Elephant Statue, GOMA Walkway

You arrive in the gardens outside GOMA. You can see people enjoying coffees at the outdoor café, upstairs people peer at the art exhibition, and children construct funny paper crafts. You begin to relax – yes, this is the day you had in mind!

Just as you walk up to the grassy bank to sit down and relax, you hear something, an ever-so-small noise coming; it seems, from the elephant statue behind you.

“Excuse me! Hello! Oh help!” You can barely believe your eyes, or your ears for that matter. “Oh my, thank you for stopping! Are you the Hero’s new Apprentice?” Yes, it seems to be true, either that or you’re going insane. The little mouse statue sitting next to the elephant is talking to you.

You lean down closer, not wanting everyone to think you’re crazy. “Um…no,” you answer the little creature, “Sorry, but I’m not. I don’t think I’d be a particularly good Apprentice. He’ll have to find somebody else.”

“Oh my, whatever shall we do!” cries the melodramatic mouse.

“What’s the problem?” you ask, already regretting the conversation.

“Well what do you think?” This much terser answer comes now from the elephant. “Look at me, you fool, can’t you see anything out of the ordinary?”

“You’re standing on your head?” you ask. “You aren’t supposed to be that way?”

“Have you ever seen an elephant stand on his head before? My word,” the elephant now trumpets to the mouse, “no wonder this is not the new Apprentice! Not a brain cell in sight!”

The elephant hurrumphs and waggles his ears, looking altogether uncomfortable in this position.

“Well, why don’t you just roll over?” you ask, “Seeing as you’re so uncomfortable?”

“Why don’t I just roll over? Why, I hadn’t even thought of that! Why don’t I just roll over?! Because I can’t! I’ve been put this way by the Dark Legion and am held here by their dark forces! I need a Hero to put me back.”

“The Dark Legion?” you start to question, but not before you’re interrupted.

“A Hero?!” cries out the Hero, who appears jogging manfully up the riverbank. “Why, lucky I’m here to right what’s wrong!”

The mouse squeals with glee and the elephant grunts with pleasure as the Hero daintily lifts and turns the elephant back onto his feet.

“Now that’s looking better!” the Hero cries, posing hands to hips and teeth glinting.

“Did you follow me?” you ask, thoroughly confused by the day you’re having.

“I just wanted to give you all the details before you made your decision, my friend. It’s not every day you get the chance to become a Hero’s Apprentice!”

The little mouse, seemingly unable to keep from piping up, adds, “He’s right! Oh what I’d give to be Apprentice to such a strong, supple, splendid – ”

With a swiftness that belies his size, the elephant casually drops a foot over the mouse. “Ah. Peace.” You feel you have something in common with this cranky old quadruped after all.

“What say you,” asks the Hero, “now that you’ve seen me in action, seen the good things we could do together, will you join me?”

You stop to think about it. “Did you,” you ask, “happen to plan this little charade just to convince me to be your Apprentice?”

The Hero shuffles sheepishly and even the elephant has the hide to turn a bit red.

“Only to give you all the evidence you would need,” the Hero gives you your answer.

You think about it.

Do you:

One (Herb Garden Southbank): Decide that this really is a bit clever, and that you want to know more about this Dark Legion business, and follow the Hero back down the river, East towards South Bank, and under the bridge, towards the community herb garden, to hear what he has to say?

Or

Two (Whale Mall): Decide to keep going solo and head to the Whale Mall, walking through the State Library atrium, to the right, up the stairs and past the Museum café, near the museum entrance and busway, to lose yourself in their soothing tones?