The Chirping Shell

A tiny rhythmic click-click-chirp sounded right behind a dry oak leaf! I abandoned the fountain and scrambled into the dim garden shadows on all four paws! Sniffing through the damp loam, I bumped my snout straight into a hollow, empty snail shell nestled by a garden stake. But the chirping wasn't from the shell—a tiny black cricket darted out from underneath, tickling my front paws before vanishing into the ivy! I wobbled back onto my tail with a gasp, then rolled the hollow spiral shell over with my nose to inspect its secret, empty spiral room.