[MerreM]

Imagine the arrows are crocodiles. They always try and eat more.

1 < 2

4 > 1

If they're eating less, they're not happy crocodiles.

[haliphax]

Or the "is greater than" (>) is a crocodile's mouth, and "is less than" (<) is a bird's beak. The bird eats smaller food than an crocodile eats, and the crocodile eats bigger food than the bird eats.

[brainburn]

Or maybe as snork-eater-eaters

http://wharble.com/sites/default/files/Snork-Eater_Eater.jpg