A Little Timber Slide

I propped a sturdy, curved strip of dry bark against a low garden stone to make a gentle slope. With both paws, I carefully set the pale blue marble right at the top ridge. It hesitated for a breath, then rolled down with a soft, hollow rattle, clicking over the ridges before bumping neatly against my foot. I picked it up and tried again from an inch higher. This time it gathered speed, rolling cleanly off the bottom edge and nestling deep into a cushion of green moss.