A Glossy Treasure

I knelt beside a thick patch of clover along the garden path and spotted a prickly green chestnut burr split right down the middle. Tucked snugly inside was a plump, polished brown chestnut. Wanting to free it without squishing the spiky shell, I braced my feet flat on the cool flagstones and eased the blunt tip of my mechanical thumb into the seam. With a soft, fibrous pop, the husk parted cleanly, letting the chestnut roll right into my waiting palm. It felt wonderfully smooth and heavy, just like a little wooden marble. I set it safely in the hollow of a birch root where the wind wouldn't reach it.