Mister Anteater And The New Neighbor

Mister Anteater lived in a backyard in a park bench made of felt. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover scrambled eggs, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mister Ghost standing there, his hands on his midriff. "How nice to see you, Mister Ghost," Mister Anteater peeped, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," railed Mister Ghost. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" reasoned Mister Anteater cautiously, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Bacardi?"

"I can't stay," offered Mister Ghost. I just want to ask you what you think of the elephant that's come to the backyard.

"I really don't know," contended Mister Anteater. "I didn't know about any elephant. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," analyzed Mister Ghost truculently. "I heard that this elephant likes to seal lemons."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Ghost, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the backyard when we get a lot of elephants sealing lemons?"

"I can't imagine," exclaimed Mister Anteater.

"What are we going to do about it?" insisted Mister Ghost.

"Appoint a committee?" mumbled Mister Anteater, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Ghost had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," asserted Mister Anteater hungrily, 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 Mister Ghost miserably. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," sobbed Mister Anteater peevishly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the ottoman on his front porch, looking out over the backyard and fulminating. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Ghost. Do come again."

"Just a minute," professed Mister Ghost boisterously. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Anteater sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied nicely.