From its journey from Marseille to Paris in the spring of 1827, the Giraffe left its mark in the form of weather vanes. I know two of them that have withstood the passage of time: one on the roof of the Chenoise farm-castle in Seine-et-Marne (above in photo) and the other on the roof of the Montastruc mill in Haute-Garonne.

Did they inspire Robert Desnos to write this poem?

The giraffe and the weather vanes,

Wind from the south and wind from the east,

Turn towards the passing cranes,

Wind from the north and wind from the west.

Both look up to the sky,

Wind from the south and wind from the east,

But both are also shy,

Wind from the north and wind from the west.

They take the wind and twirl with grace

Wind from the south and wind from the east,

In any way they truly amaze,

Wind from the north and wind from the west.

They are not often at rest.

Wind from the south or wind from the east,

They move forward onto their quest,

Wind from the north and wind from the west.

Robert DESNOS, Chantefables (1944)

(Adaptation of poem into English by Adriana Rosado-Bonewitz)