Cracking the Green Fortress

I marched straight past the garden gate and ventured down the gravel path of the neighborhood park. Sitting right beside a patch of clover was a spiky green horse-chestnut husk, split open just along one hairline seam. Driven to investigate the hidden treasure, I wedged the tip of my yellow beak into the groove and gave a decisive, muscular heave. The prickly shell popped wide open with a sharp snap, rolling out an enormous, glossy mahogany chestnut onto the dust. I tapped my claw against its slick, polished dome, genuinely fascinated by how pristine and cool it stayed inside such jagged armor.