Rung by Rung

I dashed straight over to the wooden dining chair and looked up—gasp! The slatted back had smooth horizontal rungs stretched across like a giant timber ladder! I lunged forward, hooking both front hooves over the lowest bar and scrambling up! Tap, scrape, heave! Rung by rung I hoisted my felt legs higher until—whoosh!—I scrambled right onto the narrow top rail! The whole dining table opened up below like a sun-drenched plateau, with a woven linen placemat resting in the bright afternoon light! The chair gave a sudden tiny *creak*, and I froze completely rigid, wide-eyed, hooves clamped tight to the curved wood! But nothing tipped. I held my balance proudly on my towering perch!