A young gazelle walked across the savanna.
He ate some grass and a few leaves.
The sun felt very hot.
"I'm thirsty," said the gazelle.
"I'll go to the water hole."
When the gazelle reached the water hole, he took a few sips.
Then he looked up.
Another young animal was watching the gazelle.
The animal had sharp teeth and claws.
But he didn't look mean.
The two animals playfully chased each other.
They splashed in the water.
When the sun began to set, the gazelle headed home.
He told his mother about his new friend.
"What did he look like?" she asked.
The gazelle told her.
"He's a lion!" she said.
"You can't be friends with him!"
"Why not?" asked the gazelle.
"Well," said his mother.
"Gazelles are herbivores.
That means we eat plants.
But lions are carnivores.
They eat meat."
"Meat?" said the gazelle.
"Like other animals?"
"Yes," said his mother.
"The other day I saw a jackal eating berries," said the gazelle.
"Can I be friends with him?"
"No," said his mother.
"Jackals are omnivores.
They eat some plants.
But they also eat other animals."
"Meat eaters are terrible!" said the gazelle.
"No, they're not terrible," said his mother.
"That's just how the food chain works."
"Food chain?" asked the gazelle.
"Yes," said his mother.
"All living things need food for energy.
Plants get their energy from sunlight.
We get our energy from eating plants.
And meat eaters get it from eating other animals."
"I guess I understand," said the gazelle.
"Too bad that lion is a meat eater.
We had so much fun."