“Bet you can’t hang onto the top bars,” squeaked Dusty.
“Bet I can,” Blacky lowered the toilet roll tube he’d been destroying. “What’s it worth?”
“All the sunflower seeds in the next feed.”
“Alright, you’re on.”
Blacky hurled his plump, furry body at the wall bars of their cage, closing his tiny pink fingers around the wire while his flailing tail sprayed Dusty with sawdust. He paused for a moment to gnaw on the bars. The ringing sound rattled through his little skull. It never gave, but he felt the inexplicable need to try. Then he began his ascent.
The tricky bit was moving from the wall to the roof. There was a hairy bit when he reached for the top wires, leaving his feeble hindfeet as his only support. Thankfully this time he latched onto the ceiling fast enough.
A few shaky swings later, his plump rump was wobbling above Dusty’s head.
“How long until it counts?”
“Ah, that’ll do. You win.”
Relieved, he dropped squarely onto his companion. They wrestled briefly.
“Now what?”
“Fight you for the wheel.”