A Quiet Paper Crossing

I walked past the front gate and followed the quiet sidewalk to the little wooden book-sharing cabinet along the fence. The small glass door was already unlatched. Stepping onto the cedar shelf with deliberate poise, I discovered a miniature street atlas resting open to a map of river bridges. Beside it lay a smooth brass washer and a sturdy wooden pencil stub. Using both paws, I carefully aligned the pencil across the drawn waterway to serve as a grand suspension crossing. Then, I set the brass washer flat at the bridgehead like an open circular plaza. Bracing my tail firmly against the cabinet wall, I stood tall to survey the tranquil paper metropolis.