tall storey

Once upon a time, a family was looking for somewhere to settle, came upon a piece of land and decided to build where the sun always shone and the view was far and bright. But as the years went by and the family grew, more rooms had to be built. So as not to lose the view, these rooms were built above the older rooms and the house got taller and taller and taller. Then it was found that family members living in the lower parts of the house could not see the beautiful view, infact their rooms were all dark. How could this be? It was because, as the house grew taller, it was growing heavier, too, and now it was found that, unknown to everyone, the place with the beautiful view did not have firm foundations, so the family home was sinking!

What could the family do? The aunts and uncles living on higher floors looked out of their windows and still saw sunshine, they couldn't remember water ever coming through the front door when they lived lower down, so couldn't understand why those on the ground floor nowadays worried every time it rained. The grandparents woke up from a doze when they heard the talk, and mumbled "It would be best to stay where we are" then went back to sleep. Soon the house had sunk so far that the front door opened onto mud, so the children had to come in and out through the windows, and their pretty playroom was a damp basement. Almost worse was that, when the children did scramble out through a window, instead of the flowery garden the rest of the family remembered, the ground was muddy with ruts full of spilled fuel from all the lorries that had driven up to the house with new materials for the upper floors. All the birds had flown away and though the children had picture books of animals, the animals had all gone, too. 

One day, a little girl thought her room seemed more dark than usual. She looked at her window and saw that it, too was filling with mud. She opened the door of the playroom to tell a grown up, but there was no one in the hall beyond, only some rickety stairs. She began to climb. A nail jabbed into her foot which made her cry, and once, when she clung to the bannister to pull herself up, a big splinter got stuck in her hand, so she couldn't use that one anymore. But the little girl remembered how kind her grandma had been at Christmas, and knew she would want to make everything better, as soon as she knew. All the little girl had to do was tell her.  

It was hard for a little person to climb those steps, even without a sore foot and hand. But she didn't give up. After many turns of staircase the little girl found the steps were smoother, and there was a window. Looking through, she saw further than ever before, but it was all mud, there were none of the things in her picture book. She carried on climbing, and then, after so long, she heard voices!  After the next turn of stairs  the air became warmer, brighter, and there was a landing, an open door. Inside, grown ups were arguing. The little girl was sure they would know who she was, and limped through the door, and stood right infront of them but not one noticed. She wondered what could be so important. 

There was carpet on the floor, and a window, and a boy looking out, just as she liked to do! She went over and asked "What are they talking about?" 

Her cousin  looked down at her (he was standing on a chair) "Who has got the most money, of course"

"Oh!" The little girl didn't really know what money was, "So, do you think someone will carry me up to see Grandma and Grandpa? I have to tell them something and I am so tired" Before he could say anything though, there was a Whoop! and all the grown ups turned and rushed towards the window. The little girl and boy only just got out of the way in time. "What is it?" she asked him, "What's wrong?"

"It will be a rocket!" he said wisely. "First it was hot air balloons, and they were all excited to get off the ground; then it was aeroplanes, and they were all trying to go faster than sound, and now it's all about getting into space"

"Why do they want to do that?"

Her cousin shrugged, "You've looked out of a window?" She nodded "So you know it's all just mud, there's nothing here!"

"Are there still animals and birds and flowers in space?" she asked, remembering her picture book

Her cousin gave her a grown up look, "No, that's Heaven, silly"

She looked at the backs of the grown ups by the window. It was like she and the boy were alone. No one was going to want to carry her up the rest of the stairs to find Grandma and Grandpa. Now all the excitement was over her foot and hand were hurting worse and she was thirsty. The little girl looked round for something to drink, but the tables were too high. She sighed and limped towards the door. Her cousin called after her, "If you see Grandpa, ask if he remembers me?" she nodded.

Carpet on the stairs was deep now and her feet sank in, making it softer but also harder to climb. The voices below faded away and other voices from above grew louder. The little girl liked the air up here, it wasn't damp and mouldy like her basement, or stuffy like the room she had been in with her cousin. There was a window and when she looked out, all she could see was blue sky, no ground at all!

And that must be Grandma and Grandpa's door! She could hear voices inside, sounding friendly. The door was freshly painted with a button, too high up for her to push, and no handle. Standing on the foot that didn't hurt, the little  girl waited for ages, but no one came out. She looked through the window, but there was nothing in the sky, no birds, no clouds. Perhaps a rocket's smoke, once, far away. 

Taking a deep breath the little girl knocked on the bright white door. Waited. Knocked louder, then, the door swung open!

What light! She had to shut her eyes. "Well hello!" said a kind rich voice, "And who might you be?"

The little girl opened her eyes. Grandpa! Just as she remembered, and there was Grandma, sitting in her chair by the biggest window, smiling at her. The little girl forgot her sore foot and splinter and  told Grandma all about everything, while Grandpa got out his beautiful clean hankie and tried rubbing at a small smear of blood on the new carpet.

When she had finished, Grandma picked up a tin with pictures of roses and butterflies on. The little girl thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Grandma opened it and offered her a biscuit. The little girl took one happily. It smelled wonderful! While Grandma and Grandpa talked, she didn't want to ask for a drink, as that seemed rude, so nibbled at the sweet biscuit, trying not to cough.

"Well!" said Grandma at last, "We have talked all about it, and we have decided we should move house"

"Yes!" said Grandpa, "There is a good patch of land over there -" he pointed vaguely through the window, "But it's far away. How would we get there?"

"Where would we sleep on the way?" Grandma worried, "You know what the weather is like these days"

The little girl swallowed a bit of biscuit, "Could we camp in a tent? Like in stories?"

"Harrumph!" Grandpa snorted sadly, "Tents cost money! Don't have enough, my dear!"

The little girl told them about the room downstairs - all those aunts and uncles and their rockets, couldn't they buy a big tent so the family could move house?

Grandma and Grandpa shared a grown up look. Grandpa shook his head fondly, and tousled the little girl's hair. "Rockets are so much more fun than tents, sweetheart. Tell you what, it must be your birthday round about now?"

The little girl nodded, smiling, of course he remembered. The kind old man reached behind his armchair and pulled out a big bright book with a picture of a rocket on the front. "Here you are, you read this and you will understand!"

She took it, awkwardly as it was heavy. "Ow!" she had forgotten the splinter!

"Let me see that!" said Grandma kindly. She held the little girl's sore, rough hand in her soft clean one and tutted sympathetically. "I have just the thing!" she said, and pulled out a white box with a red cross on the lid. Inside there was a collection of plasters with different fairytale characters on. She asked which the little girl preferred and she chose a unicorn. Gently Grandma squeezed out some cream onto the splinter where it bulged under the little girl's thin skin, then she wrapped the plastic plaster round the small hand, "There!" she said, smiling.

The little girl said thankyou politely, but Grandma was looking out of the window, and seemed to have forgotten her. Grandpa did a little cough and she saw he was standing by the door. He opened it. "Don't forget your book, my dear, I know you will enjoy the story. Take care!" and before she knew what was happening, the little girl was back outside the white door again. She leaned her ear against the smooth cool door, and after a few heartbeats she heard Grandpa say "Sad, very sad", and Grandma murmering that it was indeed, and then

there was just snoring