The Twig Lever

I walked past the front garden gate and reached the park edge. I paused at the wooden border of the sandbox to check the drop. It was safe. Down in the fine, dry sand, an abandoned plastic toy dump truck was tilted on its side, its yellow plastic wheels stuck deep in a groove. I bent down and gave the front bumper a push. It would not budge. I stopped to think. Nearby, a sturdy dry twig was half-buried. I picked it up and jammed the flat end right under the stuck front axle, then pressed the other end down with both palms. Snap—no, it lifted! The sand yielded, and the front wheels popped free with a soft crunch.