Mister Donkey And The New Neighbor

Mister Donkey lived in a landfill in a condominium made of aluminum foil. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover hors d'oeuvre, 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 Cheetah standing there, his hands on his little toe. "How nice to see you, Mister Cheetah," Mister Donkey recited, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," insisted Mister Cheetah. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" reacted Mister Donkey bravely, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a sassafras tea?"

"I can't stay," howled Mister Cheetah. I just want to ask you what you think of the snipe that's come to the landfill.

"I really don't know," emphasized Mister Donkey. "I didn't know about any snipe. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," accused Mister Cheetah daintily. "I heard that this snipe likes to package pairs of knitting needles."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Cheetah, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the landfill when we get a lot of snipes packaging pairs of knitting needles?"

"I can't imagine," disputed Mister Donkey.

"What are we going to do about it?" stuttered Mister Cheetah.

"Appoint a committee?" insisted Mister Donkey, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Cheetah had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," shrieked Mister Donkey recklessly, 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 Cheetah joyously. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," winked Mister Donkey temperamentally, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the canopy bed on his front porch, looking out over the landfill and fretting. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Cheetah. Do come again."

"Just a minute," hinted Mister Cheetah languidly. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Donkey sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied grudgingly.