History Main / AndroclesLion

%%If you have time, please take time to put Mythology examples in alphabetical order. This page Administrivia/HowToAlphabetizeThings should help you with that.

[[folder:Mythology]]

* There is a Persian folk tale, famously put to verse by ''Creator/Rumi'' about a hero who saves a bear from a dragon. The bear starts following the man around and fiercely protecting him. The story takes a dark turn though, as the bear is NotTooBright and the only one who doesn't see it is the hero. His friends warn him that hanging around with a [[BearsAreBadNews gigantic beast without much wit is a bad idea]] and that he would be better off spending time with humans, but he ignores them. Then one day as the man is taking a nap, the bear notices that a fly is annoying his friend and has the brilliant idea to kill it with a boulder. While it's sitting on the dude's face.

** The ''WebOriginal/ProtectorsOfThePlotContinuum'' mission that sporked this particular fanfic does not directly feature this trope, but another PrehistoricMonster character, the villainous human-hating [[RaptorAttack Velociripper]], was accidentally brought to the PPC in the aftermath of the mission. Ripper would go on to pull a HeelFaceTurn in a later mission, cast aside his anti-human grudge, and become a close friend of the [[AuthorAvatar newest persona]] of his author, after said persona sympathized with him upon hearing of [[MakeWayForTheNewVillains just how badly even his homefic had treated him]] and gave him a much-needed chance to find peace.

* Jean Valjean in ''Literature/LesMiserables'' saves Fauchelevant from dying after he gets trapped under his horse cart and arranges a job for him as a gardener in a Parisian convent. Later, when Valjean is on the run from Inspector Javert, Fauchelevant conceals him and adopted daughter Cosette in said convent.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/{{Exile}}'' and the first three ''VideoGame/{{Avernum}}'' games. There are a few minor encounters where freeing a trapped monster will result in said monster trying to kill the player because they're "nowhere near bright enough to comprehend the idea of gratitude." However, the later ''Avernum'' games do toss in a few hungry animals who will follow the player around briefly and help during fights after being fed.

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', the first dungeon is full of monkeys that need to be saved, and are quick to return the favor, proving themselves to be vital to progressing through said dungeon. Furthermore, the first miniboss is a possessed baboon named Ook. After Link [[BeatTheCurseOutOfHim beats the insect possessing him off of Ook]], he returns the favor by helping Link in the fight against the dungeon's boss Diababa.

* The Steampunk Tarot deck shows said lion on the "Strength" card, instead of the usual gentle-control that said card usual shows. It still fits the card's archetype, being of intelligence triumphant over base instinct.

-->-- '''D'Leh''' before saving a saber-toothed tiger from drowning, ''Film/{{10000BC}}''

-->-- '''D'Leh''' before saving a saber-toothed tiger from drowning, ''Film/10000BC''

* In the ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld''[=/=]''VideoGame/TheWitcher3'' crossover event, Geralt come across vines that have trapped and killed several Pukei-Pukei. If he finds and rescues the one that's still alive, it will later jump in during the final battle with the Ancient Leshen and help him.

* ''LightNovel/TheTestamentOfSisterNewDevil'': At one point, Zest feeds and pets a stray baby unicorn. Later, when Zest gets knocked out and about to be trampled, the unicorn goes to her and licks her face to wake her up, allowing to roll out of the way.

* In the beginning of ''Film/RolliAmazing Tales'', this is invoked, and later ultimately double subverted. Rolli finds a large old tree and wants to make firewood out of it, but the tree starts talking and pleads for him to spare it, promising to help Rolli out if it can. Near the ending, while Rolli is trying to evade the Trashers, he hides behind the tree and asks for its help. The tree does nothing, and Rolli is captured by the Trashers, but the tree pities him. The tree finally repays its debt right in the ending by [[spoiler:letting itself fall all over the [[BigBad High Priest]] before the villain can kill Rolli and the Forest Fairy]].

* St. Jerome also tames a lion by removing a thorn from its paw.

** ''[[https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/7yxv2k/the_cat_lady/ The Cat Lady]]:'' A lonely old woman named Doris makes a habit of feeding the stray cats living in her neighborhood, her favorites being a large, fierce tomcat named Goliath, and his mate Duchess. When their {{Jerkass}} neighbors the Hubbards harass Doris and try to get her to stop feeding the cats, Goliath and the cats start driving the Hubbards crazy, howling all night on their porch, using their lawn as a toilet and [[DeadAnimalWarning leaving dead birds all over the grass.]] The war escalates as the Hubbard boys retaliate by riding past Doris' house every day, cursing and throwing rocks at the cats. When the Hubbards cross a line by fatally poisoning Duchess, Goliath grows to the size of a mountain lion and tears the Hubbard boys into bits.

* In the [[{{Website/Reddit}} Reddit]] short story ''[[https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/54crn6/the_price_of_sugar/ The Price of Sugar]],'' a poor artist gets tired of a sentient colony of ants stealing sugar from her kitchen and makes a deal with them, which they agree to: if they stop stealing from her supplies, she will leave a bowl of sugar out for them every day. Her racist neighbor tries to get her thrown out of the apartment building for feeding the ants, and the ants kill him and make his bones into carved pendants for the woman to sell at the local market. As it turns out, they sell for quite a bit of money--"enough to keep my little friends in sugar for a lifetime".

* In ''Film/NightAtTheMuseum 2'', Larry gives a [[EverythingsSquishierWithCephalopods Giant Octopus]] the water it desperately searches for. They instantly become friends, and the Octopus helps out in the FinalBattle against Kahmunrah.

** Spike the Bulldog was usually the "lion", who would protect Jerry from Tom after Jerry got him out of trouble. Zigzagged in the "Fit to be Tied" short, when Jerry pulls a tack out of Spike's paw, a deliberate call-out to the old Aesop fable. At first, Spike helps Jerry when he rings a bell, until Tom shows him a newspaper article where dogs have to be chained on leashes, and Tom makes Jerry his servant. Later on, the next day's newspaper reads that the leash law is repealed, and Spike starts pummeling Tom again.

*** In "The Bodyguard", Jerry pulls the wooden peg from the latch on the dog catcher's truck, releasing Spike who tells Jerry to whistle for help. After Tom tries make Jerry into a sandwich, Spike crunches Tom into an accordion shape, Tom knocks a chip off Jerry's shoulder and Spike punches Tom. After Tom walks away from Spike, he catches Jerry in the alley, and gives a wolf whistle when he sees a female cat, with Spike hitting Tom again. Tom resorts to shaking two gumballs out of a machine, dipping one in glue, giving the coated one to Jerry, which stops him from whistling. Stuck in a fence hole, Jerry tries hard to blow a bubble, and after much effort, he finally blows a piercing whistle; {{subverted}} when Spike has been caught by the dog catcher, and Tom chases after Jerry.
*** A truly bizarre variation occurs in Creator/TexAvery's Creator/{{MGM}} cartoon "King Sized Canary"; as a hungry cat stalks a mouse, the mouse says, "Hey, [[BreakingTheFourthWall I just sat through this picture]], and if you're smart you won't eat me, because later in this picture I'll save your life." He does too.

** Spike the Bulldog was usually the "lion", who would protect Jerry from Tom after Jerry got him out of trouble. In one short Jerry pulls a tack out of Spike's paw, a deliberate call-out to the old Aesop fable.
*** In "The Bodyguard", Jerry pulls the wooden peg from the latch on the dog catcher's truck, releasing Spike who tells Jerry to whistle for help. After Tom tries make Jerry into a sandwich, Spike crunches Tom into an accordion shape, Tom knocks a chip off Jerry's shoulder and Spike punches Tom. After Tom walks away from Spike, he catches Jerry in the alley, and gives a wolf whistle when he sees a female cat, with Spike hitting Tom again. Tom resorts to shaking two gumballs out of a machine, dipping one in glue, giving the coated one to Jerry, which stops him from whistling. Stuck in a fence hole, Jerry tries hard to blow a bubble, and after much effort, he finally blows a piercing whistle; {{subverted} when Spike has been caught by the dog catcher, and Tom chases after Jerry.

** After the war, Wojtek was sent to live in a British zoo. The Polish soldiers who stayed in England would occasionally visit him, and ''jump into'' the bear pit [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming to play with him]].

** After the war, Wojtek was sent to live in a British zoo. The Polish soldiers who stayed in England would occasionally visit him, and ''jump into'' the bear pit [[CrowingMomentOfHeartwarming to play with him]].

* In ''Graven Hunter Files'' book ''Death by Demon'' young Sye encounters a baby demon and raises her, giving her the name Cat and teaching her not to eat people. Adult Sye later encounters Cat, who is eager to reconnect with Sye despite Sye's reluctance.