Miss Horsie And The New Neighbor

Miss Horsie lived on a cliff in a trough made of precious gems. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover Hamburger Helper, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Bandicoot standing there, her hands on her eye. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Bandicoot," Miss Horsie phrased, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," laughed Mrs. Bandicoot. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" indicated Miss Horsie brashly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a tequila sunrise?"

"I can't stay," argued Mrs. Bandicoot. I just want to ask you what you think of the ghost that's come to the cliff.

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

"Well don't be so sure," indicated Mrs. Bandicoot noisily. "I heard that this ghost likes to prod corks."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Bandicoot, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the cliff when we get a lot of ghosts prodding corks?"

"I can't imagine," croaked Miss Horsie.

"What are we going to do about it?" jeered Mrs. Bandicoot.

"Appoint a committee?" peeped Miss Horsie, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Bandicoot had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," enunciated Miss Horsie silently, 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. Bandicoot despondently. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," trumpeted Miss Horsie ruefully, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the ironing board on her front porch, looking out over the cliff and blanking out. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Bandicoot. Do come again."

"Just a minute," voiced Mrs. Bandicoot cheerfully. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Horsie sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied firmly.