us all. The emperor turned from his wicked ways. He was inspired by the kindness shared between friends; Androcles the man, and the lion. a beast. Remember to show gratitude and kindness in every situation. Carol, you think about Jesus this week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Jesus showed kindness, forgiveness and gratitude.”
In honor of my aunt’s wisdom and teaching, I am including the Aesop’s fable of Androcles and the Lion.
Androcles
Aesop
A slave named Androcles once escaped from his master and fled to the forest. As he was wandering about there he came upon a lion lying down moaning and groaning. At first he turned to flee, but finding that the lion did not pursue him, he turned back and went up to him. As he came near, the lion put out his paw, which was all swollen and bleeding, and Androcles found that a huge thorn had got into it, and was causing all the pain. He pulled out the thorn and bound up the paw of the lion, who was soon able to rise and lick the hand of Androcles like a dog. Then the lion took Androcles to his cave, and every day used to bring him meat from which to live.
But shortly afterwards both Androcles and the lion were captured, and the slave was sentenced to be thrown to the lion, after the latter had been kept without food for several days.
The emperor and all his court came to see the spectacle, and Androcles was led out into the middle of the arena. Soon the lion was let loose from his den, and rushed bounding and roaring towards his victim. But as soon as he came near to Androcles he recognized his friend, and fawned upon him, and licked his hands like a friendly dog.
The emperor, surprised at this, summoned Androcles to him, who told him the whole story. Whereupon the slave was pardoned and freed, and the lion let loose to his native forest.
Moral:Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.
Source: The Fables of Æsop, selected, told anew, and their history traced by Joseph Jacobs (London: Macmillan and Company, 1902), no. 23, pp. 60-61. First published 1894.
留言