Mister Ox And The New Neighbor

Mister Ox lived in a landfill in a condominium made of fiber. One morning, he had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover ice cream, when he heard a knock at the door.

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

He was surprised to see Mister Jellyfish standing there, his hands on his little finger. "How nice to see you, Mister Jellyfish," Mister Ox squealed, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," squealed Mister Jellyfish. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" quavered Mister Ox urgently, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of eggnog?"

"I can't stay," scoffed Mister Jellyfish. I just want to ask you what you think of the gopher that's come to the landfill.

"I really don't know," preached Mister Ox. "I didn't know about any gopher. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," recited Mister Jellyfish grandly. "I heard that this gopher likes to enclose cages."

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

"Well I do," said Mister Jellyfish, 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 gophers enclosing cages?"

"I can't imagine," alleged Mister Ox.

"What are we going to do about it?" joked Mister Jellyfish.

"Appoint a committee?" chuckled Mister Ox, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mister Jellyfish had in mind.

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

"Well that's a fine idea," wondered Mister Ox softly, 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 Jellyfish stupidly. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," vowed Mister Ox arrogantly, thinking of all the time he'd prefer to be sitting on the TV on his front porch, looking out over the landfill and flinching. "It's been nice talking to you, Mister Jellyfish. Do come again."

"Just a minute," declared Mister Jellyfish lamely. "You didn't answer about the committee."

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

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

Mister Ox sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," he replied ingeniously.