how many of you know the tale of androids and the lion, was quite surprised that dd2(20) had never heard of it

[ohreallyIsee]

I was talking to dd2 and she mentioned that dcat came up to her with his paw up as he had a thorne in it. I said just like androcles and the lion and she didn't know what I was talking about

Yes. But there are versions of it all over the place — Aesop, Chretien de Troyes etc. St Jerome is supposed to have done similar. And there’s a crap-sounding Shaw play — look at the photo!😀

I’m 40 and haven’t heard of it but Dh who is 43 had. He did a Classics class in secondary school where I didn’t.

spoiler alert here is the story according to wikipedia:

“The Plot: Androcles, an escaped Roman slave, hides in a cave and befriends an injured lion by pulling a large thorn from its paw. Later, Androcles is captured and thrown into the Colosseum to be executed. The lion chosen to attack him is the same one he saved. Instead of killing him, the beast recognises Androcles and fawns over him, leading the emperor to grant them both their freedom”

i thought it was a biblical thing and that’s why i knew as i was brought up christian but apparently it’s not.

although wiki says it gets mixed up with christian text due to the romans killing christians by throwing them to the lions, and other things.

loving that tale! @JulietteHasAGun

Yes, I have.

I learned it in primary school, in a religion lesson I think.

Read it with one of my 6 year old twins recently as it’s a grey level book on the Read Write Inc reading scheme by Ruth Miskin - it was nice to read a classic to him.

Albert definitely didn't succeed in making friends with the lion, though.

@ohreallyIsee how is the cat now?

42 never heard of it

It was the Shaw play we did at school.

Is anybody else here old enough to remember those weekly radio programmes for schools in the early 1970s that put various mythological tales to music? In addition to Scottish and Welsh ones, there was a term-long series on the Greek myths with a new song to learn each week. And to this very day I can apparently recall the opening lines of the Androcles song:

A slave escaped to the forest drear.
No creature there did he hate or fear.
Androcles was his name, and his gentle fame
Spread to even the timid deer...

I love the Autocorrect!

I know the story, but I'm in my 50s. If be surprised if my DC (on their 20s) knew it.

Yes. Indeed. It’s a book in the Read Write Inc reading scheme in primary school.

I do - mid thirties.

brilliant!

no indeed, but they became very very close!