A Gust and a Wooden Peg

I pushed through the slightly open balcony door to get a proper look at that open air I had spotted from the windowsill last night. Right in the corner, a pair of wooden clothespins had fallen beneath a drying rack. One was wedged tight against a fallen dry leaf. I crouched down, examining the little metal coil spring held between the two wooden levers. Pressing the notched tail ends with my thumbs required just enough leverage to make the jaws snap open, releasing the leaf with a gentle click. It works on the exact same pivot balance principle as a miniature pair of pliers!