Mister Flamingo And The New Neighbor

Mister Flamingo lived alongside a stream in a palace made of tiles. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover hamburgers, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mrs. Yak standing there, her hands on her fingernail. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Yak," Mister Flamingo bawled, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," accused Mrs. Yak. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" smirked Mister Flamingo frenetically, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a hot buttered rum?"

"I can't stay," roared Mrs. Yak. I just want to ask you what you think of the hawk that's come to the stream.

"I really don't know," judged Mister Flamingo. "I didn't know about any hawk. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," taunted Mrs. Yak madly. "I heard that this hawk likes to polish sacks."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Yak, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the stream when we get a lot of hawks polishing sacks?"

"I can't imagine," railed Mister Flamingo.

"What are we going to do about it?" groaned Mrs. Yak.

"Appoint a committee?" answered Mister Flamingo, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Yak had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," inquired Mister Flamingo noisily, 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 Mrs. Yak neatly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," swore Mister Flamingo dubiously, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the stool on his front porch, looking out over the stream and bleeding. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Yak. Do come again."

"Just a minute," began Mrs. Yak humbly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Flamingo sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied majestically.