The Wooden Beast

I stand eye to eye with a carved wooden beast guarding the corner of the polished table. It has the curved neck and alert ears of a proud creature, but its body ends in one heavy round pedestal without legs! On my home planet, battle mounts have four claws and fierce tails. I grasp its smooth timber snout with both hands to test its combat spirit. The beast does not strike back, but it stays very resolute and refuses to tip over under my push. I turn its face toward the clear night window so it can watch the dark sky with me. It is a very sturdy and quiet sentry.