They are worth more
than all your gems."
I am sure that the boys never forgot their mother's pride and love and
care; and in after years, when they had become great men in Rome, they
often thought of this scene in the garden. And the world still likes
to hear the story of Cornelia's jewels.
ANDROCLUS AND THE LION.
In Rome there was once a poor slave whose name was An'dro-clus. His
master was a cruel man, and so unkind to him that at last An-dro-clus
ran away.
He hid himself in a wild wood for many days; but there was no food to
be found, and he grew so weak and sick that he thought he should die.
So one day he crept into a cave and lay down, and soon he was fast
asleep.
After a while a great noise woke him up. A lion had come into the
cave, and was roaring loudly. Androclus was very much afraid, for he
felt sure that the beast would kill him. Soon, however, he saw that
the lion was not angry, but that he limped as though his foot hurt
him.
Then Androclus grew so bold that he took hold of the lion's lame paw
to see what was the matter. The lion stood quite still, and rubbed his
head against the man's shoulder. He seemed to say,--
"I know that you will help me."
Androclus lifted the paw from the ground, and saw that it was a long,
sharp thorn which hurt the lion so much.
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