A Ticking Discovery

I scrambled right over the puffy armrest of the sofa and spotted something amazing on the wooden table: a round, retro mechanical timer ticking all by itself! Tick, tock, tick, tock—what a snappy little rhythm! I stretched my arms across the gap, shimmied onto the smooth tabletop, and gave the metal winding key a gentle poke with my glove. Click! The little key gave a sudden shudder, and a clear chime rang out, buzzing straight through my plush soles. It sounded just like the start of a parade! I crouched close, ears perked, completely captivated by the steady beat.