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Livia and the Lion Cub
by My Book Hub Team
An illustrated historical book for ages 6-9. Read the first pages free, then join to read it all.
Genre: historical
For ages 6-9
A peek inside
The sun blazed over ancient Rome on festival day. Crowds packed the streets near the great Colosseum. Bright banners snapped in the warm wind. Chariot racers polished their wheels and checked their horses. Vendors shouted about sweet dates and cool water. Young Livia hurried through the noise with a clay jug in her arms. Her dark braided hair bounced against her simple tunic. She was a slave girl who worked in a busy kitchen nearby. Today her master wanted fresh water before the races began. Livia paused and stared at the huge stone arches. She had never gone inside those tunnels. A soft roar drifted up from below. Her heart thumped with sudden curiosity. What animal made that sound on such a bright morning?
Livia set the jug behind a pile of empty baskets. She glanced left and right. Guards watched the main gates, not the side path. She slipped between two stone pillars and entered a cool tunnel. The air smelled of dust, hay, and oil lamps. Torches flickered along the rough walls. Far above, the crowd cheered for a practice race. Livia walked carefully so her sandals made little noise. She told herself she would look for only a moment. Then she would fetch the water and hurry back. A tiny whimper echoed from a side chamber. The sound was soft and worried, not fierce. Livia frowned and stepped closer. Something small needed help down here in the dark.
