Sphinxes...

It seems that sphinxes have always been a popular classical beast of fascination through all ages, and in particular, in the great gardens and parks of the world. Perhaps they are seen as protectors of entrances, as according to legend, the greatest sphinx of all was sent to guard the entrance to Greece.

The goddess Hera is said to have sent the Sphinx from her homeland of Ethiopia to Thebes, to ask all passers-by the famous riddle of the sphinx: “Which creature in the morning goes on four legs, at mid-day on two, and in the evening upon three, and the more legs it has, the weaker it be?” She strangled (c.f. asphyxiate) and devoured anyone unable to answer. Oedipus solved the riddle: Man—who crawls on all fours as a baby, then walks on two feet as an adult, and then walks with a cane in old age.

I have a small pair of Sphinxes on my bookcase:

I think Willowbrook Park should have a pair to watch over its gardens.