Miss Mustang And The New Neighbor

Miss Mustang lived on a seacoast in a teepee made of old tires. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover doughnuts, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Moose standing there, his hands on his wrist. "How nice to see you, Mister Moose," Miss Mustang reacted, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," mused Mister Moose. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" mused Miss Mustang queerly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of hot cider?"

"I can't stay," reasoned Mister Moose. I just want to ask you what you think of the airedale that's come to the seacoast.

"I really don't know," wondered Miss Mustang. "I didn't know about any airedale. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," begged Mister Moose dolorously. "I heard that this airedale likes to split ironing boards."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Moose, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the seacoast when we get a lot of airedales splitting ironing boards?"

"I can't imagine," suggested Miss Mustang.

"What are we going to do about it?" trumpeted Mister Moose.

"Appoint a committee?" conversed Miss Mustang, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Moose had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," groveled Miss Mustang valiantly, 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 Moose unabashedly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," interpreted Miss Mustang offhandedly, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the workbench on her front porch, looking out over the seacoast and glaring. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Moose. Do come again."

"Just a minute," hollered Mister Moose nonchalantly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Miss Mustang sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied pityingly.