The Slave and the Lion by Esopo

Name: The Slave and the Lion
Author: Esopo

A slave is tasked with guarding a lion. The slave's master orders him to kill the lion if it escapes. However, when the lion breaks free, the slave fails to act, fearing his own death at the hands of his master. The lion then kills several people in the village, and the slave is punished for failing to prevent its escape. The moral of the story is that a person who fails to fulfill their duties will be held accountable for the consequences of others' actions.

By Esopo · First published 1640 · Genre: Fable, Children's Literature, Classics · 393 words

First lines

A Slave ran away from his master, by whom he had been most cruelly treated, and, in order to avoid capture, betook himself into the desert. As he wandered about in search of food and shelter, he came to a cave, which he entered and found to be unoccupied. Really, however, it was a Lion's den, and almost immediately, to the horror of the wretched fugitive, the Lion himself appeared. The man gave himself up for lost: but, to his utter astonishment, the Lion, instead of springing upon him and devouring him, came and fawned upon him, at the same time whining and lifting up his paw. Observing it to be much swollen and inflamed, he examined it and found a large thorn embedded in the ball of the foot. He accordingly removed it and dressed the wound as well as he could: and in course of time it healed up completely. The Lion's gratitude was unbounded; he looked upon the man as his friend, and they shared the cave for some time together.

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The Slave and the Lion is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1640 CE.

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Work type: Fable
Author: Esopo
Date: 1640 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fable, Children's Literature, Classics, Adventure, Fantasy
Length: 393 words
Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

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Work identity for The Slave and the Lion by Esopo
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Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres

Fable — As a work of Esopo, the book is in the genre of fables which feature elements of moral and ethical lessons oftentimes using animals or inanimate objects as characters.
Children's Literature — The fable genre's accessible language and moral lessons can be suited for children's literature.
Classics — Esopo's work has been widely read and recognized over centuries, categorizing it as a classic in literature.
Adventure — The story likely involves a sense of adventure as the character navigates their life in the midst of a complex relationship with other characters, such as a lion.