The Snail's Secret Track

The patio sliding screen had a gap just big enough for my whiskers, so I squeezed through onto the sunlit garden path! Right in the middle of a smooth gray slate rested a brown striped snail shell. It was gliding so quietly! I crouched low, resting my chin on my paws to inspect its soft gray trail. Whenever its shell wobbled over a tiny pebble, there was no clatter or chime at all—just pure, gentle silence. I tapped the slate beside it with one soft pad, leaving a dusty paw print alongside its shiny ribbon.