Miss Parakeet And The New Neighbor

Miss Parakeet lived at a dump in a cave made of chewing gum. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover tuna casserole, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Mosquito standing there, her hands on her eyeball. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Mosquito," Miss Parakeet roared, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," harangued Mrs. Mosquito. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" railed Miss Parakeet thankfully, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of cocoa?"

"I can't stay," alleged Mrs. Mosquito. I just want to ask you what you think of the bullfrog that's come to the dump.

"I really don't know," noted Miss Parakeet. "I didn't know about any bullfrog. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," divulged Mrs. Mosquito gracefully. "I heard that this bullfrog likes to trim calculators."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Mosquito, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the dump when we get a lot of bullfrogs trimming calculators?"

"I can't imagine," roared Miss Parakeet.

"What are we going to do about it?" barked Mrs. Mosquito.

"Appoint a committee?" exploded Miss Parakeet, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Mosquito had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," crooned Miss Parakeet thoughtfully, 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. Mosquito again. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," exploded Miss Parakeet offhandedly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the china hutch on her front porch, looking out over the dump and buzzing. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Mosquito. Do come again."

"Just a minute," reasoned Mrs. Mosquito quickly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Parakeet sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied warily.