"I am a Man," said the other.
At this the Lion laughed in his face. "You a Man!" said he. "Come, come; I may be young, but I am no fool, my good fellow. Why, you are not so big as one leg of that mountain over there, who was tied to a stake, as he said, by a Man."
"All the same," the Man said, "I am one of them."
"But look here," the Lion went on, "my father and mother both say that Man is a terrible and cruel creature, and the only creature a Lion need fear. Now, either you are no Man, or else my father and mother are quite wrong."
"Well," said the Man, "I am not nearly so strong as you are, or the Elephant and Camel, or even the Ox. As you say, I am not much to look at, but I have one power which you all lack."
"Indeed," said the Lion, "and what may that be?"
The Man answered, "Reason."
"I never heard of reason," said the Lion. "Please explain it to me, will you?"
"It is not easy to explain what reason is," replied the Man; "but if you like, I will show you how it works."
The Lion was pleased. "Oh please do," he said.