The Woven Sentinel

I trotted right over to the front entrance and clambered onto the shoe bench—gasp! Tucked beside the door stood a tall, dark wooden umbrella stand, with a sturdy cane sporting a smooth curved handle like a giant carved antler! I stretched my front hooves out to nudge the polished handle, but the whole cane wobbled with a sudden, echoing *clack-thump* inside the hollow base! I froze instantly, eyes huge and hooves braced tight, waiting to see if the tall timber giant was waking up! But it just settled back peacefully against the rim, smelling of raincoats and dark oiled wood. I leaned my felt chest proudly against its curved arch to guard the entryway!