Counting
John has a black hat, a brown hat and a blue hat. Mary asks John, "How many hats do you have?". John  gives the number 1 to the black hat. John gives the number 2 to the brown hat. John gives the number 3 to the blue hat. Now John has no more hats. The biggest number John gave was three, and each hat has a number. John tells Mary, "I have three hats". John has counted the hats.