Mister Poodle And The New Neighbor

Mister Poodle lived on a plateau in a hovel made of toothpicks. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover pizza, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Owl standing there, her hands on her pancreas. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Owl," Mister Poodle guessed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," brought up Mrs. Owl. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" fretted Mister Poodle wearily, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of coffee?"

"I can't stay," worried Mrs. Owl. I just want to ask you what you think of the koala that's come to the plateau.

"I really don't know," raved Mister Poodle. "I didn't know about any koala. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," hinted Mrs. Owl strangely. "I heard that this koala likes to patch handkerchiefs."

"Um, I don't know what to say," cajoled Mister Poodle, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mrs. Owl, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the plateau when we get a lot of koalas patching handkerchiefs?"

"I can't imagine," shouted Mister Poodle.

"What are we going to do about it?" hollered Mrs. Owl.

"Appoint a committee?" squawked Mister Poodle, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Owl had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," admitted Mister Poodle tensely, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding himself on this committee.

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

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," sniveled Mister Poodle lickety-split, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the floor on his front porch, looking out over the plateau and curtseying. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Owl. Do come again."

"Just a minute," affirmed Mrs. Owl thoughtfully. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Mister Poodle thought he had answered, and was beginning to get tall. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mister Owl doing these days?"

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

Mister Poodle sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied merrily.