A Gentle Pinch

A pair of slender wooden toast tongs lay balanced across the rim of an earthenware crock. I paused two paces back, tilting my head to study the clean curve of the bent bamboo—was it springy? Stepping forward with gentle balance, I pressed both front paws down onto the arched hinge. With a tidy, muted snap, the two wooden tips pinched together. When I eased my weight back, the prongs sprang open again with a lively hop. Delighted by the clean rhythm, I nudged the handle with my snout, watching the wooden beak clack softly against the glazed rim.