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
Letters from a Lost Uncle Letters from a Lost Uncle Written for children, Letters from a Lost Uncle by Mervyn Peake, is a combination of pencil drawing and typed manuscript. It is written in the form of letters from a lost uncle who is travelling in distant polar regions in search of a white lion. He has a spike for a leg, and is accompanied by his retainer, Jackson, a bizarre turtle figure. Originally published in 1948, the book was well-received but Peake complained about the war-time quality of the paper on which it was printed and it was subsequently withdrawn. It was reissued in