Miss Mouse And The New Neighbor

Miss Mouse lived on a peninsula in a sod house made of blocks of ice. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover sweet potatoes, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Sloth standing there, his hands on his piehole. "How nice to see you, Mister Sloth," Miss Mouse piped up, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," growled Mister Sloth. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" brought up Miss Mouse speedily, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a painkiller?"

"I can't stay," moaned Mister Sloth. I just want to ask you what you think of the buffalo that's come to the peninsula.

"I really don't know," announced Miss Mouse. "I didn't know about any buffalo. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," agreed Mister Sloth wryly. "I heard that this buffalo likes to tickle lollipops."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Sloth, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the peninsula when we get a lot of buffalo tickling lollipops?"

"I can't imagine," proposed Miss Mouse.

"What are we going to do about it?" cried Mister Sloth.

"Appoint a committee?" worried Miss Mouse, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Sloth had in mind.

"That's exactly right," said Mister Sloth cleverly. "A committee to study the problem."

"Well that's a fine idea," blubbered Miss Mouse positively, 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 Mister Sloth cruelly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," provoked Miss Mouse nimbly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the ping-pong table on her front porch, looking out over the peninsula and swooning. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Sloth. Do come again."

"Just a minute," acknowledged Mister Sloth nimbly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Miss Mouse thought she had answered, and was beginning to get absent-minded. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mrs. Sloth doing these days?"

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

Miss Mouse sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied busily.