Androclus and the Lion

A fable retold from Fifty Famous Stories, by James Baldwin

This fable comes from Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin, a collection first published in 1896. The story of Androclus (sometimes spelled Androcles) is much older, dating back to ancient Rome. It teaches that kindness is never wasted—even a small act of mercy can change a life. The tale reminds children that compassion crosses all boundaries, even between a man and a wild beast.

Band

Yellow · Emerging readers, about 6 to 8

Length

medium · about 549 words in 6 sections · 4 pictures

Source

Fifty Famous Stories Retold, James Baldwin · Project Gutenberg

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (8 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Colouring page

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.