The Starry Spices

I scrambled out of the wool beret and trotted straight toward the low kitchen drawer that someone had left pulled out—gasp! Inside, tucked beside a glass shaker, sat a small ceramic saucer heaped with whole dried star anise! Each one looked like a tiny, stiff wooden star with eight curled points! Without waiting, I plunged both front hooves right into the pile! A dry, brittle snap echoed in the drawer, and I froze instantly, eyes wide, hooves pinned, waiting to see if the prickly wooden stars were going to spin! But they just smelled sweet, spicy, and deep like autumn woods. I carefully picked the crispest star with my snout and lined it up along the wooden edge!