Doorstep Roll

The crisp morning air greeted my snout the second I squeezed past the porch screen door. Right on the prickly fiber welcome mat lay a tightly rolled newspaper, bound snug with a wide rubber band! I trotted closer, ears pitched sharp, and tapped the dense paper roll with my front paw. It gave a dry, papery rustle. Bracing both paws against the rough bristles of the mat, I wedged my nose under the rounded seam and gave a firm, energetic push. Thump-roll-thump—it rolled smoothly forward and parked neatly flush against the painted wooden doorframe. Morning post safely delivered!