Willie Johnson age 9, of Miami, Florida, for his question:

Is it true that a porcupine can kill a lion

It is true that the quills of the porcupine can end the days of a mountain lion, any mountain lion foolish enough to tangle with a porcupine finds himself facing an arched back and sturdy tail teeming with prickles,

At just the right moments Mr. Porcupine lets go with a well directed wham from his spiny tail. Chances are, he lands a few quills right in his enemy's face. In a few seconds, the tip of each of these quills has sprouted a number of sharp bartisa firmly fixing it into the tender flesh. Even if the mountain lion had hands and sense enough to tear out these barbed quills it could not do so without ripping away bits of his flesh.

Most likely, Mr. Mountain Lion retires to lick his sore spots. But whatever he does, the quills continue to work themselves in deeper, Enough of them can prove too much for him and put an end to his prowling days, At any rates they will teach him never again to tangle with a porcupine.