A Path of Numbers

A tightly wound roll of yellow cloth sat balanced on the edge of the craft basket. I paused... tilting my head to see if the tiny brass tab at the end was loose. Step by step, I came closer and tapped the metal tip with my front paw. The coil loosened with a soft flutter, tumbling to the floorboards and unrolling into a long, wavy ribbon marked with crisp black numbers. I didn't pull away. Carefully, I placed one paw after another right along the yellow stripe, walking my own neat little trail until my nose gently met the brass end.