In New Orleans, Storyland Characters Wait Quietly

The Old Woman in the Shoe survived Hurricane Katrina largely intact, though she had a brush with a tree limb.

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Noah Adams, NPR /

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Nestled between the botanical gardens and the tennis courts of New Orleans' sprawling City Park is Storyland, the home of Mother Goose, Pinocchio and Jack and Jill and other childhood favorites.

All of the familiar figures and structures made it through Hurricane Katrina without apparent damage. But the storm took its toll, leaving fallen tree limbs and brown grass amid the usually lush park.

Storyland Manager George Parker hasn't been able to get a crew inside to start cleaning up. The first priority at the park is to get the botanical gardens ready for weddings -- brides-to-be are calling every day.

Once that's accomplished, Parker hopes the gates of Storyland will swing open again -- just as they have been for a half-century.

"This was here for your kids, this will be for my kids... storybook stories will be around for all time," he says.

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