A Speckled Nut

Trundling out past the courtyard gate, I followed the sidewalk into town toward the stone arches of the market arcade. Right near the entrance step, resting beside a fallen dried leaf, was a smooth brown hazelnut shell. It was pierced on one side with a tidy, round hole where something had nibbled inside. I paused, tilting forward to inspect the neat opening. With a gentle tap of my plush snout, I gave the shell a polite push. It wobbled with a light wooden rattle across the cool granite, rolling two inches until it settled neatly inside a hollow carving on the threshold. Delighted by its tidy circle, I rested my front paws beside it.