"Pierre Gripari was born many centuries ago in the Gallic city of Lutetia... His mother was a Viking sorceress, and his father a Greek seer..." (Pierre Gripari) Generations of French children have grown up with these fairy tales, each of which begins on Rue Broca. In France, there is even a theatre named after The Witch of the Broom Cupboard, and the stories have been adapted into operas, plays, and television productions.