Part 2 (2/2)
The unfortunate man now believed his destruction to be inevitable; but, to his great astonishment, the beast advanced towards him with a gentle pace, without any mark of enmity or rage, and uttered a kind of mournful voice, as if he demanded the a.s.sistance of the man.
”Androcles, who was naturally of a resolute disposition, acquired courage, from this circ.u.mstance, to examine his monstrous guest, who gave him sufficient leisure for that purpose. He saw, as the lion approached him, that he seemed to limp upon one of his legs, and that the foot was extremely swelled, as if it had been wounded. Acquiring still more fort.i.tude from the gentle demeanour of the beast, he advanced up to him, and took hold of the wounded paw, as a surgeon would examine a patient. He then perceived that a thorn of uncommon size had penetrated the ball of the foot, and was the occasion of the swelling and lameness which he had observed. Androcles found that the beast, far from resenting this familiarity, received it with the greatest gentleness, and seemed to invite him by his blandishments to proceed. He therefore extracted the thorn, and, pressing the swelling, discharged a considerable quant.i.ty of matter, which had been the cause of so much pain and uneasiness.
”As soon as the beast felt himself thus relieved, he began to testify his joy and grat.i.tude by every expression within his power. He jumped about like a wanton spaniel, wagged his enormous tail, and licked the feet and hands of his physician. Nor was he contented with these demonstrations of kindness: from this moment Androcles became his guest; nor did the lion ever sally forth in quest of prey without bringing home the produce of his chase, and sharing it with his friend. In this savage state of hospitality did the man continue to live during the s.p.a.ce of several months; at length, wandering unguardedly through the woods, he met with a company of soldiers sent out to apprehend him, and was by them taken prisoner and conducted back to his master. The laws of that country being very severe against slaves, he was tried and found guilty of having fled from his master, and, as a punishment for his pretended crime, he was sentenced to be torn in pieces by a furious lion, kept many days without food, to inspire him with additional rage.
”When the destined moment arrived, the unhappy man was exposed, unarmed, in the midst of a s.p.a.cious area, enclosed on every side, round which many thousand people were a.s.sembled to view the mournful spectacle.
”Presently a dreadful yell was heard, which struck the spectators with horror; and a monstrous lion rushed out of a den, which was purposely set open, and darted forward with erected mane and flaming eyes, and jaws that gaped like an open sepulchre. A mournful silence instantly prevailed! All eyes were directly turned upon the destined victim, whose destruction now appeared inevitable. But the pity of the mult.i.tude was soon converted into astonishment, when they beheld the lion, instead of destroying his defenceless prey, crouch submissively at his feet, fawn upon him as a faithful dog would do upon his master, and rejoice over him as a mother that unexpectedly recovers her offspring. The governor of the town, who was present, then called out with a loud voice, and ordered Androcles to explain to them this unintelligible mystery, and how a savage of the fiercest and most unpitying nature should thus in a moment have forgotten his innate disposition, and be converted into a harmless and inoffensive animal.
”Androcles then related to the a.s.sembly every circ.u.mstance of his adventures in the woods, and concluded by saying, that the very lion which now stood before them had been his friend and entertainer in the woods. All the persons present were astonished and delighted with the story, to find that even the fiercest beasts are capable of being softened by grat.i.tude, and moved by humanity; and they unanimously joined to entreat for the pardon of the unhappy man from the governor of the place. This was immediately granted to him; and he was also presented with the lion, who had in this manner twice saved the life of Androcles.”
”Upon my word,” said Tommy, ”this is a very pretty story; but I never should have thought that a lion could have grown so tame: I thought that they, and tigers, and wolves, had been so fierce and cruel that they would have torn everything they met to pieces.”
”When they are hungry,” said Mr Barlow, ”they kill every animal they meet; but this is to devour it, for they can only live upon flesh, like, dogs and cats, and many other kinds of animals. When they are not hungry they seldom meddle with anything, or do unnecessary mischief; therefore they are much less cruel than many persons that I have seen, and even than many children, who plague and torment animals, without any reason whatsoever.”
”Indeed, sir,” said Harry, ”I think so. And I remember, as I was walking along the road some days past, I saw a little naughty boy that used a poor jacka.s.s very ill indeed. The poor animal was so lame that he could hardly stir; and yet the boy beat him with a great stick as violently as he was able, to make him go on faster.” ”And what did you say to him?”
said Mr Barlow. _Harry._--Why, sir, I told him how naughty and cruel it was; and I asked him how he would like to be beaten in that manner by somebody that was stronger than himself? _Mr B._--And what answer did he make you? _H._--He said, that it was his daddy's a.s.s, and so that he had a right to beat it; and that if I said a word more he would beat me. _Mr B._--And what answer did you make; any? _H._--I told him, if it was his father's a.s.s, he should not use it ill; for that we were all G.o.d's creatures, and that we should love each other, as He loved us all; and that as to beating me, if he struck me I had a right to strike him again, and would do it, though he was almost as big again as I was. _Mr B._--And did he strike you? _H._--Yes, sir. He endeavoured to strike me upon the head with his stick, but I dodged, and so it fell upon my shoulder; and he was going to strike me again, but I darted at him, and knocked him down, and then he began blubbering, and begged me not to hurt him. _Mr B._--It is not uncommon for those who are most cruel to be at the same time most cowardly; but what did you? _H._--Sir, I told him I did not want to hurt him; but that as he had meddled with me, I would not let him rise till he had promised not to hurt the poor beast any more, which he did, and then I let him go about his business.
”You did very right,” said Mr Barlow; ”and I suppose the boy looked as foolish, when he was rising, as Tommy did the other day when the little ragged boy that he was going to beat helped him out of the ditch.”
”Sir,” answered Tommy, a little confused, ”I should not have attempted to beat him, only he would not bring me my ball.” _Mr B._--And what right had you to oblige him to bring your ball? _T._--Sir, he was a little ragged boy, and I am a gentleman. _Mr B._--So then, every gentleman has a right to command little ragged boys? _T._--To be sure, sir. _Mr B._--Then if your clothes should wear out and become ragged, every gentleman will have a right to command you? Tommy looked a little foolish, and said, ”But he might have done it, as he was on that side of the hedge.” _Mr B._--And so he probably would have done if you had asked him civilly to do it; but when persons speak in a haughty tone, they will find few inclined to serve them. But, as the boy was poor and ragged, I suppose you hired him with money to fetch your ball?
_T._--Indeed, sir, I did not; I neither gave him anything nor offered him anything. _Mr B._--Probably you had nothing to give him? _T._--Yes I had, though; I had all this money (pulling out several s.h.i.+llings). _Mr B._--Perhaps the boy was as rich as you. _T._--No, he was not, sir, I am sure; for he had no coat, and his waistcoat and breeches were all tattered and ragged; besides, he had no stockings, and his shoes were full of holes. _Mr B._--So, now I see what const.i.tutes a gentleman. A gentleman is one that, when he has abundance of everything, keeps it all to himself; beats poor people, if they don't serve him for nothing; and when they have done him the greatest favour, in spite of his insolence, never feels any grat.i.tude, or does them any good in return. I find that Androcles' lion was no gentleman.
Tommy was so affected with this rebuke that he could hardly contain his tears; and, as he was really a boy of a generous temper, he determined to give the little ragged boy something the very first time he should see him again. He did not long wait for an opportunity; for, as he was walking out that very afternoon, he saw him at some distance gathering blackberries, and, going up to him, he accosted him thus: ”Little boy, I want to know why you are so ragged; have you no other clothes?” ”No, indeed,” said the boy. ”I have seven brothers and sisters, and they are all as ragged as myself; but I should not much mind that if I could have my belly full of victuals.” _Tommy._--And why cannot you have your belly full of victuals? _Little boy._--Because daddy's ill of a fever, and can't work this harvest! so that mammy says we must all starve if G.o.d Almighty does not take care of us.
Tommy made no answer, but ran full speed to the house whence he presently returned, loaded with a loaf of bread, and a complete suit of his own clothes. ”Here, little boy,” said he, ”you were very good-natured to me; and so I will give you all this, because I am a gentleman, and have many more.”
Tommy did not wait for the little boy's acknowledgment, but hastened away and told Mr Barlow, with an air of exultation, what he had done.
Mr Barlow coolly answered, ”You have done well in giving the little boy clothes, because they are your own; but what right have you to give away my loaf of bread without asking my consent?” _Tommy._--Why, sir, I did it because the little boy said he was very hungry, and had seven brothers and sisters, and that his father was ill, and could not work.
_Mr B._--This is a very good reason why you should give them what belongs to yourself, but not why you should give them what is another's.
What would you say if Harry were to give away all your clothes, without asking your leave?” _T._--I should not like it at all; and I will not give away your things any more without asking your leave. ”You will do well,” said Mr Barlow; ”and here is a little story you may read upon this very subject:--
”THE STORY OF CYRUS.”
”Cyrus was a little boy of good dispositions and humane temper. He was very fond of drawing, and often went into the fields for the purpose of taking sketches of trees, houses, &c., which he would show to his parents. On one occasion he had retired into a shed at the back of his father's house, and was so much absorbed in planning something with his compa.s.ses, as not to be for a long time aware of his father's presence.
He had several masters, who endeavoured to teach him everything that was good; and he was educated with several little boys about his own age.
One evening his father asked him what he had done or learned that day.
'Sir,' said Cyrus, 'I was punished to-day for deciding unjustly.' 'How so?' said his father. _Cyrus._--There were two boys, one of whom was a great and the other a little boy. Now, it happened that the little boy had a coat that was much too big for him, but the great boy had one that scarcely reached below his middle, and was too tight for him in every part; upon which the great boy proposed to the little boy to change coats with him, 'because then,' said he, 'we shall be both exactly fitted; for your coat is as much too big for you as mine is too little for me.' The little boy would not consent to the proposal, on which the great boy took his coat away by force, and gave his own to the little boy in exchange. While they were disputing upon this subject I chanced to pa.s.s by, and they agreed to make me judge of the affair. But I decided that the little boy should keep the little coat, and the great boy the great one--for which judgment my master punished me.
”'Why so?' said Cyrus' father; 'was not the little coat most proper for the little boy, and the large coat for the great boy?' 'Yes, sir,'
answered Cyrus; 'but my master told me I was not made judge to examine which coat best fitted either of the boys, but to decide whether it was just that the great boy should take away the coat of the little one against his consent; and therefore I decided unjustly, and deserved to be punished.'”
Just as the story was finished, they were surprised to see a little ragged boy come running up to them, with a bundle of clothes under his arm. His eyes were black, as if he had been severely beaten, his nose was swelled, his s.h.i.+rt was b.l.o.o.d.y, and his waistcoat did but just hang upon his back, so much was it torn. He came running up to Tommy, and threw down the bundle before him, saying, ”Here master, take your clothes again; and I wish they had been at the bottom of the ditch I pulled you out of, instead of upon my back; but I never will put such frippery on again as long as I have breath in my body.”
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