A Squeeze of Sunshine

I set my sights on a pair of bright yellow foam earplugs resting on a low wooden side table this morning. Thinking they looked like tiny sponge berries begging to be harvested, I squeezed one tight between my paws. It squished flat as a paper pancake! Naturally astonished, I loosened my grip to see if it stayed smashed, but that stubborn little sponge started puffing right back up like magic dough. As I leaned my nose close to give it a cautious sniff, boing—the second earplug rolled off the edge, bounced against a ceramic coaster with a tiny clatter, and sent me tumbling backward straight into a fluffy fleece cushion. Magic berries or not, that was a lively morning workout!