Miss Rooster And The New Neighbor

Miss Rooster lived on a mesa in a castle made of cast iron. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover steak, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Coyote standing there, his hands on his tongue. "How nice to see you, Mister Coyote," Miss Rooster urged, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," rumored Mister Coyote. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" observed Miss Rooster lickety-split, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a glass of champagne?"

"I can't stay," babbled Mister Coyote. I just want to ask you what you think of the rat that's come to the mesa.

"I really don't know," protested Miss Rooster. "I didn't know about any rat. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," boasted Mister Coyote sarcastically. "I heard that this rat likes to wiggle bags of groceries."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Coyote, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the mesa when we get a lot of rats wiggling bags of groceries?"

"I can't imagine," comforted Miss Rooster.

"What are we going to do about it?" proposed Mister Coyote.

"Appoint a committee?" stammered Miss Rooster, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Coyote had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," realized Miss Rooster cruelly, 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 Coyote crossly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," moaned Miss Rooster courteously, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the floor on her front porch, looking out over the mesa and dilly-dallying. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Coyote. Do come again."

"Just a minute," reacted Mister Coyote gently. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Rooster sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied carefully.