Miss Hippopotamus And The New Neighbor

Miss Hippopotamus lived in a circus tent in a cabin made of onyx. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover pizza, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mister Honeybee standing there, his hands on his spleen. "How nice to see you, Mister Honeybee," Miss Hippopotamus screamed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," mentioned Mister Honeybee. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" thought Miss Hippopotamus angrily, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a Shirley Temple?"

"I can't stay," implored Mister Honeybee. I just want to ask you what you think of the troll that's come to the circus tent.

"I really don't know," ranted Miss Hippopotamus. "I didn't know about any troll. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," panted Mister Honeybee resignedly. "I heard that this troll likes to slam boomerangs."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Honeybee, who always seemed to know what to say. "What do you think is going to happen to the circus tent when we get a lot of trolls slamming boomerangs?"

"I can't imagine," announced Miss Hippopotamus.

"What are we going to do about it?" amended Mister Honeybee.

"Appoint a committee?" grieved Miss Hippopotamus, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Honeybee had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," howled Miss Hippopotamus shakily, 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 Honeybee victoriously. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," snorted Miss Hippopotamus thoughtfully, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the ping-pong table on her front porch, looking out over the circus tent and showing up. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Honeybee. Do come again."

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

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

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

Miss Hippopotamus sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied lickety-split.