We all know how cowsay, it moos. But what does it looks like with different costumes? Therefore, I make this post. My cow comes from Gentoo games-misc/cowsay-3.03-r2. The version 3.03 was released on 1999-05-28, nearly 15 years ago. It’s written in Perl by Tony Monroe under Artistic License and GNU General Public License.

Inside cowsay, besides the command cowsay, there is also a cowthink command. The difference is one is saying, another is thinking with bubbling marks, just like you read in comics.

cowsay has many cow files to transform it into another life form, using -f <cowfile> to switch and -l to list all available files.

There are also options to change -e eyes and -t tongue characters. A set of prefefined switches provide some funky looking eyes and tongues.

You can read the script generates this gallery.


1   cowsay/cowthink

1.1   cowsay

 _________________
< I'm just sayin' >
 -----------------
        \   ^__^
         \  (oo)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
                ||----w |
                ||     ||

1.2   cowthink

 ___________________
( I'm just thinkin' )
 -------------------
        o   ^__^
         o  (oo)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
                ||----w |
                ||     ||

2   Predefined eyes and tongues

2.1   -b Borg

 ___________
< I'm Borg! >
 -----------
        \   ^__^
         \  (==)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
                ||----w |
                ||     ||

2.2   -d dead

 ___________
< I'm dead! >
 -----------
        \   ^__^
         \  (xx)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
             U  ||----w |
                ||     ||

2.3   -g greedy

 _____________
< I'm greedy! >
 -------------
        \   ^__^
         \  ($$)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
                ||----w |
                ||     ||

2.4   -p paranoia

 _______________
< I'm paranoia! >
 ---------------
        \   ^__^
         \  (@@)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
                ||----w |
                ||     ||

2.5   -s stoned

 _____________
< I'm stoned! >
 -------------
        \   ^__^
         \  (**)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
             U  ||----w |
                ||     ||

2.6   -t tired

 ____________
< I'm tired! >
 ------------
        \   ^__^
         \  (--)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
                ||----w |
                ||     ||

2.7   -w wired

 ____________
< I'm wired! >
 ------------
        \   ^__^
         \  (OO)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
                ||----w |
                ||     ||

2.8   -y youthful

 _______________
< I'm youthful! >
 ---------------
        \   ^__^
         \  (..)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
                ||----w |
                ||     ||

3   Cow files

3.1   beavis.zen

 _________________
< I'm beavis.zen! >
 -----------------
   \         __------~~-,
    \      ,'            ,
          /               \
         /                :
        |                  '
        |                  |
        |                  |
         |   _--           |
         _| =-.     .-.   ||
         o|/o/       _.   |
         /  ~          \ |
       (____@)  ___~    |
          |_===~~~.`    |
       _______.--~     |
       \________       |
                \      |
              __/-___-- -__
             /            _ \

3.2   bong

 ___________
< I'm bong! >
 -----------
         \
          \
            ^__^
    _______/(oo)
/\/(       /(__)
   | W----|| |~|
   ||     || |~|  ~~
             |~|  ~
             |_| o
             |#|/
            _+#+_

3.3   bud-frogs

 ________________
< I'm bud-frogs! >
 ----------------
     \
      \
          oO)-.                       .-(Oo
         /__  _\                     /_  __\
         \  \(  |     ()~()         |  )/  /
          \__|\ |    (-___-)        | /|__/
          '  '--'    ==`-'==        '--'  '

3.4   bunny

 ____________
< I'm bunny! >
 ------------
  \
   \   \
        \ /\
        ( )
      .( o ).

3.5   cheese

 _____________
< I'm cheese! >
 -------------
   \
    \
      _____   _________
     /     \_/         |
    |                 ||
    |                 ||
   |    ###\  /###   | |
   |     0  \/  0    | |
  /|                 | |
 / |        <        |\ \
| /|                 | | |
| |     \_______/   |  | |
| |                 | / /
/||                 /|||
   ----------------|
        | |    | |
        ***    ***
       /___\  /___\

3.6   cower

 ____________
< I'm cower! >
 ------------
     \
      \
        ,__, |    |
        (oo)\|    |___
        (__)\|    |   )\_
             |    |_w |  \
             |    |  ||   *

             Cower....

3.7   daemon

 _____________
< I'm daemon! >
 -------------
   \         ,        ,
    \       /(        )`
     \      \ \___   / |
            /- _  `-/  '
           (/\/ \ \   /\
           / /   | `    \
           O O   ) /    |
           `-^--'`<     '
          (_.)  _  )   /
           `.___/`    /
             `-----' /
<----.     __ / __   \
<----|====O)))==) \) /====
<----'    `--' `.__,' \
             |        |
              \       /
        ______( (_  / \______
      ,'  ,-----'   |        \
      `--{__________)        \/

3.8   default

 ______________
< I'm default! >
 --------------
        \   ^__^
         \  (oo)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
                ||----w |
                ||     ||

3.9   dragon

 _____________
< I'm dragon! >
 -------------
      \                    / \  //\
       \    |\___/|      /   \//  \\
            /0  0  \__  /    //  | \ \
           /     /  \/_/    //   |  \  \
           @_^_@'/   \/_   //    |   \   \
           //_^_/     \/_ //     |    \    \
        ( //) |        \///      |     \     \
      ( / /) _|_ /   )  //       |      \     _\
    ( // /) '/,_ _ _/  ( ; -.    |    _ _\.-~        .-~~~^-.
  (( / / )) ,-{        _      `-.|.-~-.           .~         `.
 (( // / ))  '/\      /                 ~-. _ .-~      .-~^-.  \
 (( /// ))      `.   {            }                   /      \  \
  (( / ))     .----~-.\        \-'                 .~         \  `. \^-.
             ///.----..>        \             _ -~             `.  ^-`  ^-_
               ///-._ _ _ _ _ _ _}^ - - - - ~                     ~-- ,.-~
                                                                  /.-~

3.10   dragon-and-cow

 _____________________
< I'm dragon-and-cow! >
 ---------------------
                       \                    ^    /^
                        \                  / \  // \
                         \   |\___/|      /   \//  .\
                          \  /O  O  \__  /    //  | \ \           *----*
                            /     /  \/_/    //   |  \  \          \   |
                            @___@`    \/_   //    |   \   \         \/\ \
                           0/0/|       \/_ //     |    \    \         \  \
                       0/0/0/0/|        \///      |     \     \       |  |
                    0/0/0/0/0/_|_ /   (  //       |      \     _\     |  /
                 0/0/0/0/0/0/`/,_ _ _/  ) ; -.    |    _ _\.-~       /   /
                             ,-}        _      *-.|.-~-.           .~    ~
            \     \__/        `/\      /                 ~-. _ .-~      /
             \____(oo)           *.   }            {                   /
             (    (--)          .----~-.\        \-`                 .~
             //__\\  \__ Ack!   ///.----..<        \             _ -~
            //    \\               ///-._ _ _ _ _ _ _{^ - - - - ~

3.11   elephant

 _______________
< I'm elephant! >
 ---------------
 \     /\  ___  /\
  \   // \/   \/ \\
     ((    O O    ))
      \\ /     \ //
       \/  | |  \/
        |  | |  |
        |  | |  |
        |   o   |
        | |   | |
        |m|   |m|

3.12   elephant-in-snake

 ________________________
< I'm elephant-in-snake! >
 ------------------------
   \
    \              ....
           ........    .
          .            .
         .             .
.........              .......
..............................

Elephant inside ASCII snake

3.13   eyes

 ___________
< I'm eyes! >
 -----------
    \
     \
                                   .::!!!!!!!:.
  .!!!!!:.                        .:!!!!!!!!!!!!
  ~~~~!!!!!!.                 .:!!!!!!!!!UWWW$$$
      :$$NWX!!:           .:!!!!!!XUWW$$$$$$$$$P
      $$$$$##WX!:      .<!!!!UW$$$$"  $$$$$$$$#
      $$$$$  $$$UX   :!!UW$$$$$$$$$   4$$$$$*
      ^$$$B  $$$$\     $$$$$$$$$$$$   d$$R"
        "*$bd$$$$      '*$$$$$$$$$$$o+#"
             """"          """""""

3.14   flaming-sheep

 ____________________
< I'm flaming-sheep! >
 --------------------
  \            .    .     .
   \      .  . .     `  ,
    \    .; .  : .' :  :  : .
     \   i..`: i` i.i.,i  i .
      \   `,--.|i |i|ii|ii|i:
           UooU\.'@@@@@@`.||'
           \__/(@@@@@@@@@@)'
                (@@@@@@@@)
                `YY~~~~YY'
                 ||    ||

3.15   ghostbusters

 ___________________
< I'm ghostbusters! >
 -------------------
          \
           \
            \          __---__
                    _-       /--______
               __--( /     \ )XXXXXXXXXXX\v.
             .-XXX(   O   O  )XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-
            /XXX(       U     )        XXXXXXX\
          /XXXXX(              )--_  XXXXXXXXXXX\
         /XXXXX/ (      O     )   XXXXXX   \XXXXX\
         XXXXX/   /            XXXXXX   \__ \XXXXX
         XXXXXX__/          XXXXXX         \__---->
 ---___  XXX__/          XXXXXX      \__         /
   \-  --__/   ___/\  XXXXXX            /  ___--/=
    \-\    ___/    XXXXXX              '--- XXXXXX
       \-\/XXX\ XXXXXX                      /XXXXX
         \XXXXXXXXX   \                    /XXXXX/
          \XXXXXX      >                 _/XXXXX/
            \XXXXX--__/              __-- XXXX/
             -XXXXXXXX---------------  XXXXXX-
                \XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX/
                  ""VXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXV""

3.16   head-in

 ______________
< I'm head-in! >
 --------------
    \
     \
    ^__^         /
    (oo)\_______/  _________
    (__)\       )=(  ____|_ \_____
        ||----w |  \ \     \_____ |
        ||     ||   ||           ||

3.17   hellokitty

 _________________
< I'm hellokitty! >
 -----------------
  \
   \
      /\_)o<
     |      \
     | O . O|
      \_____/

3.18   kiss

 ___________
< I'm kiss! >
 -----------
     \
      \
             ,;;;;;;;,
            ;;;;;;;;;;;,
           ;;;;;'_____;'
           ;;;(/))))|((\
           _;;((((((|))))
          / |_\\\\\\\\\\\\
     .--~(  \ ~))))))))))))
    /     \  `\-(((((((((((\\
    |    | `\   ) |\       /|)
     |    |  `. _/  \_____/ |
      |    , `\~            /
       |    \  \           /
      | `.   `\|          /
      |   ~-   `\        /
       \____~._/~ -_,   (\
        |-----|\   \    ';;
       |      | :;;;'     \
      |  /    |            |
      |       |            |

3.19   kitty

 ____________
< I'm kitty! >
 ------------
     \
      \
       ("`-'  '-/") .___..--' ' "`-._
         ` *_ *  )    `-.   (      ) .`-.__. `)
         (_Y_.) ' ._   )   `._` ;  `` -. .-'
      _.. `--'_..-_/   /--' _ .' ,4
   ( i l ),-''  ( l i),'  ( ( ! .-'

3.20   koala

 ____________
< I'm koala! >
 ------------
  \
   \
       ___
     {~._.~}
      ( Y )
     ()~*~()
     (_)-(_)

3.21   kosh

 ___________
< I'm kosh! >
 -----------
    \
     \
      \
  ___       _____     ___
 /   \     /    /|   /   \
|     |   /    / |  |     |
|     |  /____/  |  |     |
|     |  |    |  |  |     |
|     |  | {} | /   |     |
|     |  |____|/    |     |
|     |    |==|     |     |
|      \___________/      |
|                         |
|                         |

3.22   luke-koala

 _________________
< I'm luke-koala! >
 -----------------
  \
   \          .
       ___   //
     {~._.~}//
      ( Y )K/
     ()~*~()
     (_)-(_)
     Luke
     Sywalker
     koala

3.23   meow

 ___________
< I'm meow! >
 -----------
  \
   \ ,   _ ___.--'''`--''//-,-_--_.
      \`"' ` || \\ \ \\/ / // / ,-\\`,_
     /'`  \ \ || Y  | \|/ / // / - |__ `-,
    /@"\  ` \ `\ |  | ||/ // | \/  \  `-._`-,_.,
   /  _.-. `.-\,___/\ _/|_/_\_\/|_/ |     `-._._)
   `-'``/  /  |  // \__/\__  /  \__/ \
        `-'  /-\/  | -|   \__ \   |-' |
          __/\ / _/ \/ __,-'   ) ,' _|'
         (((__/(((_.' ((___..-'((__,'

3.24   milk

 ___________
< I'm milk! >
 -----------
 \     ____________
  \    |__________|
      /           /\
     /           /  \
    /___________/___/|
    |          |     |
    |  ==\ /== |     |
    |   O   O  | \ \ |
    |     <    |  \ \|
   /|          |   \ \
  / |  \_____/ |   / /
 / /|          |  / /|
/||\|          | /||\/
    -------------|
        | |    | |
       <__/    \__>

3.25   moofasa

 ______________
< I'm moofasa! >
 --------------
       \    ____
        \  /    \
          | ^__^ |
          | (oo) |______
          | (__) |      )\/\
           \____/|----w |
                ||     ||

               Moofasa

3.26   moose

 ____________
< I'm moose! >
 ------------
  \
   \   \_\_    _/_/
    \      \__/
           (oo)\_______
           (__)\       )\/\
               ||----w |
               ||     ||

3.27   mutilated

 ________________
< I'm mutilated! >
 ----------------
       \   \_______
 v__v   \  \   O   )
 (oo)      ||----w |
 (__)      ||     ||  \/\

3.28   ren

 __________
< I'm ren! >
 ----------
   \
    \
    ____
   /# /_\_
  |  |/o\o\
  |  \\_/_/
 / |_   |
|  ||\_ ~|
|  ||| \/
|  |||_
 \//  |
  ||  |
  ||_  \
  \_|  o|
  /\___/
 /  ||||__
    (___)_)

3.29   satanic

 ______________
< I'm satanic! >
 --------------
     \
      \  (__)
         (\/)
  /-------\/
 / | 666 ||
*  ||----||
   ~~    ~~

3.30   sheep

 ____________
< I'm sheep! >
 ------------
  \
   \
       __
      UooU\.'@@@@@@`.
      \__/(@@@@@@@@@@)
           (@@@@@@@@)
           `YY~~~~YY'
            ||    ||

3.31   skeleton

 _______________
< I'm skeleton! >
 ---------------
          \      (__)
           \     /oo|
            \   (_"_)*+++++++++*
                   //I#\\\\\\\\I\
                   I[I|I|||||I I `
                   I`I'///'' I I
                   I I       I I
                   ~ ~       ~ ~
                     Scowleton

3.32   small

 ____________
< I'm small! >
 ------------
       \   ,__,
        \  (oo)____
           (__)    )\
              ||--|| *

3.33   sodomized

 ________________
< I'm sodomized! >
 ----------------
      \                _
       \              (_)
        \   ^__^       / \
         \  (oo)\_____/_\ \
            (__)\       ) /
                ||----w ((
                ||     ||>>

3.34   stegosaurus

 __________________
< I'm stegosaurus! >
 ------------------
\                             .       .
 \                           / `.   .' "
  \                  .---.  <    > <    >  .---.
   \                 |    \  \ - ~ ~ - /  /    |
         _____          ..-~             ~-..-~
        |     |   \~~~\.'                    `./~~~/
       ---------   \__/                        \__/
      .'  O    \     /               /       \  "
     (_____,    `._.'               |         }  \/~~~/
      `----.          /       }     |        /    \__/
            `-.      |       /      |       /      `. ,~~|
                ~-.__|      /_ - ~ ^|      /- _      `..-'
                     |     /        |     /     ~-.     `-. _  _  _
                     |_____|        |_____|         ~ - . _ _ _ _ _>

3.35   stimpy

 _____________
< I'm stimpy! >
 -------------
  \     .    _  .
   \    |\_|/__/|
       / / \/ \  \
      /__|O||O|__ \
     |/_ \_/\_/ _\ |
     | | (____) | ||
     \/\___/\__/  //
     (_/         ||
      |          ||
      |          ||\
       \        //_/
        \______//
       __ || __||
      (____(____)

3.36   supermilker

 __________________
< I'm supermilker! >
 ------------------
  \   ^__^
   \  (oo)\_______        ________
      (__)\       )\/\    |Super |
          ||----W |       |Milker|
          ||    UDDDDDDDDD|______|

3.37   surgery

 ______________
< I'm surgery! >
 --------------
          \           \  /
           \           \/
               (__)    /\
               (oo)   O  O
               _\/_   //
         *    (    ) //
          \  (\\    //
           \(  \\    )
            (   \\   )   /\
  ___[\______/^^^^^^^\__/) o-)__
 |\__[=======______//________)__\
 \|_______________//____________|
     |||      || //||     |||
     |||      || @.||     |||
      ||      \/  .\/      ||
                 . .
                '.'.`

            COW-OPERATION

3.38   telebears

 ________________
< I'm telebears! >
 ----------------
      \                _
       \              (_)   <-- TeleBEARS
        \   ^__^       / \
         \  (oo)\_____/_\ \
            (__)\  you  ) /
                ||----w ((
                ||     ||>>

3.39   three-eyes

 _________________
< I'm three-eyes! >
 -----------------
        \  ^___^
         \ (ooo)\_______
           (___)\       )\/\
                ||----w |
                ||     ||

3.40   turkey

 _____________
< I'm turkey! >
 -------------
  \                                  ,+*^^*+___+++_
   \                           ,*^^^^              )
    \                       _+*                     ^**+_
     \                    +^       _ _++*+_+++_,         )
              _+^^*+_    (     ,+*^ ^          \+_        )
             {       )  (    ,(    ,_+--+--,      ^)      ^\
            { (@)    } f   ,(  ,+-^ __*_*_  ^^\_   ^\       )
           {:;-/    (_+*-+^^^^^+*+*<_ _++_)_    )    )      /
          ( /  (    (        ,___    ^*+_+* )   <    <      \
           U _/     )    *--<  ) ^\-----++__)   )    )       )
            (      )  _(^)^^))  )  )\^^^^^))^*+/    /       /
          (      /  (_))_^)) )  )  ))^^^^^))^^^)__/     +^^
         (     ,/    (^))^))  )  ) ))^^^^^^^))^^)       _)
          *+__+*       (_))^)  ) ) ))^^^^^^))^^^^^)____*^
          \             \_)^)_)) ))^^^^^^^^^^))^^^^)
           (_             ^\__^^^^^^^^^^^^))^^^^^^^)
             ^\___            ^\__^^^^^^))^^^^^^^^)\\
                  ^^^^^\uuu/^^\uuu/^^^^\^\^\^\^\^\^\^\
                     ___) >____) >___   ^\_\_\_\_\_\_\)
                    ^^^//\\_^^//\\_^       ^(\_\_\_\)
                      ^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^

3.41   turtle

 _____________
< I'm turtle! >
 -------------
    \                                  ___-------___
     \                             _-~~             ~~-_
      \                         _-~                    /~-_
             /^\__/^\         /~  \                   /    \
           /|  O|| O|        /      \_______________/        \
          | |___||__|      /       /                \          \
          |          \    /      /                    \          \
          |   (_______) /______/                        \_________ \
          |         / /         \                      /            \
           \         \^\\         \                  /               \     /
             \         ||           \______________/      _-_       //\__//
               \       ||------_-~~-_ ------------- \ --/~   ~\    || __/
                 ~-----||====/~     |==================|       |/~~~~~
                  (_(__/  ./     /                    \_\      \.
                         (_(___/                         \_____)_)

3.42   tux

 __________
< I'm tux! >
 ----------
   \
    \
        .--.
       |o_o |
       |:_/ |
      //   \ \
     (|     | )
    /'\_   _/`\
    \___)=(___/

3.43   udder

 ____________
< I'm udder! >
 ------------
  \
   \    (__)
        o o\
       ('') \---------
          \           \
           |          |\
           ||---(  )_|| *
           ||    UU  ||
           ==        ==

3.44   vader

 ____________
< I'm vader! >
 ------------
        \    ,-^-.
         \   !oYo!
          \ /./=\.\______
               ##        )\/\
                ||-----w||
                ||      ||

               Cowth Vader

3.45   vader-koala

 __________________
< I'm vader-koala! >
 ------------------
   \
    \        .
     .---.  //
    Y|o o|Y//
   /_(i=i)K/
   ~()~*~()~
    (_)-(_)

     Darth
     Vader
     koala

3.46   www

 __________
< I'm www! >
 ----------
        \   ^__^
         \  (oo)\_______
            (__)\       )\/\
                ||--WWW |
                ||     ||