Aesop's Fables: Townsend (1867)
301. The Lion and the Shepherd (Perry
563)
A LION, roaming through a forest, trod upon a thorn. Soon afterward he
came up to a Shepherd and fawned upon him, wagging his tail as if to say,
'I am a suppliant, and seek your aid.' The Shepherd boldly examined the
beast, discovered the thorn, and placing his paw upon his lap, pulled
it out; thus relieved of his pain, the Lion returned into the forest.
Some time after, the Shepherd, being imprisoned on a false accusation,
was condemned 'to be cast to the Lions' as the punishment for his imputed
crime. But when the Lion was released from his cage, he recognized the
Shepherd as the man who healed him, and instead of attacking him, approached
and placed his foot upon his lap. The King, as soon as he heard the tale,
ordered the Lion to be set free again in the forest, and the Shepherd
to be pardoned and restored to his friends.
George Fyler Townsend's translation of the fables, first published in 1867, is
in the public domain and can be found at many websites, including Project
Gutenberg.
Illustrations come from: Aesop's Fables, by George Fyler Townsend, with
illustrations by Harrison Weir, 1867, at Google
Books. |