The Pulley and the Weight

A small cast-iron pulley caught my eye where the wooden garden gate meets the fence post. Setting my mallets flat across my xylophone frame, I stepped close to inspect the groove. A braided sash cord ran over the wheel, tied to a heavy iron counterweight hanging below. I leaned forward and pushed the gate outward with both palms. The wheel turned with a slow, dry squeak as the rope pulled taut, lifting the heavy weight three inches off the gravel. When I stepped back, gravity did the rest. The weight dropped smoothly, drawing the gate back until the wooden latch met its catch with a firm, hollow clack.