Once upon a time, not so long ago, a young rabbit was wandering along a path, sniffing at flowers and enjoying the warm spring day. As he was walking along he encountered another young animal - one with perky ears, sharp teeth and a lazy smile. They began to get acquainted.
"So what are you?" said the rabbit. "I'm a fox" replied his new friend.
"No" said the rabbit. "You don't look anything like what I think a fox should look like. You're just fooling with me. Have you got any proof that you're a fox - a certificate or something?"
The young fox was speechless. He wandered back down the path, getting more confused as he walked.
As he was dejectedly walking along, he saw the Lion sitting under a tree. He walked up to the Lion and said: "Your Majesty, I need your help. I need some kind of certificate or documentation to prove that I am a fox.
The Lion was in a good mood and laughed and prepared a scroll that certified that he was a fox in good standing and testified that he was a superior representative of his species.
The fox thanked the Lion and ran cheerfully down the path until once again he found the rabbit. He pulled out his scroll and proudly handed it to the rabbit. The rabbit read it carefully and noted the fox's big teeth and sly smile. His eyes opened wide and he dropped the scroll and ran like the dickens.
The fox was still a little confused, but he felt a lot happier.
He walked back down the path and after a while he saw the Lion having a conversation with a deer. The Lion said: "I don't have to prove that I'm a Lion. I'm not hungry at the moment, but if I were, you would definitely know what I am". The deer backed up and ran away.
The fox walked back up to the Lion and said: "That was a really great answer. But when I asked for a certificate to show to the rabbit, you just gave me the certificate. Why didn't you give me that answer?"
"Rabbit!", said the Lion, laughing. "You didn't say that it was for a rabbit. I thought you wanted it for a human being. They're the ones who started this whole stupid game".