Androcles And The Lion

by Dennis Nolan

Androcles, a runaway slave, is befriended by a lion when he removes a huge thorn from its paw. For years the two live to-gether in the desert, until soldiers capture Androcles and are ordered to throw him to the beasts. Led into the grand arena, Androcles falls to his knees, accepting his fate, but then he looks into the eyes of the lion and recognizes his old friend. Amid cheers from the crowd, Androcles and the lion are set free. The earliest version of the well-known tale, Apion’s eyewitness account, is the source for this dramatic retelling.

Genres: Picture Books, Fairy Tales

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1997

About the author

Dennis Nolan is an illustrator and writer of children's books.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Becca Tillotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good introduction to this tale for young ones! The boys loved it.

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Androcles and the Lion by Dennis Nolan- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- The book narrates the story of a kind slave named Androcles and a Lion. The story is from Egypt. Androcles was owned by a cruel master who lived in the Roman Empire. Androcles wants freedom One night, he carries some saved and runs away in the desert. Because of lack of water, Androcles is weak, he cannot walk anymore and he falls on the ground before a cave. A lion with a wounded paw comes near him. Though Androcles is afraid but he can view a thorn stuck in paw of the lion. The paw is bleeding. Androcles catches the big thorn with his fingers and pull it. Soon the thorn is removed. Grateful, the lion licks his fingers meaning that Androcles should follow him inside the cave. For a few days, the lion feeds Androcles with meat. After a few days, Roman soldiers find the runaway slave, arrest him and march towards the capital. As a punishment, Androcles is forced to join the sadistic Circus Maximus, there to be torn to morsels by wild beasts for the Emperor Tiberious' amusement. Led into the grand arena, Androcles falls to his knees, accepting his fate, but then he looks into the eyes of the hungry lion. The lion recognizes his old friend. Lion comes near Androcles and does not harm him. The crowd cheers this event. Emperor is also impressed and orders that both Androcles and the lion be set free. Androcles marched in triumph through the streets with the lion beside him. As they passed shops and houses the people showered them with coins and threw flowers on the lion's golden mane. And everyone who saw them said, "This is the lion that was a man's best friend, and this is the man who healed the lion." Androcles and lion is an Apion’s eyewitness account which has been retold in this book. Coloured illustrations help the reader in relating to the story. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.

[Kristin Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently a lion really did spare the life of a slave at Circus Maximus and an Egyptian named Apion wrote a story about it. Apion's transcripted and translated text was used for this retelling. I always assumed this was an entirely made-up fable. The illustrations are rather monochromatic, but the detail is good. It's a feel-good moralistic story.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great illustrations

[Jonathan Kemmerer-Scovner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was first written by an Egyptian living in Rome in A.D. 40, and was apparently based on eye-witness accounts of a fateful day at the Circus Maximus. It was then included in Apion's AEgyptiaca, was copied by Aulus Gellius in the 2nd Century in Noctes Atticae, rewritten 1300 years after that by Plutarch, and now - some 600 years after that - is again retold in this beautiful edition by Dennis Nolan.

I gleaned that previous paragraph from a nice afterword Nolan includes.

Long ago, on the edge of the Egyptian desert, in the empire of Rome, a slave named Androcles was kept by a cruel master.

Soon Androcles attempts his escape, to run off into the desert with two days worth of stolen food. Nolan shows great detail in drawing his dirty hair, his unshaven face, the bare, calloused feet digging into the dunes. The bitter realism better serves the fantastic forthcoming, as he creeps toward the fateful cave.

From behind, enter the eponymous lion.

Though recoiling in fear, Androcles can see that the lion is wounded by a great thorn. Soon, the thorn removed, they become the best of friends, hunting and sleeping together, and posing for portraits such as the one on the cover.

However, the blissful relationship in interrupted by Roman soldiers, who arrest Androcles and force him to join the sadistic Circus Maximus, there to be torn to morsels by wild beasts for the emperor Tiberious' amusement. But the emperor doesn't count on the relationship between the slave and the best in question.

Androcles marched in triumph through the streets with the lion beside him. As they passed shops and houses the people showered them with coins and threw flowers on the lion's golden mane. And everyone who saw them said, "This is the lion that was a man's best friend, and this is the man who healed the lion."

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[Kirk Morrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're reading this tale from Aesop's Fables for the first time or getting re-acquainted with it- this is a good place to read this timeless classic

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really wonderful picture book of this ancient Roman story!