Sliding Wooden Beads

I stepped onto the low shelf beneath the desk and found a miniature wooden abacus leaning against a stack of papers. Slender brass wires stretched across its frame, each threaded with smooth wooden beads. I paused, watching how they rested silently in the morning quiet. Slowly, with deliberate care, I lifted my front paw and nudged the lowest bead. It zipped along the wire with a crisp, bright clack against the wooden rim. Delighted by the clear sound, I pushed another, then another, watching the round beads gather into a neat cluster.