Faustulus

In the days of old, when the world was young, there lived a shepherd named Faustulus. One day, he was tending his sheep along the banks of the Tiber River when he heard the sound of crying. He followed the sound and found two baby boys, abandoned and left to die. Faustulus took pity on the infants and brought them back to his sheepfold, where he and his wife, Acca Larentia, raised them as their own. The boys grew up strong and healthy, and they soon became known throughout the land for their courage and strength. One day, the boys were playing in the forest when they came across a she-wolf. The she-wolf was nursing her own cubs, but she took pity on the boys and allowed them to suckle from her as well. The boys grew to love the she-wolf, and she became their protector. The boys' real father, King Amulius of Alba Longa, had them killed when he learned that they were still alive. However, the she-wolf saved them and took them to Faustulus and Acca Larentia, who raised them as their own. When the boys grew up, they learned of their true heritage and vowed to avenge their