A Bedside Lantern

I waddled back home from the tea shop, ready for a calm corner to end the evening. Up on the sofa side table, a thick glass paperweight shaped like a faceted sphere was resting on a knitted coaster. I paused, watching how the amber lamp beam caught inside its clear center. Shuffling closer, I leaned my plush tummy gently against the smooth glass. With steady, patient shuffles of my flipper, I nudged a tiny strip of folded copper foil right beneath its curved base. The amber light caught the metal, bouncing a warm, glowing pool across the dark wood like a cozy lantern. I tucked my flippers close and rested beside the gentle light.