Androcles and the Lion (play) run from his Roman persecutors. While hiding in the forest he comes upon a wild lion who approaches him with a wounded paw. His wife runs off. Androcles sees that the cause of the animal's distress is a large thorn embedded in its paw, which he draws out while soothing the lion in baby language. Androcles is captured and is sent to the Colosseum to be executed with other Christians in gladiatorial combat. They are joined by a new Christian convert called Ferrovius, who struggles to reconcile his Christian principles with his violent inclinations. The Roman captain guarding them is
Raven: A Trickster Tale From The Pacific Northwest saying, "With this masterfully executed reworking, McDermott adds to the folktale bookshelf a work in the grand tradition." "Horn Book Magazine" stating that "The naive view suits the simplicity of the scheme, and the mythic elements of the story are masterfully rendered." In a section of "The New York Times" Gerald McDermott is praised along with his works of fiction saying, "McDermott is not only a picture-book artist of the first-rank, but also one of our most gifted retellers of myth and folk tale." Raven: A Trickster Tale From The Pacific Northwest Raven: A Trickster Tale From The Pacific Northwest