To reach the top of a mountain, men needed to hike it,
And at the top was a monster, and I am a lot like it.
This creature, like I, would riddle to the common man,
Let them keep their lives if they answered correct, if they can.
Failure means someone is going to die,
But I, unlike this being, can't eat an entire guy.
Part lion, part snake, and even part bird,
And with a human head, it makes it's riddle heard.
Sadly, it finally faced a man that was smart,
That answered it's riddle correctly, and broke it's heart.
Enraged, it jumped off it's mountain,
Now all that's left is a monument, and it's not a fountain.
What is this creature that with a quick peck
Could kill a man by ripping out his neck?