Miss Moose And The New Neighbor

Miss Moose lived in a circus tent in a duplex made of reeds. One morning, she had just finished breakfast and was putting away the leftover mulligan stew, when she heard a knock at the door.

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

She was surprised to see Mrs. Musk-ox standing there, her hands on her Achilles tendon. "How nice to see you, Mrs. Musk-ox," Miss Moose invited, not at all sure it was indeed nice. "The pleasure's all yours, I'm sure," hollered Mrs. Musk-ox. "May I come in?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners!" rebutted Miss Moose impatiently, opening the door wide. "Please come in. Can I get you a gin sour?"

"I can't stay," murmured Mrs. Musk-ox. I just want to ask you what you think of the tiger that's come to the circus tent.

"I really don't know," hissed Miss Moose. "I didn't know about any tiger. I'm sure she is very nice."

"Well don't be so sure," quavered Mrs. Musk-ox hopefully. "I heard that this tiger likes to prune cotton balls."

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

"Well I do," said Mrs. Musk-ox, 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 tigers pruning cotton balls?"

"I can't imagine," rebutted Miss Moose.

"What are we going to do about it?" persisted Mrs. Musk-ox.

"Appoint a committee?" chuckled Miss Moose, who was pretty sure a committee was what Mrs. Musk-ox had in mind.

"That's exactly right," said Mrs. Musk-ox suavely. "A committee to study the problem."

"Well that's a fine idea," judged Miss Moose oddly, 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 Mrs. Musk-ox intensely. "You always have such good ideas."

"Oh, I don't think I'd have time for that," reacted Miss Moose frenetically, thinking of all the time she'd prefer to be sitting on the recliner on her front porch, looking out over the circus tent and bawling. "It's been nice talking to you, Mrs. Musk-ox. Do come again."

"Just a minute," yelled Mrs. Musk-ox sleepily. "You didn't answer about the committee."

Miss Moose thought she had answered, and was beginning to get sweet. "Thank you so much for thinking of me. It is a lovely day, isn't it? How is Mister Musk-ox doing these days?"

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

Miss Moose sighed. "Tomorrow at two it is," she replied thoughtfully.