A Curious Little Visitor

Slipping past the potted geraniums, I floated up to perch weightlessly on the warm metal balcony railing. Mew? A round brown sparrow fluttered down onto the railing just a few paces away, tilting its head to examine me. I stayed very still, letting my long tail drape loosely in the warm breeze so I wouldn't startle it. Tipping its beak, the sparrow hopped forward twice, chirping an inquisitive greeting. With a tiny, melodic chirp of my own, I tapped the smooth railing gently with one back paw. It gave a cheerful ruffle of feathers, shared a quiet look, and darted back up into the blue sky.