Miss Jellyfish And The New Neighbor

Miss Jellyfish lived in a park in a cardboard box made of construction paper. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover oatmeal, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

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

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" sighed Miss Jellyfish sternly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you an old fashioned?"

"I can't stay," burbled Mrs. Goat. I just want to ask you what you think of the gazelle that's come to the park.

"I really don't know," laughed Miss Jellyfish. "I didn't know about any gazelle. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," debated Mrs. Goat anxiously. "I heard that this gazelle likes to shake washrags."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Goat, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the park when we get a lot of gazelles shaking washrags?"

"I can't imagine," amended Miss Jellyfish.

"What are we going to do about it?" sputtered Mrs. Goat.

"Appoint a committee?" snorted Miss Jellyfish, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Goat had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," commented Miss Jellyfish hopelessly, 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. Goat intensely. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," blustered Miss Jellyfish truculently, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the mattress on her front porch, looking out over the park and getting dizzy. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Goat. Do come again."

"Just a minute," snarled Mrs. Goat valiantly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Jellyfish sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied dolefully.