Resting on the bracket and this piece of wood, he laid the first step of a stair, and fastened it firmly to both.

Another bracket a little higher, and another piece of wood nailed to two poles, raised the next step; and so he went round and round the tree in an ascending spiral, climbing on the steps already placed to fix others above them.

Encircling the tree some four or five times, for he wanted the ascent easy for little feet, he was at length at its fork.

There he laid a platform or landing-place, and paused to consider what to do next.

This was on the third evening from the laying of the first step.
From the fork many boughs rose and spread--amongst them two very near each other, between which he saw how, by help of various inequalities, he might build a little straight staircase leading up into a perfect wilderness of leaves and branches.