The Pinecone Staircase

I slipped beneath the garden gate and trotted straight up to an enormous, woody pinecone standing upright in the grass. Its thick scales flared out in neat spirals, just like a circular staircase! I tested the bottom ridge with my front paw. It was sturdy and smelled of dry cedar. Spreading my arms wide to balance my tall ears, I stepped onto the first tier, then hopped up to the next. Up, up I went until my toes gripped the very crown. Sitting atop the pinecone pyramid, I gave my ears a lively twitch, looking out over the lawn.