Miss Dromedary And The New Neighbor

Miss Dromedary lived on a prairie in a chateau made of toothpicks. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover cinnamon toast, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Chipmunk standing there, her hands on her wig. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Chipmunk," Miss Dromedary pointed out, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," bragged Mrs. Chipmunk. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" declaimed Miss Dromedary fiercely, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a milkshake?"

"I can't stay," agreed Mrs. Chipmunk. I just want to ask you what you think of the pony that's come to the prairie.

"I really don't know," growled Miss Dromedary. "I didn't know about any pony. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," burbled Mrs. Chipmunk deliberately. "I heard that this pony likes to engrave sponges."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Chipmunk, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the prairie when we get a lot of ponies engraving sponges?"

"I can't imagine," concluded Miss Dromedary.

"What are we going to do about it?" sniffed Mrs. Chipmunk.

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

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

"Well that's a fine idea," retorted Miss Dromedary pitifully, 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. Chipmunk gently. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," articulated Miss Dromedary dubiously, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the stool on her front porch, looking out over the prairie and jerking. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Chipmunk. Do come again."

"Just a minute," wailed Mrs. Chipmunk oddly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Dromedary sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied fervently.