The Sultan's Elephant on Saturday

[squirmelia]

In Trafalgar Square, a giant elephant slept near to a little girl. Amongst the large crowd that had gathered, I watched, in awe.

The elephant was adorned with a palace, belonging to the Sultan, where as the girl wore large brown shoes, white socks and a green dress.

I tried to look into the elephant's eyes, but the elephant was fast asleep, unaware of the rain, so I gazed at the large feet instead.

The first glimpse that I caught of the elephant walking was in Haymarket. The little girl riding the trunk became visible as the elephant turned the corner. Music followed the elephant wherever it went and inside the palace, there was dancing.

The little girl looked around London in wonder, sampling a view of the buildings that not many people get to see. The elephant's ears flapped as it stomped past the Trocadero and its trunk suddenly twisted around and sprayed the crowd with water.

On Pall Mall were a number of smashed up French cars that had been trampled on by the elephant and then sewn to the road by the little girl. The little girl was apparently fond of sewing, so I began to check every postbox to see if any letters had been sewn to them.

The elephant and the girl returned to Horse Guards Parade. After that, they danced until the little girl was too exhausted to dance anymore. She changed into a pink nightdress and then fell asleep in a deckchair in the rain.

Comments

[aellia.livejournal.com]

I thought you had been dreaming until I looked at the Flickr photos!
How amazing,totally wonderful.
I loved the pictures of the girl in the deckchair and of her eating a lolly. Thank you for brightening up my evening

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

It was a fantastic elephant, indeed! Definitely like a dream though.

[gnommi.livejournal.com]

i was very keen to go on the saturday too, but the trains weren't playing properly, and i'd had a bit of a day of it on friday... the rain sounds like a relief after the blazing sun that the poor velvet-clad puppeteers had to endure all day friday. Not sure that the elephant will have liked it so much though: he seemed resolutely tropical.

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

I went on Sunday for a bit as well and the weather had improved enough that being sprayed by the elephant seemed quite pleasant, so I can imagine that Friday would have been rather hot indeed.

Amazing elephant though!

What did you think of the Art of Noise at the Tate Britain, by the way? I found it a bit disappointing.

[gnommi.livejournal.com]

yeah, very trite to be honest... very much a case of same old same old with a big pinch of lazy "concept" stuff thrown in. I enjoyed Temposhark as always though. What on earth they were doing on that bill I can only wildly surmise....


worth going just to see a lady journalist ejected for threatening to strangle the bartender for running out of gin though

[potguns.livejournal.com]

God dammit! I wish I was there when this happened! I didnt even know!

*cries*

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

The next event is apparently in Calais in July and after that, there is one in Antwerp in September, so there will be more giant animals wandering about this world, I tell you.

[illaor.livejournal.com]

I too found out just too late to be able to see it, and I suspect the pictures don't even come close to the real experience.

May have to look into going to the Calais or Antwerp events.

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

Over on Flickr, they appear to already be planning a Calais meet:
Calais, late September (http://www.flickr.com/groups/londonflickrmeetups/discuss/72057594129348159/).

[jaimeee.livejournal.com]

lovely lovely!

[bickichick.livejournal.com]

thank you for taking me on your journey to see the Sultan's elephnat

[orkamedies.livejournal.com]

Yes i thought at first you were dreaming or mad or both, but that is truly impressive, thnk's for posting it.

[thewintering.livejournal.com]

Be still my heart. These are the sorts of things that keep the world magical. I hope you don't mind, but I mean to steal these thought and make it my ambition to see it myself. Thank you for sharing.