One day, some animals were talking about which animal was the best. The pig said, "Pigs are the greatest because we have many babies. I have twelve healthy little pigs." She asked the rabbit, "How many babies do you have?"

The rabbit felt embarrassed¹. She only had seven. Then she pointed² at the sheep and said, "She only has three!" Everyone laughed.

A snake passed by and said, "Snakes are truly³ the greatest. I have fifty!"

"So what?" said a new voice. Everyone turned around and saw a lioness.

The snake lifted up her head and looked at the lioness."Why do you speak? I have fifty babies. You only have one. That's nothing." The other animals said that the snake was right.

The lioness laughed. "I only have one, but it is a lion. Only a lion can be the king of the forest."

The other animals could think of nothing to say. They had many babies, but none of them would ever be as strong as a lion. "One valuable⁴ thing," said the lioness, "is worth more than a hundred common ones."