diff --git a/ponysay.py b/ponysay.py
index ea9ecc05..800343ed 100755
--- a/ponysay.py
+++ b/ponysay.py
@@ -353,33 +353,63 @@ class ponysay():
         
         pony = self.__getponypath(args.pony)
         (cowsay, customcowsay) = self.__getcowsay()
-        wrap_arg = ' -W ' + args.wrap if args.wrap is not None else ''
-        file_arg = ' -f ' + pony;
-        message_arg = ' \'' + msg.replace('\'', '\'\\\'\'') + '\''  # ' in message is replaces by '\'', this (combined by '..') ensures it will always be one argument
-        cowsay_args = wrap_arg + file_arg + message_arg
+        
+        cmd = [cowsay, '-f', pony]
+        if args.wrap is not None:
+            cmd += ['-W', args.wrap]
+        cmd.append(msg)
         
         if linuxvt:
             print('\033[H\033[2J', end='')
         
-        if customcowsay:
-            exit_value = os.system(cowsay + cowsay_args)
-        else:
-            exit_value = os.system(cowsay + cowsay_args)
-            ## TODO not implement, but it will be obsolete if we rewrite cowsay
-            '''
-            pcmd='#!/usr/bin/perl\nuse utf8;'
-            ccmd=$(for c in $(echo $PATH":" | sed -e 's/:/\/'"$cmd"' /g'); do if [ -f $c ]; then echo $c; break; fi done)
-            
-            if [ ${0} == *ponythink ]; then
-                cat <(echo -e $pcmd) $ccmd > "/tmp/ponythink"
-                perl '/tmp/ponythink' "$@"
-                rm '/tmp/ponythink'
-            else
-                perl <(cat <(echo -e $pcmd) $ccmd) "$@"
-            fi
-            '''
+        proc = Popen(cmd, stdout=PIPE, stdin=sys.stderr)
+        output = proc.communicate()[0].decode('utf8', 'replace')
+        if (len(output) > 0) and (output[-1] == '\n'):
+            output = output[:-1]
+        exit_value = proc.returncode
+        
+        
+        env_bottom = os.environ['PONYSAY_BOTTOM'] if 'PONYSAY_BOTTOM' in os.environ else None
+        if (env_bottom is None) or (env_bottom == ''):  env_bottom = ''
+        
+        env_height = os.environ['PONYSAY_TRUNCATE_HEIGHT'] if 'PONYSAY_TRUNCATE_HEIGHT' in os.environ else None
+        if (env_height is None) or (env_height == ''):  env_height = ''
+        
+        env_lines = os.environ['PONYSAY_SHELL_LINES'] if 'PONYSAY_SHELL_LINES' in os.environ else None
+        if (env_lines is None) or (env_lines == ''):  env_lines = '2'
+        
+        lines = self.__gettermsize()[1] - int(env_lines)
+        
+        
         if not exit_value == 0:
             sys.stderr.write('Unable to successfully execute' + (' custom ' if customcowsay else ' ') + 'cowsay [' + cowsay + ']\n')
+        else:
+            if linuxvt or (env_height is ("yes", "y", "1")):
+                if env_bottom is ("yes", "y", "1"):
+                    for line in output[: -lines]:
+                        print(line)
+                else:
+                    for line in output[: lines]:
+                        print(line)
+            else:
+                print(output);
+        
+        
+        ## TODO not implement, but it will be obsolete if we rewrite cowsay
+        '''
+        (if not customcowsay)
+        
+        pcmd='#!/usr/bin/perl\nuse utf8;'
+        ccmd=$(for c in $(echo $PATH":" | sed -e 's/:/\/'"$cmd"' /g'); do if [ -f $c ]; then echo $c; break; fi done)
+        
+        if [ ${0} == *ponythink ]; then
+            cat <(echo -e $pcmd) $ccmd > "/tmp/ponythink"
+            perl '/tmp/ponythink' "$@"
+            rm '/tmp/ponythink'
+        else
+            perl <(cat <(echo -e $pcmd) $ccmd) "$@"
+        fi
+        '''
     
     
     '''
diff --git a/ponysay.sh b/ponysay.sh
index ebd482df..033a642a 100755
--- a/ponysay.sh
+++ b/ponysay.sh
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 
-scrw=`(stty size <&2 || echo 0 0) | cut -d ' ' -f 2` # Screen width
-scrh=`(stty size <&2 || echo 0 0) | cut -d ' ' -f 1` # Screen height
-
 # KMS ponies extension
 kmscmd=""
 [ "$TERM" = "linux" ] && kmscmd=$(for c in $(echo $PATH":" | sed -e 's/:/\/ponysay2kmsponysay /g'); do if [ -f $c ]; then echo $c; break; fi done)
@@ -12,19 +9,6 @@ kmscmd=""
 
 # Function for printing the ponies and the message
 say() {
-	# Set PONYSAY_SHELL_LINES to default if not specified
-	[ "$PONYSAY_SHELL_LINES" = "" ] && PONYSAY_SHELL_LINES=2
-	
-	# Height trunction, show top
-	function htrunchead {
-		head --lines=$(( $scrh - $PONYSAY_SHELL_LINES ))
-	}
-	
-	# Height trunction, show bottom
-	function htrunctail {
-		tail --lines=$(( $scrh - $PONYSAY_SHELL_LINES ))
-	}
-        
 	# KMS ponies support
 	if [ "$kmscmd" = "" ]; then
 		function runcmd {
@@ -36,14 +20,4 @@ say() {
 		}
 	fi
 
-	# Print the pony and the message
-	if [ "$TERM" = "linux" ] || [ "$PONYSAY_TRUNCATE_HEIGHT" = 'yes' ] || [ "$PONYSAY_TRUNCATE_HEIGHT" = 'y' ] || [ "$PONYSAY_TRUNCATE_HEIGHT" = '1' ]; then
-		if [ "$PONYSAY_BOTTOM" = 'yes' ] || [ "$PONYSAY_BOTTOM" = 'y' ] || [ "$PONYSAY_BOTTOM" = '1' ]; then
-		        runcmd "${wrap:+-W$wrap}" | wtrunc | htrunctail
-		else
-		        runcmd "${wrap:+-W$wrap}" | wtrunc | htrunchead
-		fi
-	else
-		runcmd "${wrap:+-W$wrap}" | wtrunc
-	fi
 }