Miss Pelican And The New Neighbor

Miss Pelican lived beside a river in a house made of sod. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover ham, when she heard a knock at the door.

She scurried to the door, wondering who would be stopping for a visit at this time of day.

She was surprised to see Mrs. Phantom standing there, her hands on her beard. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Phantom," Miss Pelican ranted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," nattered Mrs. Phantom. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" spewed Miss Pelican warily, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a chocolate milk?"

"I can't stay," clarified Mrs. Phantom. I just want to ask you what you think of the prairie dog that's come to the river.

"I really don't know," hummed Miss Pelican. "I didn't know about any prairie dog. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," demanded Mrs. Phantom resignedly. "I heard that this prairie dog likes to mend hand puppets."

"Um, I don't know what to say," declared Miss Pelican, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Phantom, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the river when we get a lot of prairie dogs mending hand puppets?"

"I can't imagine," pronounced Miss Pelican.

"What are we going to do about it?" persisted Mrs. Phantom.

"Appoint a committee?" reminded Miss Pelican, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Phantom had in mind.

"That's exactly right," said Mrs. Phantom steadily. "A committee to study the problem."

"Well that's a fine idea," begged Miss Pelican hastily, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding herself on this committee.

"I'd like for you to be on the committee," said Mrs. Phantom victoriously. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," grieved Miss Pelican effortlessly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the wooden crate on her front porch, looking out over the river and peeping. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Phantom. Do come again."

"Just a minute," stammered Mrs. Phantom strictly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Miss Pelican thought she had answered, and was beginning to get happy. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mister Phantom doing these days?"

Mrs. Phantom would have none of it. "So, let's meet at your house, say tomorrow at two?"

Miss Pelican sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied rapidly.