Miss Louse And The New Neighbor

Miss Louse lived on a plain in a box made of linoleum. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover chicken soup, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Yak standing there, her hands on her back. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Yak," Miss Louse blurted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," intoned Mrs. Yak. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" chuckled Miss Louse elatedly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a gin fizz?"

"I can't stay," decided Mrs. Yak. I just want to ask you what you think of the beaver that's come to the plain.

"I really don't know," divulged Miss Louse. "I didn't know about any beaver. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," cried Mrs. Yak recklessly. "I heard that this beaver likes to strike spittoons."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Yak, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the plain when we get a lot of beavers striking spittoons?"

"I can't imagine," winked Miss Louse.

"What are we going to do about it?" protested Mrs. Yak.

"Appoint a committee?" inquired Miss Louse, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Yak had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," gabbed Miss Louse wryly, 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. Yak woodenly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," gasped Miss Louse quickly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the umbrella stand on her front porch, looking out over the plain and shivering. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Yak. Do come again."

"Just a minute," howled Mrs. Yak diligently. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Louse sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied confidently.