Listen for a rustling sound. A rustling of leaves, I hold my breath, ready to face the impossible. -- Suzanne Delaney, "Unicorn Hoofprints" (2001) Beautiful to the human ear, rustling sounds are typically caused by stealthy movements and rubbing. Rustling sounds are various in tone: brushing, like a broom sweeping away cobwebs hissing, like a fierce whisper soft and muffled, like a blanket or thick rug crackling, like leaves or dry grass, or kindling catching fire fluttering, like the wings of frightened birds crumpling, like a scattering of parchment on a composer's cluttered piano, or someone stepping on a paper doll brief and slight, like toffee wrappers scraping, like razors on skin popping, like static electricity