It was a prodigious marvel that amazed all of them to a man: going through the woods there, they saw a procession of little animals with tiny heads: squirrels, rabbits, and hares; marmots, ermines, and beavers; wolves, foxes, tigers, and badgers (of which there were a great many); hinds, deer, stags, and bucks who glided by, one faster than the other; wild pigs, bears, and leopards; and dirty monkeys who were of such great numbers that they could never be scattered. There were also many snakes, but I do not know the names of all of them. Behind these came a great legion of lions who acted as a rearguard. Some of them often turned to look behind them, for the panther, who was bigger in size than any other beast and who flared streams of fire from its ears and nostrils, was chasing them from only a league and a half behind.

After the animals caught a sniff of its breath, they tried their best to remove themselves from its path by running away. In no way did they wish to be near it, since they feared losing their pelts to the ravenous beast. No matter how ferocious it was, no animal knew how to defend itself against the panther, who more cunningly knew how to seize his prey instantly and swallow it down in one gulp.

Marvels of Rigomer