Charging Bull and Fearless Girl

It was only at night that the Charging Bull could get some rest from the crowds. He didn’t mind people, as they were coming from all over the world to see him, and he liked listening to them chatter in different languages. But he did get tired of them rubbing his private parts for luck. And lining up to do so, on his both ends: To take a picture with his face and to rub his balls. The night brought some relief, even though there were still some late-night wanderers approaching him, at least it was not a constant stream of people.

One night in early spring, the Bull got some new company. She was made of the same material as he was, and looked tiny and fierce. A team of people brought her at night, quickly installed her, screwed her to the pavement stone and left.

“Just like they did it with me,” the Bull thought, “Dropped me on the street at night as a surprise. ‘Guerilla art’ they call it amongst themselves.”

“What are you doing here?” the Bull asked, not even hoping the Girl would understand him.

“Just standing,” the Girl said, with her hands on her hips and her little nose fearlessly looking up.

“You don’t have to be defiant with me,” the Bull said.

“Oh, but I do. That’s what they’ve put me here for, to show that I have no fear of you,” the Girl responded, even more defiantly.

“But why would you have to fear me? I’m just standing here, representing the strength and resilience of the American people,” the Bull said, both surprised and insulted.

“No, you represent the Wall Street, like in the Bulls and Bears stock market,” the Girl said.

“I think I would know better what I represent,” the Bull responded indignantly. “My creator gifted me to the city of New York after the market crash of 1980s, to symbolize the American people’s resilience.”

“Hmmm, that’s not what my creator said,” the Girl responded, still cocking up her head. “I was designed to show that I have no fear of you, the Wall Street Bull, who doesn’t like girls.”

“Who said I don’t like girls? I love girls, they are much gentler and nicer than boys.”

“Well, in reality, there are very few women in leading positions on the Wall Street, and I am here to represent them and their inspiration for equality with men.”

“Once again, I have nothing to do with the Wall Street except that I’m standing here,” the Bull said.

“Well, we’ll see. In any case, I’m supposed to stand here only for eight days. After that, they’ll move me to another place.”

“They’d better,” the Bull said, “Because I don’t want you staring at me accusingly like this. Or I will start hating the girls.”

On the first day the Girl appeared in front of the Bull, a lot more people showed up at the statues’ spot. However, they came not to rub the Bull’s balls or to take pictures with him, but to take pictures with the Girl. Many of them, especially girls and women, stroke her pose standing right next to the Girl, staring at the Bull, which made him even more upset because he could see they treated him like an enemy. Eight days passed, and then ten, and then two weeks, and the Girl was still there. The Bull felt deflated and diminished, even though, of course, he in no way showed it to the public.

“I thought you were supposed to be here only for eight days,” the Bull said to the Girl one night.

“Yeah, but you see how popular I have become! People really love me and want me to stay here.”

“But your standing here changes my meaning! I feel like the people are making me into something I was not meant to be: Unfair and mean, threatening to little girls.”

“But that’s what you are in people’s eyes!” the Girl responded defiantly.

“You know it’s not true,” the Bull said. “We’ve been here for long enough now, and I haven’t even moved toward you or said a bad word about you.”

“Well, the people don’t know that,” the Girl said.

“Yeah, people forget too fast. Well, my creator will remind them. He is going to file a lawsuit against the city if you are not moved from here.”

“Oh yeah??” the Girl asked, and the Bull thought he saw suspicion in her eyes. “And where would I go?”

“I don’t know. Where were you supposed to go after the first eight days?”

“Some pavilion or exhibit, I think. But now they can’t do that because the people of New York and tourists love me so much.”

“Well, my creator will not allow for their love to you to take away my true original meaning,” the Bull said. “I may look menacing and determined because I’m in the charging position, but I have a gentle heart and caring soul.”

“I know,” the Girl finally admitted. “I actually like you. And the more I look at you, the more I like your form and strength.”

“I kinda like you too,” the Bull admitted. “Whoever designed you has good taste and great eye for the detail.”

“So, what do you think will happen next?” the Girl said. “I don’t want to be moved away.”

“You’d be surprised, but I don’t want you to be moved away either. I like the fact that some of the people want to take pictures with you rather than rub my privates.”

“Yeah, what’s all that about?” the Girl asked, giggling.

“Supposedly, it brings them luck. But we all know it’s just BS.”

“BS,” the Girl giggled again.

“Yes, my S,” the Bull said and giggled as well. They laughed together and it felt good.

“Hey,” the Bull suddenly stopped. “I have an idea!”

“Yeah?”

“Why don’t they move you to stand next to me rather than opposite me? That way we will both stare down the Wall Street, as if challenging it.”

“That’s a great idea!” the Girl said, excited. “Better yet, they could put me on you as if I’m riding you.”

“I’m not a riding bull. I’d throw you off right away, it’s in my nature.”

“Oh, OK then, I guess standing next to you won’t be too bad,” the Girl said playfully. “We’ll see what they decide.”

After the Charging Bull’s creator, Italian sculptor Arturo Di Modica, threatened the city with a lawsuit for altering the meaning of the Bull, the city authorities said they would find another place for the Girl. Meanwhile, it was decided that the Girl would stay facing the Bull until the appropriate place is found.

During that time, the Bull and the Girl became friends. They were cracking jokes about the people around them, discussed weather and change of seasons, and during the night had deep philosophical conversations about the meaning of the street. They grew fond of each other.

And then one day in December the Girl was removed as quickly as she had been installed in March the year before. In her place, they put a round plate saying she was being moved to face the Stock Exchange and inviting people to stand in for her in the meantime. The Bull saw a lot of people doing just that: Standing in for the Girl, striking her power pose and chinning up to show no fear. None of them were the Girl, though, and he always thought, “Why couldn’t they just put you next to me? I really miss you, and now I can’t even see you!”

At night, when the Bull takes a break from the crowds, he sometimes tries to lift his left front leg, to start running down the Wall Street to see if he can find the Girl. But he is either too tired or nailed to the stone by his own weight. He can’t move even by an inch. He sighs and thinks again and again, “Why couldn’t they just put you next to me???”