Samples from the first redaction verse Norman-French version, the prose Norman-French version, and the Early English translation by William Caxton. The animal images are from Bibliothèque de la Faculté de Médecine, H. 437; the Prologue image is from British Library, Royal MS 19 A IX.

The Elephant (French, first redaction verse version)
(Transcription from The Image du monde Challenge, based on manuscript Bibliothèque Nationale de France, fr. 14964, folio 44v-46r)

The Elephant (French, prose version)
(From O.H. Prior, editor, L'image du monde de Maitre Gossouin, page 126-127; based on manuscript Bibliothèque Nationale de France, fr. 574, folio 56r)

Cele part sont li olyfant, unes bestes qui sont granz et forz et conbatanz. Et quant l’en leur moustre le sanc devant euls, si en sont plus courageus et plus forz et s’enbatent en touz lieus et en toutes batailles. Seur ces olyfanz se souloient combatre les genz d’Ynde et de Perse. Car ·i. porte bien une grant tour de fust, plainne de gent armée, quant ele est bien fermée desus son dos. Si ont ·i· bouel par devant, grant et large, dont il menjuent. Et en prennent bien ·i· houme et deveurent en poi d’eure.

Olyfant vont moult simplement et moult acordéement ensamble. Et, quant il s’entrencontrent, il baissent les chiés les uns contre les autres, ausi comme s’il s’entresaluassent.

Il sont de moult froide nature; dont il avient que, quant l’en met sus la dent de l’c]yvoire ·i· drap linge et charbons ardanz desus, que li drap linge n’art pas; ainz estaint li charbons tantost comme l’en le met desus, por la froidure qui est en lui.

Il doute la souriz et la coulevre et toute vermine. Se la couluevre s’aert a lui, si l’abat et l’ocit. Ele repont ses faons es illes ou il n’a boz ne couluevres, et faonne adès dedenz yaue. Car s’il chaoient près de terre, jamais ne se releveroient. Car leur os sont touz entiers et roides sanz jointes dès le ventre jusques as piez.

Quant il dort si est apuiez a ·i· arbre, et dort en estant. Et li veneeur, qui vont cerchant les arbres a coi il s’apuie quant il dort, si le trenchent et sient par desouz, si qu’il ne chiet pas. Et quant li olyfanz, qui riens n’en set, se veult dormir, s’apuie a l’arbre qui est encisez, si chiet jus et ne se puet sus relever. Lors brait et crie et pleure et gemit; tant qu’aucunes foiz viennent autres olyfanz seur lui pour lui aidier. Et quant il ne le] pueent redrecier, si braient et crient et font grant duel. Et li petit qui vont entour si le soulievent a leur pooir. Et aucunes foiz avient qu’il le lievent. Mais quant il ne le pueent relever, si s’en vont gemissant et faisant leur duel, et le laissent. Et ceuls qui sont repouz près d’illuec saillent avant et les prennent par leur esforz et par leur engins qu’il ont. Et ainsi prent l’en les olyfanz.

The Elephant (English, Caxton translation of the prose version)
(From O.H. Prior, editor, Caxton's Mirrour of the World, page 76-78; based on manuscript British Library, Royal MS 19 A IX, folio 57r-59r)

In this contre ben the Olyphauns whiche is a beste grete, strong and fyghtyng. And whan they see their blood shedde to fore them, they be most corageous and most stronge, and fnght [fight] in alle places & alle bataylles. Upon this olyphaunts were wonte to fyghte the peple of Ynde and of Perse; for an olyphaunt bereth wel a tour of woode vpon his back, fulle of men of Armes, whan it is wel sette on & fermly. And they haue to fore them in maner of boyell grete and large, whiche they ete by, whiche they renne on men, & haue anon deuoured them.

The olyfauntes goo moche symply and accordyngly to gydre. And whan they mete and encountre eche other, they bowe their heedes that one to that other lyke as they entresalewed eche other.

Tholyfauns haue neuer yong fawnes but ones in longe tyme; and they bere them ii yere in their flankes.

An olyfaunt lyneth ccc yere. He doubteth & fereth the wesell and the culeuure & dredeth vermyne. Yf the culeuure clyue & be on tholyfaunt, it departeth not tyl it hath slayn hym. She fawneth her fawnes & hydeth them where is no woode and fawneth in the water; ffor yf she laye on therthe, she sholde neuer aryse ne releue, ffor as moche their bones ben al hool without joyntes from the bely vnto the feet.

And whan tholyphaunt wylle slepe, he leneth vnto a tree and there slepeth stondyng. And the hunters that seche them and knowe the trees to whiche they lene whan they slepe, thenne whan they haue founden them, they sawe them lowe by the ground almost a sondre that whan tholyfaunt cometh and knoweth nothyng therof and wold slepe and leneth to the tree, and anon he falleth with the tree vnto the grounde and may not releue hym self. Thenne he begynneth for to braye, crye and waylle, that somtyme ther come many olyfauntes to hym for to helpe hym. And whan they may not redresse and reyse hym, they crye and braye and make a meueyllous sorowe. And they that ben most lytil and smale goo aboute for to lyfte and reyse hym to theyr power in suche wyse that other whyle they lyfte and reyse hym vp. But whan they may not reyse ne releue hym, they goon theyr way wayilyng and makyng grete sorowe and leue hym. And the hunters that ben embusshed by, come; & by their engyns that they haue propice for the same take hym; thus by this subtylte ben tholyfateuns taken.

The Whale (French, first redaction verse version)
(Transcription from The Image du monde Challenge, based on manuscript Bibliothèque Nationale de France, fr. 14964, folio 51v-52r)

The Whale (French, prose version)
(From O.H. Prior, editor, L'image du monde de Maitre Gossouin, page 140; based on manuscript Bibliothèque Nationale de France, fr. 574, folio 65r)

Si ra en la mer ·i· poison si grant et si merveilleus qu’il croist desus son dos terre et herbe, et samble que ce soit une grant ille. Dont la gent qui vont par mer sont aucunes foiz deceüz; car il cuident que ce soit terre. Si s’atraient cele part. Et quant il ont fait leur atrait de feu et de loges et de ce que mestiers leur est, comme cil qui cuident estre a terre, si alument lor feu et font leur cuisine. Mais quant li poissons sent le feu, si s’esmuet si soudainement et se fiert en parfont en l’yaue, si qu’il afonde tout, quanque il a sus lui. Et ainsi sont les nés paries et les genz noiez qui cuidoient estre a sauveté.

The Whale (English, Caxton translation of the prose version)
(From O.H. Prior, editor, Caxton's Mirrour of the World, page 88-89; based on manuscript British Library, Royal MS 19 A IX, folio 67v-68r

In this see of Ynde is another fysshe so huge and grete that on his backe groweth erth and grasse; and semeth proprely that it is a grete Ile. Wherof it happeth som tyme that the maronners sayllyng by this see ben gretly deceyued and abused; ffor they wene certaynly that it be ferme londe; wherfor they goo out of their shippes theron. And whan they haue made their preparacions and their logys theron, and lyghted their fire and made it to brenne after their nede, wenyng to be on a ferme londe, but incontynent as this merueyllous fysshe feleth the hete of the fyre, he meuyth hym sodenly and deualeth doun in to the water as depe as he may. And thus alle that is vpon hym is lost in the see. And by this moyen, many shippes ben drowned and perisshid, and the peple, whan they supposed to haue be in sauete.

The Eagle (French, first redaction verse version)
(Transcription from The Image du monde Challenge, based on manuscript Bibliothèque Nationale de France, fr. 14964, folio 58v)

The Eagle (French, prose version)
(From O.H. Prior, editor, L'image du monde de Maitre Gossouin, page 126-127; based on manuscript Bibliothèque Nationale de France, fr. 574, folio 73v)

Li aigles prent ses poucins par ses ongles. Et celui qui se tient fermement aimme et le retient avoec lui. Et celui qui se tient foiblement laisse aler et ne s’en prent garde. Quant ele est vieille, si vole si haut qu’ele passe les nues en haut. Et tient tant sa veüe el souleill que ele l’a toute pardue et arse, et que ses pennes sont toutes brullées. Et lors chiet aval tout en ·i· mont en une eave que ele a avant choisie. Et ainsi a sa vie renouvelée. Et quant sont bec est trop lonc, si le brise a une dure pierre et le raguise.

The Eagle (English, Caxton translation of the prose version)
(From O.H. Prior, editor, Caxton's Mirrour of the World, page 102; based on manuscript British Library, Royal MS 19 A IX, folio 78v)

The egle of his nature taketh his byrdes by the vngles or clawes wyth his bylle. And hym that holdeth fastest he loueth beste & kepeth them next by hym. And them that holden but febly, he leteth hem goo, and taketh none hede of them. Whan the Egle is moche aged, he fleeth so hye that he passeth the clowdes, and holdeth there his sight so longe ayenst the sonne that he hath al loste it and brende alle his fethers. Thenne he falleth doun on a montaygne in a water that he hath to fore chosen, & in this manere he reneweth his lyf. And whan his bille is ouerlonge he breketh and bruseth it ayenst an hard stone & sharpeth it.

Prologue (French, second verse redaction)
(From Paul Meyer, editor, L'Image du monde, rédaction du ms. Harley 4333, page 503-505; based on manuscript British Library, Harley MS 4333, folio 69r-70r)