Figure descriptions
Hand-drawn poem text is contained by the rest of the illustration. A beast’s head
and a crown are placed alongside the poem
text within an intricate border. The hand-drawn title and byline appear above the
border. They are surrounded by patterns of
decorative swirls. The rest of the illustration consists of multiple scenes to the
right and below the poem text. In the top-right
section, the head of a sleeping lion emerges from tall grasses and plants. Below the
lion, a single-ruled rectangular border
contains a separate scene of a lion walking through a desert with pyramids in the
background. Below this scene, a lion faces away
from the viewer and watches two men in the background. There are trees and hills in
the distance. A curved border separates this
lion from a fourth scene, which shows a mouse eating food. To the left, below the
poem text, two mice are contained within a
circular and a semi-circular border. They are both set against dark backgrounds. Fruits
or nuts appear next to the mice. Full
page.
Hand-drawn poem text is contained by the rest of the illustration. Small portrait-like
depictions of two mice and a gazelle
are placed alongside the poem text within an intricate border. These scenes are set
against dark backgrounds and contained within
irregular circular borders. There is also a fly beside the final section of poem text.
The rest of the illustration consists of
multiple scenes above and to the left of the poem text. Above the poem text, a lion
lounges; it is surrounded by stylized curved
lines and set against a dotted background. Below the lion and to the left, a lion
chases three gazelles; there are trees in the
distance. This scene is contained by a double-ruled border with curved top and bottom
edges. Below this scene, a wide-eyed lion
looks up at a falling mouse. The mouse is set against a dark background. Finally,
in the bottom-left corner, a lion growls and
stretches back on its paws. It holds a mouse under its left paw. Full page.
Hand-drawn poem text is contained by the rest of the illustration within two blank
rectangular spaces. These spaces are
contained by intricate borders and placed in the top-left and bottom-right corners
of the illustration. The top-left section
contains an arrow and a spiked weapon adjacent to the poem text. A roaring lion’s
head also breaks the right edge of this border.
Between the two poem sections, there is a scene featuring three shirtless men. They
are identified in the poem text as hunters who
are capturing a lion. The captured lion lies on its back, wrapped in a net in the
bottom-left corner. The captured lion appears to
the left of the second section of poem text. Trees, plants, and flowers are scattered
throughout the illustration. The scene with
the captured lion is contained within an intricate rectangular border. In the top-right
corner of the page, beyond the main border,
a running mouse is contained within a triple-ruled irregular circular border. Full
page.
Hand-drawn poem text is contained by the rest of the illustration. The poem text is
placed within two blank spaces and
contained within intricate borders in the top-right and bottom-left corners of the
illustration. The top-right section also contains
three wolves’ heads. The bottom-left section contains a flying bat. The rest of the
illustration consists of multiple scenes. The
top-left corner shows a lion trapped in a net and surrounded by plants and trees.
To the right of the lion, there is a small scene
featuring the silhouettes of a man and three wolves. This scene is contained within
a triple-ruled rhombus-shaped border. In the
bottom-right section of the page, a mouse chews through the strands of a woven net.
The last scene, centred at the bottom of the
page, is contained within an intricate rectangular border. It shows the silhouette
of a lion standing next to a calm body of water.
Full page.
