A Snappy Inspection

I hopped out from the wool folds and scrambled up onto the kitchen counter—sorry for any boot clatter on the laminate! Right beside a notepad lay a bright yellow tape measure. The tiny hooked metal lip practically invited inspection. Bracing my foot, I gave the brass tab a polite, gentle tug with my silver claw. *Zzzzt.* Three inches of curved yellow steel slid out, displaying precise millimeter gradations. I only meant to test its coil tension, I really did! But the thumb lock slipped, and—*snap*! The blade zipped back inside with a sharp slap. I dropped flat, tail tucked tight, frantically whispering apologies to the quiet room. But nothing broke. What an astonishingly resilient little mechanism.