The Manneken-Pis Guy

Although this diminutive bronze statue represents the rebellious spirit of the City of Brussels, to me it will always be a Monument to Mothers of Little Boys.  It was created in the late 1600's as part of a fountain distributing water to the local population.  There are many legends surrounding Manneken-Pis, but my favorite is the story of how a  little boy saved his town by urinating on a fuse.  The enemy had planned to destroy the city walls with gunpowder.  Foiled by the call of nature!

The statue has been stolen many times over the centuries.  The above one is a copy and has been in place since 1965.  The fountain is located just off the Grand-Place in Brussels, Belgium.   The day we saw him, he wore a cheese-maker costume.  He is dressed every week in a different outfit--one of 800!  How I  wish I had bought a souvenir of this little fellow, but  I did not know at the time that I would be a mother of two little boys.   I remember (with pride) when each of them took control of their bodies, aimed and fired.