The Cork Pillar

Ducking beneath the bistro's striped awning kept the drizzle off my pigtails, but the real prize was on a low wooden side table! Right beside a glass carafe sat a shallow wicker tray heaped with wine corks. I rolled a fat champagne cork with my toes, nudging it upright until it stood like a sturdy little stump. Then came the real test. Using the flat of my beak, I guided a slimmer cork right onto the top rim. It teetered! I held my breath, gave it one quick steadying tap with my forehead, and—voilà! A standing two-tier tower. I let out a brisk, triumphant chirp, beaming at my handmade monument.