Mister Nightingale And The New Neighbor

Mister Nightingale lived in a desert in a mansion made of sand. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover bread and butter, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mister Hyena standing there, his hands on his Achilles tendon. "How nice to see you, Mister Hyena," Mister Nightingale drawled, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," offered Mister Hyena. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" smirked Mister Nightingale brightly, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Brandy Alexander?"

"I can't stay," spat Mister Hyena. I just want to ask you what you think of the monster that's come to the desert.

"I really don't know," bawled Mister Nightingale. "I didn't know about any monster. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," chanted Mister Hyena narrowly. "I heard that this monster likes to flush padlocks."

"Um, I don't know what to say," gasped Mister Nightingale, who really didn't know what to say.

"Well I do," said Mister Hyena, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the desert when we get a lot of monsters flushing padlocks?"

"I can't imagine," drawled Mister Nightingale.

"What are we going to do about it?" smiled Mister Hyena.

"Appoint a committee?" concluded Mister Nightingale, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Hyena had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," stormed Mister Nightingale blindly, who wanted to bring the conversation to a close quickly, without finding himself on this committee.

"I'd like for you to be on the committee," said Mister Hyena admiringly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," recited Mister Nightingale cleverly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the rocking chair on his front porch, looking out over the desert and getting angry. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Hyena. Do come again."

"Just a minute," avowed Mister Hyena primly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Mister Nightingale thought he had answered, and was beginning to get emotional. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mrs. Hyena doing these days?"

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

Mister Nightingale sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied daringly.