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Humpty's 2nd Fall Calls For An Artist, Not An Army

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

Now to a modern twist on an old tale of an anthropomorphic egg.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

We're talking, of course, about Humpty Dumpty. You know, the one who sat on a wall and had a great fall. And then there was the mess with all the king's horses and all the king's men. And Robert, you know the rest. They couldn't put Humpty together again.

SIEGEL: But Mr. Dumpty may have a happier ending at the Enchanted Forest theme park in Salem, Oregon. This real-life nursery rhyme starts out in a similar way.

BLOCK: On Saturday, two men - they climbed up a wall, trying to reach a Humpty statue sitting proud and tall. But they pulled him too hard and their efforts were marred.

SIEGEL: And that's where the fun part of our story ceases.

ROGER TOFTE: He fell down and just smashed pieces.

SIEGEL: That's Roger Tofte. The 84-year-old is the owner of the Enchanted Forest and the artist who created that Humpty Dumpty statue. But unlike all the king's horses and all the king's men, Tofte says he will put Humpty together again.

TOFTE: We're trying to save as many pieces as we can so we can kind of go from that again. So we'll try and make it just about the same as it was.

BLOCK: The statue, about 5 feet wide and 6 feet tall, had been at the Enchanted Forest since it first opened back in 1971. Roger Tofte says he hopes to build another Humpty and have it back on the wall in a month or so.

SIEGEL: In the meantime, we are updating the classic rhyme to include a more optimistic outcome - Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. There's no need for your horses, no need for your men. This guy Roger can put him together again. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

As special correspondent and guest host of NPR's news programs, Melissa Block brings her signature combination of warmth and incisive reporting. Her work over the decades has earned her journalism's highest honors, and has made her one of NPR's most familiar and beloved voices.
Robert Siegel
Prior to his retirement, Robert Siegel was the senior host of NPR's award-winning evening newsmagazine All Things Considered. With 40 years of experience working in radio news, Siegel hosted the country's most-listened-to, afternoon-drive-time news radio program and reported on stories and happenings all over the globe, and reported from a variety of locations across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. He signed off in his final broadcast of All Things Considered on January 5, 2018.