A Rubber Nest

I nudged through the cracked screen door and followed the warm stone patio toward the garden wall. Resting flat on the flags was a dark green hose, wound into wide, neat concentric circles. The center was an empty, round hollow just the size of my colorful cloth ball. Moving with steady, unhurried steps, I gave the ball a gentle push with the tip of my trunk. It rolled across the smooth stones and dipped right into the middle of the coil, settling securely against the ribbed rubber rim. I sat down beside the ring, resting both front paws against the warm hose. The coils held my ball perfectly still.