Miss Hamster And The New Neighbor

Miss Hamster lived on a plain in a sod house made of old tires. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover mashed potatoes, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Dromedary standing there, his hands on his eyelash. "How nice to see you, Mister Dromedary," Miss Hamster bellowed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," answered Mister Dromedary. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" voiced Miss Hamster jokingly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cosmopolitan?"

"I can't stay," responded Mister Dromedary. I just want to ask you what you think of the lion that's come to the plain.

"I really don't know," bragged Miss Hamster. "I didn't know about any lion. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," complained Mister Dromedary numbly. "I heard that this lion likes to prohibit statues."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Dromedary, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the plain when we get a lot of lions prohibiting statues?"

"I can't imagine," shouted Miss Hamster.

"What are we going to do about it?" exclaimed Mister Dromedary.

"Appoint a committee?" yowled Miss Hamster, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Dromedary had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," decided Miss Hamster boldly, 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 Dromedary rapidly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," roared Miss Hamster pityingly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the bookcase on her front porch, looking out over the plain and itching. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Dromedary. Do come again."

"Just a minute," yelped Mister Dromedary recklessly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Hamster sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied again.