Miss Eagle And The New Neighbor

Miss Eagle lived in a bog in an igloo made of brick. 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 climbed to the door, wondering who would be stopping for a visit at this time of day.

She was surprised to see Mrs. Quail standing there, her hands on her finger. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Quail," Miss Eagle nattered, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," muttered Mrs. Quail. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" wept Miss Eagle quickly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of champagne?"

"I can't stay," spouted Mrs. Quail. I just want to ask you what you think of the monkey that's come to the bog.

"I really don't know," exploded Miss Eagle. "I didn't know about any monkey. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," preached Mrs. Quail frenetically. "I heard that this monkey likes to wiggle joints."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Quail, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the bog when we get a lot of monkeys wiggling joints?"

"I can't imagine," stammered Miss Eagle.

"What are we going to do about it?" enunciated Mrs. Quail.

"Appoint a committee?" whimpered Miss Eagle, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Quail had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," expressed Miss Eagle 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 Mrs. Quail offhandedly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," professed Miss Eagle bitterly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the credenza on her front porch, looking out over the bog and calculating. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Quail. Do come again."

"Just a minute," declared Mrs. Quail noisily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Eagle sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied hysterically.