$the_cow = <<EOC
                  $thoughts                ,-----.
                   $thoughts               |     |
                    $thoughts           ,--|     |-.
                     $thoughts   __,----|  |     | |
                       ,;::     |  `_____' |
                       `._______|    i^i   |
                                `----| |---'| .
                           ,-------._| |== ||//
                           |       |_|P`.  /'/
                           `-------' 'Y Y/'/'
                                     .==\\ /_\\
   ^__^                             /   /'|  `i
   ($eyes)\\_______                   /'   /  |   |
   (__)\\       )\\/\\             /'    /   |   `i
    $tongue ||----w |           ___,;`----'.___L_,-'`\\__
       ||     ||          i_____;----\\.____i""\\____\\
EOC