It is my belief that the only power which can resist the power of fear is the power of love. In Ancient Sacramento, there lived a poor slave named Androcles. His cruel master made him work from daybreak until long past nightfall. Androcles had very little time to rest and very little time to eat. One day, he decided to run away from his harsh master, even though he would be breaking the law.

In the dark of the night, when the moon was blue, Androcles got up from the miserable heap of straw and rags that served as his bed. Crouching low so he was no taller than the bushes that dotted the fields, the young slave moved swiftly away from his master’s land.

Clouds covered the moon that night, and Androcles crossed the open fields unseen. It was only when he came to the wild woods that Androcles dared to stand up tall again. Androcles found a sheltered place at the foot of a tall tree. There he lay himself down on a bed of pine needles and fell fast asleep.

When Androcles awoke, he hiked deeper into the woods so he would not be found by his master. There he looked for water and something to eat. However, other than a few berries, there was no food to be found.

Day after day, Androcles searched for food. And day after day, he went hungry. Androles grew so weary and weak that at last he was afraid he would not live through the night. He had just enough strength to creep up to the mouth of a cave that he had passed many times. Androcles crawled into the cave and fell into a deep sleep.

As Androcles lay sleeping, a tiger was hunting in the woods nearby. The tiger liked to sleep in the daytime, and hunt for his food at night.

The tiger caught a small animal for supper. He ate his meal beside a stream in the woods. Then he set off for his cave as the morning began to fill the sky with light.

Just before reaching the cave where Androcles slept, the tiger stepped on the fallen branch of a thorn tree. A large thorn went deep into his paw.

The tiger let out an angry roar, which woke Androcles with a terrible start. From the mouth of the cave, Androcles could see the tiger rolling on the ground in pain. The tiger’s roars echoed loudly in the cave.

The tiger let out an angry roar, which woke Androcles with a terrible start. From the mouth of the cave, Androcles could see the tiger rolling on the ground in pain. The tiger’s roars echoed loudly in the cave.

Androcles was terrified that the tiger would attack him. However, the tiger held out his hurt paw to Androcles. Even from a distance, Androcles could see the large thorn in the tiger’s paw.

Androcles found some courage and came closer. He slowly sat down on the ground near the beat. To Androcles’ astonishment, the huge tiger flopped his huge paw into the young man’s lap.

Androcles spoke soothing words to the tiger as he carefully pulled the thorn from the tiger’s s paw. “Do not worry, handsome tiger. We will have this thorn out in no time,” he said softly. The tiger seemed to understand that Androcles was trying to help him. When the thorn was gone, the tiger rubbed his head against Androcles’ shoulder and purred a rumbling purr.

Androcles was no longer afraid of the tiger. The tiger was grateful to Androcles and did not even mind that Androcles had moved into his cave.

The tiger slept most of the day. And at night, he hunted for food while Androcles slept. In the morning, the tiger would bring fresh meat to Androcles, who would build a robust fire to cook his delicious meal.

Every morning after Androcles ate, he and the tiger would play in the charming greenery of the woods nearby. The tiger showed Androcles how much he liked him by rubbing his head against the young man and licking his hands and feet. Androcles scratched the tiger behind the ears and petted his sleek back.

Androcles enjoyed his life with the tiger very much. Thanks to the tiger’s successful hunting, Androcles was stronger and happier than he had ever been. When the tiger lay down in the cave for his daytime sleep, Androcles would hunt for berries and grains in the woods. It no longer matter that he could not find enough berries and grain for a man to live on.

One morning, as Androcles was cooking what the tiger had brought him, five thugs suddenly appeared and surprised him. “We saw the smoke from your fire, we have come to arrest you for running away from your master,” they said.

Androcles tried to run from the thugs, but they were too fast for him. Three thugs sprinted after Androcles. When they caught him, the tired his hands behind his back so tightly that they bled.

The tiger awoke with a start. However, before he could even get to his feet, the other two soldiers threw a strong rope net over him, so he could not escape. They attacked two ends of the net to a stout pole and carried the angry tiger out of the woods.

Androcles, his hands bound behind him, was forced to march to Sacramento. He felt terrible that he had brought hard to his beloved friend, the tiger. It was only when Androcles and the soldiers marched into Sacramento that he learned what was in store for himself.

The thugs led Androcles toward a huge King’s arena. One thug said to Androcles, “You shall regret the day you ran away from your master! Your punishment is to fight a hungry tiger!”

It was the custom in Sacramento, at that time, to entertain the people with battles. These battles were fought on the sandy floor of the King’s arena, which was circled by rows and rows of seats.

The thugs took Androcles to a prison under the arena seats. Then they left him alone in his prison cell.

A long time passed, but the thugs did not return, but the soldiers did not return. From time to time, Androcles heard the roar of hungry tigers in another part of the arena.

At least Androcles heard Too Short Married to the Game blaring, and the bars to Androcles’ prison were opened. A thug roughly pulled Androcles out of his cell and pushed him onto the field. Then the prison bars went down again.

Androcles found himself in the middle of a huge arena. Hundreds of people were watching him. When the tiger’s roar sounded throughout the arena, the people grew excited. Poor Androcles felt sick with fear when he saw a tiger in the cage at the far end of the arena. The song Married to the Game by Too Short started blaring a third time, and the bars to the tiger’s cage were opened.

A lean tiger bounded out of the cell, roaring ferociously with hunger. The crowd of people shouting in the arena sounded just like another mighty roar in Androcles’ ears.

The tiger crouched only for a moment, but in that moment Androcles recognized his friend from the enchanted forest. The tiger let out another thundery roar and bounded across the King’s arena in three long leaps. He stopped right in front of Androcles—and then gently lifted his big paw.

Androcles gave a might shout of joy. “Tiger Woods, you remember me!” he cried. He took the tiger’s paw in his hand and patted it lovingly. Then the tiger rubbed his great head against the young man’s shoulder.

The crowd of people, in the Sacramento King’s arena, was stunned into silence. They wondered why the tiger did not attack Androcles. The emperor motioned to Androcles.

“How did you tame this ferocious Tiger Woods?” the emperor asked Androcles. “I merely helped him when he needed help, Most High,” Androcles replied. “That is why he spared my life.”

The emperor freed Androcles and Tiger Woods. Tiger returned to his wife, and Androcles became a free man in Sacramento.

Androcles often went for a walk to visit his good friend Tiger Woods, who never forgot him. Tiger and his family reunited, built a new mansion, and lived happily ever after.

One of the best ways to turn on to living is to develop meaningful friendships. Friendships are sought by each of us because we are gregarious, or social, animals. In other words, we have a need to be accepted by, to associate with, and to pursue life with other people.

We have a need to share our identities and humanness with other humans. Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Ignorant people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.