Button sorting

My toes hopped onto the polished cherry side table just as the indoor lamp clicked on. Right in a ceramic saucer lay two spare buttons—one glossy cobalt, one pumpkin orange, threaded together by a single white cord! Chirp! I tilted left to nudge the blue disc, but the cord tugged the orange one immediately. Cheep! Wobble, tap! I braced my round tummy against the rim, gripped the loose knot with my beak, and tugged until the loop slipped clear. Now they rest apart, side by side, perfectly unspooled for the evening.