What type of characters does the artist use to illustrate the path to enlightenment in his painting?

The artist's path to enlightenment is through the animal world. As he chooses his "cast of characters" for the painting, the artist notes the special qualities of each beast, such as fidelity, dignity, kindness, courage, beauty, grace, generosity, and self-respect. For each animal, he tells a legendary tale to illustrate the quality the animal expresses.