Episode 46: As Strong As a Lion

as…as, enough, too — Muhammad Ali, 1964 (A2-B1)

The Question

Luna watched a boxing match. The announcer said: “He’s as fast as lightning!” Then: “He’s strong enough to win.” Then: “He’s too confident.” Luna paused. “Professor, what’s the difference? As…as, enough, and too?” The watch glowed. “Let’s meet the greatest boxer who ever lived.”

The Journey

Miami Beach, February 25, 1964. Hot night. Luna and Professor Wisdom stand ringside. Two men face each other. One is huge, scary, and silent. Sonny Liston. The heavyweight champion. Everyone fears him.

The other is young, loud, and fast. Cassius Clay, soon to be Muhammad Ali. Only 22 years old. People say he’s too young. Too small. Too cocky. They say he talks too much. But he believes.

Before the fight, Ali shouted: “I’m as pretty as a butterfly! I’m as fast as lightning! I’m strong enough to shock the world! I float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!”

People laughed. Liston was too powerful. Too experienced. Too mean. Nobody gave Ali a chance.

But Ali had a plan. He wasn’t as heavy as Liston. But he was faster. He wasn’t as strong as Liston. But he was smarter. He knew he was good enough to win.

Round one. Ali dances. He’s as quick as wind. Liston swings. He’s too slow. Ali dodges. The smell of sweat fills the arena. The sound of gloves hitting flesh echoes. The crowd roars.

Round after round, Ali proves himself. He’s fast enough to avoid punches. He’s brave enough to take risks. He’s skilled enough to land hits.

Round seven. Liston doesn’t come out. He quits. Ali wins! He screams: “I’m the greatest! I shook up the world!” He was right. He was good enough. He was brave enough. He was champion enough.

Before this night, people doubted him. They said he was too loud, too brash, too confident. After this night, he became a legend. He showed the world: believe in yourself. Work hard enough. Dream big enough. Nothing is too difficult.

Luna watches Ali celebrate. This young man taught the world something important. Confidence isn’t too much if you back it up with work.

The Insight

Professor Wisdom explained: “Luna, these words show comparison and degree. ‘As…as’ means equal: ‘as fast as lightning.’ ‘Enough’ means sufficient: ‘strong enough to win.’ ‘Too’ means excessive: ‘too confident.'”

“Remember: ‘enough’ comes after adjectives but before nouns. ‘He’s strong enough.’ ‘He has enough strength.’ ‘Too’ means more than good or necessary. ‘He’s too tired’ means it’s a problem.”

“‘As…as’ in negatives shows inequality: ‘He’s not as strong as Liston’ means Liston is stronger.”

Practice Zone

More Examples:

“She’s as brave as a soldier.” — equal comparison
“He’s old enough to vote.” — sufficient for something
“The coffee is too hot to drink.” — excessive, a problem
“This bag isn’t as heavy as that one.” — unequal comparison
“We have enough time to finish.” — sufficient amount
“She’s too tired to continue.” — excessive tiredness prevents action

Exercises:

Fill in the blank: “Ali was ___ fast ___ lightning. Liston wasn’t ___ quick ___ Ali.”
Choose the correct:
a) He’s strong enough for win.
b) He’s strong enough to win.
Match the meanings:
– Equal: “as ___ as” → strong
– Sufficient: “ to win” → brave enough
– Excessive: “ to fight” → too tired
Complete: “The challenge was difficult ___ (enough/too). But Ali was confident ___ (enough/too) to try.”
Your turn: Describe a sports hero using as…as, enough, and too.

Answer Key:

as fast as / as quick as
b) strong enough to win (enough + to-infinitive)
as strong as, brave enough, too tired
enough / enough (difficult enough = very difficult, confident enough = sufficiently confident)
Check: Did you use as…as for equal comparison? Enough for sufficient? Too for excessive?

The Lesson

Back home, Luna understood. Ali wasn’t as big as his opponents. But he was fast enough and brave enough. Some said he was too confident. But confidence isn’t too much when you work hard enough to earn it. Be as bold as your dreams. Work hard enough to achieve them.