Building the staircase

They gazed at the beautiful staircase ahead and wondered what it might be like to climb it.

He had spent a long time crafting the steps, the bannister, the railings, the exit at the top. The material was chosen, polished, treated with care, every grain lovingly smoothed in the right direction. The whole staircase flowed, looped, circled round itself. It was a masterpiece, an artist’s dream, a functional form. The work which had been put into each rise took hours, was intricately planned and lovingly executed. It had been measured, calculated degree by degree until the structure rose like a helix into the air. The craftsman stood back to admire his work, invited others to enjoy it, searched for parents to love it. 

When he found a house fit for it to go to, he prepared the groundwork, took his tools to make it feel at home, got ready to say goodbye. Once installed everyone stood back, admired the beauty, applauded the places it would take them.

But they never got to the top. The craftsman had made the first step too large.