The Wooden Snapper

I slipped through the cracked sliding glass door onto the balcony tiles and immediately spotted a twin-jawed wooden beast lying beside a terracotta pot. Naturally, I didn’t flinch. "State your allegiance, wooden goblin!" I barked, giving its lever end a firm stomp. Clack! The jaws snapped open with vicious speed and slapped the tile, startling me into a totally tactical backward hop. Ahem. Just checking its reflexes. Kneeling down, I cautiously nudged the silver coil spring with a claw tip. A sturdy little contraption with serious bite. I wedged a dried fallen leaf straight into its wooden teeth to neutralize the threat, officially claiming the snapper for my perimeter defenses.