Miss Ring-tailed Lemur And The New Neighbor

Miss Ring-tailed lemur lived in a cesspool in a trough made of thatch. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover hors d'oeuvre, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Weasel standing there, her hands on her lung. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Weasel," Miss Ring-tailed lemur demanded, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," opined Mrs. Weasel. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" stammered Miss Ring-tailed lemur quietly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a gin sour?"

"I can't stay," imitated Mrs. Weasel. I just want to ask you what you think of the Norway rat that's come to the cesspool.

"I really don't know," cajoled Miss Ring-tailed lemur. "I didn't know about any Norway rat. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," affirmed Mrs. Weasel wearily. "I heard that this Norway rat likes to identify pickles."

"Um, I don't know what to say," chattered Miss Ring-tailed lemur, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Weasel, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the cesspool when we get a lot of Norway rats identifying pickles?"

"I can't imagine," avowed Miss Ring-tailed lemur.

"What are we going to do about it?" breathed Mrs. Weasel.

"Appoint a committee?" provoked Miss Ring-tailed lemur, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Weasel had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," proposed Miss Ring-tailed lemur courteously, 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. Weasel delicately. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," offered Miss Ring-tailed lemur greedily, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the file cabinet on her front porch, looking out over the cesspool and dilly-dallying. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Weasel. Do come again."

"Just a minute," murmured Mrs. Weasel courageously. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Ring-tailed lemur sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied queerly.