The Little Wooden Shutter

I pushed back inside through the door flap to rest my paws from the cold streets! Up on the dark walnut side table, an old wooden matchbox with a brass slide-sleeve was resting beside an empty tea mug. Right at the seam, a tiny folded paper corner poked out! I bounded onto the soft cushion, leaned across, and wedged both front paws firmly against the inner cedar drawer. *Thump-shhk!* The drawer slid forward on its groove with a dry, papery scrape! Inside, a neat row of red-tipped matchsticks rolled against each other with a muffled rattle, puffing a faint, cozy whiff of sulfur and dry pine right over my whiskers! I rested my chin on the drawer edge to watch the shadows settle!