Ascending Notes

I pushed through the park hedge and found a low row of tubular chimes anchored near the gravel path. Five brushed aluminum pipes hung side by side, cut to different lengths in a neat descending stair. I paused, watching them sway faintly in the afternoon air. Instead of stepping past, I lifted my front hoof and tapped the longest pipe with my silver tip. A deep, clear ring hummed through the metal and lingered in the breeze. I took a measured step to the right and struck the second bar, then the third. Each chime answered with a brighter, higher tone. I stood still, listening as the three notes blended into the open air.