Omniana/Volume 1/Animals in Paradise
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85. Animals in Paradise.
The animals in Paradise are the prophet Saleh's camel, the ram which Abraham sacrificed instead of Isaac, Moses's cow, (the red cow, whose ashes were mingled with the water of purification), Soloman's ant (who, when all creatures, in token of their obedience to him, brought him presents, dragged before him a locust, and was therefore preferred before all others because it had brought a creature so much bigger than itself); the queen of Sheba's parrot, who carried messages between her and Solomon; Ezra's ass; Jonah's whale; Kitmer, the dog of the Seven Sleepers; and Mahommed's camel. Thevenot.
Most probably this suggested to Voltaire the dramatis personæ of his Taureau Blanc.