There were fourteen steps exactly fourteen. But the top one was smaller, out of proportion, as if it had been added to avoid the evil number.

Summary

This quote suggests that there were fourteen steps in a staircase, with the top one appearing smaller than the others. The implication is that this alteration was made intentionally to avoid the number thirteen, which is often associated with bad luck or superstition. The quote highlights the human tendency to go to great lengths to avoid supposed curses or negative consequences, even through minor modifications like changing the size of a step.

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