WARSAW, Poland >> To residents of one Warsaw neighborhood, the rotting trees in Fairytale Square didn’t deserve a sad ending.

So instead of being hauled off to the chipper, several meters’ of the trees’ weak trunks were allowed to remain standing and carved into playful sculptures.

Barbara Laszczkowska, an activist in Warsaw’s Ochota district, came up with the idea for repurposing the trees in Plac Basniowy — Polish for Fairytale Square — when city officials ordered them removed, fearing they could topple during storms.

Laszczkowska found a sculptor who used a chain saw to create three fanciful creations: an owl sitting on books; an elf under a mushroom; and a floppy-eared teddy bear known as Mis Uszatek, a beloved Polish cartoon character.

“Because this is Fairytale Square, such a beautiful name, it is a pity to cut these trees to the ground and not to leave anything,” Laszczkowska said as she leaned against the owl.

When city officials ordered the trees taken down, Laszczkowska asked if 10 to 13 feet of each trunk could be left in place.

A local gardening company agreed to sponsor artist Andrzej Zawadzki’s work. It cost 5,000 zlotys, or about $1,500. Families and school groups flocked to the square during the 12 days Zawadzki spent transforming dead wood into playful art.

Zawadzki, who is from the nearby town of Mszczonow, said he was overwhelmed by the positive response, describing “amazing emotions of joy” expressed by residents.

“I really like it,” resident Adam Prokop said as he strolled through the square. “It is a pity to waste such a cut trunk, so now children will have fun — and residents from the area, too.”