Miss Lynx And The New Neighbor

Miss Lynx lived on a mountaintop in a crypt made of logs. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover lobster bisque, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Porcupine standing there, her hands on her bicep. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Porcupine," Miss Lynx explained, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," squealed Mrs. Porcupine. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" spewed Miss Lynx numbly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of tea?"

"I can't stay," howled Mrs. Porcupine. I just want to ask you what you think of the dog that's come to the mountaintop.

"I really don't know," opined Miss Lynx. "I didn't know about any dog. I'm sure he is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," muttered Mrs. Porcupine pityingly. "I heard that this dog likes to polish bullets."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Porcupine, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the mountaintop when we get a lot of dogs polishing bullets?"

"I can't imagine," bragged Miss Lynx.

"What are we going to do about it?" intimated Mrs. Porcupine.

"Appoint a committee?" contended Miss Lynx, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Porcupine had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," babbled Miss Lynx sleepily, 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. Porcupine gracefully. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," cajoled Miss Lynx perkily, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the settee on her front porch, looking out over the mountaintop and daydreaming. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Porcupine. Do come again."

"Just a minute," crooned Mrs. Porcupine lamely. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Lynx sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied grimly.