There once was a wealthy and powerful town and to celebrate their splendor the townsfolk built a golden tower in the middle of the square, crowning it with a huge window as tall as a person and open to the air.
Over time, the town grew in fame for its might and many of the townsfolk sought to become magistrates, as these positions guaranteed their fame and prosperity.
One blustery autumn, a man appeared in the town square and announced that he was going to become the next mayor. The townsfolk knew this man: some said that he was a braggart, and some said that he was a gambler, and some said that he was a cheat. But the man stood in the shadow of the tower and announced that he was a magician.
The townsfolk laughed, but the man said that he would prove it to them.
He said that he would cause the sun to pass behind a cloud. He pointed at the sky and the astonished townsfolk watched as the cloud passed in front of the sun.
Next, the man said that he would cause the cloud to move out of the way of the sun. Again, he pointed at the sky and the townsfolk were stunned to see the cloud moving as the sun shone down once more.
A great cheer for the magician passed all around the crowd.
“Our friend here commands the very powers of nature!” they cried. “As our mayor he will bring even more wealth and might to our growing city.”
And they made the man their mayor right there on the spot, and the man began dispensing rewards to his friends and punishments to everyone who had ever scorned or ignored him.
But a child had been studying the man as he had been pointing at the sky. She remembered all of the man’s bragging and gambling and cheating. Now she stood with her arms crossed and waited for the cheering to fade. When it did, she said, “if you are a magician, able to command the sun and the clouds, then surely you can step out of the window on the top of the tower without falling to your death.”
The crowd gasped at the child’s audacity, but the man dismissed her with a wave.
“I am truly a magician,” he said. “I will prove it to all of you, including this child here.”
And with that, he entered the tower. He climbed a hundred steps to reach the very top. He looked out of the great window at the crowd gathered below.
And then…