A Fan on the Bench

A wooden folding fan lay resting closed on the wide stone bench. I paused, observing how each polished slat tucked neatly behind the next around a single brass pivot pin. Stepping closer, my knee joints clicked softly against the carved limestone. I extended my front paw and nudged the outermost rib sideways. With a dry, quiet rustle, the thin slats slid apart across the stone, unfolding into a broad pleated semicircle. The patterned paper between them pulled taut without catching. I pressed my paw lightly against the wooden guard to keep it still. It is a remarkably neat mechanism.