Vincenzo was proud of the metal eagle he’d bought. He couldn’t believe the low price he got for it at the market.
Giaco had concerns. “Why would such a beautiful sculpture be so cheap?” A powerful man, he tried to lift it but it wouldn’t budge. “What is it made of?”
“I don’t know,” said Vincenzo. “But it’s beautiful isn’t it? It’ll look great atop the City Building.”
They collected six strong men, but even they could barely move it. All agreed it was heavier than solid gold. They hastily assembled a crane from whole oak trees. It took days but they finally mounted the eagle on the City Building.
Unfortunately, their troubles weren’t over. Within a month stones began falling away from the building.
“It’s that damned eagle!” spat Giaco, dodging a piece of falling stone. “It’s too heavy.”
A week later, with the City Building’s facade threatening to collapse, they removed it. They towed it back to market on a cart used for giant marble columns. Giaco said, “Where on earth did this thing come from?”
Vincenzo sighed in embarrassment. “It used to be on the Tower at Pisa. You know, the leaning one.”
___________________________________
Written for Sunday Photo Fiction: https://sundayphotofictioner.wordpress.com/2017/06/18/sunday-photo-fiction-june-18th-2017/
Author’s Notes:
Leaning Tower of Pisa: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaning_Tower_of_Pisa
A little buyers remorse i would say.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No kidding. There was a reason he got it for so cheap. š Thanks for stopping by. š
LikeLike
Hahah what an ending!! Killer story. Thanks for sharing š
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hehe. My pleasure. Thanks most kindly! š
LikeLike
This made me laugh, great story telling, perhaps the eagle is responsible for the earths tilt?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha! Maybe there’s a whole mountain of the stuff hidden away and that is causing the tilt. You never know. š Glad you enjoyed this. Thanks for the kind words.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So that’s what happened to the Tower of Pisa – and they try to tell you it was too many restaurants on one side of it. Great ending, Eric š
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hehe. Now you know the truth. That’s what I do here. š Thanks kindly, Lyn! š
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s the best explanation I’ve heard! Brilliant.
Click to visit Keith’s Ramblings
LikeLike
Hehe. Thanks very much! š
LikeLike
Well, that’s one way to explain the leaning of the tower.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hehe. It’s a little known fact kept hidden in the Vatican’s archives. š
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Pisa Code.
LikeLiked by 1 person
š
LikeLike
Wow, that’s some heavy eagle! I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that it’s made of some space-age material not heretofore known to humans…. Or maybe I’ve been reading your stories too long. š
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha! It’s true. Almost anything can happen in my stories. š In my mind while writing this I just thought ‘Star Metal.’ Although, Osmium is the heaviest (most dense) naturally occurring metal, twice the density of lead.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the sound of “Star Metal” — sounds like you could do just about anything with that. Also, great name for a band. Although Osmium is an even better one, hm.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hehe. In lots of old fantasy stories the best swords were always made with “star metal.” I’d go with “Osmium Bell” for a band name. š
LikeLiked by 1 person
So that’s why the statue was so inexpensive. It must have been a task getting it down from the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Good writing, Eric. š — Suzanne
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep. If something is too difficult to use it’s hard just to give it away! And yeah, they had a hard time getting it off the tower. Luckily, they removed it time. š Thanks so much Suzanne.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Sunday Photo Fiction – June 25th 2017 – Sunday Photo Fiction
Okay, I’ll be the one to say it..
This gives a new slant to an old story
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s what I do. I offer slants that, hopefully, no one’s ever thought of before. š
LikeLike
Pingback: The Grass – Sunday Photo Fiction | Sound Bite Fiction
Pingback: Sunday Photo Fiction – Wrong | This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time
That explains why it is leaning š Good story Eric
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wanted to clear up that mystery. š Thanks Al! š
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: neelwrites/inhiding/spf/fiction/200words/26/06/2017 | neelwritesblog