A Steady Slant

I climbed up past the edge of the study desk where an unlatched wooden dip pen box was rocking on a loose brass paper fastener. The morning light showed its slight, nervous tilt. Resting nearby were three flat timber dowel slices and a heavy lead pencil. I paused, feeling the sturdy oak surface beneath my paws. Methodically, I pressed my chest forward to shove the longest dowel slice beneath the lower corner of the box. With patient, two-pawed nudges, I slotted the remaining pieces flat beside it until the gap filled completely. The tilt vanished with a quiet clink. Now it rests entirely level, holding its calm under the sun.