Undertowers Thing - stair quotes

[Chrysophylax Dives]

This thread for any quotations from any Tolkien works that in any way touch on stairs, ladders, or towers. Remember that an Elvish tower may be a tree, so don't be constrained by literalism.

Out of the shadows a ladder was let down: it was made of rope, silver-grey and glimmering in the dark, and though it looked slender it proved strong enough to bear many men. Fellowship, 'Lothlórien'

[Drifa]

Ladders
There Lúthien was bidden dwell, 1380
until she was wiser and the spell
of madness left her. Up she clomb
the long ladders to her new home
among the leaves, among the birds;
she sang no song, she spoke no words. 1385
White glimmering in the tree she rose,
and her little door they heard her close.
The ladders were taken and no more
her feet might tread Esgalduin's shore. HoME vol. 3 The Lay Of Leithian

Stairway
Care was certainly needed. Frodo and Sam at first felt
easier, having now a wall on either side, but the stairway was
almost as steep as a ladder, and as they climbed up and up,
they became more and more aware of the long black fall
behind them. And the steps were narrow, spaced unevenly,
and often treacherous: they were worn and smooth at the
edges, and some were broken, and some cracked as foot
was set upon them. The hobbits struggled on, until at last
they were clinging with desperate fingers to the steps ahead,
and forcing their aching knees to bend and straighten;
and ever as the stair cut its way deeper into the sheer moun-
tain the rocky walls rose higher and higher above their
heads. TTT, The Stairs Of Cirith Ungol

Ladder
The hinges creaked again, and Sam, now peering over the
corner of the passage-threshold, saw a flicker of light in an
open doorway, and the dim shape of an orc coming out. He
seemed to be carrying a ladder. Suddenly the answer dawned
on Sam: the topmost chamber was reached by a trap-door
in the roof of the passage. TRoTK, The Tower Of Cirith Ungol

Ladder
But now upon the mountain-top dark Ungoliant lay; and
she made a ladder of woven ropes and cast it down, and
Melkor climbed upon it and came to that high place, and
stood beside her, looking down upon the Guarded Realm. The Silmarillion, Of The Darkening Of Valinor

Stairway
...This path
turned from the Road near to its entrance into the Wood,
and wound its way up to the end of the trees, beyond which
there was an ancient stairway of stone leading to the beacon-
site, a wide circle levelled by those who had made the stair. UT, Cirion And Eorl

[Chrysophylax Dives]

When I have some spare time I will go through the Home volumes from the beginning to see how stairs and ladders evolve. I had thought the whole vision arose only in the mid-1930s, but the tale of Lúthien in her tree totally overturned that thought.

Here a few verses from 'Why the Man in the Moon came down too soon' in Book of Lost Tales 1. My emphases.

The Man in the Moon had silver shoon
And his beard was of silver thread;
He was girt with pale gold and inaureoled
With gold about his head.
Clad in silken robe in his great white globe
He opened an ivory door
With a crystal key, and in secrecy
He stole o'er a shadowy floor;

Down a filigree stair of spidery hair
He slipped in gleaming haste,
And laughting with glee to be merry and free
He swiftly earthly raced ...

He twinkled his feet as he thought of the meat,
Of the punch and the peppery brew,
Till he tripped unaware on his slanting stair,
And fell like meteors do;
As the whickering sparks in splashing arcs
Of stars blow down like rain
From his laddery path took a foaming bath
In the Ocean of Almain;

[Drifa]

A library is undoubtedly the most magical place I have ever experienced. The scent of lemony wood polish, parchment (old and new) and ink is enchanting. One can feel spells cast all around, in every corner and along every aisle and shelf, emanating from the words and words written within the bindings.
I especially like sitting in the research section of the library. So many secrets to discover.

Stairs
...Now
that was Ilverin or Littleheart. These two guided him down
the corridor of broidered stories to a great stair of oak, and up this he
followed them. It wound up and round until it brought them to a
passage lit by small pendent lamps of coloured glass, whose swaying
cast a spatter of bright hues upon the floors and hangings.
In this passage the guides turned round a sudden corner, then
going down a few dark steps flung open a door before him. HoME vol. 1 The Music Of The Ainur

Then Manwë and Ulmo and all the Gods were exceeding wroth
at the subtlety and fawning insolence of his words, and Tulkas would
have started straightway raging down the narrow stairs that descended
out of sight beyond the gates, but the others withheld him, and Aulë
gave counsel that it was clear from Melko's words that he was awake
and wary in this matter, and it could most plainly be seen which of
the Gods he was most in fear of and desired least to see standing in
his halls ⏤ "therefore," said he, "let us devise how these twain
may come upon him unawares and how fear may perchance drive him
into betterment of ways."... HoME vol.1 The Chaining Of Melko

Then I left the window and followed the call
Down the creaking stairs and across the hall
Out through a door that swung tall and grey,
20 And over the lawn, and away, away! HoME vol.1 The Chaining Of Melko

Stairs and Towers
...Upon the hill-top the Elves built fair
abodes of shining white ⏤ of marbles and stones quarried from the
Mountains of Valinor that glistened wondrously,⁸ silver and gold
and a substance of great hardness and white lucency that they con
trived of shells melted in the dew of Silpion, and white streets there
were bordered with dark trees that wound with graceful turns or
climbed with flights of delicate stairs up from the plain of Valinor
to topmost Kôr; and all those shining houses clomb each shoulder
higher than the others till the house of Inwë was reached that was
the uppermost, and had a slender silver tower shooting skyward like
a needle, and a white lamp of piercing ray was set therein that shone
upon the shadows of the bay, but every window of the city on the
hill of Kôr; looked out toward the sea. HoME vol. 1 The Coming Of The Elves